美國特價開拍一人小鎮
The sole resident of one Wyoming town has called himself its owner, and mayor, for years. But now, for a relative bargain, you could take that title away from him. Don Sammons, the sole resident of the town of Buford, Wyoming, is putting his property, and hence entire town, up for auction at the starting price of $100,000, the Wyoming Times reports (h/t The Atlantic). The deal includes a U.S. zip code, a historic school building, a three-bedroom home and the town's only source of revenue, a gas station and convenience store called the Buford Trading Post.
比福德位於懷俄明州東南部山區，小鎮可以看到壯美的落基山脈風光，但冬季寒風凜冽。它是懷俄明州歷史第二悠久的小鎮，1866年建成，主要用途是保護在附近修建鐵路的工人。鎮上最多時有2000名居民，大部分是修建鐵路的外國勞工。爲此，鎮上1880年建起郵局。後來，小鎮以美國南北戰爭中北方軍陸軍將領約翰·比福德的名字正式命名。薩蒙斯現年61歲，是如今鎮上唯一居民，也是鎮長。他原本與妻子住在洛杉磯，1980年買下比福德並在此定居，享受慢節奏生活。薩蒙斯夫婦初到這裏時，鎮上有7名居民，負責看護經過附近的一條鐵路。上世紀90年代中期，這7個人陸續搬離小鎮。
Sammons purchased the town in 1992 with his wife and son, but after his wife passed away several years ago and his son moved out, he says it's about time to move away from what some say is among the smallest towns in the country. It may come as no surprise that one of the smallest towns in America is located in Wyoming — the state has the lowest population in the nation with an estimated 509,293 people, according to TIME.
薩蒙斯1992年買下包括加油站和便利店的“比福德商棧”，經營至去年年底。店裏貨品齊全，報紙雜誌、飲料、服裝等生活日用品應有盡有。16年前，薩蒙斯的妻子去世；4年前，他的兒子也搬到了科羅拉多州。兒子的離開讓比福德成爲有獨立郵政編碼（82052）的美國最小鎮。正是由於小鎮的特殊，美國媒體紛紛對它採訪報道，世界各地的人還給薩蒙斯寄信或發電子郵件。
In fact, Buford is a real bargain compared to many other towns that have recently gone up for sale. Even a medieval town in France, home now to "thieves, drunks and squatters" as well as some crumbling buildings, according to nearby residents, was put up for sale last month for the asking price of $436,370 — more than four times that of Buford's starting price.
薩蒙斯說，雖然鎮上只有他自己，但他並不感到孤獨。不過，他打算退休後遷居他處，因此計劃下月拍賣小鎮。出售的包括約4.05萬平方米土地、比福德商棧、郵局和無線信號塔、一樁建於1905年的校舍、一座小木屋、一個車庫和薩蒙斯自己居住的三居室房屋。感興趣的人可以登錄查詢。
