VOA常速英语:心水安静的用餐环境可通过APP检索

It’s dinnertime at Gabriel’s in New York City, and the dining room is bustling. Above the din, it’s easy to overlook something else customers can hear: each other. All these ceiling tiles are soundproof. This little runner that I have above my head is soundproof. I mean, I even have soundproofing in the kitchen. With an approximate reading of 72 decibels, Gabriel’s earns a spot on the quiet list, a compilation of restaurants where noise is not on the menu. The list is affiliated with the SoundPrint app. SoundPrint was created for anybody who’s ever gone to a restaurant whether it’s with your relatives or on a date and you want to be able to hear across the table and you find your voice getting louder and louder. The iPhone app lets users contribute a sound check or reading of the noise level in any restaurant.

Under 71 decibels is considered quiet. 71 to 75 is moderate. 75 to 79 is loud and anything over 80 is considered very loud. SoundPrint developers found the microphones and iPhones to be comparable to a professional sound level meter. The sound checks are averaged and users can search a compendium of restaurants ranked by loudness, and the benefits go beyond dining. If you are in a louder very loud environment for prolonged periods, it will damage your hearing. Owner Gabriel Aiello can attest to this, having worked in a noisy restaurant years before opening his own. We had wood floors and a metal ceiling, and on the weekends, because we were so busy when I would hit the pillow at night, my ears would be ringing. These days Aiello hears more ringing up of checks, and says the lower noise levels are good for business. It always comes back that you know everyone’s had a good experience. I think even the customers underestimate how the experience changes when they can communicate. At Gabriel’s, the conversations are savored as much as the food.
Tina Trinh, VOA News, New York.