第2454期:Life as a digital nomad

If you could work from any location in the world, where would you go? Picture filling in a spreadsheet on a sandy Caribbean island, or maybe a little rooftop cafe in Rome where you can sip an espresso while editing a social media video. More and more countries are offering digital nomad visas and therefore the chance to work remotely, from wherever you'd like to. 

如果您可以在世界任何地方工作，您会去哪里？在加勒比海的一个沙滩上填写电子表格的图片，或者在罗马的一家屋顶小咖啡馆，您可以一边喝着浓缩咖啡一边编辑社交媒体视频。越来越多的国家/地区正在提供数字游牧签证，因此您有机会在任何地方进行远程工作。 

This way of working is on the rise. A 2023 report found that 11% of US workers now consider themselves a digital nomad, and this type of worker is expected to increase in number by more than 20 million in the next five years. Traditionally, digital nomads have worked freelance. They might be social media managers, software developers or copywriters, but now even traditional professions like accountants and lawyers are taking the leap. But what is the life of a digital nomad really like? 

这种工作方式正在兴起。2023年的一份报告发现，目前有11%的美国工人认为自己是数字游民，预计未来五年此类工人的数量将增加超过2000万。传统上，数字游牧者都是自由职业者。他们可能是社交媒体经理、软件开发人员或文案撰稿人，但现在即使是会计师和律师等传统职业也正在迈出这一步。但数字游牧民的生活到底是什么样的呢？ 

Rowena Hennigan, who writes for Harvard Business Review, is a digital nomad along with her family. They have a 'home base' in Spain but frequently go away for workcations that can last from weeks to months. She says that compared to a 'traditional' model of raising children, "remote working has allowed my family to move away from that kind of intensity, and this way, we all get to move at a more sustainable and healthy pace." Plus, her family are regularly exposed to new cultures, languages and natural beauty. 

Rowena Hennigan 是《哈佛商业评论》的撰稿人，她和她的家人都是数字游牧者。他们在西班牙有一个“大本营”，但经常外出工作，持续数周至数月。她说，与“传统”的抚养孩子的模式相比，“远程工作让我的家人摆脱了那种强度，这样，我们就能以更可持续、更健康的步伐生活。” 此外，她的家人经常接触新的文化、语言和自然美景。 

Though it doesn't work for everyone. Francesca Specter, a writer for The Guardian, decided to country-hop where her 'office' included beaches, cafes and coworking spaces. But along with struggling to find reliable wi-fi and fighting bouts of loneliness, she wrote that she felt envious as she cooled her overheating laptop in the shade while holidaymakers relaxed by the pool. She said, "I was chronically firefighting unglamorous concerns such as missing luggage or sleep deprivation after an overnight flight delay." 

虽然它并不适合所有人。《卫报》的作家弗朗西斯卡·斯佩克特 (Francesca Spectre) 决定去乡村旅行，她的“办公室”包括海滩、咖啡馆和联合办公空间。但除了努力寻找可靠的无线网络和与孤独作斗争之外，她写道，当度假者在泳池边放松时，她在阴凉处冷却过热的笔记本电脑，她感到很羡慕。她说：“我一直在解决一些乏味的问题，例如行李丢失或夜间航班延误后睡眠不足。” 

So, it's not for everyone, but if you ever feel like escaping the rat-race, why not give it a go? 

所以，它并不适合所有人，但如果你想逃离激烈的竞争，为什么不尝试一下呢？ 

词汇表

remotely 远程地
freelance 从事自由职业
social media manager 社交媒体经理
software developer 软件开发人员
copywriter 广告文字撰稿人
traditional profession 传统职业
home base 相对固定的住所
workcation 度假办公；边游玩边工作的假期
remote working 远程办公
pace 节奏，步调
country-hop 在多个国家间居住和旅行
coworking space 共享办公空间
reliable wi-fi 稳定的无线网络
overheating laptop 过热的笔记本电脑
missing luggage 丢失的行李
flight delay 航班延误
rat-race “老鼠赛跑”，永无休止的竞争