Women in Salzburg will this year again be able to pursue their shopping with abandon over the Christmas period, free from sourpuss boyfriends and husbands.
 
Women in Salzburg will this year again be able to pursue their shopping with abandon over the Christmas period, free from sourpuss boyfriends and husbands.

For the second year in a row, a 'creche' will be set up in the town centre where women can leave their partners for a few hours so that they can hunt down all those last-minute presents, without a bored and whingeing spouse¹.

In a large white tent set up on Salzburg's central Herbert-von-Karajan square, the men will be able to play computer games, leaf through newspapers or magazines such as Playboy, or simply have a drink at the bar with co-suffering "shopping widowers²".

Between December 13-23, women can "surrender" their partners at the tent's entrance free of charge between 4:00 pm-10:00 pm.

They are given a numbered ticket which they then have to present on their return to collect their spouse.

Salzburg toymaker Andreas Stadlbauer came up with the idea of a so-called "Maennerhort" or "men's creche" last year.

It proved such a success -- around 1,500 men found refuge there from the shopaholic tendencies of their 'better half' -- that he decided⁴ to repeat the venture again this year.

Indeed, Stadlbauer has even patented the name "Maennerhort". And with big-name sponsors such as the German luxury sports car maker³ Porsche, Playboy magazine and Nintendo, he is planning to set up similar creches in Vienna, Hamburg and Munich.

In Germany, where men have a reputation of being particularly averse⁵ to shopping, the creches might even operate all year round, the entrepreneur suggested.

今年圣诞节期间，（奥地利）萨尔茨堡的女人们又可以摆脱身边不耐烦的丈夫或男友的干扰，尽情地“血拼”一把了。

今年，“男士托管所”将再次出现在萨尔茨堡的市中心，逛商场的女士们可以将老公或男友在此“寄存”几个小时，然后自由自在地大肆采购一番。

萨尔茨堡市中心的赫尔伯特-范-卡拉扬广场将搭建一个白色的大帐篷，男人们可以在这打打游戏、翻翻报纸或看《花花公子》之类的杂志、或与同病相怜的“购物鳏夫”们喝上一杯。

“男士托管所”将从本月13日至23日的下午4点到晚上10点免费开放。

女士们购物回来后，得凭托管所的号码小票领走老公。

去年，萨尔茨堡的玩具制造商安德鲁斯•斯塔德尔鲍尔提议开设“男士托管所”（德语：Maennerhort）。

由于托管所在去年圣诞期间取得了不错的效果，因此安德鲁斯决定今年继续开设这个托管所。去年，“男士托管所”共“收留”了约1500个男士，让他们摆脱了“购物狂”老婆的折磨。

斯塔德尔鲍尔已将“Maennerhort（男士托管所）”申请了专利。在德国豪华跑车“保时捷”、《花花公子》杂志和“任天堂”游戏机等知名公司的赞助下，安德鲁斯打算向维也纳、汉堡和慕尼黑拓展业务。

德国男人向来以怕逛商场而著称，斯塔德尔鲍尔说，那里的“男士托管所”以后可能会全年开放。

Vocabulary:

with abandon:freedom from worry or inhibitions （放任；纵情）

co-suffering:同病相怜的