Can a Boring City Become Cool—With a Little Help From Taylor Swift?


几十年来，这个制造业和贸易中心一直是出了名的“只知工作、不懂娱乐”。现在，新加坡正试图将自身定位为一个文化中心，并利用流行音乐演唱会来摆脱其古板的名声。


泰勒·斯威夫特在新加坡的演出场场爆满。在演唱会前的跟唱活动中，粉丝们热舞。

说到娱乐，新加坡政府可是非常认真的。 6park.com
When it comes to fun, Singapore’s government is super serious. 6park.com
   
几十年来，这个制造业和贸易中心一直是出了名的只知工作、不懂娱乐。最典型的例子是新加坡政府在20世纪90年代决定禁止销售口香糖，因为吃剩的口香糖曾卡在地铁车门处，导致地铁延误。有人调侃说，新加坡是“世界上唯一拥有联合国席位的购物中心”。 6park.com
For decades, the manufacturing and trading hub had been known for being a city that was all work and no play—epitomized by a government decision in the 1990s to ban the sale of chewing gum, after discarded pieces lodged between train doors and delayed the subway. One quip went that Singapore was “the world’s only shopping mall with a seat at the United Nations.” 6park.com
   
现在，新加坡正试图将自身定位为一个文化中心，并利用流行音乐会这一广受欢迎的工具来摆脱其古板的名声。 6park.com
Now Singapore is trying to shake off its staid reputation by positioning itself as a cultural hub and using a favored tool: pop concerts. 6park.com
   
这个城市国家已举办过知名乐队酷玩乐队(Coldplay)和创作歌手艾德·希兰(Ed Sheeran)等英国一线明星的演唱会。泰勒·斯威夫特(Taylor Swift)的演唱会是音乐史上最赚钱的巡回演唱会之一，她上周六结束了在新加坡国家体育场的六场演出，门票全部售罄。她的“时代巡回演唱会”(Eras Tour)在东亚只造访了两个国家，新加坡是其中之一。新加坡政府表示，举办斯威夫特演唱会是为了将新加坡打造成一个“有趣、充满活力的目的地”。 6park.com
The city-state has already hosted A-list British acts Coldplay and Ed Sheeran. Taylor Swift, as part of one of the most lucrative concert tours in music history, will end a run of six sold-out shows at Singapore’s National Stadium on Saturday. The city-state is one of two East Asian countries she is visiting on her “Eras Tour.” The goal of hosting Swift, Singapore’s government said, is to brand the city a “fun, vibrant destination.” 6park.com
    
他们可不是在开玩笑。 6park.com
They aren’t kidding.


新加坡是举办“时代巡回演唱会”的两个东亚国家之一。


泰勒·斯威夫特和酷玩乐队等演唱会是新加坡将该城市定位为文化中心的举措之一。

为了确保演唱会顺利进行，新加坡政府出手果断，专门拨出了一笔资金支持斯威夫特的巡演，具体金额不明。根据相关安排，斯威夫特没有在邻近的其他东南亚国家演出，这在该地区激起一些不满情绪。 6park.com
The city played hardball to secure the concerts, offering a grant of an undisclosed sum to support Swift’s tour. As part of the arrangement, Swift refrained from performing in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, stirring some frustration in the region. 6park.com
    
上周二，新加坡总理李显龙回击了认为新加坡“霸占”斯威夫特的批评。“事实证明，这是一次非常成功的安排，”他说，“我不认为这是不友好的。” 6park.com
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong pushed back on criticism that the wealthy city-state was hogging Swift. “It has turned out to be a very successful arrangement,” said Lee. “I don’t see that as being unfriendly.” 6park.com
   
新加坡以高效、清洁和低所得税率而闻名，但政府长期以来一直不懈努力，想要把这座城市变得更生动活泼一点，拿流行乐明星做文章是在这方面迈出的最新一步。几十年来，新加坡都表示，为了吸引全球人才以及预防移民，该国得效仿巴塞罗那等城市，成为众所周知的文化胜地。利雅得、奥斯陆等人们心目中有点乏味的许多其他富裕城市，同样已着手装点自己的文化氛围，改造城市的部分区域并建造华丽的艺术博物馆。 6park.com
Singapore’s pop-star push is the latest in a long-term effort to make a city known for its efficiency, cleanliness and low income taxes a little more lively. For decades, Singapore has said that to attract global talent and forestall emigration, it had to emulate cities like Barcelona and become known as a rich cultural destination. Many other wealthy cities with a reputation for being a bit boring—such as Riyadh and Oslo—have similarly embarked on efforts to spruce up their cultural offerings, redeveloping parts of the city and building splashy art museums. 6park.com
    
