VOA慢速英语2018 专家:城市发展将加剧住房危机

Experts: Growth of Cities Will Worsen Housing Crisis

Close to 70 percent of the world's population will live in cities by the year 2050. That prediction comes from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

到2050年，全球近70%的人口将会居住在城市。这一预测出自联合国经济和社会事务部。

U.N. officials predict that another 2.5 billion people could be living in the world’s cities by the middle of the century. Experts warn that population growth will worsen housing crises in some areas.

联合国官员预测，到本世纪中叶，还有25亿人可能会居住到城市。专家警告说，这种人口增长将会加剧某些地区的住房危机。

Large cities around the world, from Los Angeles to Mumbai, already struggle with housing issues. In some neighborhoods, rising housing prices have forced the very poor from their homes. Many poor people now live in simple, temporary shelters or on the street.

世界各地的大型城市，从洛杉矶到孟买，都在努力解决住房问题。在一些街区，房价上涨迫使穷人离开家园。许多穷人现在都住在街边或是简易的临时住所中。

Kevin Klowden directs the Center for Regional Economics and California Center at the Milken Institute. He notes that people are moving to large cities not just for high paying jobs. He said that many are also looking for the chance to live and work with other people, career advancement 1 and access to better resources.

凯文·克罗登(Kevin Klowden)负责米尔肯研究所的区域经济中心和加州中心。他指出，人们搬到大型城市不仅仅是为了高薪工作。他说，许多人也在寻找同他人一起生活工作、职业发展以及获得更好资源的机会。

Some countries have built new capital cities to help ease overcrowding. Nigeria, Myanmar, Kazakhstan and Tanzania have all moved their administrative 2 centers in recent years. Egypt is building a new capital east of Cairo. Klowden says these efforts help, but do not solve the problem.

一些国家已经建立了新的首都城市来帮助缓解过度拥挤的状况。尼日利亚、缅甸、哈萨克斯坦和坦桑尼亚近年来都搬迁了他们的行政中心。埃及正在开罗以东建立一个新的首都。克罗登称这些措施有帮助，但是并未解决问题。

A U.N. report released in May noted 3 that 37 million people live in Tokyo, the world’s largest city by population. New Delhi follows with 29 million, and Shanghai with 26 million. Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing and Dhaka are each home to about 20 million people.

联合国5月份发布的一份报告指出，有3700万人居住在东京这个全球人口最多的城市。新德里有2900万人口，上海有2600万人口。墨西哥城、圣保罗、开罗、孟买、北京和达卡各有2000万左右的人口。

The report predicted that by 2030, the world will have 43 very large cities, each with more than 10 million people. The reports adds that some smaller cities will also have major population growth. By 2020, Tokyo's population is expected to begin to decrease. India, China and Nigeria will be responsible for one-third of the world's predicted urban expansion by 2050.

该报告预测到2030年，全球将会有43个超大型城市，每个城市拥有超过1000万人口。该报告补充说，一些较小的城市也会有大量人口增长。到2020年，预计东京人口将会开始减少。到2050年，印度、中国和尼日利亚将占据全球预测的城市扩展的三分之一。

Eric Heikkila directs the Office of Global Engagement at the University of Southern California's Price School of Public Policy. He says that in many cases, population growth takes place before there are plans to deal with that growth. He added that land use rules sometimes are outdated 4.

埃里克·海克拉(Eric Heikkila)负责南加州大学公共政策学院的国际事务部。他说，在许多情况下，人口增长都发生在有计划应对这种增长之前。他补充说，土地使用规则有时候已经过时。

People may be displaced by conflict, lack documents proving ownership of their land or have no lenders willing to help them buy a home. The World Bank says only 30 percent of land use rights are registered or recorded worldwide.

人们可能因为冲突、缺乏土地权属证明文件或是没人愿意贷款帮助他们买房而流离失所。世界银行表示，全球只有30%的土地使用权经过了登记或是记录。

Tjada McKenna is chief operating officer for the aid group Habitat for Humanity International. She says that the ability to own a home in many countries is often difficult, especially for women and minority groups.

杰达·麦肯纳（Tjada McKenna）是人类家园国际组织的首席运营官。她说，在许多国家有能力拥有一套住房往往很难，尤其是女性和少数民族。

Private organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, are helping 5. It asks volunteers to build homes. The group has provided housing for more than 13 million people since its creation in 1976.

像人类家园国际组织这样的私营组织正在提供帮助。它请志愿者建造房屋。自1976年创立以来，该组织已经为1300多万人提供了住房。

Habitat for Humanity also has loan programs for people living outside the United States. McKenna said, “We’re allowing families to make their homes livable. With those (loans), people are installing toilets or cook stoves or other things.”

人类家园国际组织还为居住在美国境外的人们提供贷款。麦肯纳表示：“我们确保家庭可以养家糊口。有了这些贷款，人们开始修建厕所、炉灶等。”

Eric Heikkila noted that every city is different in dealing 6 with development issues. Each one has its own economic forces at work, its own institutions at play and its own history, he said.

海克拉指出，每个城市在处理发展问题上都有差异。他说，每个城市都有自身有效的经济实力、发挥作用的机构和自身的历史。

Experts say that answers to the housing crisis and other issues must be developed city by city.

专家表示，住房危机等问题需要逐个城市解决。

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

advancement - n. the act or result of making something better, more successful, etc.?; the act of being raised to a higher rank or position?

access - n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone?

resources - n. a supply of something, such as money, that someone has and can use when it is needed?

urban - adj. of or relating to cities and the people who live in them?

toilet - n. a large bowl attached to a pipe that is used for getting rid of bodily waste and then flushed with water?

institution - n. a custom, practice, or law that is accepted and used by many people