紐約如何提升訪客體驗 Three ways New York could help visitors love the city even more

It is 42 years since, as a teenage exchange student, I emerged from the Port Authority bus terminal and looked at New York in wonder. The city thrilled me then, and after many visits — six in the past 18 months alone — it still does.

42年以前，作爲一個十幾歲的交換生，我站在紐新航港局(Port Authority)客運總站，驚奇地打量着紐約。當時，這座城市讓我興奮不已，在多次到訪過這座城市之後（僅過去18個月我就來過6次），這座城市依然給我同樣的感覺。

People complain that New York, like many large cities, has become too expensive for most, including the creative types who gave it its edge. Those who have lost out — the derelict, the homeless — are distressingly visible, but New York at least feels safe, which is a remarkable change for those who knew it in earlier decades.

人們抱怨，像許多大城市一樣，紐約的居住成本對大多數人而言已經變得過於昂貴，包括對於那些賦予這座城市其獨特優勢的創意人士。讓人不安的是，城市各處依然能夠見到那些社會邊緣人——乞丐和無家可歸者，不過，眼下的紐約至少讓人感到安全，對於那些早幾十年到過紐約的人而言，這是個顯著的變化。

And, whatever some locals say, it still feels wonderfully vibrant: the art, the theatre, the excellence of neighbourhood restaurants, the sense of possibility as you step on to the street each day.

而且，不管一些本地人怎麼說，紐約依然給人一種生機勃勃的感覺：藝術、劇院、極好的本地餐廳，每一天你踏上紐約的街道時都會感受到的那種一切皆有可能的感覺。

Many visitors feel the same, and the city last month produced figures to prove it. An estimated 58.3m people visited New York last year, up 1.8m on 2014, Bill de Blasio, the mayor, said. Both domestic tourist numbers, at 46m, and foreign visitors, at 12.3m, reached all-time highs.

很多來訪者也有同感，1月這個城市用數據證明了這一點。紐約市長白思豪(Bill de Blasio)表示，據估計紐約去年接待旅客5830萬人，比2014年增加了180萬人。其中國內旅客達4600萬人，國外旅客爲1230萬人，都創下了歷史新高。

This year, though, will be tougher. “With the continuing pressure on the global economy and the strengthening dollar, we will need to work even harder in 2016,” NYC & Company, the city’s marketing body, said.

然而，今年的形勢要嚴峻一些。“隨着全球經濟持續承受壓力，美元走強，我們需要在2016年更加努力地工作，”紐約市官方營銷機構NYC & Company表示。

So what can New York do to make its visitors happier?

那麼，紐約能做些什麼以讓來訪者更滿意呢？

I am not going to moan about JFK. It takes decades to improve airports, at least in democratic countries. Nor do I have a problem with the taxi drivers. Contrary to myth, I have never found one who does not speak English.

我不打算抱怨肯尼迪國際機場(JFK)。要改善機場，至少在民主國家，需要數十年時間。我對紐約出租車司機也沒有意見。和普遍的說法不同，我從來沒有遇到一個不會說英語的司機。

The first improvement New York needs is in its hotels. The city has some of the worst I have ever stayed in.

紐約首先要改善的是酒店。紐約的一些酒店堪稱我住過的酒店裏面最差的。

Arriving at one, where rooms cost more than $300 a night, I spent time poking around before calling the front desk to say I could not find the closet. My room didn’t have one, came the reply. Where was I supposed to hang my clothes? There was a chest of drawers.

有一次我住了一家一晚房價超過300美元的酒店，到了房間裏以後，我四處尋找也沒有找到衣櫃，然後打電話給前臺。回覆是，我的房間本來就沒有衣櫃。那我的衣服該掛在哪裏呢？有個抽屜櫃。

After complaining that I needed a hanging space to unrumple my suit and had never come across a hotel without one, I was moved to a room with a closet — and a window jammed open, in midwinter.

我說我需要一個掛衣服的地方，否則我的西服會皺，而且我從來沒遇到過哪家酒店不配衣櫃，於是店方給我換了一個有衣櫃的房間，可是那間房的窗戶卡在了打開狀態，而且時值隆冬。

Another tantrum produced an apology and a move to a capacious suite. Leaving it the next morning, I waited for the familiar door-clunk. Failing to hear it, I investigated. The lock had been jemmied out.

