You might think you know what to expect if you head to China: ancient temples, mushrooming skyscrapers, crazy crowds, and an oppressive communist atmosphere. However, not everything is as it seems in the Middle Kingdom and, if you’re on your first visit, there will be plenty of surprises in what is not only one of the world’s great travel destinations, but one of the world’s fastest-changing and most optimistic societies.
你可能會(huì)以為自己知道如果前往中國(guó)的話(huà)會(huì)遇到些什么：古老的寺廟、如雨后春筍般矗立起的摩天大樓、瘋狂的人群和壓迫的共產(chǎn)主義氛圍。然而，在這個(gè)“中央王國(guó)”里并不是所有事情都是那樣，而且如果你是初到中國(guó)的話(huà)，會(huì)有很多讓你大吃一驚的地方--中國(guó)不僅僅只是世界上最棒的旅游地之一，而且也是全世界變化最快、最樂(lè)觀的社會(huì)。
China is empty
一、中國(guó)很空。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
True, there are more than a billion people, yet half of China is virtually empty. Visit regions such as Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia, and find wild, rugged landscapes, vast skies, and only scattered towns and villages. Even the most populated coastal provinces have mountains and national parks.
真的，盡管中國(guó)有超過(guò)10億的人口，但是中國(guó)一半的地方幾乎都是空的。當(dāng)?shù)轿鞑?、新疆和?nèi)蒙古等地方旅游的時(shí)候，你會(huì)看到荒野、險(xiǎn)山和廣闊的天空，只有一些零零散散的小鎮(zhèn)和村莊。即使是人口最多的沿海省份也有山和國(guó)家公園。
You can’t see the Great Wall from space
二、從太空看不到長(zhǎng)城。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
Sorry, you can’t see anything from the moon 384,000km away, and Buzz Aldrin himself has tried to put an end to this persistent schoolchild rumour. Good news is that this mighty structure is mighty impressive up close, with easily visited sections just outside Beijing.
抱歉，你從距地球384000公里遠(yuǎn)的月亮上什么也看不到，而巴茲·奧爾德林自己也在試圖結(jié)束這一經(jīng)久不衰的學(xué)童謠言。好消息是你可以離得非常近來(lái)游覽這一浩瀚磅礴的建筑，長(zhǎng)城就在北京城外，很容易前往。
Not everyone eats rice …
三、并不是所有人都吃大米。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
Rice is only the staple in southern China, where the sub-tropical climate south of the Yangtze River suits rice growing. North of the Yangtze wheat prevails, and you’ll be tucking into pancakes, noodles, steamed dumplings, and baked sweet potatoes. In Xian, shredded meat between steamed bread (roujiamo) is the local answer to a hamburger.
大米只是中國(guó)南方的主食，長(zhǎng)江以南的亞熱帶氣候很適合種植稻米。在長(zhǎng)江以北地區(qū)則小麥更據(jù)優(yōu)勢(shì)，你會(huì)吃到煎餅、面條、包子、以及烤紅薯。在西安，饅頭中間塞進(jìn)切碎的肉(肉夾饃)就是當(dāng)?shù)仫L(fēng)格的漢堡包。
and only some people eat snake
四、只有少部分人吃蛇。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
If you imagine every table in China features snake, scorpion, or monkey brain, stop worrying: the worst you might encounter is offal or chicken’s feet. Though the Chinese do eat peculiar creatures, it’s becoming increasingly gimmicky these days, and the vast majority have never eaten dog – nor want to.
如果你想象每一張中國(guó)餐桌上都有蛇、蝎子、或者猴腦的話(huà)，別擔(dān)心：你可能會(huì)遇到的最嚴(yán)重的也只是內(nèi)臟或雞腳罷了。盡管中國(guó)人的確會(huì)吃一些稀奇古怪的東西，但是現(xiàn)在卻越來(lái)越只是一種噱頭了，而且絕大多數(shù)人也從來(lái)沒(méi)有吃過(guò)狗肉--也不想吃。
Opinions flourish
五、各抒己見(jiàn)。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
China isn’t a country of repressed people afraid to have their own opinions. You’ll find plenty of locals willing to discuss big issues and engage you in lively debate, and many Chinese are well educated in international affairs. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – just be diplomatic when you do so.
