Safe ’hugging booths’ allow the elderly to connect with family during coronavirus pandemic

Safe ’hugging booths’ allow the elderly to connect with family during coronavirus pandemic

安全「擁抱亭」讓長輩在冠病大流行期間連結家人

【摘要2020.8.31.自由】◎陳成良

Some Texans are trying to relieve the loneliness and isolation that many elderly Americans are feeling during the coronavirus pandemic by creating safe "hugging booths."

一些德州人正試圖透過建立安全的「擁抱亭」，來緩解許多美國長者在冠狀病毒大流行期間的孤獨和孤立感。

Amber Crenshaw and her husband Steve Crenshaw own a business called Handle With Care and work with Unlimited Care Cottages, an assisted living facility. Amber said she and her husband designed and built the hugging booths after one of the nurses suggested the idea.

安柏．克倫肖和她的丈夫史蒂夫．克倫肖擁有一家名為「用心善待」的企業，並與「無限關懷小屋」安養院合作。安柏說，在一位護士提出這個想法之後，她和丈夫設計並建造了這種擁抱亭。

"The residents have been, just so filled with joy," Amber said. "It was one of our resident’s birthdays. We were able to set the booth up for their birthday, and family members were able to come in and give birthday hugs. It has really lifted the spirits of the assisted living residents."

「居民一直充滿歡樂」，安柏說。「那天是我們其中一位居民的生日。我們能夠為他們的生日設置這種小亭，家人可以進來並擁抱壽星，這確實使安養院的居民心情好了起來。」

新聞辭典

pandemic：形容詞，（疾病等）普遍流行的、蔓延各地的；當名詞時，指大流行病。反義字為endemic，指（疾病等）地方性的。

（be）filled with：片語，充滿著、裝滿。例句：Their lives were filled with untold suffering.（他們生活在水深火熱之中。）

spirits：名詞，情緒；心境。例句：I’ve been in high/low spirits（= feeling happy/sad）lately.（最近我心情很好／不好。）