史上最大的泡沫 中國(guó)樓市暴漲引崩盤(pán)擔(dān)憂(yōu)
SHANGHAI — Zheng Ruizhen counted herself among the last holdouts on Lufeng Road.
上海——鄭瑞珍（音）認(rèn)為自己是陸豐路上最后的釘子戶(hù)之一。
Even as high-rises sprang up in recent years to surround her dilapidated home, Ms. Zheng, a 50-year-old schoolteacher, and her husband, Sun Guojian, held firm. He grew up there. Her school was a 20-minute bicycle ride away. They raised their son there, though he eventually grew so tall that his head grazed the ceiling of his cramped room. When city officials pushed them to sell, they said no.
盡管近些年她破舊的家周?chē)楷F(xiàn)出很多高樓大廈，但50歲的學(xué)校教師鄭瑞珍和丈夫?qū)O國(guó)建（音譯）還在堅(jiān)守。孫在那里長(zhǎng)大。鄭的學(xué)校騎車(chē)20分即達(dá)。他們的兒子也在這里長(zhǎng)大，雖然兒子現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)長(zhǎng)得很高，頭都會(huì)擦到狹小房間的天花板。市政官員催促他們賣(mài)房時(shí)，他們拒絕了。
Then came China’s latest property bubble — a frothy surge in prices that could have global repercussions if it pops.
然后出現(xiàn)了中國(guó)最新的地產(chǎn)泡沫——價(jià)格飛漲產(chǎn)生的泡沫一旦破裂，會(huì)對(duì)全世界產(chǎn)生影響。
In August, an unremarkable piece of land around the corner from Ms. Zheng sold for nearly $2,000 a square foot, a national record and nearly three times the average land price in Manhattan. Local officials grew more insistent and threatened to tear down their bathroom.
今年8月，鄭家附近一個(gè)很普通的地塊以每平方英尺近2000美元的價(jià)格出售，打破了全國(guó)記錄，幾乎是曼哈頓平均地價(jià)的三倍。地方官員更加急切，威脅要拆除他們家的衛(wèi)生間。
Finally, they relented, and Ms. Zheng’s husband signed away the home for a price to be determined later. Then, on Oct. 9, Mr. Sun died of a heart attack, something Ms. Zheng said was perhaps influenced by stress over the pending demolition of their home.
他們最終妥協(xié)，鄭的丈夫簽字放棄這個(gè)房子，價(jià)格待定。10月9日，孫因心臟病發(fā)作去世，鄭說(shuō)可能是受到住房即將被拆除的壓力影響。
Now, as she grieves, she is waiting to hear how much the Shanghai government will offer in compensation — but however much that is, she knows it will not be enough for her to be able to afford to live anywhere close to Lufeng Road.
現(xiàn)在，悲傷的她還在等待上海市政府的補(bǔ)償價(jià)格——但她知道不管補(bǔ)多少，都不夠她在陸豐路附近買(mǎi)個(gè)房子。
Said Ms. Zheng: “I never expected housing prices in Shanghai would get this high.”
鄭說(shuō)：“我從沒(méi)想到上海的房?jī)r(jià)會(huì)變得這么高。”
China is in the midst of a dizzying housing bubble. Shanghai’s average housing price is up nearly one-third from a year ago, with prices in major cities like Beijing and Guangzhou not far behind. Chinese consumers are rushing to buy homes before the government steps in with restrictions.
中國(guó)正處于令人頭暈?zāi)垦５姆績(jī)r(jià)泡沫之中。上海的平均房?jī)r(jià)比一年前上漲了近三分之一。北京和廣州等大城市的房?jī)r(jià)相去不遠(yuǎn)。中國(guó)消費(fèi)者正在政府介入并采取限制措施之前爭(zhēng)相買(mǎi)房。
When rumors swept through Shanghai that the government would require homeowners to pay more in taxes and down payments to buy additional properties, many couples filed for divorce so that one partner could still be treated as an independent buyer.
當(dāng)上海謠傳政府將要求房主在購(gòu)買(mǎi)額外房產(chǎn)時(shí)繳納更多稅款和首付款時(shí)，很多夫妻申請(qǐng)離婚，以便一方能夠仍被當(dāng)作獨(dú)立購(gòu)房者對(duì)待。
China has experienced housing booms and busts before. And fervor for real estate among the wealthiest Chinese has already spread far beyond the country’s borders, from Long Island mansions to disused ranches in Texas — many to get their money out of the country.
