中国日常文化：居住住房

中国长期以来是一个农业国，农村人口占全国总人口的绝大部分。1978年，改革开放之初，中国城镇人口占总人口的比重仅为17.92%。此后，中国城市化速度逐渐加快，到2018年底，城镇人口占总人口的比重达到59.58%。^[1]随着城市人口的快速增长和人民生活水平的提高，城市住宅建设也迅速发展。

Since long time ago, China has been an agricultural country, with the rural population making up the vast majority. When China launched the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, its urban population accounted for only 17.92% of the total population. Since then, China's urbanization has been gradually accelerated.By the end of 2018, the proportion of the urban population had reached 59.58%.With the rapid growth of the urban population and improvement of people's living standards, urban housing construction is also developing rapidly.

从20世纪90年代末起，中国城市开始大规模建设商品化住宅。无论在城市中心，还是在郊区，一幢幢高楼平地而起，人们的居住条件大为改善。但城市的中低收入群体中，还有不少存在住房较困难的问题，对此中国政府积极推出了面向中低收入群体的廉租房。中国城镇居民的住房以楼房套间为主，居住单栋住宅的家庭比重不大。

China's large-scale urban condominium construction began at the end of the 1990s. Whether in the center of a city or in the areas that used to be suburbs, highrise apartment blocks have sprung up rapidly. As a result, people's living conditions have been greatly improved. However, there are still many housing difficulties for the middle and low-income groups in cities. To solve the problem, the Chinese government has introduced low-cost rental housing for them. The housing of urban residents in China is dominated by apartment buildings, and the proportion of families living in a detached house is small.

如今中国人的住房类型，以一室一厅、两室一厅和三室一厅为主。中国人越来越重视“厅”，一家人一般在客厅里看电视、聊天、接待客人、吃饭。比较讲究一些的家庭会另外设一个餐厅。“厅”的面积通常比较大，有的甚至占整个房子面积的一半。除了“厅”和“室”（卧室），一般的住房都有厨房和浴室、卫生间。据统计，到2015年，88%的城镇家庭配备了冲水式厕所，城镇中拥有洗浴设备的家庭比重达83.5%。^[2]

Nowadays, most urban residents live in apartments, usually with one, two or three bedrooms plus a living room. Chinese people are beginning to pay more attention to the importance of the living room, where the whole family generally can watch TV, have a chat, receive guests and have a meal. For the families that care more about the quality of life, there is a dining room in their apartment. The living room (including the dining room if there is one) is often fairly large, even accounting for half of the apartment in some cases. Besides the living room (dining room) and bedroom(s), there is generally a kitchen and a bathroom. Statistics (2015) show that 88% of urban households are equipped with flush toilets, and 83.5% of urban households are equipped with baths and/or showers.

20世纪80年代以前，中国人的家用设施一般比较简单。20世纪50年代至70年代，自行车、缝纫机、手表、收音机是人们追求的“四大件”。80年代到90年代中期，随着生活水平的提高，人们追求的“四大件”变成了冰箱、彩电、洗衣机、录音机。90年代后期，“四大件”再次升级，变成了空调、电脑、手机、汽车。21世纪以来，住房和汽车成为某些年轻人结婚的必备。

Before the 1980s, Chinese household equipment and means of transportation were fairly simple. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the bike, sewing machine,watch and radio were the “four big household items” people aspired to own.With the improvement of people's life from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, the “four big household items” became the refrigerator, color television set, washing machine and tape recorder. In the late 1990s, they were upgraded again to the airconditioner, computer, mobile phone and car. Since the 21st century, an apartment and a car have become a prerequisite of marriage for some young people.

中国人越来越重视房子的装修，用于房子装修的钱越来越多，对品质的要求也越来越高。地板通常是瓷砖或木地板。至于家具，大多数人更喜欢用西式家具，也有一些家庭喜欢用古色古香的中式家具，如红木家具。

中式家具 Chinese-Style Furniture

Nowadays, Chinese people are spending more and more time and money on house decoration, and the quality requirements are also getting higher and higher. Floors in apartments are usually either tiled or covered with wooden flooring. Most people tend to prefer Western-style furniture, though some families still like traditional Chinese antique-style furniture, such as mahogany furniture.

近年来，中国人用于居住的支出增长迅速。居住支出是中国人消费的第二大支出，仅次于食品方面的支出。2018年，中国人均居住支出为4,646.6元，占全国居民消费支出的23.40%。其中，城镇居民人均居住支出为6,225.0元，占城镇居民消费支出的23.95%。^[3]

Chinese housing expenditure has been increasing rapidly in recent years. It is now the second biggest expenditure next to food expenditure. In 2018, China's per capita housing expenditure was 4,646.6 yuan, accounting for 23.40% of the national residents' consumption expenditure. The housing expenditure per capita for those living in urban areas was 6,255.0 yuan, accounting for 23.95% of the urban residents' consumption expenditure.

