Bobos1 In Shangr i-La

Just when China's new affluents have begun to enjoy their xiaozi, or bourgeois lifestyle( a downtown apartment, flashy automobiles and Starbucks mochaccinos ) , along comes a book from America to stir up their lifestyles. Recently young Chinese have been snapping up2 copies of the newly translated version of“Bobos in Paradise 3”, by American author David Brooks. The book’s thesis — that the bohemian spirit of the 1960 s has come together with the acquisitive impulses of the 1980 s to create the hybrid bourgeois-bohemian, a. k. a. 4 the Bobo — has sparked debate all around China .“All my friends are talking about the Bobos, ”one Beijing book shopper told the official Xinhua News Agency. Clubs have been formed offering lectures and discussions on the Bobo Lifestyle , and Bobo magazines are appearing on newsstands. Chinese Bobos are being targeted by everyone from real- estate agents to mobile phone companies. A local businessman opened the Bar in Beijing, which is fitted with computers so customers can check their e -mail while sitting on rustic Chinese furniture hand-picked by the owner from peasant villages. Web sites keep springing up to help people determine if they are“Bobo qualified”, and if so, how to act appropriately.

As the“ pleased and surprised”Brooks waits to see whether he’ll get his fair share of author royalties out of the phenomenon (“I mean, that’s a billion copies, ”he told journalist) , Beijing is breeding its fair share of Bobo-bashers. Another journalist says the average Chinese person has a strong disdain for the nouveau riche5 . He wonders how many Chinese today earn enough to be considered a Bobo. And, he argues, those who do are more bourgeois than bohemian.“We have people with a lot of money, but there’s no social consciousness. ”He says. “ Rich people don’t care about the environment, unemployment, rural problems or mine disasters. ”

练习题：

Ⅰ. Matching:

1. flashy A. despise

2. hand-picked B. fashionable

3. disdain C. selected

4. trendy D. pastoral

5. rustic E. sparkling

Ⅱ. Questions :

1. Give some examples to represent the lifestyle of“xiaozi”.

2. According to the last paragraph, what can you infer about rich Chinese?

答案：

Ⅰ. 1. E 2. C 3. A 4 . B 5 . D

Ⅱ. 1. A downtown apartment; flashy automobiles; Starbucks mochaccinos . ..

2. According to the above passage, we know that many Chinese are only to show offrather than to be Bobos. It seems that they have nothing but money. They havesplendid villas, modern cars and luxurious clothes, but they lack social-consciousness.They show little concern about environment, unemployment and rural problems.All of these make them somebody of egoist.

译文：

香格里拉的波波族

中国的新贵们刚刚开始享受“小资”生活, 或曰资产阶级的生活——— 市中心有一套公寓,坐花哨汽车和喝斯达巴克的摩卡咖啡。一本来自美国的书搅乱了他们的生活方式。最近, 年轻人争相传阅不久前刚被翻译出版的美国作家大卫·布鲁克斯的《天堂里的波波族》译本。该书的主题是, 20世纪60年代波西米亚精神已经和80 年代物质占有欲糅合在一起,形成布尔乔亚波西米亚, 即所谓的波波。这一主题在华夏大地上触发了一场辩论。“我所有的朋友都在谈论波波族。”北京的一个读者告诉新华社记者。人们成立俱乐部, 举行讲座, 讨论波波式的生活; 波波杂志出现在各个报亭。从房地产代理商到手机厂家都瞄准波波族。北京一家由本地人经营的名为DIY@ Bobo 的网吧里, 顾客可以坐在颇具乡村格调的桌椅前接收电子邮件, 而这些家具是店主特意从乡下购进的。网站也层出不穷, 意欲帮助人们判断自己是否“ 符合波波族的品质”,如何才能更像波波族。

“惊喜”交加的布鲁克斯则等着从该书的版税中渔利(“我是说,发行十亿本, ”他告诉记者) 。同时, 北京也正孕育着相当一批波波族。另一名记者说, 普通中国人对暴发户往往嗤之以鼻。他还质疑中国有多少人的收入高得可堪称波波。他认为, 即使达到标准的也不过是“ 布尔乔亚”, 而非“ 波西米亚”。“很多人腰缠万贯,却毫无社会意识,”他说,“他们漠视环境、失业、农村和矿难等问题。”