口香糖墙遭清：全球最恶心旅游景点要没了！

Its sticky walls have seen it named as one of the world's most germ-ridden tourist attractions. But officials in Seattle have announced that for the first time in 20 years, they plan to clean all of the gum that has been stuck to a wall at Pike Place Market.

这面黏糊糊的墙被誉为世界上细菌滋生最多的旅游景点之一。但西雅图政府20年来首次正式宣布，计划清理黏在派克市场这面墙上的所有口香糖。

The clean-up operation is set to start next Tuesday and has been ordered after claims sugar in the gum has been damaging the bricks.

清理行动将在下周二开始，专家称口香糖内含糖分正在毁坏墙面，于是就开启了这一行动。

It is thought that the clean-up will take multiple days but despite plans to remove all the gum, people will be allowed to stick it back on the wall once it has been cleaned.

据估计，此项清理行动将耗时数天，但是，当口香糖全部清理干净后，政府还是允许市民重新将口香糖黏回在墙上。

Emily Crawford, a spokeswoman for the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority told the Seattle Times: 'We're not saying it can't come back

派克市场保护和发展机构发言人艾米丽·克劳福德告诉西雅图时报记者说：“我们并没说不会恢复原貌。”

'We need to wipe the canvas clean and keep it fresh.'

“我们需要清理干净这块画布，保持整洁。”

The tacky display first took shape when theatregoers queueing for the Unexpected Productions' improv comedy show Seattle Theatresports stuck coins and other small objects to the wall using chewing gum more than 20 years ago.

20多年以前，人们去剧院看Unexpected Productions公司演出的即兴喜剧演出《Seattle Theatresports》，排队时用口香糖把硬币和其他小物件黏在墙上，于是就最初产生了这一黏糊糊的景象。

The gum wall has now grown to be eight feet high and over 54 feet wide with an estimated one million pieces of chewed gum stuck to it.

这面口香糖墙现在已经有8英尺高，54英尺多宽，估计有100多万块的口香糖黏在上面。

People even leave brightly-coloured messages on the wall as well as small 'art works' made from left over bubble or chewing gum.

人们还用五颜六色的口香糖和吃过的泡泡糖、口香糖做成一些小的“艺术品”黏在墙上。

Theatre workers twice scraped the wall clean but eventually had to admit defeat. Local market officials declared the gum wall an official 'tourist attraction' in 1999.

戏剧工作人员层两次试图从墙上把这些口香糖刮干净，但最终以失败告终。当地市场官员于1999年宣布这面口香糖墙是一个正式的“旅游景点”。

It even inspired a scene in the Hollywood film, Love Happens, staring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart.

这面墙甚至还成为了由影星珍妮佛·安妮丝顿与亚伦·艾克哈特主演的好莱坞电影《爱不胜防》的一幕场景。