原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://www.ltaaa.com 翻譯：mini才怪 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處

In the last year, I’ve spent more time in China than probably the past 2 decades combined. Some of this time was spent as a tourist and some as a Beijinger returning to my childhood home. Either way, I feel like I’ve gained a much deeper understanding and appreciation for my birth country.

去年，我在中國呆的時(shí)間比過去20年加起來還要多。有些時(shí)候是作為一個(gè)游客度過的，有些時(shí)候是作為一個(gè)北京人回到我童年的家。不管怎樣，我覺得我對(duì)我的祖國有了更深的理解。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://top-shui.cn 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處



I feel like China gets a bad rep in the travelsphere. A lot of people are either scared to go or have no interest in visiting at all. Traveling to China can be quite a culture shock. It can seem like such an advanced society and yet so socially backwards. I can even admit that a lot of aspects of China intimidate me.

我感覺中國在旅游領(lǐng)域的名聲不太好。許多人要么害怕去，要么根本不想去。到中國旅游可能會(huì)感受到相當(dāng)大的文化沖擊。它看起來像是很先進(jìn)，又很落后。我甚至可以承認(rèn)，中國的很多方面都讓我感到害怕。

Even after all my trips there, I’m still learning about this country and how I fit into it now as a kid grown up in America. Some of these lessons will apply to other travelers hoping to visit China as well, while some are more personal.

即使在我去了那么多次之后，我仍然在了解這個(gè)國家，以及作為一個(gè)在美國長(zhǎng)大的孩子逐漸適應(yīng)這個(gè)國家。其中一些經(jīng)驗(yàn)教訓(xùn)也適用于其他希望到中國旅游的旅行者，而另一些經(jīng)驗(yàn)教訓(xùn)則更為個(gè)人化。

Squat toilets are not as scary as I thought (but I still try to avoid them)

1.蹲廁并不像我想象的那么可怕(但我還是盡量避免用蹲廁)

I’m the first to admit that I’m absolutely terrified of using squat toilets. When in China, literally my biggest fear is being out somewhere all day and having no choice but to use a public bathroom. I’ve been traumatized by childhood trips to China and having to use squats, where let’s just say, the flush mechanism didn’t seem to work and about 20 people have been in there before you.

我先承認(rèn)我很害怕使用蹲廁。在中國，我最大的恐懼就是整天呆在某個(gè)地方，除了上公共廁所別無選擇。我小時(shí)候去過中國，不得不用蹲廁，這讓我受到了精神創(chuàng)傷，這么說吧，沖水裝置好像不管用，在你之前大約有20個(gè)人用過。

I’ve successfully traveled for months around Southeast Asia without having to use one single squattie… so good that I almost put this fear out of my mind. It wasn’t until I came back to Beijing when I faced my first squat toilet in Asia. The truth is that they are still commonly in use here, even at newer establishments, and Chinese people still prefer them over western toilets.

我已經(jīng)成功地在東南亞旅行了幾個(gè)月，沒有使用過任何一個(gè)蹲廁...這種感覺好到以至于我?guī)缀醢堰@種恐懼從腦海中抹去。直到回到北京，我才第一次面對(duì)亞洲的蹲廁。事實(shí)是，它們?cè)谶@里仍然很普遍，甚至在較新的場(chǎng)所，中國人仍然喜歡它們超過西式廁所。

But you know what? Since my previous trips, I think China has come a lonnnng way in bathroom cleanliness. Most I’ve had to use have been pretty clean, and it’s really not tooooo terrible. The unclean ones, though, is a different story and makes holding a full bladder seem like the better option.

但是你知道嗎？自從我上次來旅行以來，我認(rèn)為中國在衛(wèi)生間的清潔方面已經(jīng)有了長(zhǎng)足的進(jìn)步。大多數(shù)我不得不使用的東西都很干凈，它真的沒有那么糟糕。但是，不干凈的則是另外一回事了，因此，憋著似乎是更好的選擇。

And just so we’re clear, I still much prefer western. Once, we were out somewhere and the options were either (relatively clean) squats or a western toilet but with no door. Yep, I still went for the latter.

先說清楚，我還是更喜歡西式廁所。有一次，我們?cè)谕饷娴哪硞€(gè)地方，要么選擇(相對(duì)干凈)的蹲廁，要么去西式廁所，但是沒有門。是的，我仍然傾向于使用后者。

I’m not sure why every time I get on this subject, it becomes a huge rambling soliloquy, but okay moving on.

我不知道為什么每次我談到這個(gè)話題都不停的碎碎念，不過沒關(guān)系，讓我們繼續(xù)。

There is nothing else in the world like Chinese hospitality

2.世界上沒有人能比中國人更熱情好客

I may be a bit biased, but I truly believe now that Chinese people are some of the most generous people in the world.

我可能有點(diǎn)偏見，但我現(xiàn)在真的相信中國人是世界上最熱情好客的人。

They are genuinely happy to show a visitor around, even if it’s really going out of the way for them, and will insist on paying for absolutely everything. This could be expected with family, but what about when it’s not family?

