What surprised you most when you first came to China, as a foreigner?
你第一次來到中國時最讓你感到驚訝的是什麼
以下是Quora讀者的評論：
Emma Sorensen, Psychology and Chinese Student, Iowa State University
Born and raised in the United States, my first time to China was in 2016, shortly after I graduated from high school. Since I had studied Chinese for four years and high school, as a gift for graduating my dad decided to take me on a two-week tour of China. To say that this trip was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my lifetime would not be an exaggeration. There were five things that were surprising to me when I visited China and that were entirely different than what the Western media had taught me:
我在美國出生、長大，第一次來中國是在2016年，高中畢業後不久。因為我高中時已經學了四年的中文，作為畢業禮物，我爸爸決定帶我去中國旅行兩個星期。說這次旅行是我一生中最令人大開眼界的經歷之一，一點兒也不誇張。當我訪問中國時，有五件事讓我感到驚訝，這與西方媒體灌輸的完全不同：
1.China is a beautiful place. Growing up in the U.S., pretty much all you hear about China is how “ugly” it is. Before I went, I expected the skies everywhere to be dark and clouded, and the air to be difficult to breathe due to all the media coverage that the pollution in China receives. However, when I actually got to China, I was shocked at how beautiful it was. The skies were blue, the cities were clean, and the pollution seemed just as bad as in any other big city that I had visited in the U.S. Not only that, but there were some landscapes in China that were just absolutely stunning. I particularly remember being blown away by the beauty of the countryside views in Guilin, and the massive rock formations on the Guangxi River.
2.Chinese people are very friendly. In the U.S., it is a common assumption that Chinese people are quite rude. My trip to China proved this assumption to be completely wrong. Every Chinese person that I met was extremely friendly, and they were always excited to approach us either to talk or to get their picture taken with us. It was like being a celebrity! Not only that, but everyone was always willing to try and speak English with us, and were very kind when I attempted to converse with them in Chinese. In my honest opinion, many of the people I met in China were friendlier than many people back home. One person that stands out to me in particular was our rickshaw driver in Beijing. Even though he didn’t speak much English, he still tried to point out all of the sights of Beijing to us the best he could, and even though he had a hard job he always had a big smile on his face.
1.中國是一個美麗的地方。我在美國長大，聽說到關於中國的事都是中國有多“醜陋”。在我去之前，我以為中國的天空都是陰暗的，空氣很難呼吸，因為所有的媒體都爭相報道中國的汙染。然而，當我真正來到中國時，我被它的美麗驚呆了。天空是藍色的，城市是乾淨的，汙染似乎和我在美國訪問過的其他大城市一樣。我尤其記得我被桂林美麗的鄉村景色和廣西河流中的巨大岩石深深震撼了。
2.中國人非常友好。在美國，人們普遍認為中國人很粗魯。我的中國之行證明了這個說法是完全錯誤的。我遇到的每一箇中國人都非常友好，他們總是很興奮地接近我們，或與我們交談，或與我們合影。我們就像名人一樣!不僅如此，每個人都願意嘗試和我們說英語，當我嘗試用中文和他們交談時，他們都很友好。在我看來，我在中國遇到的許多人比在美國國內遇到的許多人都更友好。有一個人特別讓我印象深刻，那就是我們在北京遇到的人力車伕。雖然他不太會說英語，但他仍然盡力向我們介紹北京的名勝古蹟，儘管他的工作很辛苦，但他總是面帶微笑。
3.Authentic Chinese food is good. Back in the United States, it is commonly believed that the food eaten in China is weird, abnormal, and unappetizing. However, all of the food that I ate in China was delicious (my favorite food being from Chengdu), and I actually preferred it to the Chinese food that you can find in America. Yes, there are several cultural differences in the type of food that we eat, but that doesn’t mean that it is bad! While I did see some foods that surprised me, including ants and rats, this was mostly out in the countryside. To any foreigner traveling to China, I would recommend trying as many foods as possible, even if they are a bit out of your comfort zone like they were for me. It’s worth it!
