Mike Zhang considered himself serious boyfriend material. He knew what to order at an Italian restaurant, could mix a tasty margarita and always volunteered to carry his girlfriend’s handbag. Then came the dealbreaker. Mr. Zhang, a 28-year-old language tutor and interpreter, couldn’t afford an apartment in the capital’s scorching property market. Rather than waste any more time, his girlfriend of more than two years dumped him.

    Mr. Zhang’s misfortune is not uncommon. China’s housing boom has created a woefully frustrated class of bachelors. Home prices in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai have more than doubled over the last year as families and investors rush to grab a piece of the Chinese dream.

    Unlike in the United States where home buying traditionally takes place after marriage, owning a residence in China has become a prerequisite for tying the knot. “My parents think it’s important... They would rather I marry someone who owns his own property,” said Wei Na, 28, an advertising saleswoman in Beijing. “It just makes you feel safer if a man has his own place. I think most women feel the same way.” 

    Though more women are becoming career-oriented, China remains stubbornly traditional. Men are expected to be breadwinners while women rear a family’s only child. Single women in China are driven by intense societal pressure to find a mate who can deliver. Experts said securing an apartment in this market signals that a man is successful, family-oriented and able to weather challenging financial circumstances.

    In a survey last year on Sohu.com, 73 percent of respondents said home ownership was a necessity for marriage. An almost equal percentage said they had difficulty buying an apartment.

    Fang Jing would like to hold on to his relationship. The 29-year-old hopes that his girlfriend will share in the $250,000 cost of a Shanghai apartment so that they can wed next year. 

    “She didn’t agree immediately. She’s still hoping I can take care of it myself,” said Mr. Fang. “But in Shanghai it’s difficult for one person to afford an apartment,” he lamented. “When we face something as important as this, men and women have to be equal.” 

    Language tutor and interpreter Mike Zhang wants to marry his girlfriend and acknowledges he must begin saving money for an apartment but he resents being judged by his inability to purchase property. “People’s values have changed,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a nice guy or you’re fun or good natured or have a sense of humor. They don’t care. All they care about is a house.”

    Source: Los Angeles Times

 高房价压垮中国单身汉

       迈克张自认是个称职的男友。他知道在意大利餐馆该点什么菜，他能够调制美味的玛格丽塔酒，每次他都自告奋勇地帮女朋友拎包。然而，美中不足的是，作为一名语言老师和翻译，28岁的他在北京火爆的房地产市场里买不起一套房子。就因为这个，和他交往两年多的女朋友断然甩了他。

       小张的不幸并非个案，中国房地产的繁荣造就了一大批沮丧受挫的单身汉阶层。在北京和上海等一些大城市，随着民众和投资者急切地实现中国梦，房价已经比去年翻了一番。

       在美国，人们一般在结婚后才买房置业。同美国人不一样，在中国最近几年，有房子已成为结婚的先决条件。“我父母都认为房子很重要，他们宁愿我嫁给有房的男人。”28岁的北京广告销售人员魏娜（音译）说，“男人有房子会让你更有安全感，我想大多数女人都是这个想法。”

       尽管中国现在出现了越来越多的职业女性，但人们还是固守传统观念。男人扮演着养家糊口的角色而女性承担养育独生子女的责任。社会压力迫使中国单身女性寻找具备一定经济条件的伴侣。专家表示，在这样的市场条件下，手中有房意味着这个男人是成功的，重视家庭的，能够经受住经济环境风云变幻的。

       在去年搜狐网的一项调查中，73%的调查者表示拥有房子是结婚的必要条件，几乎相同数量的受访者表示他们在买房上存在困难。

       29岁的方敬（音译）在努力维持和女友的关系。他一直在说服女友和他一起买下上海一套25万美元的房子，这样明年他们就能结婚。

       “她没有马上同意，她仍希望我可以自己搞定。”方敬说道，“但在上海光靠一个人很难买得起房子。在这种重大问题上，男女必须平等。”

       前文提到的那位当语言老师和翻译，想和女朋友结婚的张老师，也承认必须开始为购房攒钱了，但他憎恶别人因为他买不起房就判断他的能力不行。“人们的价值观发生了变化，”小张说，“你是否人品好、脾气好、风趣幽默，这些都不重要。她们根本不关心，她们就关心你有没有房子。” （王文杰 译）