The Anti-Café 滴答滴答 ~ 計時咖啡廳 Cafés with alternative▼ pricing models are starting to pop up all over the world. 另類計費模式的咖啡廳開始在全世界出現。
Have you ever been to a café where everything is free? At Ziferblat, the Internet connection, food, tea, and coffee are all free of charge. You can even bring in your own food and drinks. What's the catch, though? Ziferblat charges their customers based on time rather than by the item. Each customer clocks in when they arrive and out when they leave. At the end of their stay in the café, they are charged for the time they spent there. This means they are free to spend as much time as they want at Ziferblat, enjoying all they have to offer. This chain of cafés started in Moscow. In fact, the word ziferblat means clock face in Russian. The model lets customers do what they want while they are in the store. Customers can work silently in the corner, meet with a group of business partners or friends, go over homework with classmates, or even have a first date. Thus far, Ziferblat's alternative, pay-by-the-minute pricing model has been successful. The chain now has 14 locations in countries around the world, including Russia, the UK, Ukraine, and more.
pop up 突然出現／發生 Advertisements popped up on the screen each time I went to a new website. 每次我進入一個新網站，螢幕上就會突然出現一些廣告。
connection n. 連接；關聯，連結 There is no connection between these two events. 這兩個事件之間沒有關聯。
be free of charge 免費 All the products will be free of charge during the event. 在活動期間，所有商品一律免費。
rather than... 而非…… Rather than stand in line for tickets, you can order them online. 與其排隊買票，你其實可以線上訂購。
be free to V 可以自由做／隨意做…… You are free to decide what you want to do with your life. 你可以自由決定你這一生要做什麼。
silently adv. 安靜地；沉默地 Mr. Smith stood there silently with his arms folded, looking as if he was thinking about something. 史密斯先生雙臂交叉靜靜地站在那兒，看起來好像在想什麼。
thus far 到目前為止 Thus far, Carol has only been able to get half the work finished. 到目前為止，凱蘿只能完成一半的工作。
location n. 地點 I can't take in the full beauty of the ocean from this location. I have to get closer. 我從這個地點無法欣賞到海洋全部的美景。我得再靠近一點。
▼ alternative a. 非傳統的；替代的；可選擇的
打卡計時 本文 "Each customer clocks in when they arrive and out when they leave." 中的 clock in / out，表「打卡記錄進／出的時間；打上班／下班卡」，另外一個說法是 punch in / out。clock 當名詞用時最常見的意思是「時鐘」，但 clock 也可以當動詞，表「用時鐘記錄」。例：
Make sure you remember to clock in and out at the office. （上下班請記得打卡進出。）
Starting today, everyone must clock in to work by 8:00 a.m. （從今天起，每個人都必須在早上八點前打卡上班。）
