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伦敦土地稀缺之殇
添加时间:2015-05-28 21:06:18 浏览次数: 作者:未知
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  • Compare two ways of earning the same amount in London. The first is to work. A job in one of the capital’s thriving industries will on average pay about 35,000. The second is to own enough office space for a few desks in the city’s West End. Just 17 sq m currently yields about the same amount.

    请比较一下在伦敦赚到相同数额的钱的两种方式。第一种是工作。在伦敦蓬勃发展的行业找一份工作,平均薪水约为3.5万英镑。第二种是在伦敦西区(West End)拥有一套足够放几张桌子的办公用房。按照最近的行情,只要拥有17平米就能赚到差不多相同数额的钱。

    Despite Britain registering deflation for the first time in half a century, its capital remains1 an expensive place to do business. The overriding2 cause is expensive property. Even against other global centres, the cost of renting an office or roof over one’s head is steep.

    尽管英国刚出现了半个世纪以来的首次通缩,但其首都仍然是一个昂贵的经商地点。最主要的原因是高昂的房地产价格。即使是与全球其他几个中心相比,在伦敦租赁一间办公室或住房的成本也相当高昂。

    To superficial eyes this is a badge of success. Cities teetering on the brink3 of failure, such as Detroit, are often studded by boarded-up houses and empty business districts. London can charge so much because it is an excellent place to work. Alongside financial services, the city is a global hub for the creative industries, law and even high-value manufacturing.

    表面上看来,这是成功的标志。底特律等濒临破产边缘的城市中,通常布满了木板房和空荡荡的商业区。伦敦的租金之所以能收那么高,是因为这里是绝佳的工作地点。除了金融服务,伦敦还是创意产业、法律、甚至高附加值制造业的全球中心。

    Yet this high demand to work and live in Britain’s capital only makes more abject4 its failure to provide sufficient space. What is more, the scarcity5 of land for development is artificial, and largely comes down to politics.

    不过,这种在英国首都工作和居住的高需求,只是使它无法提供足够空间的问题显得更加令人遗憾。更重要的是,用于开发的土地稀缺是人为造成的,而且在很大程度上要归咎于政治。

    The Conservatives sailed into power on a wave of promises that would boost the demand for property, such as inheritance tax breaks and an ill-received idea for selling off social housing. Since the election, developers’ share prices have risen and estate6 agents’ phones rung hot with inquiries7 from overseas buyers. Surprised at the scale of their victory, the Tory government might not have expected to enact8 many of its measures.

    保守党(Conservatives)借着提振房地产需求的承诺执掌了权力,比如遗产税优惠和一个令人难以接受的想法——出售公屋。自大选以来,地产开发商的股价一路上涨,房地产经纪人的电话被来电咨询的海外买家打得发烫。惊讶于此次大获全胜的保守党政府,此前也许没有预料到其要将竞选时提出的很多措施付诸实施。

    Now, to stop prices spiralling further out of sight the government must supplement its populism with a proper strategy to close the gap between demand and supply, starting with London. It can learn from others’s past failures: the Swedish National Bank tried to quench9 the roaring property market in Stockholm through its monetary10 stance, damaging the rest of the economy. Other tools are not available to the UK: Singapore owns 80 per cent of the homes its population inhabits. Like Hong Kong, it imposes restrictions11 on foreign buyers with which London should be ill at ease.

    如今,为了避免价格进一步攀升至遥不可及的高度,政府必须在民粹主义之外拿出适当的策略来弥合需求和供应之间的差距,从伦敦开始。它可以从其他国家过去的失败中学到教训:瑞典央行(Swedish National Bank)曾尝试通过货币政策给斯德哥尔摩飙涨的房地产市场降温,但损害了经济的其他部分。还有些工具是英国没有的:新加坡有80%人口居住在政府提供的组屋里。再比如香港,那里限制外国人买房,而伦敦应该无法坦然接受这种做法。

    In contrast to Manhattan or Singapore, London is not an island and has no physical reason for limiting the supply of land. But releasing more for development will take courage. Much of the land needed is derelict but nevertheless marked as “greenbelt”. This inspires misguided environmental protectionism from an array of bodies determined12 to protect every last scrap13. Even without such organisation14, existing property owners create a fearsome political block. Many of London’s citizens have become wealthy owning houses that are collectively worth 1.5tn. They also savour the rules that bear down on congestion15, keep the view uncluttered and hold back the sprawl16 typical in cities elsewhere. Opposition17 to development seeds many a political campaign.

