US hometown can learn from Beijing's 798 art district 美国城镇应该学习798园区

An old factory district is one of my favorite places in Beijing. The factory and warehouse buildings there, designed in the 1950s in the Bauhaus style, were abandoned and, in the mid-1990s, artists began using them for cheap studio space. By the turn of the century, the 798 Contemporary Art Zone had blossomed.

我在北京最喜欢的地方之一就是798园区。工厂建立于上世纪五十年代，荒废于上世纪九十年代中期，然后艺术家们把这里作为廉价的工作室。到了本世纪，798现代艺术园区初具规模。

Interiors were renovated, but the iconic, industrial look remained, giving the place an edgy, genuine feel. China Daily wrote that the zone "reached a pinnacle in 2005, when the old electronic plants embraced galleries ... as well as bars, restaurants and fashion workshops."

园区经过装修，但标志性的工业风被保留下来，让这里前卫感十足。《中国日报》报道过，这里在2005年达到顶峰，当年的电子厂摇身一变成为艺术馆、酒吧、餐厅和时尚工坊。

But the 2016 article, describing the "rise and fall" of the art zone, said as investors moved in, rents went up and artists moved out. By 2016, the zone had "nothing to do with arts," at least in the same way, Pace Gallery media liaison Zhao Xiaomeng said.

但《中国日报》在2016年介绍798园区“潮起潮落”的报道中称，随着投资者进入，租金上涨，艺术家离开了这里。截至2016年，园区已经脱离了艺术。

I still think the zone is a fun place to dine and walk around. Interesting public art and the edgy architecture remain.

不过园区保留了有趣的公共艺术和前卫建筑，我依然认为这里很适合吃饭和散步。

Coincidentally, what happened at the zone bears a resemblance to issues facing my hometown in the state of Florida in the United States.

这里发生的一切类似我的家乡佛罗里达。

Lake Worth Beach, about a two-hour drive north of Miami, traces its history to a post office set up in 1889, when South Florida's population was tiny. A few decades later, Palm Beach Farms Co was selling 2-hectare farms in the county's interior for $250 with 58-square-meter lots thrown in free near the beach.

沃斯湖海滩位于迈阿密北部，有两小时车程。在1889年这里有一所邮局，当时南佛罗里达的人口还很少。几十年后，棕榈滩农场公司以250美元的价格卖掉了2公顷土地，还有58平方米土地没要钱。

Cottages were built on the small lots and Town of Lake Worth was born, becoming one of the thriving small communities along the Atlantic Ocean. (Voters recently changed the city’s name to Lake Worth Beach.)

居民在这里盖了小房子，沃斯湖镇也就此诞生，成为大西洋沿海最繁荣的社区。（居民最近投票把小镇名字改成沃斯湖海滩）

In the latter part of the past century, the area's road network grew and prosperous new suburbs and shopping malls sprouted. Traditional downtowns started to wilt, and some downtown neighborhoods suffered. Lake Worth was in trouble by the 1980s and early 1990s.

上世纪晚期，这里的公路网络开始发展，新型卫星城和购物中心兴起。传统的市中心开始衰落，影响到一些社区。沃斯湖在上世纪八十年代末和九十年代初遇到了麻烦。

Coastal towns began to look for ways to revive their urban centers. Nearby Delray Beach also was facing the same problems, though its downtown still had a delightfully quaint feel.

海滨小镇开始寻找复兴市中心的方法。附近的德尔雷比奇海滩情况也类似，不过那里还有些复古感。

Since then, millions of dollars have been poured into Delray's redevelopment, and many historic buildings have been saved. It's a beautiful city. But Delray has gone very upscale, with trendy, expensive eateries and bars lining downtown streets and sky-high property prices.

之后德尔雷比奇海滩获得上百万美元投资，保留了很多具有历史意义的建筑。这里很美，但太不接地气了。高档饭馆和酒吧林立，房价极高。

There's a feeling in Lake Worth Beach that its neighbor, in succeeding, has in some ways lost part of its soul -- similar to criticisms of Beijing's 798 art district.

德尔雷比奇海滩追随了沃斯湖镇的脚步，在一定程度上丢失了灵魂，类似北京的798艺术区。

While Lake Worth Beach wants progress, many residents don't want to lose the city's quirky, artistic side and its friendly, hometown feeling. You often hear residents say they "don't want to be Delray Beach".

沃斯湖镇希望发展，很多居民却不愿失去这里的艺术感以及友好氛围。大家常说“不想变成德尔雷比奇海滩”。

Lake Worth Beach has made progress — many cottages have been preserved and renovated as living in a walkable city has become trendy.

不过这里也在进步，保存重修独栋小别墅已经成为时尚。

A beautiful book about these historic homes,The Cottages of Lake Worth, was a finalist for a national book award this year.

描写这些历史建筑的《沃斯湖镇的小屋》就入围了今年的国家图书奖。

The Lake Worth Street Painting Festival is the world's largest free event of its kind, organizers say, and the city's Palm Beach Pride Festival is one of the area's best known. New multistory housing has gone up downtown.

组织者表示，沃斯湖街头绘画节是全球最大的免费同类活动。多层楼房都建在了市中心。

Problems remain, including some poverty and crime in some areas. There is a lot of squabbling about the city’s future direction. The historic Gulfstream Hotel sits empty. At the beach, a beautiful municipal swimming pool that needs refurbishing is closed.

一些地区的贫困和犯罪问题依然存在，人们对城市发展方向意见不一。具有历史价值的Gulfstream饭店无人居住。沙滩上需要翻新的游泳池已经关闭了。

But Lake Worth Beach remains a beautiful place, one that will hopefully continue to improve without losing its heart.

不过这里依然美丽，希望它能不失初心，继续前进。