the mass of regular Beijingers lived and worked in often remote and isolated danweis;
大量普通北京人的工作和生活都常常在遥远和孤立的"单位"里
self-contained gated communities comprising a factory, produce stalls, a school, a health clinic, and housing blocks.
那是一种自给自足的社区,包含工厂,农产品市场,学校,卫生诊所和居民社区
Danwei were regimented communitarian, grossly overmanned and inefficient.
它是受管制的、一种共产主义的社区,超员严重,效率低下
Workers called them iron rice bowls.
工人们称之为铁饭碗
They provided food and security, but there was no way out.
他们提供食物和安全,但是人去出不去
Your work unit became your identity.
你的工作单位变成你的身份
Much of what lies between the third and fifth ring roads are old Danwei factories put to new uses
很多在三环和五环之间的建筑都是以前的工厂单位,它们现在被另作他用
along with their dreary, yet functional, concrete housing blocks, like this one where I live.
连带那些沉闷却还能用的水泥居民楼,比如我住的这幢
My block is ugly on the outside,
我住的楼外面看很丑
but inside, my 400 square foot apartment is stylish, cozy, efficient and integrated into a vibrant, mixed income community just minutes from the subway.
但里面,我400平方公尺的房子很现代,温暖,高效并融入了一个活力的不同收入人群的社区,距离地铁只有几分钟
Chinese whose incomes have skyrocketed in the last 10 years are opting for a different way of living,
一些中国人的收入水平飙升,那是在近10年发生的事,他们选择一种不同的生活方式
which developer's marketing hype tells them is fashionably western.
开发商在为了市场化而大肆宣传告诉他们这是一种时髦而西式的生活方式
As one Beijinger explained it to me, they are buying into a lifestyle whereas hutong residents enjoy a life.
一个北京人跟我解释,他们用钱去买一种生活方式,但胡同的居民是享受生活
This is La Foret, ah, the forest, but of concrete not trees, out on the fifth ring road, due north of the city.
这是个森林,但是由水泥组成,而不是树木,延伸到五环路,城市的正北方