过去这周，欧洲热爆了。6月24日是法国有记录以来最热的一天，全国平均气温达到30℃，巴黎高达40℃，多个城市更是超过40℃。全国86个省进入红色或橙色高温预警，数量位居历史同期前列。
同一天，英国南部最高达到35.8℃，打破了1976年以来保持近50年的6月纪录。英国气象局连续发布极端高温红色预警。
在西班牙，本轮热浪期更是创下1950年以来最高6月日平均气温，多地达到40℃以上，部分地区预测为44℃。
连曾经凉爽不太需要空调的德国、荷兰、比利时也没能逃过。柏林本周末预报接近40℃，那可是跟漠河纬度差不多的城市。以不靠谱著称的德铁甚至推出了新政策，允许旅客因高温免费取消行程退票。
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. 欧洲喷泉里“长”满了人
这么热的天，欧洲人怎么办呢?
答：乘凉基本靠蹭。欧洲城市虽小，倒是每个城市基本都配备了大喷泉，于是这些喷泉里迅速“长”满了人。虽然乘凉效果一般，好在它免费，吸引了大批人驻足。
但是喷泉面积毕竟有限，一座城市也就那么小几座，不可能承载城里数十万甚至百万的欧洲人民。
人民群众的探索力是无穷的，超市里的冻肉、蔬菜怕坏，总会安上空调降降温。于是大量的欧洲群众挤到了超市和购物中心的空座里，那些带冷库的超市尤其受人欢迎，也算是大家沾上冻肉的光了。
本质上我们也是肉，蹭点冻肉的冷气也是天经地义。
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.
而且地铁里也总有空调，毕竟要维护线路的正常运转。于是这几天在布鲁塞尔等欧洲城市出现了“坐坐族”，赶在非高峰时段一条地铁从头坐到尾，换个方向接着坐，就为了享受那点凉气。
2. 炎热“事小”，装空调事大
那么问题来了，欧洲人家里没有空调吗？
没有。其中一个重要原因就是贵（）。下边这款美的空调在亚马逊上最低价1199欧，再加上900欧左右的安装费、人工费以及许多额外的附加费用，加起来接近两千多欧（约人民币1.6万），跟布鲁塞尔月平均工资差不多。
这款空调在国内没有上市，但3.5千瓦的美的空调在国内的平均价格，无论如何，也不会这么离谱。差价如此显著，欧洲人民自然也对高价空调望而却步。
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.
这样的现象不止于空调产业，欧洲的工业品都很贵。随便一辆平平无奇的自行车就是400欧以上，二手也得200多欧，助力车更是千欧以上。在中国绝迹多年的偷自行车业务，在欧洲竟然依然欣欣向荣。
自行车也好、电动车也好、空调也好、小朋友玩具也好，遵循的其实都是一个逻辑，欧洲去工业化进行得太彻底了。欧洲人已经很少有穿工装的了，本地人更多投身于金融业。大家都当金融精英，结果就是欧洲工业占比一降再降，名称里带个“车”、带个“机”的大部分都得进口，欧盟再收点税，贵是正常的。
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.
这张图是德国工业产值占GDP的历年比值。这么不重视工业，进口是必然的，只是这些成本最终都转嫁给欧洲人民了，所以没空调吹也成了必然。
3. 不安空调，与环保无关
价格昂贵之外，欧洲空调普及率低还有很多原因，繁琐的手续也是一个原因。比如在比利时，一个住在公寓里的人要装空调，那就得征得业主委员会的同意，因为空调外机是挂在公共外立面上的。
如果室外机从主路可见、明显改变建筑外观、位于保护建筑或历史街区的话，那还需要跟当地市政府提出申请。以及，安装位置不能靠近邻居的窗户，噪音不能影响邻居……一般来说，一套手续走下来，炎热的夏天也就过去了，也就忽然觉得又可以忍忍了。
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.
一直有一种声音说，欧洲人民不装空调是为了环保。
欧洲对环保的要求是十分苛刻的。比如下边这个就是欧盟标准瓶盖，欧盟要求所有3升以下的饮料瓶在打开后瓶盖都必须与瓶身牢牢地连接在一起，因为欧盟的塑料瓶回收工作已经做的很好了，但瓶盖往往丢了找不到。
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，欧洲人民的不环保也是出了名的。基本上的日常沟通都要走纸质信件，实体邮箱两天就需要清一次，要不就会被各种各样的超市打折卡塞满。
你没看错，在国内各种优惠卡都存在微信小程序里的今天，欧洲的优惠券还是实体的，要从信封里拆出来一本厚厚的杂志，再从杂志上剪下来自己的优惠券，请收银员小心翼翼地收起来使用。
某种意义上，一个缺少空调却装满了纸质信件的大楼才是欧洲的全貌：这里很追求秩序，也在努力的保障大家权益，但各种繁琐的流程和死板的规则限制下，最后的结果十分形式主义。这个社会看似十分关注环境，甚至连一台空调、一个瓶盖都要死磕，却对漫天飞舞的纸质信件视而不见。
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?
这种社会机制在承平时节是可以的，大家顶多苦笑一下。但面对危机时，这种低效且流于形式的欧洲机制就会失灵，它甚至连应对一场高温都费劲，更别提灾情、战争、地震等大的天灾人祸了。
记者：张周项
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