赵章林（音译）是位90后外来务工人员。当第一次踏上北京这座纷繁大都市时，他并未料到自己会留下来。

 

　　“I just wanted to open my eyes by coming to the city to work for a few years,” the 22-year-old recounts. “Then I’d like to return to the peaceful village in Ankang, Shaanxi, where I came from.”

 

　　“我只想来这里工作几年，开开眼界。然后就要回陕西安康老家那个平静的小村子。”这位22岁的小伙子讲述道。

 

　　But then he felt that his whole life had been redefined by being exposed to the exciting urban life. “I talked with professors, businessmen and even actors,” said Zhao, who organized conferences and receptions for a training company.

 

　　但后来，置身于令人兴奋的城市生活中的他，觉得自己的人生被重新定义了。他现就职于一家培训公司，负责会议组织和接待工作，他表示：“我可以和教授、生意人甚至是演员侃侃而谈。”

 

　　“In the countryside, the people I encounter are restricted to farmers and street vendors.”

 

　　“在农村，我接触到的只有农民和街上的小贩。”

 

　　Zhao can now also support his family by sending back money and has been recruited in a local junior college. He has decided to stay in Beijing.

 

　　现在，赵章林也可以寄钱回家养家，并且已被北京的一所大专录取了。他决定留在北京。

 

　　According to The Urban Blue Book: China City Development Report, released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) last week, the number of Chinese urbanites (691 million) has surpassed the number of rural residents.

 

　　从中国社会科学院上周发布的《城市蓝皮书：中国城市发展报告》看来，中国城镇人口达到6.91亿，这一数字已远远超过农村人口。

 

　　The urbanization rate, which means the proportion of residents who live in cities is now at 51.27 percent.

 

　　城镇化率，即城镇人口占总人口的比例现已达到51.27%。

 

　　This marks a significant change in the country’s social structure. It means that China has ended the era of “village-based society” and ushered in a “city-based society”.

 

　　这标志着我国社会结构的重大变化，同时也意味着中国已经结束了“乡村型社会”时代，迎来一个全新的“城市型社会”。

 

　　The term “urbanization” refers to the process of rural people moving into cities. A key indicator of a country’s urbanization level is the distribution of its population between rural and urban areas, explains the report.

 

　　“城镇化”指的是农村人口向城市迁移的过程。该报告指出，衡量一个国家城镇化水平的一项重要指标便是农村和城镇地区的人口分布。

 

　　“Urbanization is inevitable and progressive. It is an integral part of a city’s social and economic development,” says Wei Houkai, deputy director of the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

 

　　中国社会科学院城市发展与环境研究所副所长魏后凯称：“城市化不可避免，并且在不断推进。它是一个城市的社会和经济发展的主要组成部分。”

 

　　According to Wei, the process causes “human resource capital” to accumulate, generating wealth in the society. It also increases consumption and investment.

 

　　魏后凯还表示，这一进程导致了“人力资本”的累积，从而创造了社会财富。同时也刺激了消费和投资的增长。

 

　　The report reveals that the ratio of urban disposable incomes to rural net incomes reached 3.13 in 2011.

 

　　报告中指出，2011年，城镇居民人均可支配收入与农村居民人均纯收入之比高达3.13。

 

　　“In cities, centralized production, distribution and exchange create the ‘agglomeration effect’ - which reduces costs while increasing efficiency,” says Zhu Caibin, PhD, in urban and environmental science and expert in city planning at the China Urban Construction Design & Research Institute.

 

　　中国城市建设设计研究院高级专家、城市和环境学博士朱才斌表示：“城市之中，集中生产、分配和交换创造出‘集聚效应’，在提高效率的同时，也降低了成本。”

 

　　To put it simply, a factory will find it easier to hire hands and gather material.

 

　　简单地说，工厂在雇佣人力和采集材料方面更加便捷。

 

　　Whereas you can sell a product to only one person in a village, you might attract 10 potential customers in a city.

 

　　在乡村里，你只能把产品卖给一个人，而在城市中你可能会吸引10个潜在客户。

 

　　Zhu also notes that urbanization improves lives by offering better education and more job opportunities to city dwellers. It also diversifies cultural experiences.

 

　　朱才斌还提到，城镇化为城市居民提供了更好的教育和更多的就业机会，从而改善了人们的生活水平；同时也丰富了文化体验。

 

　　However, social experts point out that many migrant workers often find it hard to adapt to urban life.

 

　　然而，一些社会学者指出，很多外来务工人员发现自己很难适应城市生活。

 

　　Qiao Xiaodao, 36, a farmer now turned musician and artist in Beijing, believes it depends on the attitude of newcomers.

 

　　36岁的乔小刀从一位农民变身为如今的京城音乐人兼艺术家。他相信，这取决于个人的态度。

 

　　“If they just want to earn money, gain skills and return to the countryside, they don’t need to bother blending in,” he says.

 

　　他说：“如果他们只想挣钱，获得一技之长，然后回农村。那么他们根本不需要担心能否融入城市这个问题。”

 

　　“But if they want to establish roots in the city, they have to make an effort.”

 

　　“但是如果他们想在城市扎根，那么就必须付出努力。”

 

　　Hardship, such as living in a basement, might be inevitable. But Qiao is optimistic that social policy, including healthcare, will become more favorable to newcomers. “It is just a matter of time.”

 

　　吃苦可能是在所难免的，例如会居住在地下室中。但乔小刀也乐观地表示，包括医疗卫生在内的社会政策将会越来越照顾到外来人口。“只是时间问题罢了。”

 

　　The report notes further problems relating to the trend of urbanization, such as air pollution, soaring housing prices, and traffic congestion.

 

　　报告中也提到了与城镇化有关的一系列长远问题，如空气污染、房价上涨以及交通拥挤等。

 

　　Wei believes this is not caused by urbanization itself, but by an unscientific approach to development.

 

　　魏后凯相信，这些并非由城市化自身所导致的，而是由不科学的发展模式造成的。

 

　　“The right approach would be to enhance the quality of a city in terms of its cultural environment and green features, while lowering the cost of resource consumption,” he says.

 

　　他表示：“正确的发展方式应该是从人文环境以及绿色环保方面来提高城市品质，同时降低资源消耗的成本。”