中國(guó)經(jīng)歷過(guò)房地產(chǎn)繁榮和崩潰。中國(guó)最富有人群對(duì)房地產(chǎn)的狂熱已蔓延至國(guó)外，從長(zhǎng)島(Long Island)的住宅到德克薩斯州廢棄的農(nóng)場(chǎng)——很多是為了把錢(qián)轉(zhuǎn)移到國(guó)外。
But economists warn that the current boom on the Chinese mainland could be extra difficult to resolve: It comes with a growing amount of American-style debt.
不過(guò)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家們警告稱(chēng)，中國(guó)大陸目前的房?jī)r(jià)暴漲解決起來(lái)可能會(huì)特別困難：它伴隨著越來(lái)越多的美國(guó)式債務(wù)。
Long-term household loans — mostly mortgages — have doubled as a share of total official bank lending this year. They accounted for about 40 percent of all new loans in August, contrasted with just 20 percent at the start of the year. The value of new home loans as a percentage of all housing sales has surged to a record high.
今年，長(zhǎng)期房貸——大多是抵押貸款——占全部官方銀行貸款的比例翻了一番。今年8月，房貸占全部新貸款的比例約為40%，而年初僅為20%。新房貸的價(jià)值占全部住房銷(xiāo)售額的比例暴漲至歷史新高。
The loans — largely a byproduct of a flood of Chinese lending to keep the economy growing — are helping the affluent, the middle class and low earners who have dreamed of owning a home, while investors and speculators are piling in, too. Underground lenders — those who operate outside the formal banking system using a variety of new platforms — are also helping to feed the boom.
這些貸款大多是中國(guó)為保持經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)而出現(xiàn)的貸款狂潮的副產(chǎn)品，它們正在幫助富人、中產(chǎn)階級(jí)、以及夢(mèng)想擁有一套房子的低收入人群，不過(guò)投資者和投機(jī)者也在涌入。地下放債者，也就是利用各種新平臺(tái)，在正式銀行系統(tǒng)之外運(yùn)作的人，也助長(zhǎng)了這次暴漲。
Last month, economists at the Bank of China warned in a report that worsening asset price bubbles were adding to a frothy market that could result in trouble. The day before, Wang Jianlin, a politically connected property and entertainment magnate who is one of the country’s richest people, told cnn that China property was “the biggest bubble in history.”
上個(gè)月，中國(guó)銀行的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家在一份報(bào)告中警告稱(chēng)，日益惡化的資產(chǎn)價(jià)格泡沫正在促進(jìn)一個(gè)有泡沫的市場(chǎng)，可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致麻煩。之前一天，有政治背景的地產(chǎn)和娛樂(lè)業(yè)大亨、中國(guó)富豪王健林對(duì)cnn表示，中國(guó)地產(chǎn)是“史上最大的泡沫”。
That could be bad news for the global economy. Many economists estimate that housing and related areas — like construction, cement manufacturing or furniture making — account for roughly one-fifth of China’s economic activity. But if the bubble pops, that support could disappear quickly.
那對(duì)全球經(jīng)濟(jì)可能是壞消息。很多經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家估計(jì)，房地產(chǎn)及相關(guān)領(lǐng)域——比如建筑業(yè)、水泥生產(chǎn)或家具制造——占中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)活動(dòng)的約五分之一。如果這個(gè)泡沫破裂，這個(gè)支柱可能會(huì)很快消失。
Chinese officials, apparently mindful of the 2008 American housing bust, appear to be aware of the risks of a debt-fueled property bubble. But some economists worry they will be too slow to rein it in.
中國(guó)官員顯然記得美國(guó)2008年的房地產(chǎn)崩盤(pán)，似乎也意識(shí)到了債務(wù)高筑的地產(chǎn)泡沫的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。不過(guò)，有些經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家擔(dān)心，等他們?cè)噲D控制，可能會(huì)為時(shí)已晚。
“The risk is that the government is late in cooling the market, the rally spreads to more areas, pushing up household leverage and construction activity, pushing the bubble bigger, which is then followed by a bigger downward correction,” said Tao Wang, the head of China economics at UBS in Hong Kong.