他們真的很樂意帶游客參觀，即使這對(duì)他們來說真的很不方便，并且他們會(huì)堅(jiān)持為所有東西付費(fèi)。如果是家人的話很正常，但是如果不是呢？
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://top-shui.cn 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處


When D’s dad connected us with one of his friends (Charley) in Shanghai, we decided to meet up for a cup of coffee. We also met Tom, Charley’s best friend and a local Shanghainese.

當(dāng)D的爸爸把我們和他在上海的一個(gè)朋友(查理)聯(lián)系在一起的時(shí)候，我們決定一起喝杯咖啡。我們還見到了湯姆，他是查理最好的朋友，也是上海本地人。

When Tom heard that we were in town for a month, he immediately offered all sorts of help and even offered to take us around to some sites out of town. Even though he was a complete stranger just five minutes ago!

當(dāng)湯姆聽說我們要在城里呆一個(gè)月的時(shí)候，他立刻提供了各種各樣的幫助，甚至還提出帶我們到城外的一些地方轉(zhuǎn)轉(zhuǎn)。盡管五分鐘前他還是一個(gè)完全陌生的人！

And right before we left Shanghai, Tom invited us out again for a “send-off” dinner of hotpot. It really touches me when almost complete strangers put in this kind of effort to make a couple of travelers feel welcomed.

就在我們離開上海之前，湯姆又邀請(qǐng)我們?nèi)コ曰疱?，作為送別晚餐。當(dāng)幾乎完全陌生的人為了讓一對(duì)旅行者感到受歡迎而付出這樣的努力時(shí)，我真的很感動(dòng)。

Want service in restaurants? Then learn to be rude

3.想在餐館里點(diǎn)菜？那就學(xué)會(huì)大聲喊

Maybe I never noticed this before (or forgot), I first noticed when my aunt and uncle took us out to eat, and whenever we needed something (more water, another plate, the bill, etc.), my uncle will yell “fu wu yuan!” really loud and someone will scurry over.

也許我以前從來沒有注意到這一點(diǎn)(或者是忘記了)，我第一次注意到這一點(diǎn)，是當(dāng)我的阿姨和叔叔帶我們出去吃飯的時(shí)候，當(dāng)我們需要一些東西(更多的水，另一個(gè)盤子，賬單等)的時(shí)候，我的叔叔會(huì)大喊“服務(wù)員!”聲音很大，有人會(huì)急匆匆地跑過來。

This is the one Chinese custom that I just can NOT get used to! I’m so used to trying to catch the waiter’s eye and giving a polite little wave to indicate that I need something. Ha! Good luck trying this in China! You’ll be sitting there for an eternity.

這是我唯一不能習(xí)慣的中國習(xí)俗！我已經(jīng)習(xí)慣了試圖引起服務(wù)員的注意，并禮貌地向他揮手，示意我需要點(diǎn)什么。哈！祝你在中國嘗試點(diǎn)菜成功！你會(huì)一直坐在那里的。

The waitstaff in China are not trained to occasionally come around to see if you need anything else, but are trained to respond to aggressive calls for service. But the America-raised in me just can not do this! So I always end up just sitting there forever, staring down a waiter until he happens to glance my direction.

中國的服務(wù)員沒有受過訓(xùn)練，不會(huì)時(shí)不時(shí)地過來看看你是否還需要?jiǎng)e的什么，但他們受過另一種訓(xùn)練，能夠回應(yīng)客人強(qiáng)烈的服務(wù)要求。但是對(duì)于在美國長(zhǎng)大的我就是做不到！所以我總是一直坐在那里，盯著一個(gè)服務(wù)員，直到他碰巧看向了我。

Don’t worry, yelling for service like this is not considered rude in China. So practice your loud voice:)

別擔(dān)心，像這樣對(duì)服務(wù)員大喊在中國不被認(rèn)為是不禮貌的。所以你要練習(xí)大聲說話:)

I could probably live without social media

4.沒有社交媒體，我也許能活下去

The government censorship means that all social media is blocked (China has their own versions of everything). So for 6 weeks, I stayed pretty disconnected from the rest of the world (except for blog reading!), and only occasionally accessed Facebook through a VPN to announce new posts.

......所有的社交媒體都被屏蔽了(中國有他們自己的版本)。所以6個(gè)星期以來，我一直與世界隔絕(除了看博客！)，只是偶爾通過VPN訪問Facebook來發(fā)布新帖子。

And it was great!

真是太棒了！

I didn’t die when I couldn’t Instagram that perfect food spread or check Twitter for news. I haven’t been too active on social media for the past few months anyway, and honestly think it’s all kind of a big pain.I guess I still like the option of having it, mainly to keep up with friends back home and to have something to scroll through when I’m bored.

因?yàn)槲覜]有死，盡管我不能在Instagram上分享美味的食物，也不能在推特上看新聞。在過去的幾個(gè)月里，我并沒有在社交媒體上過于活躍，老實(shí)說，我認(rèn)為這是一種巨大的痛苦。我想我還是喜歡擁有它的感覺，主要是為了和家鄉(xiāng)的朋友保持聯(lián)系，當(dāng)我感到無聊的時(shí)候可以瀏覽一些東西。

Family is everything

5.家庭就是一切

Family is important here. In American culture, I find that it’s very much a “take care of yourself” kind of mentality. Kids are usually independent at 18 or after college, new parents take on the full responsibility of raising a baby, and the elderly are often consigned to nursing homes or retirement communities.