4.There are people in China who are very rich. Most of what Americans hear about the Chinese is the extreme poverty that they experience. While it is true that we did see many poorer families while on our trip, we also saw a very luxurious side of China that I didn’t even know existed. The area that appeared to be the wealthiest was definitely Shanghai. There were luxury stores (i.e., Gucci. Tiffany’s, Prada, etc.) all over the city, and there were always Chinese people shopping at these stores. Not only that, but there were also always very expensive cars driving around the streets of Shanghai. It was a side of China that I never even heard about back home, and it was great to be able to see how prosperous China has become.
3.正宗的中國菜很好吃。在美國，人們普遍認為中國人吃的食物很奇葩、不正常、倒胃口。但實際上，我在中國吃過的所有食物都很美味(我最喜歡的食物來自成都)，這些食物跟你在美國找得到的中餐不一樣。是的，我們的飲食品類有一些文化差異，但這並不意味著中餐就不好！雖然我確實也看到過一些令我吃驚的食物，包括螞蟻和老鼠，但這主要集中在農村地區。對於來中國旅遊的外國人，我建議你儘可能多地嘗試各種食物，即使它們有點超出你的舒適區。但這些新食物是值得品嚐的！
4.在中國有非常富有的人。美國人聽到的關於中國人的事情大多是他們經歷過極度貧困。雖然我們確實在旅途中看到了許多貧窮的家庭，但我們也看到了中國非常奢華的一面，這是我之前一無所知的。最富裕的地區無疑是上海。有奢侈品商店(比如古馳Gucci、蒂芙尼Tiffany 's、普拉達Prada等)遍佈全城，總能看到中國人在這些商店購物。不僅如此，上海的街道上也總能見到非常昂貴的汽車。這是我在家鄉從未聽說過的中國的一面，能看到中國變得如此繁榮真是太好了。
譯文來源：三泰虎 http://www.santaihu.com/48819.html 譯者：Joyceliu
5.Chinese people love their country. In the United States, it is a common thought that many Chinese people must feel oppressed by their go nment due to their country not being a democracy. However, while I was in China I saw nothing but pride and love for their country. Through many conversations with Chinese people, it was clear to me that they loved being from China. They had a lot of respect for their history, their culture, and for their go nment. In fact, it seemed to me that Chinese people had much less negative things to say about their country than many Americans do.
5.中國人熱愛他們的國家。在美國，人們普遍認為，由於中國不是一個皿煮國家，許多中國人肯定會受到政府壓迫。然而，當我身處中國的時候，我只看到了他們對祖國的自豪和熱愛。他們非常尊重自己的歷史、文化和政府。事實上，在我看來，中國人對自己國家的負面評價比許多美國人都要少得多。
Steven Martin, Accountant - Houston TX
0h, many things surprised me in China, but just to list a few of many:
在中國，有很多事情讓我感到驚訝，但這裡我只列舉其中的幾件：
1.The scale. The vast size of the airport. I went to Beijing. I'm from Houston. Houston is a big city, by American standards. Houston looked like a small town in comparison.
2.No lawns, no cut grass. Instead, they have trees. I'm a tree lover, so I liked it.
3.Signs in English are very common.
4.Teenagers are the same. They are texting on their cell phones. They wear the same kind of clothing. The young people are tall, just like America.
5.No pollution. Maybe I was just lucky. I was only there a week. The air was clean.
6.It's hot in August! I had to buy a hat. We went to the Forbidden City. It was so hot! Sweat was running down my face.
7.Ice for drinks is not so common. They like hot drinks, hot food. If you want something cold, order a beer!
8.The people are friendly, and many know English.
9.The long, long history of China. Thousands of years.
10.No coins! They pay with their phone. I never saw a coin in a week.