    与曼哈顿或新加坡相比,伦敦并不是一个岛屿,并没有必须限制土地供应的客观原因。但是,释放更多土地用于开发需要勇气。很多亟需的土地都是荒地但却被标记为“绿地”。这激起了大批被误导的环保团体的热情,它们决心保护每一寸仅存的绿地。即使没有此类机构,现有的房地产业主也构成一个令人望而生畏的政治障碍。很多伦敦市民已变得富有,他们拥有的房产总价值达到1.5万亿英镑。他们还青睐那些旨在减轻拥堵、保持城市景观和谐以及阻止城市出现无序扩张常见病的规定。许多政治游说都源于反对土地开发。

    Against these, the victims of insufficient18 development are voiceless and dispersed19: families in cramped20 accommodation21, workers slogging in on a long commute22 and younger people kept from a promising23 career by the lack of a wealthy relative. These also feed through to business costs.

    相比这些人,承受土地开发不足之痛的人发不出声音,也缺乏组织:住所狭小的家庭、长途通勤的工人、以及因为没有富有的亲戚而无法拥有前途光明的职业的年轻人。这些也转化为商业成本。

    The Conservatives have launched their new spell in government with the aspiration24 to govern for one nation, and do all they can for business. For the former they will need to heal the fissure25 in British society caused by the sheer expense of living in London. As for business, no single measure could save companies more than bringing down rents in the capital city.

    怀着“为着同一个国家执政”(govern for one nation)和竭尽全力促进营商的抱负,保守党已经开始新一届任期。就前一个抱负而言,他们需要修复伦敦高昂生活成本在英国社会中造成的裂缝。就营商而言,没有哪一项措施能比降低首都的租金成本更能拯救企业。

