和平给喀布尔豪华房地产市场带来巨大变化
📖 逐句对照翻译
The capital city of Kabul, Afghanistan, has seen big changes in its high-end housing market.
阿富汗首都喀布尔的高端房地产市场发生了巨大变化。
Peace, it seems, is driving up property prices.
和平似乎正在推高房价。
Omidullah, a real estate agent, is selling a white-and-gold house with nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms in the Afghan capital.
房地产经纪人奥米杜拉正在出售阿富汗首都一栋白金色调的房子，内有九间卧室和九个卫生间。
The house is on the market for $450,000, a surprising number in a country where more than half of the population depends on humanitarian aid to survive.
这栋房子的挂牌售价为45万美元，在这个超过半数人口依赖人道主义援助生存的国家，这个数字令人惊讶。
Most Afghans do not have bank accounts.
大多数阿富汗人没有银行账户。
And it is rare to borrow money from banks to buy property.
而且很少从银行贷款购买房产。
Yet the offers are coming in.
然而，报价正纷至沓来。
“It’s a myth that Afghans don’t have money,” Omidullah said.
奥米杜拉说：“阿富汗人没钱，这是个误解。”
“We have very big businessmen who have big businesses abroad. There are houses here worth millions of dollars.”
我们有在海外做大生意的巨商。这里的房子价值数百万美元。
Afghans coming home
阿富汗人返乡
People who spent years living and working abroad are returning home.
在国外生活和工作多年的人正在回国。
They are drawn by the country’s much-improved security and stability after years of war and destruction.
他们被该国在多年战争和破坏之后大为改善的安全与稳定所吸引。
Those returning include Afghans escaping deportation campaigns in Iran and Pakistan.
返回者中包括逃离伊朗和巴基斯坦驱逐行动的阿富汗人。
Banks rarely have enough money for lending.
银行很少有足够的资金用于放贷。
So, Afghans buy properties with their own money or employ what is called “geerawi.”
因此，阿富汗人要么用自己的钱购买房产，要么采用所谓的“geerawi”方式。
It is when someone provides a fixed amount to a property owner in return for living in his place.
这是指有人向房主支付固定金额以换取在其住所居住的权利。
And the person stays until the property owner returns the money.
而这个人会一直待在那里，直到业主还钱为止。
Before the Taliban takeover, people were afraid to invest in Kabul, said another real estate agent, Ghulam Mohammed Haqdoost.
另一位房地产经纪人古拉姆·穆罕默德·哈克多斯特表示，在塔利班接管之前，人们不敢在喀布尔投资。
But the Taliban have created better conditions for the property market.
但塔利班为房地产市场创造了更好的条件。
The city is less violent since the Taliban changed from an insurgency to a government.
自从塔利班从叛乱组织转变为政府以来，这座城市的暴力事件减少了。
Foreign forces left the country, although armored vehicles, checkpoints and military buildings remain common sights.
外国军队撤离了该国，尽管装甲车、检查站和军事建筑仍随处可见。
The Taliban have promised to end corruption and establish order.
塔利班承诺结束腐败并建立秩序。
That means no more dealing with militia chiefs or paying officials for land purchases or building projects.
这意味着不再需要与民兵头目打交道，也不用为购置土地或建设项目向官员行贿。
Haqdoost is happy with how easily and quickly things are getting done under the new administration.
哈格杜斯特对新政府上任后各项事务能够如此轻松迅速地完成感到满意。
“House prices have risen by almost 40 percent,” he said.
他说：“房价已经上涨了近40%。”
“In the last three years, we have sold almost 400 properties. It wasn’t like that before.”
“在过去三年里，我们已经卖出了近400处房产。以前可不是这样的。”
Good times for builders
建筑者的好时机
Business is good for Haqdoost.
哈克杜斯特的生意很好。
He employs 1200 workers, including women who only deal with female buyers.
他雇用了1200名工人，其中包括只负责接待女性买家的女性员工。
Haqdoost said most purchasers bring their wives along because women often make decisions when it comes to real estate purchases — even in a nation that critics say oppresses women.
哈格多斯特表示，大多数买家都会带着妻子一起来，因为在房地产购买方面，女性往往做决定——即使在这个被批评者称为压迫女性的国家也是如此。
“They decide whether to buy the house or not,” he said.
“他们决定是否买这所房子，”他说。
Afghans often host visiting friends or family in their homes.
阿富汗人经常在家中招待来访的朋友或家人。
So wealthy buyers want houses with a garden, gym, swimming pool, rooms for visitors and at least one kitchen.
因此，富有的买家想要带有花园、健身房、游泳池、客房以及至少一个厨房的房子。
Since most of Haqdoost’s buyers are from overseas, their tastes are influencing the homes.
由于哈格杜斯特的大部分买家来自海外，他们的品味正在影响这些住宅的设计。
They want houses with central heating, double-pane windows and elevators, and things like dining tables and beds.
他们想要有中央供暖、双层玻璃窗和电梯的房子，还有餐桌和床之类的东西。
Kabul’s population was around 500,000 in the year 2000.
2000年，喀布尔的人口约为50万。
Now it is more than 5 million.
现在已超过500万。
To make Kabul more livable, city officials are busy building and repairing roads, putting in streetlights, planting trees and removing trash.
为了让喀布尔更宜居，市政官员正忙着修建和修复道路、安装路灯、植树以及清理垃圾。
They are also developing plans for less costly housing and increased home ownership.
他们还在制定计划，以提供更廉价的住房并提高住房拥有率。
Just outside of Kabul, Arash Asad is trying to sell his uncle’s property, which sits on around 4,000 square meters of land.
就在喀布尔郊外，阿拉什·阿萨德正试图出售他叔叔的房产，这块房产占地约4000平方米。
He wants to sell the property for $800,000.
他想以80万美元的价格出售这处房产。
“People think this country has no jobs and no economy,” Asad said.
“人们认为这个国家没有工作机会，也没有经济，”阿萨德说。
“But Afghans have made their money, illegally or legally, over the years. You wouldn’t believe it.”
“但阿富汗人这些年来，不管合法还是非法，都赚到了钱。你不会相信的。”
I’m John Russell.
我是约翰·拉塞尔。
Riazat Butt reported on this story for the Associated Press.
里亚扎特·巴特为美联社报道了此事。
John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.
约翰·拉塞尔为VOA英语学习频道改编了它。