1.規模。機場規模十分巨大。我去過北京。我來自休斯頓。按照美國的標準，休斯頓是個大城市。但跟北京比起來，休斯頓就像一個小鎮。
2.沒有草坪，就沒有修剪的草。相反，他們種了很多樹。我是一個樹木愛好者，所以我很喜歡。
3.英語標識非常普遍。
4.青少年都一樣。他們用手機發短信，穿同樣的衣服。年輕人很高，就跟美國人一樣。
5.沒有汙染。也許我只是運氣好。我只在中國呆了一週。空氣很乾淨。
6.8月太熱了！我不得不買了一頂帽子。我們去了故宮。太熱了！汗水在我臉上直淌。
7.飲料中加冰並不常見。他們喜歡熱飲，熱食。如果你想喝點冰的，那就點瓶啤酒吧!
8.人們很友好，很多人懂英語。
9.中國歷史悠久。長達數千年。
10.沒有硬幣！他們用手機支付。我一個星期都沒見過一枚硬幣。
11.No big electric fans to move air. I like a fan to cool me sometimes, and when sleeping.
12.It didn't really suprise me, but China, like the rest of the world uses the metric system. In Texas, we measure distance in miles, and we measure weight in pounds, so there must be a conversion. I think the USA should join the world standard and use the metric system. Shoe size, height .. all that.
13.In the house, you take off your shoes and wear slippers. No, you can't just wear sox. It's a rule. It's expected. Just do it.
14.They drive on the same side of the road as Americans. The roads and signs, the cars are the same. Except pick up trucks. Unlike Texas, there a very few pick up trucks in China, and no yellow school buses.
15.I didn't notice many police. I'm sure there were police around, but it's not like Houston where you see the black and white police cars speeding by sirens roaring and flashing lights.
16.The people I was with didn't watch much TV.
17.A lot of beautiful women!
18.The price of a meal is difficult to predict in America, because after the meal, in Houston, they add 8.25% as sales tax and normally a 15% tip. So, a $10 meal in Houston is $10 + $.825 + $1.50 = $12.33 if you round up.
19.The market didn't offer a lot of frozen foods or canned food. More emphasis on fresh unprocessed vegetables. Much more variety of fruit and vegetables.
20.Most people in Beijing live in condos.
21.Don’t expect a soft mattress with a big puffy pillow. They like firm beds with buckwheat pillows. To me, very comfortable!!
22.You see people walking in China. I like to walk, so it was great.
11.沒有大電扇讓空氣流動。我喜歡用風扇在睡覺的時候降溫。
12.這並沒有讓我感到驚訝，但中國和世界上其他國家一樣都使用公制單位。在德州，我們用英里來計算距離，用磅來計算重量，所以必須要換算。我認為美國應該加入世界標準，使用公制單位。鞋碼，長度…等等。
13.在屋內，要脫掉鞋子，換上拖鞋。不，你不能只穿短襪。這是一個習慣。照做就是了。
14.他們和美國人一樣，靠右駕駛。道路、標誌和汽車都一樣。除了輕型卡車。跟德克薩斯州不同的是，輕型卡車在中國很少見，也沒有黃色的校車。
15.我沒發現很多警察。我敢肯定附近一定有警察，但這裡不像休斯頓，不會看到黑白相間的警車響著警笛聲、開著閃爍的燈光超速行駛。
16.我周圍的人很少看電視。
17.好多漂亮的女人!
18.在美國，一頓飯的價格是很難預測的，因為在休斯敦，飯後他們會加上8.25%的銷售稅，通常15%的小費。所以，在休斯頓一頓10美元的飯就是 $10+ $0.825 + $1.50 = $12.33，四捨五入。
19.市場上冷凍食品和罐頭食品不多。他們更喜歡新鮮未經加工的蔬菜。水果和蔬菜的種類更多。
20.大多數北京人住在公寓裡。
21.不要指望找到軟軟的床墊和蓬鬆的枕頭。他們喜歡蕎麥枕頭和硬床。對我來說，很舒服!!
