bedroom community(也常说 dormitory town):指以居住为主、就业和商业活动较少的城镇或郊区;居民通常通勤到附近大城市工作,白天“人去城空”,晚上回家睡觉,因此得名。
/ˈbɛdruːm kəˈmjuːnɪti/
Many people live in this bedroom community and commute downtown every day.
许多人住在这个“卧城”,每天通勤去市中心上班。
As housing prices rose in the city, the quiet town gradually turned into a bedroom community, with most shops closing early and the streets emptying after sunrise.
随着城市房价上涨,这座安静的小镇逐渐变成了“卧城”:多数商店早早关门,日出后街道就变得空荡荡。
该短语在20世纪城市扩张与郊区化背景下流行:bedroom 强调“睡觉/居住功能”,community 指社区。合起来比喻某地主要承担“卧室”角色——提供住房,但工作机会、文化娱乐与商业中心多在别处。(也有近义说法 bedroom suburb、dormitory town。)