抵押貸款數額遠遠超過了房屋價值，再加上低廉的租金，這些因素少有的同時出現讓越來越多的家庭得出結論，新的美國夢就是租房住。

　　Thanks to a rare confluence of factors -- mortgages that far exceed home values and bargain-basement rents -- a growing number of families are concluding that the new American dream home is a rental.

　　有些人馬上就把房子和抵押貸款都拋在了一邊，也有些人只是停止繳納月供，直到銀行把他們從房子里踢出去。這樣，他們就釋放了現金，可以用在別的方面。

　　Some are leaving behind their homes and mortgages right away, while others are simply halting payments until the bank kicks them out. That's freeing up cash to use in other ways.

　　里奇的五口之家用其中一部分錢買了迪斯尼樂園的季票，并計劃明年3月份去墨西哥參加狂歡節之游。費爾南德茲則可以更多地請女友下館子吃飯。里奇說，我們省下很多錢。

　　Ms. Richey's family of five used some of the money to buy season tickets to Disneyland, and plans to take a Carnival cruise to Mexico in March. Mr. Fernandez takes his girlfriend out to dinner more frequently. 'We're saving lots of money,' Ms. Richey says.

　　美國的住房自有率創下了二十多年來的最大降幅，截至9月份已經從2004年的峰值69.2%降至67.6%。此外，還會出現更多租房住的人：信貸公司Experian和咨詢公司Oliver Wyman預測，那些有能力支付月供、卻選擇“戰略性違約”的房主2009年可能會超過100萬人，較2007年的水平高出3倍多。

　　The U.S home-ownership rate has charted its biggest decline in more than two decades, falling to 67.6% as of September from a peak of 69.2% in 2004. And more renters are on the way: Credit firm Experian and consulting firm Oliver Wyman forecast that 'strategic defaults' by homeowners who can afford to pay are likely to exceed one million in 2009, more than four times 2007's level.

　　違約對人們的信用不利，對銀行也不利。越來越多的違約可能也意味著納稅人會因救助銀行而蒙受更多的損失。

　　Stiffing the bank is bad for peoples' credit, and bad for banks. Swelling defaults could also mean more losses for taxpayers through bank bailouts.