VOA标准英语2009年-Ohio Collector's Vintage Penny Scales

At this time of year when, everywhere we look, Americans are tempted¹ by fattening³ holiday treats, many of us are resolving to lose weight in the New Year.

So stepping on a scale is no fun unless you're the Columbus, Ohio, artist who has hopped⁴ onto thousands of them over the past 38 years and loved every moment of it.

Christopher Steele collects scales.  Not the ordinary bathroom models on which we must suck in our bellies⁵ in order to look down and read. 

He has traveled the country, buying more than 200 vintage penny scales which are the heavy, upright kind that were once a fixture⁶ on street corners and in stores, train stations and public restrooms across America.  Of course, the scales in many ladies' rooms were often deliberately⁷ set to record readings two or three pounds lighter⁸ than true weight in an appeal to vanity.

The exhibit's name, The American Weigh, is a play on words

 
Chas. Krider
In his artist's studio, Christopher Steele strikes a rakish pose among his collection of vintage penny scales – some dispense⁹ fortunes and trinkets

Beginning in February, Steele will exhibit 50 classic models in the Lazarus Building in Columbus. This was once the kind of lavish¹⁰ downtown department store where one would find these heavy, cast-iron scales.

Penny scales were the first vending¹¹ machines.  Most not only gave you your weight but also disbursed¹² candy or gum, or cards with horoscope readings, trivia quizzes and even pictures of Hollywood stars.

Vending machine companies placed and maintained most of the public scales, splitting the profits with those who owned the spaces. 

Some of the scales have novelty appeal

 
Christopher Steele
Some of the scales were novelty items; this one, fashioned after a once-popular soft drink bottle was built in Toledo, Ohio, in 1949

Christopher Steele says that in the 1930s, at the height of penny scales' popularity, before their price rose to a quarter and before cheap bathroom scales were available for every home, Americans dropped more than 10 billion pennies into these colorful machines each year. 

Did we say colorful?  Some of Steele's machines are shaped like soda¹³ bottles, gas pumps and the Mr. Peanut advertising¹⁴ character.

People collect all sorts of things from thimbles to twine¹⁵.  But why penny scales?  "I love fine design, Americana and mechanical things," Christopher Steele says.

One can still find a few penny scales, costing a quarter or even 50 cents, in places like taverns¹⁶ and truck stops.  They're a novelty, no longer corner landmarks¹⁷.  This time of year, maybe that's just as well.

 

Read more of Ted²'s personal reflections and stories from the road on his blog, Ted Landphair's America.
 

1 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 fattening   

adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The doctor has advised him to keep off fattening food. 医生已建议他不要吃致肥食物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We substitute margarine for cream because cream is fattening. 我们用人造黄油代替奶油，因为奶油会使人发胖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

5 bellies   

n.肚子( belly的名词复数 )；腹部；（物体的）圆形或凸起部份；腹部…形的

参考例句：

• They crawled along on their bellies. 他们匍匐前进。
• starving children with huge distended bellies 鼓着浮肿肚子的挨饿儿童

6 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。

7 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

8 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

9 dispense   

vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施

参考例句：

• Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。
• The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱，可自行适当分配。

10 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

11 vending   

v.出售（尤指土地等财产）( vend的现在分词 )；（尤指在公共场所）贩卖；发表（意见，言论）；声明

参考例句：

• Why Are You Banging on the Vending Machine? 你为什么敲打这台自动售货机？ 来自朗文快捷英语教程 2
• Coca-Cola had to adapt almost 300,000 vending machines to accept the new coins. 可口可乐公司必须使将近三十万台自动贩卖机接受新货币。 来自超越目标英语 第5册

12 disbursed   

v.支出，付出( disburse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the 2000—2008 school year, $426.5 million was disbursed to 349085 students. 2000至2008学年，共有349085名学生获发津贴，总额达4.265亿元。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bank has disbursed over $350m for the project. 银行已经为这个项目支付了超过3.5亿美元。 来自辞典例句

13 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

14 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

15 twine   

v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕

参考例句：

• He tied the parcel with twine.他用细绳捆包裹。
• Their cardboard boxes were wrapped and tied neatly with waxed twine.他们的纸板盒用蜡线扎得整整齐齐。

16 taverns   

n.小旅馆，客栈，酒馆( tavern的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They ain't only two taverns. We can find out quick." 这儿只有两家客栈，会弄明白的。” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Maybe ALL the Temperance Taverns have got a ha'nted room, hey, Huck?" 也许所有的禁酒客栈都有个闹鬼的房间，喂，哈克，你说是不是？” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

17 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句