Beijing's homeless "living" in McDonalds

时间：2006-12-20 01:14:19

（单词翻译:单击）


 
Dec.17 - The decision by McDonalds to churn out Big Macs 24 hours a day in some of its restaurants in Beijing has proved an unexpected bonus for the capital's homeless population this winter.

 

It is becoming common for Beijing's homeless people to use the fast food chain's outlets1 as a respite2 from the biting winter and on Friday night more than a dozen people slept in a McDonalds restaurant in Shuangyushu, Haidian District. Some of them ate the food left on the table before going to sleep on the benches.

 

A middle-aged3 man said shyly that he had come to Beijing from another province to look for a job. But he had not found one and had no place to live. "I've lived in McDonalds for more than two months," he said.

 

Another young man in the same situation said, "The rent in Beijing is so high that I've had to stay in McDonalds while I look for a job. It's very warm in here and I can often find some food.

 

"Since the restaurant is located in the downtown area, it is convenient for job-hunting during the day," he said.

 

Homeless people have also been seen sleeping in other McDonalds in Beijing but the majority of customers seem unperturbed.

 

A customer surnamed4 Lin said she didn't mind if there was someone sleeping nearby when she was having her meal.

 

But another customer surnamed Gu pointed5 out the restaurant should ensure a "good dining environment".

 

No one from the McDonalds headquarters in Beijing was available for comment but it seems the staff in the Shuangyushu branch are not overly concerned.

 

"We haven't found a good way to solve the problem since the tramps6 would not leave the restaurant when asked but they are not disturbing other customers' meals," one worker said.

 

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1 outlets a899f2669c499f26df428cf3d18a06c3     
n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店
参考例句：
  • The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
2 respite BWaxa     
n.休息，中止，暂缓
参考例句：
  • She was interrogated without respite for twenty-four hours.她被不间断地审问了二十四小时。
  • Devaluation would only give the economy a brief respite.贬值只能让经济得到暂时的缓解。
3 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句：
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
4 surnamed 352bdcc67d843db0f26a70ea8c0855e6     
vt.给…加姓（surname的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • He is surnamed Wang. 他姓王。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Alexander was surnamed "the Great". 亚历山大被加给“大帝”的封号。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
5 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
6 tramps d9c892d381be58a7bb46f6f937271195     
n.重步声( tramp的名词复数 )；长途跋涉；游民；荡妇
参考例句：
  • Tramps are from the lowest stratum of society. 流浪汉来自社会最下层。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • They think all backpackers are tramps. 他们认为所有背包的人都是徒步旅行者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

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