住城市还是住郊区？

By Darlene Mase

There are three different kinds of areas you can live in： urban， suburban， and rural. You can describe living in a rural area as living out in the sticks1 or the country. This type of living is seen as idyllic for those seeking reprieve from crowds.2 Rural areas generally have small， selfsustaining populations.

Urban living is city living： active nightlife， full of noise， sophisticated public transit system，3 and sometimes small and expensive city apartments. Some people find the urban life threatening while others think its stimulating. Urban areas tend to be densely populated and have more intense traffic and pollution as a result.

For those seeking an intermediary4 between urban and rural living， the suburbs might be just the thing. Suburbs are large residential areas away from the core of town yet close enough to the city center. Single-family houses are typically found in the suburbs whereas multi-family apartment buildings and condos are characteristic of urban living.5

Can you afford to live in the city？

Choosing whether to live in the city or the suburbs is often a matter of budget—where can you afford to live？ By and large， living in the city is more expensive than living in the suburbs， though thats not always the case.

A joint study by Zillow and Care.com found that the cost of living in New York City was $71，237 more per year versus the cost of living in the surrounding suburbs. That is a huge difference. Comparatively， living in the heart of San Francisco cost $12，560 more per year than in the nearby suburbs.

市區还是郊区，住在哪里更好？考虑到房价、租金、空气质量问题，如今越来越多的人选择远离城市中心，搬到郊区居住。但住在郊区也有一些烦恼：距离远、通勤时间长，且基础设施不如城市里完善等等。两者二选一是个令人头疼的问题，而且你要考虑的因素远不止这些：你的生活水平、你习惯的生活方式、你的工作性质、家庭成员的数量、你的身体健康状况……综合起来，这道计算题你会怎么做？

But suburban living is not always better on your wallet. In Las Vegas， Phoenix， Pittsburgh， Cleveland， and a few other cities， urban living is more economical.

Your lifestyle influences your happiness in the city or suburbs.

For someone who enjoys five-star restaurants， vibrant nightlife， glamorous boutiques， and fast-paced living， residing in an urban hub is a dream come true.6 On the other hand， if you find crowds and tons of noise overwhelming， then a large city might feel like purgatory7.

Your lifestyle is one of the primary considerations in deciding where you ought to live. If you are into fishing， hiking， and spending time outdoors， then realize that you may have to drive several hours to enjoy your hobbies if you choose city living.

Is your career better suited for the city or suburbs？

Your career should also play an integral8 role in helping you decide on the city or suburban life. For example， if your job is in landscape， you might find it difficult to find work in the city because there is not a high demand for landscape artists9. The fact of the matter is that most city homes dont have large yards with grass to cut， and competition for landscaping contracts is probably fierce. Similarly， a business executive may find that the suburbs do not offer the convenience and accessibility afforded by city living.

Children （furry or not） will probably be happier in the suburbs.

In general， suburban homes are much larger than urban homes. This extra room means that your children and pets will have more room to spread out in the suburbs. Furthermore， suburban homes typically boast10 at least some yard space. This is heaven for pets and small children. On the contrary， children and pets that live in an urban setting have to rely on parks for their outdoor time. This also puts extra strain on parents. Instead of just letting your kids play in the backyard or your animals play outside， you have to walk them to the park， which takes time out of your schedule.

Your health should be a factor， too.

Think for a moment about New York City. Whether youve visited or lived there， you probably remember a few things about the Big Apples streets： dark alleyways littered with rodent infested trash bags， nasty roaches in stairwells and hallways， and mounds of gray snow on the street corner during the winter.11 The fact of the matter is that environmental conditions in cities are less than ideal. Pollution leads to respiratory12 disease， dense population means that viruses and illnesses spread faster， and fast-paced living increases stresses and stress worsens existing conditions or increases the likelihood of being diagnosed with a new condition.

