核心畫面

Think of a box that belongs to a place rather than to a person, with one job inside it: talking. You do not own it and you do not carry it. You walk up to where it stands, and while you are standing there you can reach somebody who is not.

可以想成一個固定在那裡的小盒子,裡面只有一件事:講話。這個盒子不屬於任何人,它屬於那個位置。你不帶著它走,你是走到它更多收起可以想成一個固定在那裡的小盒子,裡面只有一件事:講話。這個盒子不屬於任何人,它屬於那個位置。你不帶著它走,你是走到它面前才用它。所以 call box 的重點不在電話本身,而在「這個地點已經幫你準備好一通話」。街角、公路邊、大樓門口,只要有人可能需要開口求援或找人,就會出現這種盒子。

Two branches

公共場所的通話盒

這一支最貼近核心畫面:電話屬於那個地點,路過的人都能用。差別只在英美各自把它想成哪一種盒子。

noun · B1

In British and Irish English, a small public structure standing on a street with a telephone inside it, which anyone can go into and use.

公共電話亭

跟建築物裡面通話

盒子從街上移到門口的牆上,通話的對象也從外面的世界收成「這棟樓裡的人」。它依然屬於那個地點,你依然是走到它面前才開口。

noun · B1

A box fixed to the wall by the door of a building, with buttons and a speaker, that visitors use to speak to someone inside and ask to be let in.

門口對講機