举棋不定：日本的共享经济
In two minds: Japan's sharing economy
airbnb几乎无法掩饰自己的沮丧，对于日本这国家对共享房屋的方式。
① Airbnb can barely hide its frustration over the country's approach to home-sharing.
一个出台不久的新法律就正式将名宿短租行为合法化了，对于向当局注册的房主，但是每年最多外租180天。
② A new law, which comes into force today, legalises the practice for hosts who register with the authorities, but restricts it to a maximum 180 days per year.
当地政府可以根据自己的实际情况可以进一步缩减这样的情况。
③ Local authorities can further curtail that.
更糟的是，6月1号政府要求airbnb去取消那些还没有获得许可的民宿在6月15到19号期间的所有的预订。
④ Worse, on June 1st the government told Airbnb it had to cancel all bookings for June 15th-19th for hosts still in the process of getting licensed.
日本的做法，一手给糖一手甩巴掌，在一定程度上解释了，为什么现在跟其他的这些发达经济体比起来，日本的共享经济的规模要显得小很，共享经济是指人们通过互联网平台互相租借一些货物和服务。
⑤ Japan's give-with-one-hand-take-with-the-other approach goes some way to explaining why the country's sharing economy, in which people rent goods and services from one another via internet platforms, remains tiny compared with other developed economies.
强大的行业游说，限制性政策和公众焦虑扼杀了它的成长。
⑥ Powerful industry lobbies, restrictive regulation and public anxiety stifle growth.
相反，在一些缺乏公共服务的农村地区，政府还是非常鼓励共享经济的一些发展的。一些地方可以不受禁令的限制发展共享骑行。
⑦ By contrast, the government encourages sharing where it can help rural areas that lack services; some places are exempted from the general ban on ride-sharing.
共享经济的平台意识到了要按照日本这国家的规矩办事了。
⑧ Sharing-economy platforms are realising they have to do things on the country's terms.
这两年共享经济的发展势头非常迅猛，不管传统企业还是互联网公司都愿意打上这么一个标签。但我们的邻国日本，却对共享经济持保守态度。以 Airbnb 为例，Airbnb 是一个专门用于短租私人住房的平台，但日本去年才在法律上合法化了房屋共享这个行为，而且日本政府对此提出的法律要求还颇为严格。6月1日，日本政府突然发布通知，要求包括 Airbnb 在内的所有短租、民宿平台从即日起立即取消未完成合法登记民宿房源的入住预订，正在注册报备过程中的房源也在强制取消订单之列。Airbnb 得知消息后立即与日本旅游局沟通，希望确保游客不会因此被耽误行程。最终，Airbnb 在屡次沟通无果后，不得已取消了数千单民宿的预订订单，但是承诺对受到牵连的游客进行赔偿。实际上，类似于 Airbnb 这样的短租平台一直饱受质疑，在很多国家里也还处在灰色地带。一方面，它损害了酒店行业的利益；另一方面，在安全性上，它并没有完善对房主资质的约束，有很多潜在风险。
本篇课程首发于2018年6月22日
难度系数：★★★☆☆
无用系数：★★★☆☆
In two minds: Japan's sharing economy
① Airbnb can barely hide its frustration over the country's approach to home-sharing.
② A new law, which comes into force today, legalises the practice for hosts who register with the authorities, but restricts it to a maximum 180 days per year.
③ Local authorities can further curtail that.
④ Worse, on June 1st the government told Airbnb it had to cancel all bookings for June 15th-19th for hosts still in the process of getting licensed.
⑤ Japan's give-with-one-hand-take-with-the-other approach goes some way to explaining why the country's sharing economy, in which people rent goods and services from one another via internet platforms, remains tiny compared with other developed economies.
⑥ Powerful industry lobbies, restrictive regulation and public anxiety stifle growth.
⑦ By contrast, the government encourages sharing where it can help rural areas that lack services; some places are exempted from the general ban on ride-sharing.
⑧ Sharing-economy platforms are realising they have to do things on the country's terms.
▍生词好句
in two minds: 犹疑不定；拿不定主意
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/: n. 应对方式／处理方式 vt. 接近，靠近；处理
come into force: 生效
legalise /ˈliːɡ(ə)lʌɪz/: vt. 使合法化；法律认可
practice /ˈpraktɪs/: n. 业务；实践
host /həʊst/: n. 房东；主人；东道主
register /ˈrɛdʒɪstə/: vi. 注册
authority /ɔːˈθɒrɪti/: n. 权威；（复数）当权者，当局（政府）
restrict sth. to … /rɪˈstrɪkt/: 把某件事情限定在某个范围
maximum /ˈmaksɪməm/: n./adj. 最大值/限度（的）
curtail /kəːˈteɪl/: vt. 削减
booking /ˈbʊkɪŋ/: n. 预订
in the process of /ˈprəʊsɛs/: 在……的过程中
get licensed /ˈlʌɪs(ə)nst/: 获得认证/授权/许可
give with one hand, and take with the other: 一手给予，一手剥夺
go some way to doing sth.: 在一定程度上（in a way）
via /ˈvɪə, ˈvʌɪə/: prep. 通过；经由
lobby /ˈlɒbi/: n. 游说；游说团
lobbyist /ˈlɒbiɪst/: n. 说客
stifle /ˈstʌɪf(ə)l/: vt. 扼杀；抑制
exempt /ɪɡˈzɛm(p)t/: vt. 豁免（exemption）
on one's terms: 按照某人的规矩／条件