“風(fēng)險(xiǎn)在于，中國(guó)政府給可能太晚才給市場(chǎng)降溫，房地產(chǎn)上漲會(huì)擴(kuò)展至更多領(lǐng)域，推動(dòng)居民負(fù)債和建設(shè)活動(dòng)，催生更大的泡沫，隨后出現(xiàn)更大力度的下行糾正，”瑞銀集團(tuán)(UBS)駐香港的首席中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家汪濤稱(chēng)。
Local regulators are already trying to cool things down. In the last few weeks, local authorities have accelerated efforts to tighten housing markets in up to 20 Chinese cities, according to economists at China International Capital Corporation, an investment bank.
地方監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)已經(jīng)在努力給樓市降溫。據(jù)投資銀行中國(guó)國(guó)際金融公司的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家稱(chēng)，在過(guò)去幾周里，地方當(dāng)局在多達(dá)20個(gè)城市加快了收緊住房市場(chǎng)的行動(dòng)。
But in many cases these steps have only added to the rush, as home buyers move in while they can.
不過(guò)，在很多情況下，這些行動(dòng)只是助長(zhǎng)了購(gòu)房熱，因?yàn)橘I(mǎi)家想在政策允許時(shí)趕快出手。
By her account, Zhang Xia and her husband have enjoyed a happy marriage. Then the rumor swept the city that Shanghai authorities would make it harder for couples with one home to buy more.
據(jù)張霞（音譯）稱(chēng)，她和丈夫婚姻幸福。然后整個(gè)城市都在謠傳，上海市當(dāng)局將增加已有一套住房的夫妻購(gòu)買(mǎi)更多房產(chǎn)的難度。
On a recent Monday, Ms. Zhang, a 40-year-old resident of Shanghai’s Huangpu area, and her husband sat waiting at a local marriage registry office to file for divorce. Shanghai officials continue to deny that they will limit house buying by couples, but Ms. Zhang is among many who do not believe them.
前不久的一個(gè)周一，家住上海黃浦區(qū)的40歲的張和丈夫在當(dāng)?shù)匾粋€(gè)婚姻登記處等待申請(qǐng)離婚。上海市官員繼續(xù)否認(rèn)他們將限制夫妻購(gòu)房，不過(guò)張和其他很多人一樣，不相信官員們的話(huà)。
“We know the government said this is a rumor, but they also said that a few times before, when the rumor actually came true,” Ms. Zhang said. “Some people even said the fact that the government said it’s a rumor means it’s going to be true.”
“我們知道政府在辟謠，但是以前他們也辟過(guò)幾次謠，后來(lái)謠言都成真了，”張說(shuō)，“有些人甚至說(shuō)，政府辟謠就說(shuō)明肯定會(huì)發(fā)生。”
Shanghai, China’s financial capital, is at the heart of the property boom. Demand there is so intense that developers now commonly require sizable deposits of cash just to join a lottery to buy a new apartment. Only holders of winning numbers will be offered the chance to buy a unit. One flashy new development in central Shanghai charges a refundable 200,000 renminbi, or $30,000, to enter its lottery.
中國(guó)的金融中心上海處于這次地產(chǎn)暴漲的中心。這里的需求非常旺盛，現(xiàn)在開(kāi)發(fā)商通常要求購(gòu)房者支付一大筆現(xiàn)金訂金，才能參與搖號(hào)，購(gòu)買(mǎi)新房。只有搖到號(hào)的人才有機(jī)會(huì)買(mǎi)一套房。上海市中心一個(gè)奢華的新樓盤(pán)要求購(gòu)房者支付可退還的20萬(wàn)人民幣訂金才能參與搖號(hào)。
“In Shanghai now,” said Wang Jie, a sales manager there, “it’s not like you can buy an apartment just because you have money.”
“現(xiàn)在在上海，”當(dāng)?shù)氐囊幻N(xiāo)售經(jīng)理王杰（音）稱(chēng)，“不是有錢(qián)就能買(mǎi)到房。”
Back on Lufeng Road, the recently widowed Ms. Zheng and her neighbors try to go about their lives despite the boom going on around them. Men and women play mah-jongg near a half-demolished house, one of a number of dwellings along the road in various states of disassembly, like a row of rotting teeth. Stray dogs sunbathe and alley cats hunt around piles of red bricks and wooden beams scattered on the street.