中國(guó)不是一個(gè)被壓抑的人民害怕表達(dá)自己意見(jiàn)的國(guó)家。你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)許多當(dāng)?shù)厝硕荚敢庥懻搰?guó)家大事、并和你展開(kāi)激烈的辯論，而且許多中國(guó)人都受到過(guò)國(guó)際事務(wù)方面的良好教育。不要害怕問(wèn)問(wèn)題--只不過(guò)當(dāng)你這樣做的時(shí)候要采取一點(diǎn)策略。
The trains are fast. Really fast
六、火車(chē)很快，真的很快。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
Move over Japan, because the world’s fastest trains run on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway and have reached speeds of 487kmh in trials, though they commonly travel at 300kmh, outpacing bullet trains or France’s TGV. As for the magnetic Maglev that operates between Shanghai’s Pudong airport and the city, it tops 430kmh.
火車(chē)速度比日本要快，世界上最快的火車(chē)正在京滬高鐵上跑著，實(shí)驗(yàn)速度已經(jīng)達(dá)到了每小時(shí)487公里--雖然它們通常都只以每小時(shí)300公里的速度運(yùn)行，超過(guò)了子彈列車(chē)和法國(guó)的高速列車(chē)TGV。而上海市區(qū)和浦東機(jī)場(chǎng)之間的磁懸浮列車(chē)時(shí)速高達(dá)430公里。
China isn’t cheap
七、中國(guó)并不便宜。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
If you think China is one of those bargain Asian destinations you’d be partly right, providing you’re willing to travel like a backpacker – or a local. But if you’re checking into international-brand hotels, looking for a Western meal and haunting cafes and nightclubs, prepare for a shock.
如果你認(rèn)為中國(guó)是亞洲的旅行目的地之一的話(huà)，你可能說(shuō)對(duì)了一部分--只要你愿意像一個(gè)背包客或者當(dāng)?shù)厝四菢勇眯?。但是如果你想要入住?guó)際品牌酒店、吃西餐、逛咖啡館和夜店的話(huà)，準(zhǔn)備好大吃一驚吧!
The best treasures are in Taiwan
八、的珍寶在臺(tái)灣。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
Don’t get me wrong, China has museums crammed with remarkable artefacts from thousands of years of history. But for the best, you’ll have to head to the National Palace Museum in Taipei, where the most fabulous pieces, collected by Chinese emperors, ended up after China’s civil war in the 1940s.
不要誤會(huì)我的意思，中國(guó)的博物館中都擠滿(mǎn)了從幾千年歷史中遺留下來(lái)的非凡藝術(shù)品。但是如果要看那些的東西的話(huà)，你得去臺(tái)北故宮博物院，那里有最精彩的藝術(shù)品，都是由中國(guó)歷的皇帝所收集的，上個(gè)世紀(jì)40年代中國(guó)內(nèi)戰(zhàn)結(jié)束后這些東西被帶到了臺(tái)灣。
Everyone holidays at once
九、所有人都一起放假。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
The largest human migrations in history come twice yearly to China when 590 million people take to public transport during peak local holidays known as Golden Weeks, which fall over Chinese New Year and National Day in early October. Good luck getting a train or hotel room.
規(guī)模人口遷移每年都要在中國(guó)上演兩次，在假日(中國(guó)人稱(chēng)之為“黃金周”)高峰期間5.9億中國(guó)人會(huì)乘坐公共交通出行，每年新年和十月上旬的國(guó)慶節(jié)期間都要來(lái)上這么一遭。運(yùn)氣好才能買(mǎi)到火車(chē)票、訂到酒店房間。
You won’t get ’Chinese restaurant’ food
十、在中國(guó)你找不到“中餐館”的菜。
外國(guó)人眼里的中國(guó)_英語(yǔ)新聞
Most Chinese restaurants in New Zealand feature Cantonese cuisine adapted to Western tastes. You won’t find pineapple, carrot, or onion in any stir-fry in China. But you’ll discover a thousand new delicious regional dishes: salty in the north, spicy in the centre, sweet and sour near Shanghai, light and seafood-rich in the south.
新西蘭大多數(shù)中餐館都是適合西方人口味的廣東菜。你在中國(guó)的炒菜里找不到菠蘿、胡蘿卜或者洋蔥。但是你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)一千種新的地方菜肴--華北的咸香、華中的香辣、上海的酸甜、華南的淡口和海鮮。