共浴抗旱

Help Beat the Drought -Shower Together

Australians hit by one of the worst droughts in a century should shower together according to the minister responsible for water restrictions in the nation's second most populous state. Victoria state Environment Minister Sherryl Garbutt said even those not in a relationship could "find a sympathetic friend" and shower together to save thousands of liters of water over the southern hemisphere summer. "I would urge Victorians to share their shower," she said in the Herald-Sun newspaper. "It is a very popular idea around my office for people to be showering with a friend. It is a great way to add to the overall water savings." Water restrictions take effect in Australia's second-largest city, Melbourne, from November 1 for the first time in 20 years. They target mainly outdoor water use, such as swimming pools. 2002's drought is being exacerbated by the El Ni杘 weather pattern, which tends to cut rainfall in eastern Australia and parts of Southeast Asia.

澳大利亚人口第二大州负责用水限制的部长认为，遭受百年未遇的重大旱灾袭击的澳大利亚人应该一同淋浴。维多利亚州环境部长谢里尔·加巴特说，即使是与他人素无来往的人也可以“找一个志同道合者”，然后在南半球的夏天共浴以节约数千升水。“我敦促维多利亚州居民与人同浴，”她在《先驱太阳报》上说。“在我的办公室里，与朋友共浴的观念十分流行。这是个绝妙的方法，有助于全面节水。”澳洲第二大城市墨尔本从11月1日开始实施用水管制，这是20年来的第一次。管制目标主要是户外用水，比如游泳池。2002年的干旱因厄尔尼诺气候而加剧，后者会使澳洲东部地区及东南亚部分地区的雨量减少。

Remarks：我怀疑这种节水方法的实际效果（同时入浴的人数一定与用水量成反比吗？），但如此抗旱是一定可以培养出一批“患难之交”的。