在伊朗南部城市设拉子，有一家完全用盐建成的餐厅，其名字也起得恰如其分——“盐巴餐厅”。餐厅的墙壁、吧台、桌椅都是用白色矿物质盐巴制成，甚至楼梯表面也都覆盖着光滑的盐巴涂层。

　　The unique restaurant is the brainchild of Iranian firm Emtiaz Designing Group, who used salt as the main construction material in order to promote the concept of green construction. They created the building using environmentally sustainable, locally sourced, affordable salt, powder and rock. “In this particular case, the walls, structural sculptures and ceilings are made from salt sourced from the nearby salt mines and salt lake of Shiraz which was mixed with natural gum to harden it,” said a spokesperson of the firm.

　　这家独特的餐厅由本地设计团队Emtiaz主创，用盐巴作为主要建筑材料以推广“绿色建筑”的理念。该团队用环保无害、廉价易得的本地粉末状或块状盐巴建造餐厅。该公司发言人称：“在这家独特的餐厅里，墙壁、构造雕塑和天花板全部取材于设拉子市附近的盐矿和盐湖，并在原材料中混合天然树胶，起到加固作用。”

　　伊朗建盐巴餐厅 可净化城市空气

　　The project began with a thorough study on the appropriate type of local salt and its combination with natural gums. The designers started their research at the natural salt mines and the salt lake located close to the restaurant site.

　　项目开始之初，设计师们进行了深入调研，寻找当地最适宜的盐巴，研究盐胶混合物的合成。他们首先把餐厅附近的天然盐矿和盐湖列入考察范围。

　　Inspired by salt caves, the designers wanted to make sure the interiors of the restaurant twisted and turned just like they do in natural salt caverns. Once the research phase was over, they designed the walls, roof and stairs to represent a modern view of salt caves – and the result is striking. They handcrafted the tables entirely from rock salt, and recycled soft drink cans were used to surface the stairs and chair frames, which was another way of keeping down the carbon footprint.

　　受到盐穴的启发，设计师们希望餐厅内部能像天然盐洞那样，呈螺旋形。调研一结束，他们便将墙壁、屋顶和楼梯设计成巧夺天工的“现代盐穴”。餐厅的桌子都是用盐岩手制的，椅框和台阶表面则用可回收的软饮易拉罐打造，作为另一种控制碳排放量的方式。

　　Salt is actually a wise choice of construction material for the restaurant, because it purifies the air and creates positive ions in the atmosphere. “Salt is a natural disinfectant and the ions it releases also purify and filter the air, making it the perfect material for a restaurant,” the spokesperson explained.

　　盐巴具有净化空气、释放阳离子的特性，因此用盐巴来建造餐厅是一个明智的选择。该发言人解释称：“盐是天然的消毒剂，而且它释放出的离子可以净化空气。这就让盐巴成为餐厅建筑材料的绝佳选择。”

　　“Salt suffers a bad reputation in gastronomy thanks to its overuse in most diets, meaning that most people are not aware of its astonishing healing powers,” he added. “But in fact, salt has been known as a powerful health remedy since ancient times, especially for respiratory health and detoxification. Even Hippocrates prescribed salt water inhalation therapy for bronchial and lung disorders.”

　　“因为在大多数食物中都被滥用，食盐一直饱受人们的诟病，以至于大多数人都不知道食盐具有不可思议的治愈功效。”发言人补充说，“事实上，食盐自古以来就被视为有效的治疗药物，在呼吸道疾病和解毒上的功效尤为显著。古希腊名医希波克拉底甚至把盐水吸入疗法，作为支气管疾病和肺部疾病的治疗手段。”

　　Salt therapy involves the therapeutic use of time spent in salt mines, salt caves, or other forms of salt exposure to treat medical conditions. So, eating at the Salt Restaurant could have several benefits. And you rest assured that the food won’t be bland!

　　盐疗，就是让患者身处盐矿、盐穴或任意形式的含盐环境中，以达到治疗疾病的功效。因此，在“盐巴餐厅”里进餐可能也有诸多益处。而且，你再也不用担心食物淡而无味了！

　　Vocabulary

　　aptly: 事宜的

　　gum: 树胶

　　ion: 离子

　　disinfectant: 消毒剂

　　gastronomy: 烹饪法

　　respiratory: 呼吸系统的

　　detoxification: 解毒作用

　　bronchial: 支气管的