英语PK台 第385期:“奢华”笼屋能解决香港的住房危机吗?

 　　Can "luxury" cage homes fix Hong Kong's housing crisis?

　　“奢华”笼屋能解决香港的住房危机吗？

　　Hong Kong is one of the most expensive places to live in the world, with the median property price 19 times the median annual household income. For some, the only option is to live in one of the city's notorious cage homes, which consist of a bunk¹ bed surrounded by a metal cage, often located in a sub-divided flat—a tiny apartment split into even smaller spaces.

　　香港是世界上房价最高的的地区之一，其中等房地产价位是中等家庭年收入的19倍。对于有些家庭来说，面对如此高的房价，也别无选择，只好住在“臭名昭著”的笼屋，他们是由一套公寓分隔出来的一张张由铁丝网团团围住的床——也就是将一套小型公寓分隔成一些更小的空间。

　　Sandy Wong is a Chinese entrepreneur who has recently produced an alternative option— "luxury" cage homes. Inspired by Japanese capsule hotels, he claims the pods offer a luxury experience in a tiny space. Wong has decked out six properties around Hong Kong with 108 "luxury" cage homes -- that's about 18 capsules per flat. As well as a bed, each capsule contains modern amenities² such as a TV, air-conditioning, a mirror and purple LED lighting³, which lends them a futuristic feel. "These (capsule homes) provide personal space. That's the selling point," Wong tells CNN. Wong began renting out capsule homes six months ago, and says most of his tenants⁴ are aged⁵ between 20 and 40 years old, and single.

　　中国企业家Sandy Wang最近提供了另一种住宿可选——“奢华”笼屋。这一灵感源自日本胶囊旅馆，他声称这样的住宿小舱可以为小空间提供“奢侈”体验。王动用了香港的6处房产打造了108套“奢华”笼屋——大约每套公寓有18个这样的“胶囊”房。每个笼屋里面除了包括一张床以外，还有一些现代生活设施例如床、空调、镜子、紫色LED照明灯等，让租户们体验一种超现代感觉。王告诉CNN：“这些胶囊房给租户提供私人空间，这正是最大的卖点”。六个月前，王开始出租这些房子，他还说到，他的租户都是二十到四十岁的人，而且都是单身。

　　The pods cost between $361 and $580 per month to rent, with rates determined⁶ by where a pod is located within the flat (capsules inside the more private bedrooms are costlier⁷ than those in the living room, for example), and how centrally located in Hong Kong the apartment is.

　　租这样一个房子每月的房租大概是361美元至580美元，价格是看笼屋位于公寓的位置来定的（比如，越位于公寓卧室里头的，租金相对来说比在客厅里的更高），同时也得看这套公寓距离香港在中心城区的位置。

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1 bunk   

n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话

参考例句：

• He left his bunk and went up on deck again.他离开自己的铺位再次走到甲板上。
• Most economists think his theories are sheer bunk.大多数经济学家认为他的理论纯属胡说。

2 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》

3 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

4 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。

5 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 costlier   

adj.昂贵的( costly的比较级 )；代价高的；引起困难的；造成损失的

参考例句：

• Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather. 鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。 来自互联网
• Disagreements among creditors can be costlier still. 债权人之间的分歧会加大重组的费用。 来自互联网