2023年经济学人 奢华的写字楼与低迷的市场（1）

 

 

    The view from the top.

    高层俯瞰的风光。

    Absurdly opulent offices defy the market's gloom.

    过分奢华的写字楼对抗低迷的市场。

    It is lunchtime at One Vanderbilt, a new office tower which juts¹ out of midtown Manhattan.

    现在是范德比尔特一号大厦的午餐时间，这栋大厦是曼哈顿中城外的一座新写字楼。

    The building's vast basement kitchen hums, as harried² staff in chef's whites leap in and out of swing doors.

    大楼地下室宽敞的厨房叮当作响，穿着白色厨师袍的工作人员从旋转门进进出出。

    Upstairs, gourmet³ salads and soup are served in a lounge overlooking Grand Central Station; a sit-down restaurant offers foie gras, grilled⁴ scallops and other dishes from Daniel Boulud, a celebrity⁵ chef.

    在楼上，能够俯瞰纽约中央火车站的休息室里供应着美味的沙拉和汤羹；提供座位的餐厅供应着名厨丹尼尔·布卢德制作的鹅肝酱、烤扇贝和其它各式菜肴。

    There is not a soggy, al-desko sandwich in sight.

    这里没有湿软的方便即食三明治。

    Across the rich world, the commercial-property industry is in a grim state.

    在整个富裕世界，商业地产行业正处于岌岌可危的状态。

    Tenants⁶ have come to terms with the fact that working from home is here to stay, and are downsizing appropriately.

    租户们对目前的情况做出了妥协——居家办公成为常态，并正在适当地缩减用地规模。

    In cities such as Hong Kong, London and Paris vacancy⁷ rates have hit record highs.

    在香港、伦敦和巴黎等城市，商业地产空置率创下历史新高。

    Another indicator⁸ of the darkening mood is that global investment in offices last year fell by 42%, compared with a 28% drop for property as a whole.

    悲观情绪还反映在其它指标上。去年，全球写字楼投资率下降了42%，而房地产投资整体下降为28%。

    A recent paper by Arpit Gupta of New York University and Vrinda Mittal and Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh of Columbia University forecasts that offices in New York could lose almost 40% of their value between 2019 and 2029, equivalent to $453bn.

    纽约大学的阿皮特·古普塔和哥伦比亚大学的维琳达·米塔尔和斯蒂恩·范·纽沃堡在最近的一篇论文中预测，2019年至2029年期间，纽约写字楼估值可能会下降近40%，相当于4530亿美元。

    Yet One Vanderbilt, a 93-storey skyscraper⁹ with a sparkling "hall of light" observatory¹⁰ at its top , is among a spate¹¹ of new trophy¹² properties and renovated¹³ buildings offering interiors and services akin¹⁴ to those at elite¹⁵ private-members clubs.

    然而，范德比尔特一号大厦是一座93层的摩天大楼，其顶层有一个闪闪发光的“光之厅”观景台。该大厦是新的奖杯式房地产和翻新建筑的其中一座，提供类似于高端私人俱乐部的室内设计和服务。

    Last year tenants in Manhattan signed deals for 6.1m square feet (566,709 square metres) of high-end office space, double the amount the year before, according to JLL, a property firm.

    根据房地产公司仲量联行的数据，去年，曼哈顿的租户租赁的高端写字楼总面积达到610万平方英尺（566,709平方米），是前年的两倍。

    The luxurious¹⁶ turn was under way before the pandemic, but accelerated as companies found themselves in competition with home offices.

    这种奢华的转变在疫情爆发前就已经开始了，但居家办公逐渐成为主流的趋势加速了这种转变。

    If a firm needs space for only half its workers each day, it can pay more per square foot.

    一家公司如果每天只需要为一半的员工提供工作场地，那么它可以为每平方英尺支付更多租金。

    The picture at the top of the commercial property market is therefore very different to the misery¹⁷ in the lower echelons¹⁸.

    因此，商业地产市场顶层的情况与悲惨的底层截然不同。

    Although New York is home to the most opulent new-builds, extravagant¹⁹ offices are appearing in other global cities, too.

    尽管纽约拥有最豪华的新建楼盘，但全球其它城市也出现了豪华的写字楼。

    In London 105 Victoria Street's owners are adding 30,000 square feet of green space - the equivalent of 14 tennis courts - including an urban farm and a "walk-and-talk" track.

    在伦敦，维多利亚街105号的业主正在建设3万平方英尺的绿地——相当于14个网球场的面积——包括一个城市农场和一条能够“边走边说”的跑道。

    Merdeka 118, a skyscraper under construction in Kuala Lumpur, will boast one of the world's loftiest observation decks.

    吉隆坡在建的摩天大楼默迪卡118将拥有世界最高的几个观景台的其中之一。

    Before the pandemic, desks accounted for around 60% of office space, according to Cushman and Wakefield, a property consultancy.

    根据房地产咨询公司高纬物业的数据，在疫情爆发之前，办公桌约占办公空间面积的60%。

    Things have changed considerably²⁰.

    如今，情况发生了很大的变化。

    New and refurbished offices are using half that space for workstations, and raising the share dedicated²¹ to amenities²² from 5% to 20%.

    新建和翻新的办公室将一半的空间用做办公岗位，并将专用于便利设施的面积从5%提高到20%。

    Meditation²³ rooms, bike storage, showers, outdoor spaces and other treats are now de rigueur.

    冥想室、自行车存放间、淋浴、户外空间和其他福利设施现在成为了必需品。

1 juts   

v.（使）突出( jut的第三人称单数 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出

参考例句：

• A small section of rock juts out into the harbour. 山岩的一小角突入港湾。 来自辞典例句
• The balcony juts out over the swimming pool. 阳台伸出在游泳池上方。 来自辞典例句

2 harried   

v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰

参考例句：

• She has been harried by the press all week. 整个星期她都受到新闻界的不断烦扰。
• The soldiers harried the enemy out of the country. 士兵们不断作骚扰性的攻击直至把敌人赶出国境为止。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 gourmet   

n.食物品尝家；adj.出于美食家之手的

参考例句：

• What does a gourmet writer do? 美食评论家做什么？
• A gourmet like him always eats in expensive restaurants.像他这样的美食家总是到豪华的餐馆用餐。

4 grilled   

adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后，警察才放他走。
• He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问，直到他承认为止。

5 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

6 tenants   

n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者

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。
• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。

7 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

8 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

9 skyscraper   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• The skyscraper towers into the clouds.那幢摩天大楼高耸入云。
• The skyscraper was wrapped in fog.摩天楼为雾所笼罩。

10 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

11 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

12 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

13 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。

14 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

15 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

16 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

17 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

18 echelons   

n.（机构中的）等级，阶层( echelon的名词复数 )；（军舰、士兵、飞机等的）梯形编队

参考例句：

• Officers were drawn largely from the top echelons of society. 这些官员大都来自社会上层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Except in the higher echelons, extensive classification has no place in the classification of vegetation. 除高阶类级之外，外延分类在植物分类中还是没有地位的。 来自辞典例句

19 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

20 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

21 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

22 amenities   

n.令人愉快的事物；礼仪；礼节；便利设施；礼仪( amenity的名词复数 )；便利设施；（环境等的）舒适；（性情等的）愉快

参考例句：

• The campsite is close to all local amenities. 营地紧靠当地所有的便利设施。
• Parks and a theatre are just some of the town's local amenities. 公园和戏院只是市镇娱乐设施的一部分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。