A young woman sits alone in a caf sipping1 tea and reading a book. She pauses briefly2 to scribble3 in a nearby notepad before showing her words to a passing caf worker: Where are the toilets please?一位年轻的女士独坐在咖啡馆里，正一边小口喝着茶一边看书。她停了一小下，在旁边的便签本上草草写上几个字，拿给路过的服务员看，上面写着：“请问洗手间在哪儿？”This is a familiar scenario4 in Tokyos so-called silent cafs, spaces which appear at first glance to be conventional cafes but where customers are not allowed to speak, communicating instead by writing in notepads.A growing number of silent cafs - with self-imposed chat bans - are opening across the capital, attracting a steady stream of solo Tokyoites keen to swap5 the pressure-cooker pace of urban life for solitary6 silence.The concept taps into a rising desire among young Japanese to be alone, a situation fuelled by economic uncertainty7, a shift in traditional family support structures and growing social isolation8.The phenomenon is not confined to coffee shops but covers everything from silent discos, where participants dance alone wearing wireless9 headphones connected to the DJ, to products such as small desk tents designed for conversation-free privacy in the office.词汇解析1 sipping v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip 的现在分词 )参考例句：She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。2 briefly adv.简单地，简短地参考例句：I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。3 scribble v.潦草地书写，乱写，滥写；n. 潦草的写法，潦草写成的东西，杂文参考例句：She cant write yet,but she loves to scribble with a pencil.她现在还不会写字，但她喜欢用铅笔乱涂。I cant read this scribble.我看不懂这种潦草的字。4 scenario n.剧本，脚本；概要参考例句：But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。5 swap n.交换；vt.交换，用 .作交易参考例句：I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。6 solitary adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n. 隐士参考例句：I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。7 uncertainty n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物参考例句：Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6 个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。8 isolation n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离参考例句：The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。9 wireless adj.无线的；n.无线电参考例句：There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。