Japan's Vending Machines: Convenience or Waste?

Full script

Read the whole talk.

All slides in one place. Read it through once, then practice slide by slide.

1. 01Japan's Vending Machines: Convenience or Waste?

   Good afternoon, everyone. Anyone who visits Japan notices the vending machines. They're on busy streets, on quiet country roads, and even on mountain paths. Today, I'd like to ask a simple question: are they a great convenience, or a waste?

   大家午安。來過日本的人，都會注意到自動販賣機。熱鬧的街上有，安靜的鄉間道路上有，連山上的步道都有。今天，我想問一個簡單的問題：它們是很棒的便利，還是一種浪費？

2. 02Why They Are Everywhere

   First, it helps to understand why there are so many. Japan is relatively safe, so machines are rarely damaged. People are busy, and in crowded cities, a machine takes much less space than a shop.

   首先，我們可以先了解為什麼會有這麼多。日本相對安全，所以販賣機很少被破壞。大家都很忙，而在人擠人的都市裡，一台販賣機占的空間比一家店小得多。

3. 03The Case for Convenience

   Supporters say vending machines make life easier. You can get a cold drink on a hot summer night or a hot drink in winter, twenty-four hours a day, without looking for a store.

   支持的人說，自動販賣機讓生活更方便。炎熱的夏夜可以買到冰涼的飲料，冬天可以買到熱飲，而且二十四小時都買得到，不用到處找商店。

4. 04Helpful in Emergencies

   Some machines also help during emergencies. Certain models can give out drinks for free after an earthquake or other disaster, so they become a small part of the community's safety system.

   有些販賣機在緊急狀況時也能派上用場。某些機型在地震或其他災害發生後，可以免費提供飲料，所以它們也成了社區防災系統的一小部分。

5. 05The Case Against

   Critics, however, point to the environmental cost. Machines use electricity all day and night to keep drinks hot or cold, and most drinks come in plastic bottles or cans.

   不過，批評的人指出了環境成本。販賣機為了讓飲料保持冰涼或溫熱，整天整夜都在耗電，而且大部分飲料都是裝在寶特瓶或鋁罐裡。

6. 06Weighing Both Sides

   If we weigh both sides, neither is completely right. Vending machines are useful, but having one on every corner may be more than we really need.

   如果把兩邊放在一起衡量，沒有哪一方是完全正確的。自動販賣機很實用，但每個街角都擺一台，可能超過了我們真正的需求。

7. 07A Middle Path

   In my opinion, the best answer is a middle path. We could use more energy-saving machines, remove extra machines in the same area, and make sure every machine has a recycling bin next to it.

   我認為，最好的答案是取個中間值。我們可以多使用節能型的販賣機，撤掉同一區域裡多餘的機台，並確保每台販賣機旁邊都有回收桶。

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, vending machines are part of what makes Japan convenient. We don't have to choose between convenience and the environment. With smarter choices, we can keep one and reduce the other. Thank you.

   最後，自動販賣機是日本之所以便利的原因之一。我們不必在便利和環境之間二選一。只要做出更聰明的選擇，我們就能保留便利，同時減少對環境的負擔。謝謝大家。