How one German millennial chose to live on trains rather than pay rent
When others get off the train to finally go home, Leonie Müller stays behind. That's because she already is home: The train is her apartment, and she says she likes it that way.
当其他人都下火车回家时，莱奥妮·米勒（Leonie Müller）留了下来。因为她已经在家了：火车就是她的“公寓”，她说她很喜欢这种生活方式。
The German college student gave up her apartment in spring. "It all started with a dispute I had with my landlord," Müller told The Washington Post via e-mail. "I instantly decided I didn't want to live there anymore — and then I realized: Actually, I didn't want to live anywhere anymore."
这名德国大学生在春季时离开了居住的公寓。米勒通过电子邮件告诉《华盛顿邮报》（The Washington Post）：“这一切始于我与房东的一次争吵。我立马就决定，再也不住那儿了——然后我意识到：其实，我哪儿也不想住了。”
Instead, she bought a subscription that allows her to board every train in the country for free. Now, Müller washes her hair in the train bathroom and writes her college papers while traveling at a speed of up to 190 mph. She says that she enjoys the liberty she has experienced since she gave up her apartment. "I really feel at home on trains, and can visit so many more friends and cities. It's like being on vacation all the time," Müller said.
她选择订购搭乘国内火车的通票。如今，米勒在火车的洗手间里洗头，在时速高达190英里的火车旅行中写论文。米勒说，她很享受离开公寓之后的自由生活。“在火车上我真的找到了家的感觉，而且我能认识更多朋友，去更多城市，感觉就像一直在度假。”
The 23-year-old's unusual housing choice has gained her media attention in Germany and appeared on national news sites such as Spiegel Online. "I read, I write, I look out of the window and I meet nice people all the time. There's always something to do on trains," Müller told German TV station SWR in an interview. Since risking the move, Müller's life fits into a small backpack in which she carries clothes, her tablet computer, college documents and a sanitary bag.
这位23岁年轻人不寻常的住房选择吸引了德国媒体的关注，《明镜在线》（Spiegel Online）这样的全国性新闻网站也报道了她的故事。米勒在接受德国SWR电视台采访时表示：“我阅读、写作、看看窗外、总是遇到不错的人，在火车上一直有事可做。”自从选择了这一冒险，米勒的生活就被打包在一个小背包里，里面装有衣服、平板电脑、文件资料和一个清洁袋。
So far, her experience contradicts studies that have recently claimed that "long commutes are killing you." And financially, she benefits from living on a train: The flat-rate ticket costs her about $380, whereas she had to pay about $450 for her previous apartment. However, living cheaper is not the only goal she has in mind.
最近一项研究称“漫长的通勤时间正吞噬你的人生”，而目前来看，米勒的经历与这个研究结论是相悖的。而且从经济角度看，在火车上居住还是比较划算的：一张通票的价格是380美元，而她之前的公寓需要450美元。不过，降低生活成本并不是她的唯一目标。
"I want to inspire people to question their habits and the things they consider to be normal," Müller told The Post. "There are always more opportunities than one thinks there are. The next adventure is waiting just around the corner — provided that you want to find it."
米勒告诉《华盛顿邮报》，“我想要启发人们去质疑自己习以为常的习惯、事情。机会总比我们想的要多，只要你愿意去寻找，下次奇遇就在转角处。”
Müller frequently travels late at night, although she tries to sleep at the apartments of relatives or friends. Often, she is accommodated by her boyfriend, her mother or grandmother.
米勒经常在深夜旅行，不过她尽量会在亲戚或朋友家睡觉，通常她会在男友、母亲或祖母的家中留宿。
"Normally, we would have to have a long-distance relationship, but living on a train enables me to see him all the time," Müller told German TV station SWR regarding her boyfriend. "Most of my friends really like the idea, although some consider it to be quite adventurous. Others, however, have reacted more negatively: They feel offended by the fact that I question the ordinary way of life and living."
米勒在德国SWR电视台谈到她的男友时这样说道，“按理说我们俩是异地恋，但在火车上居住我就总能见到他。我的大多数朋友都觉得这个想法很赞，不过有些人觉得太冒险了，还有些人对此评价较为负面，我对大家习以为常的生活和居住方式的质疑冒犯了他们。”
Living on a train is also supposed to have an academic purpose: Müller is documenting the unusual experiment on a blog. Her final undergraduate paper will be based on her experiences as a modern train-nomad. The only problem? "Possessing a headset that mutes most surrounding noises is crucial," she said.
在火车上居住还有一个学术目的：米勒正在一个博客上记录这段不寻常的经历。她的本科毕业论文将以她的火车游历为主题。在火车上居住的唯一问题是什么？米勒说：“配备一副耳机以减弱周围的噪音是至关重要的。”
英文来源：华盛顿邮报
译者：Sapphire909
