第144期：无共享，不旅行

想成为我们的主播，欢迎加微信 xdfbook 投稿。 一段美文，一首英文歌，或是一点生活感想，全由你做主。 《无共享，不旅行》 How the Sharing Economy Opens New Doors for Travelers You travel thousands of miles to experience new cultures. So why would you settle for1) a generic2) hotel or nondescript3) tourist restaurant? The burgeoning4) peer-to-peer5) or sharing-economy movement allows travelers to skip the traditional booking options and live la vita6) local by staying in other people’s homes, driving their cars, eating in their kitchens, and otherwise7), seeing a new destination through their eyes. Why share? After the economic downturn, people developed innovative ways to make money by sharing resources they already had, such as houses, vehicles, and skills, creating a new economy based on collaborative consumption8). While this power-to-the-people movement has mobilized an army of micro-entrepreneurs, it has also resulted in traveler benefits ranging from practical (savings, convenience, and personalized attention) to enriching (authentic experiences and real human connection). It also supports local communities and encourages sustainability. A travel style favored by generations of backpackers, peer-to-peer has grown meteorically9) and become more accessible in recent years through the use of the Internet and social media, both of which help connect travelers with hosts and services. Here are some of the more popular ways to travel in today’s sharing economy, from house swapping to unique tours guided by locals. Share a House From crashing10) on a stranger’s couch to sleeping in a luxurious penthouse11) suite, the trend of staying in alternative accommodations such as apartments, villas, or even single rooms in private homes has exploded over the past few years, mainly thanks to Airbnb11), an online community marketplace for homeowners and travelers that debuted in 2008. The site grew quickly via word of mouth, attracting people who liked the local experiences it provided. According to Airbnb, “When you stay in an Airbnb [property], you have the opportunity to learn from a local. Airbnb hosts can give you insider knowledge you couldn’t find elsewhere. Hosts have a ton of local pride and are generally eager to share their tips with you to make your trip even more amazing.” While Airbnb has recently hit the mainstream, the concept of home sharing is not new. Started as a pre-Internet business in 1992, HomeExchange12), a house-swapping service popularized by the movie The Holiday13), has been connecting traveling homeowners for decades. According to Ed Kushins, founder and president of the company, “Collaborative consumption is turning things that used to be private into something that can be used or rented. Staying in someone’s home—as opposed to booking a hotel—can make a vacation more affordable and add convenience, both in terms of perks14) and personal interactions.” Kushins says, “You can save on food bills by not eating at a restaurant for every meal, and there are no early check-in or checkout rules; plus you get personal instructions and accommodations and get to meet people, often friends of the exchange partner.” Share a Ride Once you’ve booked a stay in a stranger’s home, the next natural step into the peer-to-peer world is driving a stranger’s car, which has appeal for travelers wanting to save money and get more personalized