新加坡星展银行(DBS Bank)董事总经理兼首席经济学家Taimur Baig说：“已经有各种各样得到政府支持的娱乐方面尝试，我想总的来说都是成功的。”他提到了新加坡举办F1赛事之举，及其作为高端餐饮目的地的名声。“这增添了无形资产——这不再仅仅涉及税率。” 6park.com
“There has been a variety of state-supported entertainment endeavors that have been taken, and I guess by and large they’ve all been successful,” said Taimur Baig, managing director and chief economist at Singapore’s DBS Bank, citing the city’s hosting of Formula One racing and its reputation as a high-end dining destination. “It adds to the intangibles—it’s not just about tax rates anymore.” 6park.com
   
尽管如此，新加坡要想更为牢靠地跻身全球最酷城市行列，仍需跨越几道障碍。首先，当地经济的快速发展已使新加坡成为世界上租金最昂贵的城市之一，因此波希米亚主义颇难在此盛行。独立艺术家和音乐人往往住不起这里。 6park.com
Still, Singapore has a few obstacles to cementing its status among the world’s coolest cities. For one thing, the country’s rapid economic development has turned it into one of the most expensive cities in the world, making it hard for Bohemianism to bloom. Independent artists and musicians often can’t afford to live in the city.


游客参与“春到河畔”活动，这是新加坡农历新年庆祝活动之一。

新加坡的秩序井然是许多当地人和外籍人士欣赏之处，但也让这座城市背负着拘谨的名声。它缺乏柏林或纽约的粗狂魅力。喷绘涂鸦会被处以监禁和鞭笞。当邻国泰国推行大麻非刑罪化时，新加坡却警告称，出游归来者可能因为在海外使用毒品而在新加坡遭到起诉。 6park.com
The same orderliness that many locals and expats appreciate about the city also gives it a reputation for being uptight. It lacks the gritty appeal of Berlin or New York. Spray-painting graffiti carries a punishment of jail time and caning. When neighboring Thailand decriminalized marijuana, Singapore warned that returning visitors could be prosecuted in the city for using drugs overseas. 6park.com
   
驻泰国的电子商务专业人士Mike Michelini经常因为工作关系去新加坡。他说，这座城市非常安全，非常国际化，但也让人感到压抑。他提到关于嚼口香糖的规定。他还说：“这里很华美、很高档，但也很严格。” 6park.com
Mike Michelini, an e-commerce professional based in Thailand who travels to Singapore regularly for work, said the city is extremely safe and international but also feels repressive, noting the regulations on chewing gum. “It’s very fancy and high class, but so strict,” he said.  6park.com
   
在其他方面，这个保守国家的法规也有所放松。2023年，新加坡废除了一项将男性之间的性行为认定为犯罪的未执行法律，尽管与其他大多数亚洲国家一样，该国并不承认民事结合或同性婚姻。 6park.com
In other ways, the conservative country is loosening up a bit. In 2023, it got rid of an unenforced law that criminalized sex between men, though like most other Asian countries it doesn’t recognize civil unions or same-sex marriages. 6park.com
   
新加坡一家营销机构的澳大利亚籍董事总经理Kim Lovely回忆说，2002年她第一次搬到新加坡时，新加坡还是众所周知的“罚款之国”。这里指人们会因为喂养鸽子之类的野生鸟类等不寻常违规行为而受到处罚威胁。她说，随着新加坡成为文化旅游目的地，人们对这座城市的看法正发生变化。她说，较近一代的领导人“具有商业头脑，一直在一点一点地悄然消除新加坡因循守旧、喜欢控制的氛围”。 6park.com
Kim Lovely, an Australian managing director of a Singapore-based marketing agency, recalled that when she first moved to Singapore in 2002 it was widely known as a “fine country”—meaning people were threatened with penalties for unusual infractions, like feeding wild birds such as pigeons. Perceptions of the city are changing, she said, as it becomes a cultural destination. The more recent crop of leaders “are commercially astute and have been quietly chipping away at Singapore’s uptight, controlling nature,” she said.


泰勒·斯威夫特的歌迷在新加坡国家体育场演唱会前排队购买周边商品。

随着一些地区竞争对手走下坡路，新加坡的声誉也在上升。香港是“亚洲金融之都”这一名号的主要竞争对手，以壮观的海港景色、纵情享乐的游船之旅和各式各样的点心闻名遐迩，但在中共政府加强对香港的控制后，香港的外籍人士大量出走。以丰富多彩的街头生活着称的曼谷，在泰国军事政变和随之而来的抗议活动导致机能失常后的这十年里已落后于其他城市。 6park.com
Singapore’s reputation has also risen as some regional competitors have lost ground. The city’s main rival for the title of Asia’s financial capital, Hong Kong—known for its dramatic harbor views, hedonistic boat cruises and dim sum feasts—has suffered an exodus of expats after China’s Communist government moved to exert greater control over the city. Bangkok, known for its colorful street life, has fallen behind in the decade since a military coup and ensuing protests caused dysfunction in Thailand. 6park.com
    
新加坡政府决心抓住这个时机，巩固自身作为亚洲主要文化目的地的地位。将近一年半以前，新加坡政府从一名私营合作伙伴那里接管了一个大型体育娱乐综合体，原因是认定该综合体所办活动和节目的质量和数量都没有达到预期。 6park.com
Singapore’s government is determined to seize the moment and secure its position as a leading cultural destination in Asia. Almost a year and a half ago, Singapore’s government took control of a massive sporting and entertainment complex from a private partner, after determining that “the quality and volume of its calendar of events and programming fell short of what we had envisaged.”


