Dubai has seen some truly astonishing urban growth in the last 30 years. Although the city has long been an important port and trading hub, Dubai managed to become a modern metropolis and the most expensive city in the Middle East. Oil money and heavy investment in real estate have seen columns of skyscrapers erected throughout the city, and some of the most lavish construction projects conceivable are making their stake (or at least they will be when building work is finally finished) in this new economic and tourist hotspot. The dazzling city has had some outlandish rumours attached to it in recent years and, remarkably, some of them happen to be true.
近30年来，迪拜的城市发展非常惊人。虽然迪拜原本就是一个至关重要的通商港口中心，但它依然努力成长为一个现代化的大都市和中东最奢靡的城市。不动产中的石油收入以及大量的投资使得一幢幢高楼大厦拔地而起。人们想象中最为奢华的建筑工程正在这个新的经济旅游热区崛起（起码竣工时他们会屹立在这块土地上）。然而近几年来，一些与这个令人心驰神往的城市并存的怪异传言让人困惑不已，值得注意的是，谣言当中的一部分却是事实。

10.The Police Drive Around in Sports Cars
10.警察开着跑车巡逻

Dubai really likes to make an impression, even when it comes to outfitting its local police force. The city's top of the range fleet of police cars includes McLarens, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Bentleys and Ferraris. Painted in the city's white and green colours, the cars make for a startling sight as they patrol some of Dubai's many highways in pursuit of speeding lawbreakers. However, the vehicles act mainly as a deterrent for would-be speedsters and they are typically found patrolling tourist areas where officers issue tickets for parking and other lesser motoring offences.
迪拜的奢华总能让人大吃一惊，即便是当地警察的装备也能让人目瞠口呆。迪拜警车的顶级车队包括麦克拉伦、兰博基尼、阿斯顿·马丁、宾利和法拉利。警方在高速公路上追捕违法的超速驾驶者时，这些豪车成为了这个城市的白领与绿领中的一道靓丽风景线。然而，这些豪车的主要职能还是为了给那些蠢蠢欲动想要超速违章驾驶的人敲敲警钟，它们通常出现在警察给违规停车开罚单和其他较少出现违章驾驶情况的旅游区巡逻时。

9.There are Gold Vending Machines
9.自动售货机可以买到金条

Nothing says 'disposable income' like buying gold from a vending machine. The 'Gold to Go' machines dispense gold items – bars, jewellery, customised coins – in exchange for market value prices (the machines have an Internet connection and their prices are updated every ten minutes). Some of the gold items come in attractive gift boxes and all are dispensed with a certificate and an anti-counterfeit hologram label. Although Dubai isn't the only place in the world to house Gold to Go machines, these gold-leafed novelties feel right at home in the over-the-top indulgence of the city.
从自动售货机里购买金条是作为可支配收入的最佳选择。这种自动售货机可提供金器贩卖——金条、珠宝以及客户定制的硬币，售卖方式是以市场价等价交换（机器配有互联网连接，每十分钟更新一次价格）。所有金器出售时都带有证书以及反假全息图标签，其中一些金器还会以精美的礼品盒包装好。迪拜并不是世界上唯一拥有黄金贩卖机的城市，但这些装饰着金叶子的纪念品总能让人在这个纸醉金迷的城市里有宾至如归的感觉。

8.Its Founding Father was Sceptical of the City's Long-term Plans
8.国家领导对城市的长远发展持怀疑态度

