過去這周，歐洲熱爆了。6月24日是法國有記錄以來最熱的一天，全國平均氣溫達到30℃，巴黎高達40℃，多個城市更是超過40℃。全國86個省進入紅色或橙色高溫預警，數量位居歷史同期前列。

同一天，英國南部最高達到35.8℃，打破了1976年以來保持近50年的6月紀錄。英國氣象局連續發布極端高溫紅色預警。

在西班牙，本輪熱浪期更是創下1950年以來最高6月日平均氣溫，多地達到40℃以上，部分地區預測為44℃。

連曾經涼爽不太需要空調的德國、荷蘭、比利時也沒能逃過。柏林本周末預報接近40℃，那可是跟漠河緯度差不多的城市。以不靠譜著稱的德鐵甚至推出了新政策，允許旅客因高溫免費取消行程退票。

In Europe, summer often means opening the windows, pulling down the shutters and praying for a breeze.

Most years, that strategy works, but not this week, as Western Europe has just experienced a record-high heatwave. France recorded one of the hottest days in its history, with the national average temperature reaching around 30 degrees Celcius and many cities exceeding 40 degrees. Southern England saw its hottest June day in decades, while Spain continued to endure temperatures above 40 degrees.

Even cities such as Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin, traditionally known for relatively mild summers, found themselves under exceptional heat stress.

1. 歐洲噴泉里“長”滿了人

這么熱的天，歐洲人怎么辦呢?

答：乘涼基本靠蹭。歐洲城市雖小，倒是每個城市基本都配備了大噴泉，于是這些噴泉里迅速“長”滿了人。雖然乘涼效果一般，好在它免費，吸引了大批人駐足。

但是噴泉面積畢竟有限，一座城市也就那么小幾座，不可能承載城里數十萬甚至百萬的歐洲人民。

人民群眾的探索力是無窮的，超市里的凍肉、蔬菜怕壞，總會安上空調降降溫。于是大量的歐洲群眾擠到了超市和購物中心的空座里，那些帶冷庫的超市尤其受人歡迎，也算是大家沾上凍肉的光了。

本質上我們也是肉，蹭點凍肉的冷氣也是天經地義。

Fountains, usually places where tourists stop briefly to take photographs, suddenly became public cooling centers. Children splashed in the water while adults sat along the edges, trying to catch every bit of spray drifting through the air. The cooling effect was limited, but it was free, and during a heatwave, that alone was enough to attract crowds.

Shopping malls and supermarkets also became unofficial shelters. Many supermarkets maintain lower temperatures to preserve meat, dairy products and frozen food. During the hottest afternoons, benches inside shopping centers were occupied not only by shoppers but also by people who simply wanted to escape the heat for a while.

而且地鐵里也總有空調，畢竟要維護線路的正常運轉。于是這幾天在布魯塞爾等歐洲城市出現了“坐坐族”，趕在非高峰時段一條地鐵從頭坐到尾，換個方向接著坐，就為了享受那點涼氣。

2. 炎熱“事小”，裝空調事大

那么問題來了，歐洲人家里沒有空調嗎？

沒有。其中一個重要原因就是貴（）。下邊這款美的空調在亞馬遜上最低價1199歐，再加上900歐左右的安裝費、人工費以及許多額外的附加費用，加起來接近兩千多歐（約人民幣1.6萬），跟布魯塞爾月平均工資差不多。

這款空調在國內沒有上市，但3.5千瓦的美的空調在國內的平均價格，無論如何，也不會這么離譜。差價如此顯著，歐洲人民自然也對高價空調望而卻步。

For people accustomed to air conditioning, the question is obvious: Why don't Europeans just turn it on?

Cost is the first obstacle. Buying an air conditioner in Europe is far more expensive than many people in China would imagine. The unit itself is costly, but installation, labor and various service fees often nearly double the final bill. A household can easily spend more than 2,000 euros ($2,280) for a single installation, while in China a similar-capacity unit often costs only a fraction of that amount.

