卫生间的秘密

Secrets of the Office Restroom

The restroom may be the most private place in the cubicle-land of today's open-plan offices, but, unlike the characters of Ally McBeal*, few workers use it for emotional breakdowns or to escape a busy day. In fact, 92 percent of U.S. office workers say they use thebathroom only for the plumbing ?nbsp;and then they hightail it back to their desks. Still, a lot of office grunts wouldn't mind a back rub in the lav, or maybe some tunes. A warm seat wouldn't be so bad either, according to a survey conducted for U.S. paper giant Kimberly-Clark Corp. The survey found that just 2 percent of of fice workers go to the restroom to "hide or get away." Of the 257 adults surveyed, one-third said they think about work assignments while in the restroom. Nevertheless, office drones might be happy to spend more time in bathrooms if employers provided a few perks. More than a quarter of respondents said they'd like magazines and newspapers in their bathroom stalls. The true dreamers, a respectable 12 percent, requested masseuses and manicurists. Another 11 percent asked for stalls outfitted with music and headsets while a few practical folks ---- 9 percent ?nbsp;said heated toilet seats would make bathrooms cozier. When presented with a list of ugly restroom situations, 15 percent said asking someone to share toilet paper was their worst lavatory nightmare, while 13 percent said running out of the stall to
get paper and scurrying back was their biggest fear.

*Ally McBeal：《艾莉的异想世界》，1997年首播至今不衰的美国电视系列喜剧，描写一群律师的工作和生活，主角为女律师Ally McBeal。在现今开放式办公环境下由一个个小隔间组成的天地里，卫生间也许是最具有私密性的场所了。但是，很少有员工像《艾莉的异想世界》里的角色那样把它用作调节紧张情绪和逃避繁忙工作的地方。实际上，92%的美国办公室职员说他们上卫生间只是为了方便——然后匆匆回到自己的办公桌。当然，根据调查结果，许多办公室职员觉得在厕所里放音乐或是来个背部按摩是不错的主意，温暖的马桶座也是受欢迎的点子。为美国纸业巨人金佰利公司进行的此次调查发现，只有2%的职员上厕所去“躲藏或逃避”。在257个接受调查的成年人中，1/3说他们上厕所时想的是自己的工作。不过，如果老板能在卫生间里搞点意外惊喜，那些偷懒的员工会很高兴在里面多呆一阵。超过1/4的受访者表示希望厕所隔间里能有报纸和杂志，而那些真正的梦想家——竟然占了12%！——要求在里面派驻女按摩师和美甲师。另有11%的人要求在厕所隔间里提供音乐和耳机，而占总数9%的讲求实际者说热的马桶座会使厕所更为舒适。调查人员向受访者们出示了一份厕所尴尬事清单，15%的人说向别人要厕纸是最糟糕的厕所梦魇，认为跑出隔间去拿纸再急步跑回去是最恐怖事件的则有13%。

Remarks：把厕所弄得太舒服不是什么好主意——以后上厕所不但可能要排队，搞不好还得像申请休假一样需要老板的书面批准。