Economists are eyeing the prosperous situation in Dubai with scepticism. The city was rocked by the 2008 global recession and its real estate projects stagnated as investors and financial institutions held back from pouring in more money. Although construction projects have resumed in recent years and the city's excesses are nothing like their pre-crash levels, some say the supply and demand of the real estate market in particular is very risky. A famous quote attributed to Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum – who ruled Dubai for 32 years from 1958 until 1990 – was: "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel". The famous line referred to Dubai's reliance on oil and the city's need to transform its infrastructure and economy. However, it proved to be a prescient warning when the bubble was at risk of bursting completely in 2008 and Dubai's financial outlook appeared to be very grim. Although Dubai is less reliant on oil trade and now primarily depends on commerce, tourism and other services, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for its economy and if it has learned anything from the 2008 crash.
经济学家对迪拜的繁荣景象持怀疑态度。这座城市因2008年的经济衰退而受重创，当投资者和金融机构不再向房地产项目扔钱的时候，这些项目也大都停滞了。尽管近几年建筑项目有所复苏，但他们的经济实力却回不到经济衰退前的水平了，有人称房地产市场的供给与需求尤其处在危险当中。酋长谢赫·拉希德·本·赛义德曾经说过一句很著名的话——他自从1958年就开始治理迪拜，直到1990年，共计32年。那句话是"我的祖父骑着一只骆驼，我的父亲骑着一只骆驼，我开着一辆梅赛德斯奔驰汽车，我的儿子开着一辆路虎，我的祖孙应该开着一辆路虎，而他却骑着一只骆驼。"这句话说的正是迪拜高度依赖石油的经济现状以及它面临的基础设施的紧缺和经济转型的问题。没想到，这句话竟然是2008年经济泡沫存在彻底爆炸的风险的提前预警，那时候迪拜的金融状况也不容乐观。尽管如今迪拜已经减少了对石油贸易的依赖，其当前经济来源也主要依靠商业，旅游业和其他服务业。如果迪拜已经从2008年的金融危机当中有所收获和启发，那么观望迪拜未来的经济发展将会是一件有趣的事情。

7.It was Once Home to 25% of the World's Cranes
7.迪拜曾经是世界上25%的起重机的家园

During the city's pre-2008 property boom, Dubai was dubbed the crane capital of the world. The skyline was peppered with huge towering cranes as construction projects ran riot throughout the city. The statistic – which amounted to around 30,000 of the world's 125,000 cranes – was a startling indication to just how much construction and expansion was being carried out in the city before the financial crash. With the economy back on the rise and with more projects underway, cranes and other construction machinery are making their mark in Dubai yet again, but it is doubtful they will reach the same ubiquitous levels as they did in the past.
在2008年前城市房地产的繁荣时期，迪拜被称为世界起重机之都。建筑工程在迪拜遍地开花的时候，城市的半空中满是巨大而又高耸的起重机的身影。有数据显示，世界上12万五千台起重机里大约有3万台都出现在这里，这都告诉我们在金融危机之前迪拜的建筑工程和其扩展程度是多么惊人。经济复苏之后，更多的项目也被投入建设，起重机和其他的建设机器又重新成为了迪拜的一道风景线，但能不能回到过去那种起重机无所不在的时光，倒真的要打一个大大的问号了。

6.The United Arab Emirates has Ridiculously Strict Drug Laws
6.阿联酋有着非常严格的禁毒法案

The UAE has a zero tolerance policy on drugs. Serious drug trafficking charges are punishable by death and even residual traces of illegal narcotics can result in a lengthy spell in prison. In fact, the UAE even considers the presence of illegal drugs in a person's blood stream as a count of possession. Unfortunately, some tourists in Dubai have found out the hard way just how seriously the country takes drug-related offences. A Swiss tourist received a 4 year sentence when police allegedly found poppy seeds on his clothing and a Briton received the same sentence when less than 0.003g of cannabis was found in the tread of his shoe at Dubai airport. In 2013, three British tourists were pardoned from their 4 year drug sentence in a Dubai prison after 3 months. The men alleged that they had been tortured, tasered and beaten throughout their sentencing process in Dubai.
阿联酋对毒品持零容忍态度。严重的贩毒指控可能判处死刑，即使是非法毒品的残存痕迹也将判处多年监禁。实际上，阿联酋甚至考虑将血液中是否含有毒品作为涉毒的参考。不巧，一些去迪拜的旅行者用自身惨痛经历发现了这个国家对待与毒品相关的罪行有多么严肃。一个瑞士旅行者的衣服上被警察发现有罂粟籽后被判刑四年，而一个英国人在迪拜机场中被检测出鞋底有不足0.003克的大麻后被判同等刑罚。2013年，3个英国游客在迪拜监狱待了3个月后从4年刑期中被赦免，他们声称自己在迪拜的量刑过程中经受了虐待、电击以及殴打等折磨。

审校：喵喵 编辑：凯珊 来源：前十网