22.你在中國會看到人們出門步行。我喜歡步行，所以感覺很棒。
Jeffrey Ripley-Gonzalez, Sport and Exercise Science & Medicine MSc from University of Glasgow (2017)
My first trip to China was May this year (2017). Before my travels there, I had been living with three Chinese guys at University. They had told me not to worry as most people can speak English and it would be super easy. Another thing was the “Normal” advice that every parent will tell you, be careful, you are in a foreign country etc.
I arrived in Guangzhou and was completely lost, tried to speak to some people and quickly realized that my friends may have been slightly wrong. However I did meet a couple of Indian guys outside the airport who were quite helpful.
Overall I will list a few of my experiences below:
我第一次來中國是在今年5月(2017年)。在我去中國旅行之前，我在大學裡和三個中國人同住。他們告訴我不要擔心，因為大多數人都會說英語。另一件事是每個家長都會告訴你的很“正常”的建議，你在外國，要小心等等。
我到廣州後完全迷路了，我試著和一些人搭話，很快我就意識到我的朋友們可能犯了一點小錯誤。不過，我在機場外遇到了幾個印度人，他們幫了我不少忙。
總的來說，我將列舉一些我的經驗如下:
1.People are incredibly friendly, having lived in London for a long time I realized I missed this. I can’t express enough my gratitude to those that helped me and offered to show me around.
2.It is Busy. I mean it is really busy.
3.Food! Amazing, Incredible, lovely Food. If you are like me and love spicy food, your experience may be greater. Please try all the street food too.
4.Very tall buildings, I already knew there would be apartment blocks, but I grew up in rural Colombia. This is always a shock.
5.Beautiful scenery. I was lucky enough that some friends of mine took me to see the scenery around Guangdong and Hunan.
Overall I had an amazing experience in China and will go again this month.
1.人們非常友好，我在倫敦住了很長時間，我意識到我很久都沒有遇到過友好的人了。我無法表達我對那些幫助過我並主動提出帶我四處看看的人的感激之情。
2.這裡很忙碌。真的很忙。
3.食物！美味、難以置信、令人愉悅的食物。如果你像我一樣喜歡辛辣食品，你的體會會更棒。請嘗一嘗所有的街邊小吃。
4.建築非常高，我知道會中國有公寓樓，但我在哥倫比亞農村長大。這裡的高樓簡直令人震驚。
5.風景優美。我很幸運，我的一些朋友帶我遊覽了廣東和湖南的風景。
總體而言，我在中國享受了一段美妙的經歷，這個月我還要再去一趟。
Austin Guidry, English Teacher at Sichuan University
Just how free and open China is in certain aspects.
People are incredibly nice here, for the most part. For example, while riding through the countryside west of Chengdu….
我驚訝的是中國在某些方面居然那麼自由和開放。
大多數情況下，這裡的人都非常好。舉個例子，當你騎車穿過成都西部鄉村時……
….taking photos and filming videos, and I was approached by a farmer on this little lane I was standing on taking pictures. He invited me over to his home for tea and a chat (I speak Chinese - been here for six years).
....我在拍照，拍視頻，有個農民走過來，就在我駐足拍照的這條小路上。他邀請我去他家喝茶聊天(我會說中文——我在這裡住了六年)。
When I got to his house, there were about eight other farmers just sitting around chilling - drinking tea and chatting about the day’s work. It was super surreal! I was there for about an hour; we talked about the USA, what farmers grow there, what differences exist between China and the USA (climate, food, money, etc).
It was one of the best experiences I’ve had in a long time - it happened more when I first got to China, but after a while, I stopped going out into the countryside. Get out of the cities, and you’ll have some great experiences!
當我到達他家時，還有大概8個農民正坐在那裡閒聊，品茶，聊著一天的工作。這是超級虛幻的場景！我在那裡待了大約一個小時；我們談論了美國，美國農民種植什麼作物，中國和美國有什麼不同(氣候，食物，錢幣，等等)。
這是我很長一段時間以來最好的經歷之一——當我第一次來到中國時，這種經歷更多，但過了一段時間，我就不再去農村了。走出城市，你會有一些很棒的經歷！
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