第2516期:Peace Brings Big Changes to Kabul’s Luxury Housing Market(1)

The capital city of Kabul, Afghanistan, has seen big changes in its high-end housing market. Peace, it seems, is driving up property prices.

阿富汗首都喀布尔的高端住宅市场发生了巨大变化。和平似乎正在推高房地产价格。

Omidullah, a real estate agent, is selling a white-and-gold house with nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms in the Afghan capital. The house is on the market for $450,000, a surprising number in a country where more than half of the population depends on humanitarian aid to survive.

房地产经纪人奥米杜拉正在阿富汗首都出售一栋拥有九间卧室和九间浴室的白色和金色房屋。这所房子的市场售价为 45 万美元，对于一个一半以上人口依靠人道主义援助生存的国家来说，这个数字令人惊讶。

Most Afghans do not have bank accounts. And it is rare to borrow money from banks to buy property. Yet the offers are coming in.

大多数阿富汗人没有银行账户。从银行借钱购买房产的情况也很少见。然而优惠仍在到来。

“It’s a myth that Afghans don’t have money,” Omidullah said. “We have very big businessmen who have big businesses abroad. There are houses here worth millions of dollars.”

“阿富汗人没有钱是一个神话，”奥米杜拉说。“我们有非常大的商人，他们在国外拥有大生意。这里的房子价值数百万美元。

”People who spent years living and working abroad are returning home. They are drawn by the country’s much-improved security and stability after years of war and destruction. Those returning include Afghans escaping deportation campaigns in Iran and Pakistan.

在国外生活和工作多年的人们正在回国。他们被该国在经历多年战争和破坏后大大改善的安全和稳定所吸引。返回的人包括逃离伊朗和巴基斯坦驱逐行动的阿富汗人。

Banks rarely have enough money for lending. So, Afghans buy properties with their own money or employ what is called “geerawi.” It is when someone provides a fixed amount to a property owner in return for living in his place. And the person stays until the property owner returns the money.

银行很少有足够的资金来放贷。因此，阿富汗人用自己的钱购买房产或雇用所谓的“geerawi”。这是指有人向业主提供固定金额，以换取在他的地方居住。这个人会一直留下来，直到业主归还钱为止。

Before the Taliban takeover, people were afraid to invest in Kabul, said another real estate agent, Ghulam Mohammed Haqdoost.

另一位房地产经纪人古拉姆·穆罕默德·哈克杜斯特 (Ghulam Mohammed Haqdoost) 表示，在塔利班接管之前，人们不敢在喀布尔投资。

But the Taliban have created better conditions for the property market. The city is less violent since the Taliban changed from an insurgency to a government. Foreign forces left the country, although armored vehicles, checkpoints and military buildings remain common sights.

但塔利班为房地产市场创造了更好的条件。自从塔利班从叛乱分子转变为政府以来，这座城市的暴力事件有所减少。尽管装甲车、检查站和军事建筑仍然常见，但外国军队已撤离该国。

The Taliban have promised to end corruption and establish order. That means no more dealing with militia chiefs or paying officials for land purchases or building projects.

塔利班承诺结束腐败并建立秩序。这意味着不再需要与民兵首领打交道，也不再需要向官员支付土地购买或建筑项目的费用。