美国国家公共电台 NPR--新冠疫情爆发后越来越多的人选择搬到农村

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The ramifications¹ of exploding interests in small-town living during the pandemic

Transcript²

An increasing number of people are moving to small towns in rural America to, in part, take advantage of cheaper housing. But some local residents and long-term renters are being forced out.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

In small towns all across the country, there's a shift underway, and it's rattling³ the status quo. As remote workers from big cities continue to move in, they buy up old houses, chasing up property values and housing costs. Erin Gottsacker from member station WXPR has this report from a small Upper Peninsula town in Michigan.

ERIN GOTTSACKER, BYLINE⁴: With the option to work from just about anywhere, increasing numbers of remote workers are leaving big cities behind. They're instead opting⁵ for homes in small towns near outdoor attractions, like ski slopes or river canyons⁶, where housing is often much cheaper. Philip Stoker studies urban planning at the University of Arizona and has been watching this dynamic for years now. He says when the pandemic hit, interest in small-town living exploded.

PHILIP STOKER: People who have jobs in larger cities that have higher incomes, and if they can work remotely, they can live in these rural communities and still be able to work, assuming there's the infrastructure⁷ for that, and then they'll just have more money and higher buying power in the housing market.

GOTTSACKER: But when out-of-towners with money move in, that can force some longtime residents to face new challenges - things like traffic congestion⁸, a rising cost of living and a severe lack of affordable⁹ housing.

STOKER: These are big-city problems, but it's just they're being experienced in rural communities because they're attracting people.

GOTTSACKER: Take Ironwood, Mich., with a population just under 5,000, for example. Located near ski slopes and scenic¹⁰ lakes in Michigan's UP, Ironwood was once a thriving mining town with thousands more residents and the infrastructure to sustain them. But following the mining industry collapse¹¹, the population plummeted¹², with many houses here standing¹³ empty, until people like Rob Alexander began to buy them up.

ROB ALEXANDER: And then we didn't want to be near any big cities because we feel like they're a little chaotic¹⁴ and not really what we're looking for.

GOTTSACKER: Alexander was living with his fiancee in Southern California when the pandemic hit, and they decided¹⁵ it was time to move East.

ALEXANDER: Then we found the Upper Peninsula, and that instantly sparked our attention.

GOTTSACKER: Ironwood had much of what they wanted - cool weather, fresh water, small-town charm and houses cheaper than many California apartments. Alexander and his now wife bought their first one for $18,000. He found it such a bargain that he bought another to fix up as an Airbnb, and he's done that multiple times since.

(SOUNDBITE OF CONSTRUCTION AMBIENCE)

GOTTSACKER: Inside one of his current projects, builders are stripping away layer after layer of old flooring.

ALEXANDER: This was, like, a really dated home with, like, the old panel walls. Like, the space on this, when it's finished, it's going to be a four-bedroom, two-bath house with an attached garage. So this one is worth fixing up.

GOTTSACKER: All fixed¹⁶ up, and this house could sell for three times what he paid. And it's happening all over this town. Tom Bergman is Ironwood's community development director and says all this change comes with a downside for some longtime residents.

TOM BERGMAN: There's been a real pinch, I think, on the lower-income bracket. At that level, those folks, they just don't have places to rent anymore. Families are living in hotels.

GOTTSACKER: Driving down Ironwood's main street, Rob Alexander pauses outside the town's old pool hall.

ALEXANDER: You can see it goes all the way back here. So there's four apartments in there.

GOTTSACKER: Another developer bought this building and wants to put in a business, an Airbnb and maybe a community center. But families rent those upstairs apartments now. They'll be evicted¹⁷ in the process. That illustrates¹⁸ a challenge that residents here and in small towns across the country are facing as their towns attract new money and new residents.

For NPR News, I'm Erin Gottsacker in Ironwood, Mich.

(SOUNDBITE OF BILL ORCUTT'S "ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW")

1 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 rattling   

adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词

参考例句：

• This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
• At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 opting   

v.选择，挑选( opt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• What courses are most students opting for? 多数学生选什么课程？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Wells doesn't rule out opting out and then re-signing with Houston. 威尔斯没有排除跳出合同再与火箭重签的可能。 来自互联网

6 canyons   

n.峡谷( canyon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This mountain range has many high peaks and deep canyons. 这条山脉有许多高峰和深谷。 来自辞典例句
• Do you use canyons or do we preserve them all? 是使用峡谷呢还是全封闭保存？ 来自互联网

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

8 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

9 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

10 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

11 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

12 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

14 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

15 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

16 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

17 evicted   

v.（依法从房屋里或土地上）驱逐，赶出( evict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• They had evicted their tenants for non-payment of rent. 他们赶走了未交房租的房客。

18 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分