越來越多的美國人或租或買野營車大綱

THIS summer 20m or so Americans have hit the road in motor homes or towable caravans. El Monte RV, a National recreational-vehicle rental chain, observes that rentals are up about 40% year on year so far for 2012, with the strongest growth in the north-east. The manager at the El Monte branch in Linden, New Jersey is seeing double-digit growth over last year. RV sales are up, too. According to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), a trade group, wholesale shipments have increased 5% over 2010 and are expected to grow another 7% by the end of the year.
今年夏天，大約有兩千萬美國人開着房車或者拉着拖車上了路。全美休閒車出租連鎖公司艾爾蒙特休閒車租賃發現，2012年車輛出租數量比去年同比增長了40%，其中，東北地區增長最高。艾爾蒙特位於新澤西州林登市的分公司經理正在見證兩位數的同比增長。同時，休閒車的銷售額也有所上漲。據美國房車工業協會（RVIA，一家貿易集團）透露，去年批發供貨量比2010年提高了5%，預計今年再漲7%。

RVs sell for as little as $5,000 for a caravan to $1.5m and higher for a deluxe motor home. More than 90% of them are made in the United States and more than 80% in a single county in Indiana. James Ashurst of RVIA sees the RV market as a sort of bellwether of the American economy. In 2009 it was hard to shift the things; but now, says Andy Heck, a dealer at Alpin Haus in Amsterdam, New York, "Growth in sales is a good sign that credit is opening up."
在艾爾蒙特休閒車租賃，一輛休閒車只賣5000美元，拖車卻要150萬美元，豪華房車賣的更貴。這些車90%以上是產於美國，其中有80%以上都產自印第安納州的一個縣城。RVIA的詹姆斯•艾舍斯特（James Ashurst）認爲休閒車租賃市場是美國經濟的一隻領頭羊。紐約州阿姆斯特丹市Alpin Haus的經銷商安迪•赫克（Andy Heck）稱，在2009年作買賣相當困難，但是現在，"銷售業績增長是建立信譽的好兆頭。"

Affordability and flexibility are the main attractions. Most Americans get only two weeks of annual holiday and find it hard to escape work. Many prefer to go away for several long weekends, so do not stray far from home; RV-drivers often stay within 200 miles of it. Some even commute to work from campsites. The average rental cost is about $1,200 a week, potentially much cheaper than a hotel, especially for families.
房車兩大主要賣點是價格合理，用途廣泛。大多數美國人的年假都只有兩個星期，要想借此逃離工作可不是那麼簡單。因此，很多人都選擇出去度一個長週末[1]，這樣就不會離家太遠；開休閒車就能把離家範圍控制在200英里之內。甚至還有些人乾脆就往返於工作和營地。租一輛房車一週大概只要1200美元，可能比住賓館便宜很多，如果是全家一起出遊，更爲划算。

And they are not just for holidays. Parents use RVs to haul children to matches. American football fans and NASCAR supporters use them for "tailgating", pre-game parties held in stadium car parks. Still, surveys show that "seeing America" is one of the most important reasons for buying one. The National Parks Service has seen a slight jump in RV campers at its sites over the year to June. Just beware getting stuck behind one on a picturesque mountain road.
休閒車不僅適用於假期，平時也一樣。家長可以開着休閒車帶孩子們去看比賽。橄欖球球迷和全美賽車協會的粉絲可以開車追逐每一場比賽，還可以在體育館停車場開上幾場賽前派對。但仍有調查表明，購買休閒車最重要的理由之一還是"走遍全美"。截至今年6月，在各大國家公園，休閒車野營者的接待數量有小幅度上漲。只用提防被房車堵在風景如畫的山路之中就夠了。