Around 2,000 years ago, the masters of a temple in Egypt had a problem. Some of the people who visited the temple took more holy water than they paid for. Luckily, a Greek engineer, whose name was Hero, came up with a brilliant idea. He designed a simple device that looked like a cylinder. It gave out a proper amount of holy water when a coin was dropped into it. No doubt the temple masters were pleased with their Hero, but they probably didn't realize he had invented the world's first vending machine.
大約兩千年前，埃及一間神廟的祭司們遇上難題。有些人到廟裡買聖水，卻取走超過金額的量。幸好，一位名叫 Hero 的希臘工程師想到了一個絕妙點子。他設計出一種簡單的圓柱形裝置。只要投下錢幣後，就會流出適量的聖水。不用說，祭司們對 Hero 滿意極了，但他們可能沒想到，Hero 發明的是世上第一台自動販賣機。
These days, vending machines are everywhere. They provide efficiency and lower costs for sellers and bring convenience to buyers. Perhaps you have bought snacks and soda from such machines before. However, some vending machines contain many more unusual items. Japan, for example, is a world leader when it comes to the creative use of vending machines. Unexpected items you can buy from these machines are clothing, fruit, batteries, and sushi.
現在，販賣機到處都有。提供賣方效率與較低成本，提供買方則是便利性。也許你曾經從這種機器買過零食和汽水，但是販賣機能賣的特殊商品還多著。以日本為例，說到販賣機創意堪稱世界第一。你從販賣機能買到意想不到的東西有服飾、水果、電池以及壽司。
Weird and wonderful vending machine products can be found in other places too. For example, you can get a Ferrari or a Porsche from a vending machine in Singapore. A 15-story tower that is full of luxury cars opened in the city a few years ago. Customers use a touchscreen on the first floor of the building to browse the vehicles in stock. They pay for any car they are interested in, and it arrives within a couple of minutes.
其他地方也有奇妙的販賣機商品。例如，你可以在新加坡的一台販賣機買到一輛法拉利或保時捷。幾年以前有一棟停滿豪華名車的 15 層樓建築就在新加坡開幕。顧客操作一樓的觸控式螢幕來瀏覽現貨車輛。他們付錢買喜歡的車，幾分鐘內，車子就到手了。
If cars from a vending machine don't impress you, how about human hair? A businessman in Philadelphia makes machines that sell hair extensions. He sells mostly Asian and Brazilian hair under his own label. If you want to try these products, however, you'll need deep pockets. Most people require at least three packs of hair extensions, and the prices range from $65 to $200 each.
如果汽車販賣機沒讓你驚艷，那賣頭髮的呢？費城有個生意人打造出接髮材料的販賣機。他的自有品牌大多出售亞洲人和巴西人的頭髮。不過如果你想試試這些產品，口袋最好夠深。大多數人需要至少三包接髮材料，而每包售價 65 到 200 美元不等。
Of course, the things most of us get from vending machines are not unlikely products like cars and hair, but high-calorie snacks and drinks. That's why these machines have an unhealthy image. Some people are working to change this. In Chicago, a machine provides a 25-second delay on giving out certain items. The buyer can receive healthy snacks like nuts right away, but must wait longer for junk food snacks. The aim is to give buyers time to change their minds and go for a healthier choice.
當然，我們大部分的人會從販賣機購買的商品，並不會是像車子及頭髮這種匪夷所思的產品，而是買高熱量的零食和飲料。這就是為什麼這些機器給人不健康的形象。不過有些人正努力改變這一點。芝加哥就有一種機器對某些產品有延遲 25 秒發放的功能。消費者可以立刻拿到堅果之類的健康零嘴，但是垃圾食物就必須等久一點。目的是給消費者改變心意的時間，換成比較健康的選擇。
According to recent reports, the future vending machines will be even more intelligent. Some machines now in production can use facial recognition technology. They can identify and greet users, remember their preferences, and even refuse them certain products. For example, they won't give out cigarettes or alcohol to children or junk food to an obese person. Some people might find the idea disturbing, but for better or worse, smart vending machines could soon be part of our everyday shopping experience.
根據最近的報告，未來的販賣機還會更聰明。目前已經在生產具有臉部辨識科技的販賣機。能辨識使用者並跟他們打招呼、記得他們的喜好，甚至拒賣某些產品給他們。例如不賣菸酒給孩童，或是不賣垃圾食物給肥胖者。有些人可能覺得這種作法令人不快，但無論好壞，智慧販賣機很快將成為我們的日常購物經驗之一。