在陸豐路，新近喪偶的鄭和鄰居們努力繼續(xù)自己的生活，盡管周?chē)牡禺a(chǎn)在暴漲。男人和女人們?cè)谝凰徊鹆艘话氲姆孔痈浇蚵閷ⅰＱ芈愤€有很多住宅，處于不同的拆除階段，就像一排腐壞的牙齒。流浪狗在曬太陽(yáng)，野貓?jiān)谝欢讯鸭t磚周?chē)捠常玖荷⒙湓诮稚稀?/p>
In recent months, local officials hung red propaganda banners on people’s housing extolling the benefits of selling out. “No more hesitation means no more disappointment,” reads one. Says another: “Requisition and compensation are lawful. Smart alecks will regret it later.”
近幾個(gè)月，當(dāng)?shù)毓賳T在人們的房子上掛起紅幅，宣傳賣(mài)房的益處。“不要再猶豫，不會(huì)再失望，”其中一道紅幅上寫(xiě)道。另一道上寫(xiě)著：“征收政策有法度，自作聰明后悔遲。”
“Look at those banners,” Ms. Zheng said, shaking her head. “It’s almost like the Cultural Revolution once again.”
“看看那些紅幅，”鄭搖著頭說(shuō)，“就像文革又來(lái)了。”
Earlier, local officials told Ms. Zheng that the land where her home stands would be used to build supporting facilities for the next-door complex of high-rises built by China Vanke, the country’s largest property developer.
之前，當(dāng)?shù)毓賳T對(duì)鄭說(shuō)，她家所在的那塊地將被用于為旁邊的高樓群建配套設(shè)施。那些樓是中國(guó)最大的地產(chǎn)開(kāi)發(fā)商萬(wàn)科建造的。
“They said that when people who live in the high-rises in Vanke look down, the view from their windows is our ugly roofs,” she said. “So they have to get rid of us.”
“他們說(shuō)，住在萬(wàn)科高樓上的人往下看，看到的就是我們這些難看的屋頂，”她說(shuō)，“所以他們必須把我們趕走。”
SHANGHAI — Zheng Ruizhen counted herself among the last holdouts on Lufeng Road.
上海——鄭瑞珍（音）認(rèn)為自己是陸豐路上最后的釘子戶(hù)之一。
Even as high-rises sprang up in recent years to surround her dilapidated home, Ms. Zheng, a 50-year-old schoolteacher, and her husband, Sun Guojian, held firm. He grew up there. Her school was a 20-minute bicycle ride away. They raised their son there, though he eventually grew so tall that his head grazed the ceiling of his cramped room. When city officials pushed them to sell, they said no.
盡管近些年她破舊的家周?chē)楷F(xiàn)出很多高樓大廈，但50歲的學(xué)校教師鄭瑞珍和丈夫?qū)O國(guó)建（音譯）還在堅(jiān)守。孫在那里長(zhǎng)大。鄭的學(xué)校騎車(chē)20分即達(dá)。他們的兒子也在這里長(zhǎng)大，雖然兒子現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)長(zhǎng)得很高，頭都會(huì)擦到狹小房間的天花板。市政官員催促他們賣(mài)房時(shí)，他們拒絕了。
Then came China’s latest property bubble — a frothy surge in prices that could have global repercussions if it pops.
然后出現(xiàn)了中國(guó)最新的地產(chǎn)泡沫——價(jià)格飛漲產(chǎn)生的泡沫一旦破裂，會(huì)對(duì)全世界產(chǎn)生影響。
In August, an unremarkable piece of land around the corner from Ms. Zheng sold for nearly $2,000 a square foot, a national record and nearly three times the average land price in Manhattan. Local officials grew more insistent and threatened to tear down their bathroom.
今年8月，鄭家附近一個(gè)很普通的地塊以每平方英尺近2000美元的價(jià)格出售，打破了全國(guó)記錄，幾乎是曼哈頓平均地價(jià)的三倍。地方官員更加急切，威脅要拆除他們家的衛(wèi)生間。
Finally, they relented, and Ms. Zheng’s husband signed away the home for a price to be determined later. Then, on Oct. 9, Mr. Sun died of a heart attack, something Ms. Zheng said was perhaps influenced by stress over the pending demolition of their home.