今年，该城市国家已举办过英国酷玩乐队的演唱会。

现在，新加坡政府牢牢控制着拥有5.5万个座位的国家体育场，并尝试吸引大牌明星来该国演出，包括在斯威夫特的“时代巡回演唱会”日期确定之前与她的团队会面。一位新加坡官员告诉当地媒体《海峡时报》(The Straits Times)，新加坡政府提出的要求之一是，斯威夫特在巡演的尾声来到新加坡，这样如果购票需求旺盛，她的停留时间可以延长。在新加坡有多少人愿意掏钱买票的情况明了后，斯威夫特在新加坡预定停留时间由三天延长到了六天。 6park.com
With the government now firmly in control of the National Stadium, a 55,000-seat venue, it sought to attract big-name acts to the country, including meeting with Swift’s team before her “Eras Tour” dates were set. One of the asks by Singapore’s government was that she come to Singapore at the tail-end of a tour leg, so her stay could be extended if there was sufficient ticketing demand, a Singapore official told the Straits Times, a local publication. That decision meant that the three dates she booked in Singapore were extended to six when it became clear how many people in the region were willing to shell out for a ticket.  6park.com
    
除了举办大型活动，新加坡还通过其他方式宣传本国吸引力。该国政府为2018年大卖电影《摘金奇缘》(Crazy Rich Asians)的制作提供了支持，该片以新加坡的美食广场和郁郁葱葱的花园景观为背景。此后，新加坡政府又宣布设立一只基金，为在该国取景的电影提供资金支持。 6park.com
Aside from big events, the country has sought to promote Singapore cool in other ways. The government provided support to the production of 2018’s breakout hit film “Crazy Rich Asians,” which was set in Singapore’s delectable dining courts and lush garden landscapes. The government has since announced a fund to provide financial support for films set in Singapore.


2018年上映的电影《摘金奇缘》的制作得到了新加坡政府的支持。

新加坡先锋派艺术圈的许多人都说，这座城市已不再缺乏创新、墨守成规。Stephanie Chan是一位新加坡口语诗人和活动组织者。学生时代的她觉得自己与同学们兴趣不同，2005年，18岁的她离开新加坡去了美国和英国。十年前，受到独立艺术不断发展的鼓舞，她回到了新加坡。她平时会组织口语诗、喜剧和变装活动，她说这些活动越来越受欢迎。 6park.com
Many in Singapore’s artistic vanguard say the city has become less sterile and predictable. Stephanie Chan, a Singaporean spoken-word poet and event organizer, left Singapore for the U.S. and the U.K. in 2005, when she was 18, after feeling like she didn’t share the same interests as her classmates. She came home a decade ago, encouraged by the growing independent art scene. She organizes spoken-word, comedy and drag events, which she says have become more popular. 6park.com
    
新冠疫情期间，她从新加坡政府获得了7,500美元资助，将自己的四首诗歌拍成了一部短片。她说，在以英语为通用语言的新加坡，当地人和外国人之间没有语言障碍，因此喜剧表演的观众可以来自五湖四海，这使得新加坡的喜剧表演更有活力。 6park.com
During the pandemic, she received a $7,500 grant from the Singapore government to turn four of her poems into a short film. She says Singapore, where English is the lingua franca, has extra vibrancy because there is no language barrier between locals and expats, allowing blended audiences for comedy shows. 6park.com
   
她说：“我们有自己的幽默风格，但由于诸如Netflix这样的平台，我们对来自其他地方的幽默和喜剧也持非常开放的态度。” 6park.com
“We have our own style of humor but are also very open, because of Netflix and all that, to humor and comedy from elsewhere,” she said. 6park.com
    
Amanda Lee Koe是一名新加坡小说家，她旅居纽约、柏林和新加坡三地。她说，新加坡对艺术家和艺术的看法已发生了积极转变，但她提醒说，在新加坡艺术中占有重要地位的酷儿群体仍面临歧视。 6park.com
Amanda Lee Koe, a Singaporean novelist who splits her time between New York, Berlin and Singapore, said there has been a positive shift in terms of how artists and the arts are viewed in Singapore, but cautioned that the queer community, which is well-represented in Singaporean arts, still faces discrimination.  6park.com
   
她说：“从长远来看，新加坡不能只想着传递充满文化活力的光鲜形象，必须真正做到言行一致，信任自己的公民，并接受进步的价值观。” 6park.com
“In the long run, Singapore can’t just want to transmit a shiny image of cultural vibrancy; it has to actually walk the talk, trust its citizens and embrace progressive values,” she said.


2018年新加坡国庆庆祝活动期间，烟花照亮了新加坡的天际线。