走在大街上總能看到各種各樣的Spa廣告和招牌。大家可能大概知道spa這個詞肯定跟身體護理和保健有關。但它背後真正的意思你知道嗎？

　　The term spa is associated with water treatment, spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments。

　　Spa指水療，凡是與spa相關的地方(包括溫泉度假村)一般都提供各種各樣的身體保健項目。

　　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這個詞來源於比利時一個叫spa的小鎮，這個小鎮在羅馬時代就存在了，當時叫做Aquae Spadanae，有時也被誤當作拉丁文的spargere，即“拋灑、滋潤”的意思。這個小鎮的泉水因為有治療功效而為人所知。

　　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這樣的說法首次出現。到了1777年，spa小鎮已經聲名遠揚，以致于任何有溫泉且能驅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。

　　不過，人們在沒有溫泉的地方開設保健中心並取名叫spa卻是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。

　　自那以後，spa開始遍地開花。到了1974年，你可以在自家浴缸裏泡個熱水澡，並稱之為spa。