Sentence:  In a traditional German <WSD>lavatory</WSD>, the hole in which shit disappears after we flush water is way in front, so that the shit is first laid out for us to sniff at and inspect for traces of some illness; in the typical French <WSD>lavatory</WSD>, on the contrary, the hole is in the back - that is, the shit is supposed to disappear as soon as possible; finally, the Anglo-Saxon (English or American) <WSD>lavatory</WSD> presents a kind of synthesis, a mediation between these two opposed poles - the basin is full of water so that the shit floats in it - visible, but not to be inspected. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A plumbing fixture for urination and defecation: a toilet.