正在中國走紅的電視連續(xù)劇《蝸居》(Dwelling Narrowness)描寫了姐妹兩人在繁華的大都市上海經(jīng)受的各種困難，將鏡頭對準(zhǔn)了大城市中不那么光鮮的一面：房價(jià)的上漲、以及由此給年輕人的理想造成的巨大打擊。
在過去兩個(gè)月里，這部電視劇引起了很多中國年輕人的關(guān)注和網(wǎng)上的熱烈討論。許多人說，上海房價(jià)的上漲是故事情節(jié)中悲劇性事件的根源，“房奴”一詞已成為描寫海萍這類人的常用詞。
在不久前中國門戶網(wǎng)站新浪網(wǎng)(Sina.com)的一次調(diào)查中，在15,000名投票者中有60%以上的人認(rèn)同“這部電視劇反映了房奴的心態(tài)”的說法。在騰訊網(wǎng)(Tencent)一項(xiàng)有36萬多人參加的投票調(diào)查中，大多數(shù)人認(rèn)為“幸福與房子關(guān)聯(lián)密切。”
一位名為“歲寒”的博客作家寫道，“還房貸、吃盒飯”，已經(jīng)成為房價(jià)飆升年代對白領(lǐng)生存狀況的一種直白描摹。主人公一波三折的買房奮斗史，道出了都市無房族的困惑：攢錢的速度永遠(yuǎn)趕不上房價(jià)上漲的速度。
"Dwelling Narrowness", a hit TV series about the struggles of two sisters to make it in the dynamic metropolis of Shanghai, focuses on a decidedly less glamorous aspect of in the big city: rising property prices, and they havoc this wreaks on youthful ambitions.
Over the past month, the TV drama has drawn a great deal of attention from young Chinese who discuss the program online. Many argue that Shanghai's rising property prices are at the root of the tragic events in the storyline, and the term "house slaves" has become a popular slang term to describe people like Haiping.
In a recent (unscientific) survey by Chinese Web portal Sina.com, more than 60% of 15,000 voters agreed with the statement that "the drama reflects the public's sentiment on house slaves." Another poll by Tencent drew more than 360,000 votes, with most agreeing with the statement that "happiness is closely related to owning a home."
"Paying the mortgage and eating [inexpensive] lunch boxes is a true reflection of the living status of many white-collar young people nowadays," wrote blogger "Sui Han" (literally translated as "cold years") "The heroes" struggle for a home on this show gives voice to the conundrum faced by many people who don't have their own homes in cities…The speed of making money is lagging far behind the speed of rising home prices.'
Another commenter on Xinhua's property forum wrote, "I found our own lives depicted in this drama, everything is exposed under the sunlight. There is no way out. In the face of housing and reality, we are seriously hurting."
According to the latest report from China Index Academy, a domestic real estate research institute, as of October this year, the average house price in Beijing has reached 16,057 yuan per square meter, a 54% increase from the average price of 10,403 yuan in January. In Shanghai, the average residential price for October was 16,954 yuan per square meter, up 22% since January. Despite new measures by the Chinese government to emphasize construction of low-cost houses, the new report on housing by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences warns that low and middle-income families are 'not well-covered' by the existing residence-guarantee system, which is intended to provide a type of rent and housing price-control. The report concluded that supporting policies haven't been well implemented.
In a post on a Tianya discussion forum, the author, Mr. Ying compares current housing price to a "wild and unpredictable horse." The current situation "has pushed the social problems resulting from the housing issue to their peak. The cruelty of life depicted by the drama strikes a responsive chord among every citizen who is obsessed by high property prices."
Others say it's a bit extreme to regard housing prices as the source of all sins, and that it's unfair to use property prices as a proxy for all social problems. On a Xinhua property forum, a commenter called jiangjun32 wrote that "the home is just a fuse for the ensuing tragedies" on "Dwelling Narrowness", but the underlying cause of the troubles is the character's greed and desire.
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