【精英翻譯】的部落格

The Mystery of the Mini Pocket  牛仔褲迷你口袋之謎

—James Baron

精英翻譯社轉自http://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0058/303022/web/

You've perhaps owned a pair of five-pocket jeans at one time or another. If so, have you ever wondered what that fifth pocket is for? That's the tiny pocket that is found within the larger front pocket of your jeans.

或許你曾經擁有過一件有五個口袋的牛仔褲。如果是這樣，你曾經疑惑這第五個口袋是做什麼用的嗎？那個口袋就是在你牛仔褲前側較大的口袋裡找到的小口袋。

The fifth pocket has existed since the first pair of Levi's jeans was sold in 1873. It was called the watch pocket, since it was meant to hold pocket watches. Jeans were originally worn by people like cowboys and railroad workers. These people needed a special pocket to protect their pocket watches.

自從第一件Levi's 牛仔褲在一八七三年販售以來，第五個口袋就一直存在了。由於它原本目的是放置懷錶，這個口袋就被稱為懷錶口袋。牛仔褲原本是牛仔和鐵路工人之類的人在穿的。這些人需要一個特殊的口袋來保護他們的懷錶。

These days, people often use the watch pocket to store coins, tickets, or anything else that will fit. The late Steve Jobs thought it was perfect for holding the iPod Nano. In 2005, he presented the iPod Nano by asking his audience, "Ever wonder what this pocket was for?"

如今人們常用懷錶口袋來存放零錢、票券或其他任何放得下的東西。已故的史蒂芬．賈伯斯認為這個口袋很適合放iPod Nano。二○○五年，他在介紹iPod Nano時就問觀眾：「你曾想過這個口袋是做什麼用的嗎？」

Regardless of what it's for, that little pocket is quite handy. For those who like to keep it empty, the fifth pocket may simply be a fashionable feature of a classic design.

不管這個小口袋是做什麼用的，它都相當方便。對那些喜歡讓它淨空的人來說，這第五個口袋可能只是一項經典設計的時尚特徵。