节省你的冰箱空间—方西瓜

西西

For years consumers struggled to fit the large round fruit in their refrigerators. And then there was the problem of trying to cut the fruit when it kept rolling around.
But 20 years ago a forward-thinking farmer on Japan's south-western island of Shikoku solved the problem. The farmer, from Zentsuji in Kagawa prefecture, came up with the idea of making a cube-shaped watermelon which could easily be packed and stored.
To make it happen, farmers grew the melons in glass boxes and the fruit then naturally assumed the same shape. The square boxes are the exact dimensions of Japanese refrigerators, allowing full-grown watermelons to fit conveniently and precisely onto refrigerator shelves.
Today the cuboid watermelons are hand-picked and shipped all over Japan. But the fruit, on sale in a selection of department stores and upmarket supermarkets, appeals mainly to the wealthy and fashion-conscious of Tokyo and Osaka, Japan's two major cities, since the fruit comes with a caveat: Each square watermelon costs 10,000 yen, the equivalent of about $82. Regular watermelons in Japan cost from $15 to $25 each.


一直以来，消费者对如何把又大又圆的西瓜放进冰箱，并且在切西瓜时怎样才能不让它滚来滚去这两点而感到头疼。
但是20年前，日本南部四国岛的一个聪明的农民想出了办法，那就是培育一种方形的西瓜，这样一来既方便包装又方便储藏。
方法其实很简单，就是把西瓜放到方形的玻璃盒子里，让它根据盒子的形状来生长。这种玻璃盒子的尺寸符合日本冰箱的尺寸，正好可以让成熟的西瓜放到冰箱里。
如今，在日本方西瓜经过精心挑选后被运往各地。然而，这种水果只在一些高档的水果店和高消费的超市有售。大概只有东京和大阪的一些富有和追求时尚的人才对它很感兴趣。因为一个方西瓜要10，000日元（82美元），而一个普通的西瓜才不过15到25美元。