How the bendy straw was invented | Moments of Vision 12 - Jessica Oreck

譯者: Szu-Wen Kung 審譯者: Helen Chang

In a Moment of Vision...

【靈光乍現……】

It's the 1930s, San Francisco.

1930 年，舊金山。

Joseph B. Friedman and his young daughter Judith

喬瑟夫 B. 佛洛曼 和他的小女兒茱蒂絲

are sitting at the counter in a soda parlor.

坐在一間冷飲店的吧檯上。

Judith has just ordered a milkshake.

茱蒂絲剛點了一杯奶昔。

Vanilla or strawberry, we may never know.

是香草或草莓口味，我們不得而知。

When the milkshake arrives, Joseph watches as little Judith struggles.

飲料來後，喬瑟夫看著 小喬伊斯奮力掙扎。

Seated on the parlor stool,

她坐在吧檯的高腳椅上，

無法碰到那支伸出奶昔的吸管頂部。

she is unable to reach the mouth of the striped paper straw

protruding from her shake.

Joseph, in a moment of vision, modifies Judith's straw.

喬瑟夫靈光乍現， 改造茱蒂絲的吸管。

He inserts a screw into one end,

他把一根螺絲釘塞入吸管的一端，

and using a piece of dental floss,

接著用一條牙線

crushes the paper between the threads of the screw

沿著螺絲釘的螺旋紋路 纏繞按壓吸管，

creating a series of tiny equidistant corrugations.

形成一串小型等距的波紋，

After removing the screw,

螺絲釘取出後，

the straw is able to bend over the side of the glass

便能輕易把吸管折彎到杯緣，

and Judith is able to savor her milkshake.

茱蒂絲總算能享用奶昔。

Joseph initially markets the new flexible straw

喬瑟夫先將這款新型可彎曲的吸管

to hospitals to help patients drink while reclining,

行銷至醫院，協助半躺的病人飲用。

but eventually, with the marketing and business savvy from his sister Betty,

但最終在喬瑟夫 精通生意的妹妹行銷下，

the bendy straw becomes a beloved utensil of every child

可彎曲吸管從此成為 每位孩童最愛的餐具，

and a regular household item.

也成為家庭中常見的生活用品。