Tupperware 的词源

“Tupperware”是一个注册商标，指的是一系列塑料容器，这些容器通过在私人住宅中邀请制举办的“聚会”销售给潜在买家；自1947年起，这种销售方式便开始流行。这个名字来源于ware（名词，意为“器皿”）+ Earl S. Tupper，他是一位新英格兰的化学家和发明家，创立了Tupperware公司，但直到战后限制解除后才真正取得成功。

At his big-windowed brick factory in Farnumsville, Mass., orders for Tupperware were pouring in — from the American Thermos Bottle Co. for 7,000,000 nesting cups; from Canada Dry Ginger Ale for 50,000 bowls to sell with beverages; from Tek Corp. for 50,000 tumblers to sell with toothbrushes; from Camel for 300,000 cigaret cases. To top it off, Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art would include two of Tupper’s bowls in a forthcoming show of useful objects. ["Time" magazine, Sept. 8, 1947]

在马萨诸塞州法纳姆斯维尔他那扇大窗户的砖厂里，Tupperware的订单源源不断地涌入——来自美国热水瓶公司的700万只套杯；来自加拿大干姜啤酒公司的5万只碗，打算与饮料一起销售；来自Tek公司的5万只玻璃杯，计划与牙刷一起出售；还有来自Camel公司的30万只香烟盒。更令人振奋的是，曼哈顿现代艺术博物馆将在即将举行的实用物品展览中展出两只Tupper的碗。[《时代》杂志，1947年9月8日]

What is Tupperware? It's a new wonder plastic (Poly-T) molded into glasses, pitchers, bowls. It looks as fragile, as delicate as alabaster, mother of pearl. Hold a Tupperware tumbler to the light—it's translucent, opalescent. Throw it against the wall, step on it, crush it—it bounces right back into shape. [advertisement, "Buffalo News," Jan. 14, 1948, and other U.S. newspapers]

什么是Tupperware？这是一种新型的神奇塑料（Poly-T），被模压成杯子、壶、碗。它看起来像是易碎的、精致的白玉或母贝。将Tupperware的玻璃杯举向光亮——它是半透明的、带有珍珠光泽的。把它扔向墙壁，踩在脚下，或是压扁它——它都会迅速恢复原状。[广告，《布法罗新闻》，1948年1月14日及其他美国报纸]