共享经济，让梦想成为现实

姜昊骞

You may have heard people tossing around1） the phrase "sharing economy" these days. Essentially a general term to describe new age social and economic activity， the meanings of this phrase relate to online market places and people-to-people "sharing". While services relating to the sharing economy are proving to be profitable these days， they are also helping users live their lives in ways that they have only dreamed of. How exactly？ Well ...

It's Providing Convenience

When everyday tasks and necessities are inconvenient， it wastes a whole lot of time and sometimes money. People who are trying to achieve their dreams， reach their goals and make accomplishments are often set back2） by time wasted or the exhaustion3） that comes along with daily chores4）. With the rise of the sharing economy， more services are on the market that are making everyday life easier and freeing up5） more time for users. Uber and Lyft6） are two of the most well-known as they are making it easier and quicker for users to get around. Instead of wasting time on public transit7）， worrying about who will be the designated driver8） on a night out or waiting unnecessarily for a taxi to stop， people can get instant access to rides. As of September， 2016， Uber reported having 8 million users， 160，000 drivers， use in 70 different countries and more than 62 million total trips. According to Lyft， in 2016 there are over 315，000 drivers， use in more than 65 cities and over 25，000 daily downloads.

There Are More Work Opportunities

This whole sharing economy phenomena is not one sided. In fact， the people involved are benefiting all around. During an age， especially in places like the US and some places in Europe， when people have been finding the job market quite dismal9）， sharing economy services have been providing opportunities. Speaking to many Uber drivers myself， I've found that many of them have taken the jobs because of losing their jobs or trying to overcome financial hardships like medical bills.

There Is an Ease of Entry into Entrepreneurship10）

Becoming an entrepreneur is a dream for many but one that can often seem a bit unachievable or difficult to get started with. With platforms like Uber and Lyft as well as Airbnb11）， where people can rent out their homes for a profit， there is an easy entryway to start making money on your own terms12）. While the extent of some peoples' entrepreneurial ventures13） may stay along these lines14）， others may gain the confidence to move on to other ideas and start making things happen for themselves.

People Can Have Things That They Ordinarily Couldn't Afford

"You can have your cake and eat too" is a saying that's become a lot more real recently. While not everyone can afford to own all of the items of their dreams， the sharing economy system allows them to borrow them. Luxury items are now becoming more accessible with services like ExtendMyCloset， an online fashion portal15） that allows people to rent luxury designer dresses， gowns， prom16） dresses， top-of-the-line17） footwear and expensive accessories18） that they otherwise could never afford. Lenders are typically in close proximity19） to the users so that they can get their hands on what they need in time for their big events. Another service offering this kind of luxury is DriveNow， a car sharing service from BMW that allows people to easily get a hold of luxury cars for a short amount of time without having to purchase their own.

Travel Is Made Cheaper

Tons of people dream of exotic20） trips and lives filled with travel and adventure but few are able to actually afford that kind of lifestyle. With platforms that involve sharing skills and properties21）， the options for travel have expanded as things become cheaper and even free. Websites like Airbnb allow travelers to stay in full-sized22） and well equipped homes where other sites like WWOOF allow users to trade farm work for free room and board. HelpEx is another platform that allows travelers to trade skills for room and board while sites like Couchsurfing allow people to stay on the couches of generous hosts for free in different destinations.

除了共享單车，如今还能共享汽车、共享住房、共享办公区域……无论共享的内容是什么，它们都是“共享经济”的一个方面。共享经济给我们的生活带来了很多便利，让许多人都过上了梦想中的生活。为什么这么说呢？一起来随本文了解一下吧。

1. toss around： （指未经认真考虑而）滥用（词语）

近来，你可能听过人们到处在用“共享经济”这个词。从本质上来说，这个词是用来描述新时代的社会和经济活动的一种泛称，其意义与线上市场和人与人之间的“共享”有关。事实证明，与共享经济相关的服务如今是有利可图的，而与此同时，它们也正在帮助用户过上只在梦想中才有的那种生活。究竟是如何做到的呢？这个嘛……

共享经济带来了便利

当完成日常工作、获取生活必需品不方便时，就会浪费大量的时间，有时还会浪费金钱。那些正努力去实现梦想、达到目标、取得成就的人往往会被耽搁，因为做这些日常琐事会浪费时间或让人变得筋疲力尽。随着共享经济的兴起，市场上出现了更多这样的服务——它们正在使日常生活变得更加便利，并为用户腾出更多的时间。优步和Lyft就是那些最知名的服务中的两个，因为它们正在使用户去往各处变得更加便捷。人们可以即时乘车，而不必把时间浪费在公共交通上，夜晚外出活动时不必操心指定谁来驾车，也没有必要等待某辆出租车停下来。截至2016年9月，优步公布其已拥有800万用户和16万名司机，在70个不同的国家提供服务，总行程已超过6200万次。据Lyft表示，在2016年，其拥有超过31.5万名司机，在超过65座城市提供服务，app日下载量超过2.5万次。

共享经济带来了更多的工作机会

整个共享经济现象并不是单方面的。实际上，参与其中的人正在从各个方面受益。在这样一个人们一直觉得求职市场很不景气（尤其是在像美国和欧洲某些地区等地方）的时代，共享经济服务一直都在为人们提供机遇。我自己和许多优步司机交谈时，发现他们当中的很多人之所以干起了这份工作，是因为他们失业了或是想要解决财务方面的困难，比如支付医疗账单。

共享经济使创业的门槛变低了

成为老板是许多人的梦想，但这个梦想往往会看起来有点难以实现，或是难以着手。有了优步、Lyft以及Airbnb （人们可以在这个平台上把自家的房子租出去，来赚取收入）这样的平台，你就拥有了自己当老板开始赚钱的一条便捷通道。虽然有些人的创业活动范围可能会一直停留在这些行当中，但有的人可能会获得转而实现其他创业点子的自信，并着手实现这些新的创业点子。

那些你通常买不起的东西，

共享经济可以帮你拥有

近来，“鱼和熊掌可以兼得”这句俗语正在越发变成现实。不是每个人都能买得起所有自己梦寐以求的东西，但共享经济体系却让人们可以把它们借到手。有了像ExtendMyCloset这样的服务，如今，奢侈品正变得更加触手可及。ExtendMyCloset是一个在线时尚门户网站，它让人们可以租借奢华的名牌连衣裙、礼服、舞会礼服、最棒的鞋子和昂贵的配饰，这些都是人们除此途径之外永远都可能买不起的东西。租借者与用户的空间距离一般都特别近，这样用户就能及时拿到他们参加重大活动所需的物件了。另一个提供此类奢侈品的服务是DriveNow，它是由宝马公司推出的一个共享汽车服务，让人们得以轻松获得豪华轿车的短期使用权，而不必购买属于自己的豪车。

共享经济让旅行变得更便宜

很多人都梦想着异国之旅和到处旅行、四处探险的生活，但很少有人真的能负担得起这样的生活方式。有了涉及共享旅行技能与共享房屋这方面业务的平台，旅行的选择范围就扩大了，因为很多东西都变得更便宜甚至免费了。Airbnb等网站让旅行者得以住在标准配置、设施齐全的房子里，WWOOF等其他网站则让用户可以通过干农活来换取免费食宿。HelpEx是另一个让旅行者可以用技能来换取食宿的平台，而像Couchsurfing这样的网站则让旅行者前往不同的旅行目的地时可以免费睡在慷慨大方的主人家的长沙发上。