這樣的現象不止于空調產業，歐洲的工業品都很貴。隨便一輛平平無奇的自行車就是400歐以上，二手也得200多歐，助力車更是千歐以上。在中國絕跡多年的偷自行車業務，在歐洲竟然依然欣欣向榮。

自行車也好、電動車也好、空調也好、小朋友玩具也好，遵循的其實都是一個邏輯，歐洲去工業化進行得太徹底了。歐洲人已經很少有穿工裝的了，本地人更多投身于金融業。大家都當金融精英，結果就是歐洲工業占比一降再降，名稱里帶個“車”、帶個“機”的大部分都得進口，歐盟再收點稅，貴是正常的。

In a broader sense, industrial products in Europe are generally more expensive. Bicycles, household appliances and many everyday consumer goods all cost significantly more than comparable products in China. The reason is clear: much of Europe’s manufacturing capacity has gradually shifted elsewhere over recent decades, while services and finance have become increasingly important parts of the economy. Consumers ultimately bear those higher costs.

這張圖是德國工業產值占GDP的歷年比值。這么不重視工業，進口是必然的，只是這些成本最終都轉嫁給歐洲人民了，所以沒空調吹也成了必然。

3. 不安空調，與環保無關

價格昂貴之外，歐洲空調普及率低還有很多原因，繁瑣的手續也是一個原因。比如在比利時，一個住在公寓里的人要裝空調，那就得征得業主委員會的同意，因為空調外機是掛在公共外立面上的。

如果室外機從主路可見、明顯改變建筑外觀、位于保護建筑或歷史街區的話，那還需要跟當地市政府提出申請。以及，安裝位置不能靠近鄰居的窗戶，噪音不能影響鄰居……一般來說，一套手續走下來，炎熱的夏天也就過去了，也就忽然覺得又可以忍忍了。

But money is only part of the story, obtaining the legal certificates for installing an air conditioner is sometimes harder than buying one.

Many Europeans live in apartment buildings where the exterior walls belong to the entire building rather than individual residents, and hanging an outdoor compressor often requires approval from the building association. If the building is located in a historic district or protected area, additional permission from local authorities may also be necessary.

一直有一種聲音說，歐洲人民不裝空調是為了環保。

歐洲對環保的要求是十分苛刻的。比如下邊這個就是歐盟標準瓶蓋，歐盟要求所有3升以下的飲料瓶在打開后瓶蓋都必須與瓶身牢牢地連接在一起，因為歐盟的塑料瓶回收工作已經做的很好了，但瓶蓋往往丟了找不到。

Another explanation often offered is environmental protection, stressing that Europe cherishes the environment more than itself. Europe certainly takes environmental policies seriously. The attached bottle cap required under European Union rules has become one of the most visible examples. Instead of separating completely from the bottle, the cap remains connected after opening, reducing the likelihood that small plastic caps become litter.

但是另一方面，歐洲人民的不環保也是出了名的。基本上的日常溝通都要走紙質信件，實體郵箱兩天就需要清一次，要不就會被各種各樣的超市打折卡塞滿。

你沒看錯，在國內各種優惠卡都存在微信小程序里的今天，歐洲的優惠券還是實體的，要從信封里拆出來一本厚厚的雜志，再從雜志上剪下來自己的優惠券，請收銀員小心翼翼地收起來使用。

某種意義上，一個缺少空調卻裝滿了紙質信件的大樓才是歐洲的全貌：這里很追求秩序，也在努力的保障大家權益，但各種繁瑣的流程和死板的規則限制下，最后的結果十分形式主義。這個社會看似十分關注環境，甚至連一臺空調、一個瓶蓋都要死磕，卻對漫天飛舞的紙質信件視而不見。

The physical mailbox fills up every few days with supermarket advertisements, promotional catalogues and paper discount coupons. Instead of opening a mobile app and showing a digital coupon at checkout, many consumers still receive thick printed booklets through the mail, cut out the coupons manually and hand them to cashiers. Standing beside an overflowing mailbox after hearing constant discussions about sustainability inevitably raises an interesting question: How much paper does all this consume?

這種社會機制在承平時節是可以的，大家頂多苦笑一下。但面對危機時，這種低效且流于形式的歐洲機制就會失靈，它甚至連應對一場高溫都費勁，更別提災情、戰爭、地震等大的天災人禍了。

記者：張周項

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