他們最終妥協(xié)，鄭的丈夫簽字放棄這個(gè)房子，價(jià)格待定。10月9日，孫因心臟病發(fā)作去世，鄭說(shuō)可能是受到住房即將被拆除的壓力影響。
Now, as she grieves, she is waiting to hear how much the Shanghai government will offer in compensation — but however much that is, she knows it will not be enough for her to be able to afford to live anywhere close to Lufeng Road.
現(xiàn)在，悲傷的她還在等待上海市政府的補(bǔ)償價(jià)格——但她知道不管補(bǔ)多少，都不夠她在陸豐路附近買(mǎi)個(gè)房子。
Said Ms. Zheng: “I never expected housing prices in Shanghai would get this high.”
鄭說(shuō)：“我從沒(méi)想到上海的房?jī)r(jià)會(huì)變得這么高。”
China is in the midst of a dizzying housing bubble. Shanghai’s average housing price is up nearly one-third from a year ago, with prices in major cities like Beijing and Guangzhou not far behind. Chinese consumers are rushing to buy homes before the government steps in with restrictions.
中國(guó)正處于令人頭暈?zāi)垦５姆績(jī)r(jià)泡沫之中。上海的平均房?jī)r(jià)比一年前上漲了近三分之一。北京和廣州等大城市的房?jī)r(jià)相去不遠(yuǎn)。中國(guó)消費(fèi)者正在政府介入并采取限制措施之前爭(zhēng)相買(mǎi)房。
When rumors swept through Shanghai that the government would require homeowners to pay more in taxes and down payments to buy additional properties, many couples filed for divorce so that one partner could still be treated as an independent buyer.
當(dāng)上海謠傳政府將要求房主在購(gòu)買(mǎi)額外房產(chǎn)時(shí)繳納更多稅款和首付款時(shí)，很多夫妻申請(qǐng)離婚，以便一方能夠仍被當(dāng)作獨(dú)立購(gòu)房者對(duì)待。
China has experienced housing booms and busts before. And fervor for real estate among the wealthiest Chinese has already spread far beyond the country’s borders, from Long Island mansions to disused ranches in Texas — many to get their money out of the country.
中國(guó)經(jīng)歷過(guò)房地產(chǎn)繁榮和崩潰。中國(guó)最富有人群對(duì)房地產(chǎn)的狂熱已蔓延至國(guó)外，從長(zhǎng)島(Long Island)的住宅到德克薩斯州廢棄的農(nóng)場(chǎng)——很多是為了把錢(qián)轉(zhuǎn)移到國(guó)外。
But economists warn that the current boom on the Chinese mainland could be extra difficult to resolve: It comes with a growing amount of American-style debt.
不過(guò)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家們警告稱(chēng)，中國(guó)大陸目前的房?jī)r(jià)暴漲解決起來(lái)可能會(huì)特別困難：它伴隨著越來(lái)越多的美國(guó)式債務(wù)。
Long-term household loans — mostly mortgages — have doubled as a share of total official bank lending this year. They accounted for about 40 percent of all new loans in August, contrasted with just 20 percent at the start of the year. The value of new home loans as a percentage of all housing sales has surged to a record high.
今年，長(zhǎng)期房貸——大多是抵押貸款——占全部官方銀行貸款的比例翻了一番。今年8月，房貸占全部新貸款的比例約為40%，而年初僅為20%。新房貸的價(jià)值占全部住房銷(xiāo)售額的比例暴漲至歷史新高。
The loans — largely a byproduct of a flood of Chinese lending to keep the economy growing — are helping the affluent, the middle class and low earners who have dreamed of owning a home, while investors and speculators are piling in, too. Underground lenders — those who operate outside the formal banking system using a variety of new platforms — are also helping to feed the boom.
這些貸款大多是中國(guó)為保持經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)而出現(xiàn)的貸款狂潮的副產(chǎn)品，它們正在幫助富人、中產(chǎn)階級(jí)、以及夢(mèng)想擁有一套房子的低收入人群，不過(guò)投資者和投機(jī)者也在涌入。地下放債者，也就是利用各種新平臺(tái)，在正式銀行系統(tǒng)之外運(yùn)作的人，也助長(zhǎng)了這次暴漲。
Last month, economists at the Bank of China warned in a report that worsening asset price bubbles were adding to a frothy market that could result in trouble. The day before, Wang Jianlin, a politically connected property and entertainment magnate who is one of the country’s richest people, told cnn that China property was “the biggest bubble in history.”
