《中英對照讀新聞》Millions 'hit by toilet phobia' 數百萬人「飽受公廁恐懼症困擾」

◎張沛元

The National Phobics Society （NPS） estimates at least four million Britons are affected by toilet phobia - but the true number could be many more.

全國恐懼症協會（NPS）估計，至少有400萬英國人有公廁恐懼症—但病患實際人數可能更多。

In some cases people refuse to leave their homes, and risk their health.

在某些案例中，（公廁恐懼症患者）拒絕離家，而且危及身體健康。

Toilet phobia can simply be manifest as a mild distaste for public loos. But some people develop such an intense obsession that they are left housebound, and may refuse to undergo potentially life-saving medical examinations.

公廁恐懼症的症狀有可能只是不太喜歡上公共廁所。但有些人（對公廁的恐懼）的執念之強烈，甚至不敢出門，還可能拒絕進行可救人一命的體檢。

"No matter how funny we might find it, it's certainly no laughing matter ," said Nicky Lidbetter, National Phobias Society manager .

全國恐懼症協會經理李德貝特說：「不管我們覺得這件事有多好笑，但絕不能等閒視之。」

Experts believe that the stigma surrounding the phobia means that many people refuse to admit they have a problem.

專家相信，這種恐懼症所帶來的恥辱，意味許多人拒絕承認自己有這方面的問題。

新聞辭典

classify：動詞，分類，列入機密等級。classified：形容詞，分類的，機密的；名詞，分類廣告。例句：You have to be very careful when you search the online classifieds for a job.（在網路分類廣告上找工作時，要特別小心。）

housebound：形容詞，足不出戶的。注意其與 homebound（返家的）一詞的不同，bound 在 house-bound中是「侷限在…中」之意，在 home-bound中則是「往…去的」。如 a homebound traveller（一名返鄉的旅客）。