Everyone has something they're afraid of. It could be spiders, or flying, or, of course anatidaephobia (the fear that a duck is watching).

每个人都有自己害怕的东西。 可能是蜘蛛，或是飞行，当然，还有恐鸭症（害怕被鸭子监视的心理恐惧）。

Whatever it might be, some people find that confronting a phobia head-on helps them manage the anxiety around it.

不管恐惧的是什么，有些人发现直面恐惧有助于他们应对与之相关的焦虑情绪。

If you dislike being around clowns, then you aren't alone. A study by psychologists found that among a group of 987 adults, 53.5%, had some degree of fear of clowns. In extreme cases, this can lead to coulrophobia, with even the mere mention of clowns causing anxiety and panic attacks.

如果你不喜欢和小丑待在一起，那么不止你自己这样。 心理学家的一项研究发现，在987名成年人中，有53.5%的人对小丑有不同程度的恐惧。 在极端情况下，这可能会引发小丑恐惧症，甚至一提到小丑就会引发焦虑和恐慌发作。

It's safe to say that most of the world's population, coulrophobic or not, would rather give The Clown Motel a miss. However, for a small number of clown fans, horror movie lovers, and people who enjoy exploring haunted and just plain weird places, it's the dream location.

可以毫不夸张地说，世界上大多数人，无论是否患有小丑恐惧症，都不愿去“小丑汽车旅馆”。 然而，对于少数小丑迷、恐怖电影爱好者以及喜欢探索闹鬼和诡异之地的人来说， 这里却是梦想之地。

There's certainly no missing the place when you drive down the desert road of Tonopah, Nevada. You'll either spot the huge Clown Motel sign, complete with a grinning cartoon, or the motel building covered in multicoloured polka dots. The exterior is covered in cartoons of clowns, from cheery, kid-friendly to downright creepy, resembling the character from IT that triggered many a clown phobia.

当你驾车行驶在内华达州托诺帕的沙漠公路上时，一定不会错过这个地方。 你一定会看到巨大的“小丑汽车旅馆”招牌，上面有一个咧嘴笑的卡通小丑，或者看到旅馆那布满彩色圆点的建筑。 旅馆外墙贴满了各种卡通小丑的图案，从适合孩子的欢快小丑到令人毛骨悚然的恐怖小丑， 就像电影《小丑回魂》中那个引发许多人小丑恐惧症的角色。

But the theme isn't just on the outside of the building. Step inside and you'll see floor-to-ceiling shelves covered in colourful clown dolls with rictus grins and various kitsch clown paintings. If you haven't run away screaming by this point, you can explore the lobby's clown museum, which includes items sent to the owner from around the world. There's also a gift shop, should you wish to recreate the décor in your own home. As one reviewer said: "This place is clean, but it's still kooky and strange".

但主题不仅体现在建筑外观上。 走进旅馆，你会看到从地板到天花板的书架上摆满了色彩鲜艳的小丑玩偶，它们咧着嘴笑，还有各种俗气的小丑画作。 如果你到这时还没有吓得尖叫着逃走，那么你可以探索一下大厅里的小丑博物馆， 里面陈列着世界各地寄给旅馆老板的物品。 这里还有一个礼品店，如果你想在自己家里重现这种装饰风格，可以在这里选购。 正如一位住客所说：“这里很干净，但仍然古怪又奇特。”

The rooms have various themes, some fairly standard with a few clown additions, while others go all out to create a colourful, sometimes horrifying nighttime experience. There are rooms themed around movies such as Friday the 13th and Halloween, while others, such as the Fear Unlimited room, go all out with creepy clown murals and bedsheets with fake blood stains.

旅馆的房间有各种主题，有些相当普通，只是添加了一些小丑元素，而有些则全力打造一种色彩斑斓、 有时甚至令人毛骨悚然的夜间体验。 有些房间以《十三号星期五》和《万圣节》等电影为主题，而另一些房间，比如“无限恐惧”房间， 则用令人毛骨悚然的小丑壁画和带有假血渍的床单来营造恐怖氛围。

The motel is reportedly haunted, with many reviewers sharing their odd experiences. One said: "At night around 3am there were really loud scratching sounds and something that sounded like a little child crying." Another claimed: "We did hear some weird noises at 4am, such as ticking, scratching sounds and muffled talking."

据报道，这家旅馆闹鬼，许多评论者分享了他们的奇异经历。 有人说：“晚上3点左右，有非常响亮的抓挠声，还有类似小孩哭泣的声音。”另一个人声称： “我们在凌晨4点确实听到了一些奇怪的声音，比如滴答声、抓挠声和模糊的说话声。”

However, perhaps an even spookier site lies right next to the hotel. The Old Tonopah Cemetery dates back to 1901 and was the final resting place for many interesting characters from the Old West. Local legends claim that the victims of a mine fire haunt the grounds, and some people say they've spotted the ghost of a young girl.

然而，或许更令人毛骨悚然的地方就在旅馆旁边。 老托诺帕公墓建于1901年，是许多西部老一辈有趣人物的最终安息之地。 当地传说称，一场矿井火灾的受害者在这里出没，有些人说他们看到过一个年轻女孩的鬼魂。

Tonopah is about a three-hour drive from Las Vegas and the ideal stop on a desert road trip. Visit the Tonopah Historic Mining Park where you can see some of the old silver mines and learn about the town's fascinating history. It's also home to the Central Nevada Museum, a must-see for those who are interested in day-to-day life in the Old West.

托诺帕距离拉斯维加斯大约三小时车程，是沙漠公路旅行的理想停靠站。 你可以参观托诺帕历史采矿公园，在那里你可以看到一些古老的银矿，了解这座城市迷人的历史。 这里还有内华达中部博物馆，对于那些对西部老一辈日常生活感兴趣的人来说，这是必去之地。