上個(gè)月，中國(guó)銀行的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家在一份報(bào)告中警告稱(chēng)，日益惡化的資產(chǎn)價(jià)格泡沫正在促進(jìn)一個(gè)有泡沫的市場(chǎng)，可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致麻煩。之前一天，有政治背景的地產(chǎn)和娛樂(lè)業(yè)大亨、中國(guó)富豪王健林對(duì)cnn表示，中國(guó)地產(chǎn)是“史上最大的泡沫”。
That could be bad news for the global economy. Many economists estimate that housing and related areas — like construction, cement manufacturing or furniture making — account for roughly one-fifth of China’s economic activity. But if the bubble pops, that support could disappear quickly.
那對(duì)全球經(jīng)濟(jì)可能是壞消息。很多經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家估計(jì)，房地產(chǎn)及相關(guān)領(lǐng)域——比如建筑業(yè)、水泥生產(chǎn)或家具制造——占中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)活動(dòng)的約五分之一。如果這個(gè)泡沫破裂，這個(gè)支柱可能會(huì)很快消失。
Chinese officials, apparently mindful of the 2008 American housing bust, appear to be aware of the risks of a debt-fueled property bubble. But some economists worry they will be too slow to rein it in.
中國(guó)官員顯然記得美國(guó)2008年的房地產(chǎn)崩盤(pán)，似乎也意識(shí)到了債務(wù)高筑的地產(chǎn)泡沫的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。不過(guò)，有些經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家擔(dān)心，等他們?cè)噲D控制，可能會(huì)為時(shí)已晚。
“The risk is that the government is late in cooling the market, the rally spreads to more areas, pushing up household leverage and construction activity, pushing the bubble bigger, which is then followed by a bigger downward correction,” said Tao Wang, the head of China economics at UBS in Hong Kong.
“風(fēng)險(xiǎn)在于，中國(guó)政府給可能太晚才給市場(chǎng)降溫，房地產(chǎn)上漲會(huì)擴(kuò)展至更多領(lǐng)域，推動(dòng)居民負(fù)債和建設(shè)活動(dòng)，催生更大的泡沫，隨后出現(xiàn)更大力度的下行糾正，”瑞銀集團(tuán)(UBS)駐香港的首席中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家汪濤稱(chēng)。
Local regulators are already trying to cool things down. In the last few weeks, local authorities have accelerated efforts to tighten housing markets in up to 20 Chinese cities, according to economists at China International Capital Corporation, an investment bank.
地方監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)已經(jīng)在努力給樓市降溫。據(jù)投資銀行中國(guó)國(guó)際金融公司的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家稱(chēng)，在過(guò)去幾周里，地方當(dāng)局在多達(dá)20個(gè)城市加快了收緊住房市場(chǎng)的行動(dòng)。
But in many cases these steps have only added to the rush, as home buyers move in while they can.
不過(guò)，在很多情況下，這些行動(dòng)只是助長(zhǎng)了購(gòu)房熱，因?yàn)橘I(mǎi)家想在政策允許時(shí)趕快出手。
By her account, Zhang Xia and her husband have enjoyed a happy marriage. Then the rumor swept the city that Shanghai authorities would make it harder for couples with one home to buy more.
據(jù)張霞（音譯）稱(chēng)，她和丈夫婚姻幸福。然后整個(gè)城市都在謠傳，上海市當(dāng)局將增加已有一套住房的夫妻購(gòu)買(mǎi)更多房產(chǎn)的難度。
On a recent Monday, Ms. Zhang, a 40-year-old resident of Shanghai’s Huangpu area, and her husband sat waiting at a local marriage registry office to file for divorce. Shanghai officials continue to deny that they will limit house buying by couples, but Ms. Zhang is among many who do not believe them.