However， living in the suburbs is not the cure-all13 when it comes to health-related issues. In urban settings， people usually walk or bike to where they are going. But since most suburbs lack sophisticated public transportation， people typically drive everywhere they go， and this can contribute to higher levels of obesity， high blood pressure， heart disease， and diabetes.14

The debate of whether to live in the suburbs or the city is long lasting and never-ending. When it all boils down to it， it is a matter of preference and budget， so go with your gut and youll make the right choice.15

1. sticks：（远离城镇或城市的）边远地区。

2. idyllic： 田园生活的，平静快乐的；reprieve： 暂时缓解。

3. sophisticated： 高度发展的；transit： 公共交通系统。

4. intermediary： 中间形态，中间阶段。

5. 独栋房屋在郊区较为常见，而多户型公寓楼在城市更为普遍。condo： condominium的缩写，指（分成套间的）公寓楼。

6. vibrant： 令人兴奋的，充满活力的；boutique： 精品店；hub：（地区、系统等的）中心，枢纽。

7. purgatory： 炼狱，受苦难的地方。

8. integral： 构成整体所必要的。

9. landscape artist： 园林艺术家，园林设计师。

10. boast： 以拥有……而自豪。

11. 无论你是来这里游玩还是居住，你可能都还记得这座大苹果城的街道：黑暗的小巷里乱扔的垃圾袋使得老鼠肆虐，楼梯间和走廊里蟑螂乱窜，一到冬天街角就会堆起肮脏的积雪。Big Apple： 大苹果，纽约市的别称；infested： 大量滋生的，侵扰的；mound：（大）堆，（大）垛。

12. respiratory： 呼吸的，呼吸道的。

13. cure-all： 万灵药。

14. obesity： 肥胖；diabetes： 糖尿病。

15. boil down to： 歸结于；gut： 内心。

阅读感评

∷秋叶 评

20世纪90年代初热播的电视剧《北京人在纽约》中有一首片头诗，至今印象深刻：“如果你爱他，就把他送到纽约，因为那里是天堂//如果你恨他，就把他送到纽约，因为那里是地狱。”这段对于纽约的“爱恨情仇”，似乎正暗合我们对于都市的矛盾心理。

长期以来，城市都是繁荣、发达、机遇的象征。因此，很多人都以能从乡村、小城镇迈进都市落脚为成功的标志。记得《马可·波罗游记》中有大量篇幅专门描写中国的城市，如都城汗八里（Kanbalu，即北京）、扬州（Yan-gui）、南京（Nan-ghin）、京师（Kin-sai，即杭州）、刺桐（Zai-tun，即泉州）等等，尤其是对于北京与杭州的描写，让当时尚处在中世纪的欧洲读者对于中国城市的规模宏大、人口众多、繁荣富庶、房舍街道优美既十分羡慕又无比好奇。有资料显示，直到20世纪初，世界上才有10座人口超过百万的城市，而马可·波罗笔下13世纪的杭州，方圆达百英里（“an hundred miles in circuit”），桥梁1.2万座，登记人口就有160万个家庭（“registered at one hundred and sixty tomans of fireplaces， that is to say， of families dwelling under the same roof； and as a toman is ten thousand， it follows that the while city must have contained one million six hundred thousand families”）。当然，这些庞大的数字不无夸张。不过，正是从《马可·波罗游记》开始，欧洲对于中国的仰慕一直持续到了18世纪的启蒙时代，而中国城市的规模之大和数量之多，尤其是人口众多，在其中无疑发挥了重要作用。然而，到了20世纪五六十年代，西方经历过对城市批判的现代时期之后，这原先值得夸耀的人口众多便成了负面形象：“一座蚂蚁山，不错，这正是他们的现状——满是蚁群，蓝色的蚁群。”（An ant hill， yes， that is what they have become—ants， blue ants.）这是一位法国记者游历了中国后所写报道中的一句话。

