German holidaymakers no longer need to stampede to the pool at dawn to infuriate British tourists by claiming all the sunloungers — they can now do it from home.
Threatening to fuel a long-standing joke in Britain, travel agency Thomas Cook said that German tourists could pay in advance to bag a poolside lounger when they book their package holidays. The offer is only available in Germany.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper said three euros (US$4.25) a day was all it cost to wind up British holidaymakers by reserving a sunlounger and an umbrella — without the need for a pre-dawn raid to cover them all with towels.
Thomas Cook’s German branch is offering the service, with nine hotels having signed up so far.
The Daily Telegraph said the new front in the “beach towel wars” — the origin of which is unclear, but which is a hardy perennial of British media — had opened up in Egypt, Turkey and Spain’s Canary Islands.
Thomas Cook was founded in 1841 by a British cabinet-maker, but is now German owned.
“As part of a promotion to holidaymakers in Germany, pre-bookable sun chairs are being offered as part of an upgrade package following positive feedback to a successful initiative by a small number of hotels,” a Thomas Cook spokesman told AFP.(AFP)
德國度假客天一亮就衝到游泳池畔佔日光浴躺椅，令英國遊客反感不已，現在他們再也不必如此──他們可以「在家搶」。
揚言要讓這個英國老笑話更精彩的湯馬士庫克旅行社說，德國旅客訂購套裝行程時，可以事先付款預留一個游泳池畔的躺椅。這項服務僅針對德國遊客。
英國《每日電訊報》報導，每天只要三歐元（四點二五美元），就可以預留一個日光浴躺椅和一把遮陽傘，不用天還沒亮就跑去放浴巾佔位子，這可氣炸英國遊客了。
湯馬士庫克旅行社的德國分公司目前已和九間飯店簽約，提供這項服務。
《每日電訊報》指出，這場「海灘浴巾戰」的新戰線早已在埃及、土耳其和西班牙的加那利群島開打，這場爭奪戰的起源不明，但卻是英國媒體長年來的熱門話題。
湯馬士庫克旅行社創立於一八四一年，創辦人是一位英國傢俱木工師父，但現在的老闆是位德國人。
湯馬士庫克的發言人對法新社表示：「預訂日光浴躺椅是我們針對德國度假客主打的促銷活動之一，和幾家飯店成功合作得到正面迴響後，我們便把這項服務納入升級版的套裝旅遊中。」
（法新社�翻譯：袁星塵）
Despite advancements in bicycle security, millions of bicycles are stolen every year. A revolutionary bicycle lock, called “SKUNKLOCK,” takes a proactive approach to deterring thieves. __1__, SKUNKLOCK releases a noxious chemical that could cause would-be thieves to vomit and effectively discourages them from continuing their efforts to steal the bicycle. While conventional locks can be defeated by determined thieves using specialized tools, SKUNKLOCK’s dual approach of physical resistance and chemical deterrence is highly effective, making it a formidable __2__ against bike theft. The U-lock is made of high-tensile carbon steel, which can withstand attempts to break it using brute
Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, from Sunday, Jan. 26, through Sunday, Feb. 2, there will be no Bilingual Pages. The paper returns to its usual format on Monday, Feb. 3, when Bilingual Pages will also be resumed.
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