我又發了一頓脾氣，店方向我道了歉，然後給我換了一間寬敞的套房。第二天早上離開客房時，我等着聽房門鎖上的熟悉響聲，結果始終沒有聽到，查看一番發現，門鎖已經被撬掉了。

You may have your favourite boutique hotel. I have now found mine — a book-lined bibliophile’s delight — but looking at this year’s room rates, I expect the expenses people at the Financial Times will start objecting.

你可能有你自己最喜歡的精品酒店。我已經找到我的了——一家會讓愛書人感到愉悅的書籍風格的酒店。不過，看看今年的房間價格，我估計英國《金融時報》負責報銷的同事應該會拒絕爲我報銷了。

Sean Hennessey, a tourism specialist at NYU School of Professional Studies, told me there was a construction surge of reliable mid-quality properties, and I should look at the Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn or Courtyard hotel chains.

紐約大學職業研究學院(NYU School of Professional Studies)的旅遊業專家肖恩亨尼西(Sean Hennessey)告訴我，紐約近來建了不少品質可靠的中檔物業，我應該看看漢普敦酒店(Hampton Inn)、希爾頓花園酒店(Hilton Garden Inn)和萬怡酒店(Courtyard)這些連鎖酒店。

My second suggested improvement is breakfast, particularly in hotels. While we have learnt to love food from all over the world for lunch and dinner, breakfast remains culturally specific. That is why Asian hotels offer a choice of local or western.

我建議紐約提升的第二項是早餐，尤其是酒店裏的早餐。儘管我們已經學會在午餐和晚餐的時候欣然接受來自世界各地的食品，早餐依然具有文化上的特殊性。這就是爲什麼亞洲的酒店會提供當地早餐和西式早餐兩種選擇。

I am not suggesting New York’s hotels do the same, although, as China is now the city’s fastest-growing source of visitors, they might consider it; nor am I suggesting they offer full English breakfasts, even though the UK sends more tourists to New York than any other country. I am just, in these health-conscious times, asking for cereals and baked goods that are less sugary.

我不是在建議紐約的酒店如法炮製，儘管由於中國是紐約增長最快的遊客來源地，紐約的酒店可能會考慮這樣做；我也不是在建議他們提供全套英式早餐，儘管英國向紐約輸送的旅客比其他任何國家都多。在這個人們更關注健康的時代，我只是希望酒店能夠提供含糖量更少的麥片和麪包類食品。

My third suggested improvement is to the subway. It is a magnificent system. It is extensive, it runs through the night and, while the stations are dank and gloomy, the trains are air-conditioned and clean. The problem with the subway is that it is incomprehensible. Lines have three or four different services. It took me several trips hurtling towards, I feared, the Canadian border to work out the difference between local and express.

我建議紐約改善的第三項是地鐵。紐約地鐵是個了不起的系統。它覆蓋很廣，而且24小時運營。儘管站臺昏暗無光，列車還是安裝了空調且比較乾淨的。紐約地鐵的問題在於太複雜。同一條線路上有快車(express)、慢車(local)等三四種不同的服務。有過好幾次差點坐到了加拿大的經歷之後，我才終於搞清楚了慢車和快車的區別。

Some carriages have lighted maps showing where you are; others do not. It is hard to see which exit to use. There are signs that say: “To Metropolitan Av weekdays & eves. Other times take F to Delancey St for J.”

一些車廂有亮着指示燈的地圖，顯示你所在的位置；另一些車廂則沒有。很難搞明白該走哪個出口。有一個指示標是這樣寫的：“週一到週五、新年和聖誕前夜通往大都會大街(Metropolitan Av)。其他時間乘坐F線到德蘭西街(Delancey St)轉J線。”

I suspect native New Yorkers take a secret delight in everyone else’s befuddlement. It is like being able to do a cryptic crossword or understand the rules of cricket. Clearer signs would help preserve those tourism jobs. Just a suggestion. From a friend.

我懷疑紐約本地人看到外地人摸不着頭腦的樣子會偷着樂。這就像是你會填一個加密的字謎或者瞭解板球的規則一樣。更清晰的標識會有助於紐約保住旅遊業的就業崗位。這只是我的友情建議。