Spa到底是什么？

走在大街上总能看到各种各样的Spa广告和招牌。大家可能大概知道spa这个词肯定跟身体护理和保健有关。但它背后真正的意思你知道吗？

The term spa is associated with water treatment, spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments.
Spa指水疗，凡是与spa相关的地方（包括温泉度假村）一般都提供各种各样的身体保健项目。

The term is derived from the name of the town of Spa, Belgium, whose name is known back to Roman times, when the location was called Aquae Spadanae, sometimes incorrectly connected to the Latin word "spargere" meaning to scatter, sprinkle or moisten. It had springs of waters with reputed healing properties.
Spa这个词来源于比利时一个叫spa的小镇，这个小镇在罗马时代就存在了，当时叫做Aquae Spadanae，有时也被误当作拉丁文的spargere，即“抛洒、滋润”的意思。这个小镇的泉水因为有治疗功效而为人所知。

By 1626 we have a citation for an English Spa and by 1777 the name of the town of Spa became truly generic so that any town with a hot spring where you could soak your ills away was called a spa.
1626年，English Spa这样的说法首次出现。到了1777年，spa小镇已经声名远扬，以致于任何有温泉且能驱除疾病的地方都取名叫做spa。

It wasn’t until about 1960 that people began opening health clubs and calling them spas without having a hot-springs on the premises.
不过，人们在没有温泉的地方开设保健中心并取名叫spa却是1960年的事情了。

After that everyone wanted one; in 1974 you could get an aerated bathtub in your own house and call it a spa.
自那以后，spa开始遍地开花。到了1974年，你可以在自家浴缸里泡个热水澡，并称之为spa。