近年来，中国农村居民住房条件也明显改善。2018年，中国农村居民用于居住的支出为人均2,660.6元，占农村居民消费支出的21.94%。^[4]农村住房的结构主要有砖木结构和钢筋混凝土结构两种。居住在砖木结构住房中的农户占58.9%，居住在钢筋混凝土结构住房中的农户占31.1%。大多数农户的住房拥有卫生设备，其中住房有冲水式厕所的农户占33.6%，有洗浴设备的占45.3%。另外，34.2%的农户住房拥有暖气或空调设备。^[5]

农村住房 Rural Houses

The housing conditions of rural residents in China have also improved significantly in recent years. In 2018, the expenditure on housing for rural residents in China was 2,660.6 yuan per capita, accounting for 21.94% of their expenditure. Houses in the country mainly fall into two types: brick and wood structure, and reinforced concrete structure. The former makes up 58.9% and the latter 31.1%. Sanitary facilities are available in most farmers' houses, 33.6% of which are equipped with flush toilets and 45.3% of which baths and/or showers. In addition, 34.2% of farmers' houses are installed with heating systems or air-conditioners.

四合院是中国一种传统的住宅形式，四面是屋子，中间是院子，南面有一个大门进出，门窗向院子开，对外一般不开窗。四合院在中国南北方都有，北京的四合院最有代表性。现在在北京老城区，还可以看到很多这种传统的四合院，不过，以前的四合院是由一个大家庭居住，而现在一个四合院一般都住好几个家庭。

四合院 Siheyuan (Quadrangle)(www.xing528.com)

Siheyuan is a traditional type of dwelling with a courtyard surrounded by connected houses on four sides. There is a gate in the south side of the courtyard and the doors and windows of the houses are open to the courtyard.Generally, there are no windows open to the outside. Siheyuan can be found in both the north and south of China, and those in Beijing are the most representative of this style of building, and in some older parts of the city you can still find these traditional houses. Siheyuan used to be inhabited by one big family, but now they tend to be shared by several smaller families.

蒙古包是蒙古族牧民居住的一种房子，建造和搬迁都很方便，适用于牧业生产和游牧生活。蒙古包呈圆形尖顶状，顶上和四周用一至两层厚毡覆盖。蒙古包外形虽小，但包内使用面积却很大，而且包内空气流通，采光条件好，冬暖夏凉，不怕风吹雨打，非常适合经常转场放牧的民族居住和使用。

The Mongolian yurt is a kind of house which Mongolian herdsmen dwell in. It is convenient to construct and move, suitable for animal husbandry production and nomadic life. It has a dome roof and its top and circular wall are covered with one to two thick felts. It looks small from the outside, but is quite spacious inside,with good ventilation and daylighting. It is warm in winter and cool in summer, and provides good shelter from the wind and rain, very suitable for an ethnic group who often moves from one pasture to another.

蒙古包 The Mongolian Yurt

中国传统老式家具有衣柜、梳妆台、八仙桌、书案、靠背椅、太师椅、床榻等，都是用天然木料制成，有的用红木等贵重木料制成。

Chinese traditional old-fashioned furniture includes pieces such as the wardrobe,dressing table, square table for eight people (often without drawers), straight-backed chair, imposing taishi armchair, bed, and couch (for sitting or taking a nap on). All traditional furniture is made of natural wood, and occasionally of valuable wood such as mahogany.

词汇NEW WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS

[1]中华人民共和国国家统计局，《中国统计摘要2019》，中国统计出版社，2019年，第21页。

National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Statistical Abstract 2019, China Statistics Press, 2019, p.21.

[2]国家卫生计生委家庭司，《中国家庭发展报告2015》，中国人口出版社，2015年，第39页。

Department of Family Planning and Development, National Health and Family Planning Commission, China Family Development Report 2015, China Population Publishing House, 2015, p.39.

[3]中华人民共和国国家统计局，《中国统计摘要2019》，中国统计出版社，2019年，第55页。

National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Statistical Abstract 2019, China Statistics Press, 2019, p.55.

[4]中华人民共和国国家统计局，《中国统计摘要2019》，中国统计出版社，2019年，第55页。

National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Statistical Abstract 2019, China Statistics Press, 2019, p.55.

国家卫生计生委家庭司，《中国家庭发展报告2015》，中国人口出版社，2015年，第39页。

[5]Department of Family Planning and Development, National Health and Family Planning Commission, China Family Development Report 2015, China Population Publishing House, 2015, p.39.