前不久的一個(gè)周一，家住上海黃浦區(qū)的40歲的張和丈夫在當(dāng)?shù)匾粋€(gè)婚姻登記處等待申請(qǐng)離婚。上海市官員繼續(xù)否認(rèn)他們將限制夫妻購(gòu)房，不過(guò)張和其他很多人一樣，不相信官員們的話(huà)。
“We know the government said this is a rumor, but they also said that a few times before, when the rumor actually came true,” Ms. Zhang said. “Some people even said the fact that the government said it’s a rumor means it’s going to be true.”
“我們知道政府在辟謠，但是以前他們也辟過(guò)幾次謠，后來(lái)謠言都成真了，”張說(shuō)，“有些人甚至說(shuō)，政府辟謠就說(shuō)明肯定會(huì)發(fā)生。”
Shanghai, China’s financial capital, is at the heart of the property boom. Demand there is so intense that developers now commonly require sizable deposits of cash just to join a lottery to buy a new apartment. Only holders of winning numbers will be offered the chance to buy a unit. One flashy new development in central Shanghai charges a refundable 200,000 renminbi, or $30,000, to enter its lottery.
中國(guó)的金融中心上海處于這次地產(chǎn)暴漲的中心。這里的需求非常旺盛，現(xiàn)在開(kāi)發(fā)商通常要求購(gòu)房者支付一大筆現(xiàn)金訂金，才能參與搖號(hào)，購(gòu)買(mǎi)新房。只有搖到號(hào)的人才有機(jī)會(huì)買(mǎi)一套房。上海市中心一個(gè)奢華的新樓盤(pán)要求購(gòu)房者支付可退還的20萬(wàn)人民幣訂金才能參與搖號(hào)。
“In Shanghai now,” said Wang Jie, a sales manager there, “it’s not like you can buy an apartment just because you have money.”
“現(xiàn)在在上海，”當(dāng)?shù)氐囊幻N(xiāo)售經(jīng)理王杰（音）稱(chēng)，“不是有錢(qián)就能買(mǎi)到房。”
Back on Lufeng Road, the recently widowed Ms. Zheng and her neighbors try to go about their lives despite the boom going on around them. Men and women play mah-jongg near a half-demolished house, one of a number of dwellings along the road in various states of disassembly, like a row of rotting teeth. Stray dogs sunbathe and alley cats hunt around piles of red bricks and wooden beams scattered on the street.
在陸豐路，新近喪偶的鄭和鄰居們努力繼續(xù)自己的生活，盡管周?chē)牡禺a(chǎn)在暴漲。男人和女人們?cè)谝凰徊鹆艘话氲姆孔痈浇蚵閷ⅰＱ芈愤€有很多住宅，處于不同的拆除階段，就像一排腐壞的牙齒。流浪狗在曬太陽(yáng)，野貓?jiān)谝欢讯鸭t磚周?chē)捠常玖荷⒙湓诮稚稀?/p>
In recent months, local officials hung red propaganda banners on people’s housing extolling the benefits of selling out. “No more hesitation means no more disappointment,” reads one. Says another: “Requisition and compensation are lawful. Smart alecks will regret it later.”
近幾個(gè)月，當(dāng)?shù)毓賳T在人們的房子上掛起紅幅，宣傳賣(mài)房的益處。“不要再猶豫，不會(huì)再失望，”其中一道紅幅上寫(xiě)道。另一道上寫(xiě)著：“征收政策有法度，自作聰明后悔遲。”
“Look at those banners,” Ms. Zheng said, shaking her head. “It’s almost like the Cultural Revolution once again.”
“看看那些紅幅，”鄭搖著頭說(shuō)，“就像文革又來(lái)了。”
Earlier, local officials told Ms. Zheng that the land where her home stands would be used to build supporting facilities for the next-door complex of high-rises built by China Vanke, the country’s largest property developer.
之前，當(dāng)?shù)毓賳T對(duì)鄭說(shuō)，她家所在的那塊地將被用于為旁邊的高樓群建配套設(shè)施。那些樓是中國(guó)最大的地產(chǎn)開(kāi)發(fā)商萬(wàn)科建造的。
“They said that when people who live in the high-rises in Vanke look down, the view from their windows is our ugly roofs,” she said. “So they have to get rid of us.”
“他們說(shuō)，住在萬(wàn)科高樓上的人往下看，看到的就是我們這些難看的屋頂，”她說(shuō)，“所以他們必須把我們趕走。”
