Nowadays, vending machines can stock a range of goods, with anything from food including stone-baked pizzas and ice cream to truly bizarre items like medicinal cannabis and even gold bullion. Novelty factors aside, vending machines are changing the way we live our lives, with units even dishing out books and umbrellas to those in need.
如今，自动贩售机卖的商品五花八门，从石烤披萨、冰激凌等食物到诸如药用大麻甚至金块等奇葩类物品无所不有。撇开它的新颖性不说，有些自动贩售机还卖书、伞给有需要的人，它们正在改变我们的生活方式。
Affluent customers browsing around Boca Raton's shopping centre in Florida can snap up precious metals from the mall's vending machine. Although they are not usually seen as an impulse buy, shoppers can quickly purchase gold bars and coins in varying weights. The prices are updated in real time so buyers can ensure they're getting the best deal.
在弗罗里达州博卡拉顿购物中心逛街的小资顾客，可以在商场自动贩售机抢购贵重金属。尽管偶尔有人会冲动消费，但顾客确实可以快速买到重量不等的金条和金币。价格都是实时更新的，确保顾客买到的物品货真价实。
Those with expensive tastes might also want to plan a trip to Beverly Hills - the home of the first touch-screen caviar vending machine. Located in Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, it offers a large selection of the world's finest food, including salt-cured fish eggs, truffles, escargot and oils. The caviar is sold in jars and stays fresh for about a year.
那些品味高档的人可能想计划一场贝弗利山之旅，世上第一台鱼子酱触屏贩售机就是在这里诞生的。自动贩售机位于洛杉矶西田世纪城，提供琳琅满目的世界顶级美食，包括盐腌鱼子、松露、食用蜗牛和油制品。鱼子酱罐装出售，保质期约为一年。
Tinoco's Bistro in Las Vegas (which is now closed) once had a fairground-style grabber machine outside the restaurant where visitors could put in £1.20 and try their luck catching a live lobster for dinner. If they got a catch, the restaurant would cook it free of charge.
拉斯维加斯Tinoco's餐厅（现已关闭）外曾有一个集市风格的抓取机。顾客往里投1.20英镑，可以试运气抓活龙虾当晚餐。如果他们能抓到，餐厅就会免费烹饪。
Following that trend is foodies in Nanjing, China, who installed a machine that sells live, fresh crabs. The dispenser maintains an internal temperature of 41F to keep the crabs in a hibernation state without killing them. If a customer receives a dead crab from the vending machine, the company compensates them with three live ones.
来自中国南京的美食家紧跟潮流，他们安装了卖新鲜活螃蟹的机器。贩售机内部温度保持在41华氏度（约5摄氏度），使活螃蟹处于冬眠状态。如果顾客从贩售机里抓到了死螃蟹，那么该公司就会赔偿他们三只活螃蟹。
The Moobella Ice Cream System located in Phoenix, Arizona, produces delicious scoops of ice cream, freshly made-to-order for each consumer. The treat is served in a cup and there are 12 flavors to choose from. 位于亚利桑那菲尼克斯的Moobella冰激凌公司生产美味的冰激凌球，现点现做。冰激凌球包装在杯子里，有12种口味可供选择。
The Germans are best known for their sausages but Frankfurt's main train station is home to a pizza vending machine. The stone-oven baked pizzas cost from £3 and diners can choose between two flavors: Margherita and Salami. It takes about three minutes for the pizza to be made and it comes out in a cardboard box with plastic cutlery.
德国以香肠而闻名，但是法兰克福火车总站却有一个披萨自动贩售机。石烤披萨售价3英镑起，有玛格丽特披萨和三文鱼两种口味可供选择。披萨三分钟即可制成，装在纸盒里，并配备塑料刀具。
Inventors in Shanghai, China, have created the world's first beef noodle vending machine. The innovative service pours out steaming hot instant beef noodles with the touch of a button. The device can cook up the dinner in two minutes after customers have made their orders through a touch screen.
来自中国上海的发明者制造了世界上首个牛肉面贩售机。只要点一下按钮，热腾腾的牛肉面就会从这个革新性机器里流出来。顾客通过触屏点餐，两分钟后即可食用。
Vancouver-based Chuck Varabioff has created a medicinal marijuana dispenser. The machine sells marijuana infused cookies made by TV chef Mary Jean Dunsdon. The drug is legal for medicinal purposes in parts of Canada and people can use the machine after proving they need it for medical reasons.
来自温哥华的丘克•瓦拉比奥夫创造了一台医药大麻贩售机。出售的大麻曲奇由电视节目厨师玛丽•让•邓森制作。在加拿大部分地区，该药品因其药用价值属于合法物品，人们在证明自己有药用需求后便可使用贩售机。
Those hoping to dispel bouts of boredom on long journeys should visit one of the Lego vending machines in Germany's train stations, which distributes boxes of toys, or a book vending machine in Australia's airports.
如果想要打发长途旅行中的无聊时光，那就应该参观德国火车站里卖盒装乐高玩具的贩售机，或者去看看澳大利亚各大机场的图书贩售机。
Some countries have also set up vending machines to help make everyday life a bit easier.
一些国家安置的自动贩售机，使得人们的日常生活更方便。
Pedestrians caught in a downpour in St Petersburg can pop to one of the umbrella dispensing machines and grab a brolly for as little as £1.
在圣彼得堡的行人如果遇到倾盆大雨，可迅速跑到一台雨伞贩售机前，仅花1英镑便可拿到一把伞。
In London, members of the public suffering from broken heels or ripped soles can dump their old pair of shoes and purchase some trainers from the Onitsuka Tiger machine in Carnaby Street.
在伦敦，如果人们的鞋跟断了或鞋底坏了，他们可以把旧鞋扔掉，在卡纳比街上的鬼冢虎贩售机上买一双运动鞋。
Plus, a vending machine in New York has put a stop to any make-up nightmares by installing a unit that is full of Smashbox, Toni & Guy and Vaseline beauty products.
此外，纽约的自动贩售机终结了化妆噩梦，贩售机里面有Smashbox,、Toni & Guy和Vaseline品牌的美妆产品。
But it's not just humans who can benefit from these machines. In order to feed its stray dog and cat population, Istanbul used a vending machine which also recycles litter. Animal lovers can slot an empty plastic water bottle and it will dispense food at the bottom for strays.
自动贩售机造福的不仅仅是人类。伊斯坦布尔人使用自动贩售机来喂养流浪狗和流浪猫，它也可以回收垃圾。动物控们可以投放一个空的塑料水瓶，自动贩售机就在底部为流浪动物分配食物。
Vocabulary
medicinal: 药用的
cannabis: 大麻
novelty: 新奇的事物
snap up: 抢购
caviar: 鱼子酱
foodie: 美食家
hibernation: 冬眠
cutlery: 餐具
bouts of: 一阵阵的
brolly: 伞
stray: 流浪的