现代城市至少在思想界已失去了往日的光环，人口密集、楼宇高耸的往日辉煌逆转为负面形象。那么，那些往往能给人们带来美好遐思的小镇、乡村又是怎样的命运呢？就让我们来看看以描写美国中西部小镇生活著称的小说家辛克莱·刘易斯（Sinclair Lewis， 1885—1951）的《大街》（Main Street， 1920）吧。作者指出，小镇周围的一切，呆板单调，毫无生气。人们愚昧迟钝，安于现状，并以此为荣。他们没有理想，没有道德，脑子里全是铜臭，耳朵里听的是刻板乏味的音乐，嘴巴里赞美的是“福特”汽车有多好。物质生活的相对优裕和精神生活的极度空虚形成了鲜明的对比。这是作者少年时代沉闷生活的写照，更是美国当时千万小镇陋风恶习的缩影。至于比小镇更偏远的乡村，虽然浪漫主义的“自然观”影响犹存，而生态与环保理念似乎与乡村生活又天然契合，但对于长居其中的人来说，恐怕环境友好了，生活平静了，可文化平庸以及寂寞与孤独也会随之而来。这个严酷现实谁也无法逃避！我们常津津乐道于美国的超验主义哲学家梭罗（Henry David Thoreau， 1817—1862）在瓦尔登湖丛林中隐居的生活，以及德国哲学家海德格尔（Martin Heidegger， 1889—1976）在他自己所建造的德国南部黑森林中的小木屋里思考和写作了近五十年，二人双双被奉为“诗意地栖居”的典范。然而，只要我们查一查他们的人生历程，就可以明白，梭罗被称作“受教育的无业游民”（an educated man without an occupation），患有肺结核病，并且终身未娶，没有家眷之累。即便如此，他还是不断地回到家乡小城康考特（Concord）“充电”。海德格尔曾说，“生活在城里的人一般只是从所谓的‘逗留乡间获得一点儿刺激，我的工作却是整个儿被这群山和人民组成的世界所支持和引导。”然而在二战结束前，他先后在德国的弗莱堡大学与马尔堡大学任教职，并一度担任弗莱堡大学的校长，显然是不可能久居乡野的。在二战结束时，由于其在20世纪30年代曾支持希特勒的纳粹政权，一度被禁止授课，退休后便极少参加社会活动，避居在家乡黑森林的山间小屋里。因此，海德格尔来此地享受寂寞与孤独，恐怕还是颇带了些无奈的因素。但即便如此，他还是一次次地接受各种研讨会、演讲的邀请，奔赴柏林、不莱梅、巴伐利亚、多尔、苏黎世等欧洲各大城市去。

因此，现代人，尤其是珍视现代文明的文化人，往往是在城市里批判城市的“异化”甚至“罪恶”，歌颂大自然的“真、善、美”。可一旦他们真是必须移居乃至扎根乡村，不久后就又会“水土不服”，厌倦于单调、乏味的“文化沙漠”，痛感在农村“修理地球”简直是“浪费青春”“摧残人性”。这种巨大的矛盾心理，折磨着这些思想活跃的人群，也让芸芸众生举棋不定。笔者认为，作为普通人，最好的状态应该是不妨尝试，自由来去。如果职业、家庭、金钱乃至身体状况等现实问题均暂不予考虑的话，那么在类似伦敦、纽约或北京的城区住久了，厌烦了这些大都市蚂蚁般的人群、鸽子笼般的公寓、钢铁水泥的“森林”乃至喧嚣与雾霭，就搬到英格兰北部的“湖区”（Lake District）、美国中西部的农牧州或北京西北部的山区去尽情享受大自然赋予的原始节奏及孤独寂寞的魔力。等到“逗留乡间”的“刺激”渐渐消失，绿色与寂静不再被珍视而悄悄地化作了单调与乏味后，再设法迁居至都市与乡野的中间地带。体现中产阶级价值观的近郊，往往与主城区仅半小时到一小时车程，而目前世界大都市都有城区边界模糊的趋势。