     11级    英文科普 


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    1 remains [rɪˈmeɪnz] 1kMzTy   第7级
    n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
    参考例句:
    • He ate the remains of food hungrily. 他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
    • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog. 残羹剩饭喂狗了。
    2 overriding [ˌəuvə'raidiŋ] TmUz3n   第9级
    a.最主要的
    参考例句:
    • Development is of overriding importance. 发展是硬道理
    • My overriding concern is to raise the standards of state education. 我最关心的是提高国民教育水平。
    3 brink [brɪŋk] OWazM   第9级
    n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿
    参考例句:
    • The tree grew on the brink of the cliff. 那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
    • The two countries were poised on the brink of war. 这两个国家处于交战的边缘。
    4 abject [ˈæbdʒekt] joVyh   第10级
    adj.极可怜的,卑屈的
    参考例句:
    • This policy has turned out to be an abject failure. 这一政策最后以惨败而告终。
    • He had been obliged to offer an abject apology to Mr. Alleyne for his impertinence. 他不得不低声下气,为他的无礼举动向艾莱恩先生请罪。
    5 scarcity [ˈskeəsəti] jZVxq   第9级
    n.缺乏,不足,萧条
    参考例句:
    • The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government. 熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
    • The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought. 水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。
    6 estate [ɪˈsteɪt] InSxv   第7级
    n.所有地,地产,庄园;住宅区;财产,资产
    参考例句:
    • My estate lies within a mile. 我的地产离那有一英里。
    • The great real estate brokers do far more than this. 而优秀的房地产经纪人做得可比这多得多。
    7 inquiries [inˈkwaiəriz] 86a54c7f2b27c02acf9fcb16a31c4b57   第7级
    n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听
    参考例句:
    • He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释,等候进一步调查。
    • I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
    8 enact [ɪˈnækt] tjEz0   第9级
    vt.制定(法律);上演,扮演
    参考例句:
    • The U. S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation. 美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
    • For example, a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly. 例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。
    9 quench [kwentʃ] ii3yQ   第7级
    vt.熄灭,扑灭;压制
    参考例句:
    • The firemen were unable to quench the fire. 消防人员无法扑灭这场大火。
    • Having a bottle of soft drink is not enough to quench my thirst. 喝一瓶汽水不够解渴。
    10 monetary [ˈmʌnɪtri] pEkxb   第7级
    adj.货币的,钱的;通货的;金融的;财政的
    参考例句:
    • The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold. 过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
    • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means. 荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
    11 restrictions [rɪˈstrɪkʃənz] 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf   第8级
    约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
    参考例句:
    • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
    • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
    12 determined [dɪˈtɜ:mɪnd] duszmP   第7级
    adj.坚定的;有决心的;v.决定;断定(determine的过去分词)
    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。
    13 scrap [skræp] JDFzf   第7级
    n.碎片;废料;vt.废弃,报废;vi.吵架;adj.废弃的;零碎的
    参考例句:
    • A man comes round regularly collecting scrap. 有个男人定时来收废品。
    • Sell that car for scrap. 把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。
    14 organisation [ˌɔ:gənaɪ'zeɪʃən] organisation   第8级
    n.组织,安排,团体,有机休
    参考例句:
    • The method of his organisation work is worth commending. 他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
    • His application for membership of the organisation was rejected. 他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。
    15 congestion [kənˈdʒestʃən] pYmy3   第8级
    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。
    16 sprawl [sprɔ:l] 2GZzx   第9级
    vi.躺卧,扩张,蔓延;vt.使蔓延;n.躺卧,蔓延
    参考例句:
    • In our garden, bushes are allowed to sprawl as they will. 在我们园子里,灌木丛爱怎么蔓延就怎么蔓延。
    • He is lying in a sprawl on the bed. 他伸开四肢躺在床上。
    17 opposition [ˌɒpəˈzɪʃn] eIUxU   第8级
    n.反对,敌对
    参考例句:
    • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard. 该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
    • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition. 警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
    18 insufficient [ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃnt] L5vxu   第7级
    adj.(for,of)不足的,不够的
    参考例句:
    • There was insufficient evidence to convict him. 没有足够证据给他定罪。
    • In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter. 在他们的时代,科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。
    19 dispersed [dɪ'spɜ:st] b24c637ca8e58669bce3496236c839fa   第7级
    adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的
    参考例句:
    • The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
    • After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后,孩子们四散回家了。
    20 cramped ['kræmpt] 287c2bb79385d19c466ec2df5b5ce970   第10级
    a.狭窄的
    参考例句:
    • The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤,但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
    • working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作
    21 accommodation [əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃn] kJDys   第8级
    n.设备,膳宿,旅馆房间;容纳,提供,适应;调解,妥协;贷款
    参考例句:
    • Many old people choose to live in sheltered accommodation. 许多老年人选择到养老院居住。
    • Have you found accommodation? 找到住处没有?
    22 commute [kəˈmju:t] BXTyi   第7级
    vi.乘车上下班;vt.减(刑);折合;n.上下班交通
    参考例句:
    • I spend much less time on my commute to work now. 我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
    • Most office workers commute from the suburbs. 很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。
    23 promising [ˈprɒmɪsɪŋ] BkQzsk   第7级
    adj.有希望的,有前途的
    参考例句:
    • The results of the experiments are very promising. 实验的结果充满了希望。
    • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers. 我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
    24 aspiration [ˌæspəˈreɪʃn] ON6z4   第7级
    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。
    25 fissure [ˈfɪʃə(r)] Njbxt   第10级
    n.裂缝;裂伤
    参考例句:
    • Though we all got out to examine the fissure, he remained in the car. 我们纷纷下车察看那个大裂缝,他却呆在车上。
    • Ground fissure is the main geological disaster in Xi'an city construction. 地裂缝是西安市主要的工程地质灾害问题。

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