家庭在這里很重要。在美國文化中，有一種“照顧好自己”的心態(tài)。孩子們通常在18歲或大學(xué)畢業(yè)后就能獨(dú)立生活，新父母承擔(dān)起撫養(yǎng)孩子的全部責(zé)任，老年人通常被送到養(yǎng)老院或退休社區(qū)。

But in China, it’s common to rely on family members for help. Grandparents often sacrifice a relaxing retirement by helping care for the grand-kids while the parents are at work. It’s not uncommon for kids to be raised by grandparents. And in turn, the children care for their parents when they get old. It’s also not uncommon for the elderly to live with their children.

但是在中國，依靠家庭成員的幫助是很常見的。祖父母經(jīng)常犧牲輕松的退休生活，在父母工作的時(shí)候幫忙照顧孫子和孫女。由祖父母撫養(yǎng)長(zhǎng)大的孩子并不少見。反之，當(dāng)父母年老時(shí)，孩子們也會(huì)照顧他們。老年人和他們的孩子住在一起也是很常見的。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://top-shui.cn 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處


Confession: I’ve always thought that I didn’t want kids. But being here in China, I see how nice it is to have your children be there for you in your old age. My aunt and uncle frequently come around to my grandma’s and are always just a phone call away if she ever needs anything. Even with my grandpa gone now, she’ll never be truly alone. I think it’s really nice. When I’m old, I don’t think I’d want to be alone with no loved ones.

坦白說:我一直以為我不想要孩子。但是在中國，我看到有孩子在你老的時(shí)候陪著你是多么美好的事情。我的阿姨和叔叔經(jīng)常來我奶奶家，如果她需要什么，只要打個(gè)電話就可以了。即使我爺爺現(xiàn)在不在了，她也不會(huì)是真正的孤獨(dú)。我覺得這真的很棒。當(dāng)我老了，我不認(rèn)為我想獨(dú)自一人生活，旁邊沒有親人。

Mahjong is really fun and addictive

6.麻將真的很有趣，而且很容易上癮

You guys, if you weren’t convinced that I’m turning into an old person in my last post, I have a new hobby to talk of. Yes, it’s mahjong, and yes, it’s really really fun.

伙計(jì)們，如果你們不相信我在上一篇文章中已經(jīng)變成了一個(gè)老人，那么我有一個(gè)新的愛好可以談?wù)摿恕Ｊ堑?，這就是麻將，是的，這真的很有趣。

I’ve always thought of mahjong to be an old people game. It’s quite common to see groups of retired folks at the park playing this game of tiles. But apparently, this is a great family game as well. Most families will gather together and play over the holidays. Recently, my aunt and uncle bought a fancy electronic mahjong table so we went over a few times to play. There were definitely days where I spent the entire day sitting at the table. I was hooked! Though probably because I kept on winning. ;)

我一直認(rèn)為麻將是一種老年人的游戲?？吹酵诵萑藛T一群群地在公園玩這種磚塊游戲是相當(dāng)常見的。但顯然，這也是一個(gè)很棒的家庭游戲。大多數(shù)家庭會(huì)在節(jié)日期間聚在一起玩耍。最近，我的阿姨和叔叔買了一個(gè)奇特的電子麻將桌，所以我們?nèi)ネ媪藥状巍Ｓ袔滋?，我一整天都坐在麻將桌旁。我被迷住了！雖然可能是因?yàn)槲乙恢痹谮A。;)

I’ve visited a fair share of cities around the world now and have fallen in love with many. But there will always be a special part of my heart reserved just for China. I still love Chinese food the best (I finally learned to make my favorite dishes!). I love the neighborhood parks and the sense of community. Hell, I even love mahjong now!

我現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)游覽了世界上很多的城市，并且愛上了很多城市。但是，我心中永遠(yuǎn)有一個(gè)特別的地方是為中國保留的。我還是最喜歡中國菜(我終于學(xué)會(huì)做我最喜歡的菜了！).我喜歡附近的公園和社區(qū)。見鬼，我現(xiàn)在連麻將都喜歡了！

This past trip to China has been about getting back to my roots. It’s made me not only feel more connected to my culture, but also fall back in love with my birth city.

過去這次中國之行是為了找回我的根。它不僅讓我感覺與我的文化有了更多的聯(lián)系，而且讓我重新愛上了我的出生地。

I see a country where family is prioritised above all, where the elderly is respected, where the sense of community is strong, and where there is genuine kindness in its people. And I hope you, as a visitor, can look past what you see on the surface and discover a beautiful country.

我看到了一個(gè)家庭優(yōu)先于一切，老年人受到尊重，社區(qū)意識(shí)強(qiáng)烈，人民真誠友善的國家。我希望你，作為一個(gè)游客，能夠透過表面看到的東西，發(fā)現(xiàn)一個(gè)美麗的國家。