100-days: twenty-three

Title: The surprising connection between single women and gentrification

　　connection　n.连接，联系，关系；连接点; 亲戚;

 　　gentrification　n.中产阶级化　　　gentry　n.上流社会人士，绅士阶层

　　　　gentrify　v.使贵族化

 

Gentrification is reshaping(重塑，改变) urban areas all around the world, displacing large segments of the population and making cities increasingly unaffordable.

　　displace　v.迫使…离开常居地；取代　　dis-　分开，分离

　　segment　n.(可数)部分；段，片　　近义词　=>　part　　

　　　　a segment of an orange　　一瓣橘子

　　　　market segment　　细分市场

　　increasingly　adv.越来越多地; 日益，格外; 越来越…; 愈;

　　unaffordable　adj.负担不起的，买不起的

 

We recently examined two decades of cultural transitions in Hong Kong with a focus on how the changing status of women and attitudes(姿态，态度) toward(prep.向; 对于; 为了; 接近;) marriage have altered the real estate market.

　　with a focus on sth　重点放在了某一件事情上

　　real estate　房地产，不动产　　real estate bubble　=   property bubble　房地产泡沫

　　examine　v.检查，调查; 考试; 诊察; 审问;

 　　

What we found is that single women in Hong Kong have played(扮演) a surprising(出人意料的) and little-studied(很少被研究过的) role in gentrification.

 

Marrying later

　　结婚更晚

 

From 1950 to 1990, the number of young single women across Asia increased almost fourfold, from 22 million to 82 million.

　　fourfold　adv.四倍地　　a fourfold increase　adj.　四倍的增长

　　　　fivefold,  sixfold

 

This trend has produced a ripple effect throughout the economy, including the property(房地产) market and local redevelopment(重建，二次开发), as the increased number of single women–who are also attaining higher-paid job–boosts(推动，提高) demand(需求) for housing.

　　ripple effect　连锁反应；涟漪作用　　ripple　n.涟漪

　　　　butterfly effect　　蝴蝶效应

　　　　domino effect　　多米诺骨牌效应

　　attain　v.得到，获得；达到　　attain high grades  达到高分　　　　attain independence　　获得独立

　　

Gentrifying neighborhoods　　居住环境日趋中产阶级化

　　gentrifying 　v.让某个地区中产阶级化

　　

A telltale sign of gentrification is the shift from rentals to owner-occupied housing. The share of units with owners living in them climbed from 45.5% in 1986 to 64.2% two decades later.

　　telltale　adj.能说明问题的；暴露实情的， <口>告密者，打小报告的人　　telltale clues　　

　　　　a telltale sign of sth　暴露真相的线索

　　rental　n.租费，租金额;

　　owner-occupied　adj.（房子等）业主居住的；自己使用的　　owner　n.主人

　　　　occupied　adj.被使用的；已占用的

　　share　n.份，份额　　the share of sth　某种情况的比例，占比

　　climb from A to B　从A攀升到B

 

The share of households led by single women, whether never-married or divorced(离异的), jumped(强调数值上的突然猛增) to 47.1% in 2006 from just 25.8% two decades earlier.

　　households led by single women　户主为单生女性的住户　　　近义词　=>　households headed by single women

　　　　a household led/headed by men　

　　　　a male-led household / a male-headed household

　　jump from A to B　从A暴涨到B值

 

Global trends

 

Overall(总体而言), not only are single women emerging(显现，兴起) as a growing(增长的) and critical(重要的) aspect of Hong Kong’s economy, they are also driving(推动，刺激) the city’s increasingly unaffordable real estate(房地产) market.

　　emerge as　成为

　　aspect　n.方面; 面貌; 方位，方向; 形势;

　　

This is not to say that we should blame women for gentrification. We believe their growing representation and success in the workforce in Hong Kong and elsewhere(其他各处) is something to be celebrated. And women at the other end of the income spectrum(在收入范围的另外一端，与上文对比，就是处于收入阶层另一端的低收入女性), particularly(尤其) single mothers, bear the brunt of gentrification.

　　that is to say　　即; 就是; 换句话说; 更确切地说;也就是说

 　　blame sb for sth　因为某事去责怪某人

　　representation　　n.表现; 陈述; 表现…的事物; 有代理人;

　　workfarce　n.劳动力，（国家、地区、行业）全体从业人员

　　　　The company is cutting its workforce　这个公司正在裁员

　　spectrum　n.频谱；范围　　social spectrum　不同的社会阶层

　　　　a broad spectrum of interests　广泛的兴趣范围

　　brunt　n.主要压力；影响最大的部分

　　　　bear / take the (full) brunt of sth　承受某事的主要压力，首当其冲　　　　-->   …full …　　饱受压力