service when they hit the road. Typically, car sharing involves renting cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. An alternative to car ownership, this helps keep unnecessary vehicles off the road, thus making things a little easier on the environment. In recent years, it has expanded to fulfill the longer-term needs of travelers, who can rent directly from car owners on a daily basis, making use of underutilized vehicles and avoiding the hassles15) associated with traditional car rentals. RelayRides16), a car-sharing marketplace focused on U.S. airports, started out emulating the Zipcar17) model with on-demand, hourly car rentals, but found that it was more competitive with traditional car-rental companies such as Hertz18) and Avis19). According to Steven Webb, RelayRides’ Director of Community and Communications, “[Our customers] were people who already had cars but wanted them for special purposes [like travel] and would like something more convenient and affordable than traditional rentals.” Webb claims that car sharing saves travelers up to 40 percent and provides them with the added benefits of choosing their car and getting picked up at the airport by the owner. Another option, FlightCar20), allows prescreened21) drivers to rent from people who have parked their cars at the airport. Owners get free airport parking, a car wash, and payment if their car is rented out, and renters receive low rates and free curbside pickup and drop-off at Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco airports. There’s no waiting in line, no paperwork, and none of the hidden ancillary22) fees that have been plaguing car renters for years. …… 你旅行数千英里是为了去体验新的文化。那你为何要勉强接受一家普通的酒店或是毫无特色的旅游餐厅呢？快速兴起的P2P或共享经济使旅行者们可以不再选择传统的酒店预定，而是住到别人家里、开着别人的汽车、在别人的厨房就餐等等，以此体验当地的生活，用自己的眼睛去探索新的目的地。 为什么要共享呢？经济下行后，人们通过共享自己拥有的房屋、车辆以及技能等资源，以创新的方式来挣钱，创造出一种基于协同消费的新型经济模式。这场“权力回归民众”的运动调动了一大批小型企业家，也给旅行者带来了好处，这好处既有实际的一面(省钱、便捷和个人化的关注)，也有丰富人生的一面(原汁原味的体验和真实的人际联系)。共享经济还能给当地社区提供支持，鼓励可持续性发展。 作为一种旅行方式，共享旅行受到一代又一代背包客的青睐，发展十分迅速。近年来，通过使用互联网和社交媒体，越来越多的人可参与到共享旅行中。互联网和社交媒体帮助旅行者与各类服务和服务提供者建立了联系。以下是当今共享经济中特别流行的几种旅游方式，从房屋互换到由当地人担任导游的独特旅行，不一而足。 共享房屋 不管是在陌生人家的沙发上过夜，还是下榻奢侈的豪华套房，这种住在公寓、别墅甚至私人住所单间的新的住宿潮流在过去几年十分热门。这主要归功于在2008年创立的为房东和旅行者提供服务的在线社区市场——Airbnb。 Airbnb通过口口相传的方式迅猛发展，吸引那些喜欢该网站所提供的当地体验的人。Airbnb宣称：“当你住在由Airbnb提供的住所中，你就拥有了向当地居民学习的机会。Airbnb的房东会告诉你一些别处听不到的内幕。他们有着当地人极强的自豪感，通常会很热切地与你分享一些小贴士，使你的旅行更加精彩。” 尽管Airbnb网站最近才进入主流，但房屋共享并不是一个新概念。HomeExchange是一家房屋交换服务公司，创立于互联网时代之前的1992年，它因《恋爱假期》这部电影而广受欢迎，几十来年来一直是旅行房主沟通联系的平台。公司创始人兼董事长艾德·库申斯说：“协同消费是把过去的私人物品转变为可以使用或是出租的东西。比起预订酒店，住在某人家里能使旅行更划算、更方便，不仅节省了开支，还增加了人与人之间的互动。”库申斯还说：“你不必每顿饭都在酒店吃，因而可以在吃这方面省钱；也没有那些尽早入住和退房的规定；你还能得到个人化的指导，根据自己的需求选择住房，还能认识一些人，通常是与你交换房屋的房主的朋友。” 共享座驾 你一旦预订了要在某个陌生人家中住宿，步入共享世界的下一步自然就是驾驶陌生人的车。对于那些既想省钱又想在上路时得到更加个性化服务的旅行者来说，这种方式很有吸引力。 汽车共享的典型做法包括短时租车，通常按小时计算。租车替代了买车，这有助于让那些非必需的车辆不再上路，环境压力也会因此小一些。近年来，短时租车已经发展到可以满足旅行者的长期需要。旅行者可以按天从车主那儿直接租用那些未能得到充分利用的汽车，还避免了传统租车的麻烦。 RelayRides是一家汽车共享交流网站，其关注的焦点是美国的各个机场，该公司起初模仿网上租车公司Zipcar的模式，提供按需定制的服务，按小时收租金，却发现自己比赫兹、安飞士等传统汽车租赁公司更具竞争力。按照RelayRides社区和通信总监史蒂文·韦布的说法：“[我们的顾客]是‘有车一族’，但因特别的目的[譬如旅游]想要租车，他们想要比传统租车更便捷、更实惠的服务。”韦布声称汽车共享能帮旅行者节省高达40%的开支，此外还有选择汽车和由车主接机的好处。 FlightCar是另一个选择。该网站对租车者进行预先审查，通过审查的人可以租用车主停放在机场的车。对于车主来说，汽车如果租了出去，他们就能免费在机场停车。获得一次免费洗车，还能收取租金。租车的人则能享受便宜的租车费和免费的路边接送服务，该服务已覆盖波士顿、洛杉矶和旧金山的机场。而诸如排队等候、填写各种文件、隐形附加费用这些多年来一直困扰着租车人的烦恼通通都没有。 …… 文章摘自：《新东方英语》杂志2016年8月号