新奇事件簿 36%的英国人不买房

House prices in the U.K. are now so high that a third of British people believe they will never buy their own home. This is according to a new report published by the Halifax Bank. Home ownership was once an achievable goal for generations of Britons. However, rising prices now mean the prospects¹ of getting on the property ladder are on the decline. The report says that one in five twentysomethings has no desire to own their own home. Craig McKinlay, mortgages director at Halifax, said: "We may be heading towards the point where the aspiration² to own a nice home will be replaced by the aspiration to simply live in one." He added:"It seems that people are now beginning to accept a lifetime of renting."

英国的房价居高不下，三分之一的英国人认为他们买不起自己的房子。这是哈利法克斯苏格兰银行所发布的最新报告。对于英国人来说，买房曾经是一个可实现的目标。但是，居高不下的房价就意味着买房的希望就此渺茫。报道称5名20多岁的年轻人中就有1人没有购买房产的愿望。哈利法克斯苏格兰银行的信贷总监克雷格·迈克兰说：“我们的想法正在从想住好房子到住上房子上转变。”他还说：“人们似乎开始接受了终身租房的命运。”

Britain's Office for National Statistics earlier this week stated that house prices have risen by 10.5% inthe past year. It expressed concern at what it describes as "runaway³ train" house prices. The average U.K.house was valued at $425,000 in 2013. Things get bleaker⁴ for house hunters wishing to buy in London. Prices in the capital have risen by 18 per cent in a year to an average of $610,000. The Halifax report writes about possible long-term social problems arising from, "the division between homeowners and non-homeowners".The report warned that if there are fewer first-time buyers, "the market will come to a standstill". If this happens, prices will have to come down.

英国国家统计局上周早些时候称去年，英国的房价上涨了10.5%。他们担心房价会一路走高。2013年，英国的平均房价是42.5万美金。这让那些想在伦敦买房的人望而却步。伦敦的房价一年内增长了18%，到达了平均61万美金的水平。哈利法克斯银行称这会造成长期的社会问题，造成有房者和无房者之间的分歧。报告还警告说如果首次购房者的数目减少的话，那么市场将处于停滞状态。如果这样的事情发生的话，价格将要下降。

1 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

2 aspiration   

n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出

参考例句：

• Man's aspiration should be as lofty as the stars.人的志气应当象天上的星星那么高。
• Young Addison had a strong aspiration to be an inventor.年幼的爱迪生渴望成为一名发明家。

3 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

4 bleaker   

阴冷的( bleak的比较级 )； （状况）无望的； 没有希望的； 光秃的

参考例句：

• Horoscopes are merely harmless escapism from an ever-bleaker world. 占星术只不过是让人逃避越发令人沮丧的世界的无害消遣罢了。
• On the ground the mood is bleaker. 具体形势更加严峻。