A world record in the length of a queue to a toilet was set on Sunday when 756 people lined up to a latrine in central Brussels to raise awareness¹ for the need for clean water on World Water Day.

The event was organized by the United Nations' children's agency UNICEF which gave each participant a wristband with his or her number in the line and T-shirt certifying² participation³ in the event.

"The latrine was of the same design as we use in third world countries -- a dry latrine -- and we formed the longest queue this morning," UNICEF spokesman Benoit Melebeck said.

"The Guinness Book of Records told us we needed to get at least 500 people in the queue to get the record," he said.

Melebeck said the event was to raise public awareness and eventually funds for the need for more pumps, wells, latrines hygiene⁴ education for children in third world countries.

"We have 5,000 children dying every day from the lack of clean water, sanitation⁵ and hygiene education -- this means one every 20 seconds," he said.

Melebeck said none of the 756 people did actually use the latrine, which was only a fake.

上周日，一项排队上厕所人数最多的世界纪录在比利时首都布鲁塞尔诞生。当天，共有756人在该市中心一起排队上厕所。这项排队上厕所活动的目的是在“世界水日”这一天提高人们节约使用清洁水的意识。

该活动由联合国儿童基金会组织发起，每位参与者都得到一个标明号码的腕带，以及一件证明其参与该活动的T恤衫。

联合国儿童基金会发言人本诺依特•马利拜科说：“这个公厕的设计与我们在第三世界国家使用的厕所差不多——是旱厕。今天早上我们创造了排队上厕所人数最多的纪录。”

他说：“吉尼斯世界纪录告诉我们，我们至少要召集至少500人排队才能创造纪录。”

马利拜科说，这项活动的主要目的是提高公众意识以及为第三世界国家的儿童建造水泵、水井和发展厕所卫生教育筹集资金。

他说：“每天我们有5000名儿童因缺乏清洁水、卫生设施和卫生教育而死亡——这意味着每20秒就有一个孩子死去。”

马利拜科说，排队大军中没有一人真正使用这个厕所，因为它是假的。

Vocabulary:

bad-mouth: to criticize or disparage⁶, often spitefully or unfairly （说…的坏话）
eg. She badmouths her husband everywhere（她到处说她丈夫的不是。）