英語(yǔ)聽(tīng)力頻道為大家整理的可可英語(yǔ)聽(tīng)力網(wǎng)海外文化篇：一名外交官的中國(guó)故事，供大家參考:)
I came to China as a British diplomat in 1989. For two years prior to that I had been studying Mandarin. It was not really my decision.
1989年，我以外交官的身份來(lái)到中國(guó)，之前的兩年我開(kāi)始學(xué)習(xí)中文?？蛇@并不是我自己的決定。
In 1986 I joined the British Foreign Office. I had a degree in European history and languages and spoke fluent German. Naively, I assumed that my future would lie in Western and Central Europe. But of course the Foreign Office had other ideas. This was not just out of sheer perversity, of the kind that all large organizations demonstrate from time to time. Their thinking was that, as I had a talent for languages, I should study one of the really hard ones, and they were particularly keen to send young diplomats to learn Arabic. (This is not just because of the strategic and economic importance of the Middle East, but simply because there are a large number of Arab countries, and so a large number of embassies need staffing.)
我在1986年進(jìn)入英國(guó)外交部。我曾獲得歐洲歷史與語(yǔ)言學(xué)位，能講流利的德語(yǔ)。我曾天真地以為我會(huì)被派到西歐或者中歐，但他們對(duì)我卻另有安排。外交部的決定也并非完全有悖常情，與所有大機(jī)構(gòu)時(shí)而做出的變態(tài)決定還不同。他們認(rèn)為我有語(yǔ)言天賦，應(yīng)當(dāng)學(xué)習(xí)一種真正有難度的語(yǔ)言。當(dāng)時(shí)外交部特別喜歡派年輕外交官去學(xué)阿拉伯語(yǔ)。（這并非僅僅出于中東地區(qū)戰(zhàn)略和經(jīng)濟(jì)地位的重要性考慮，也是因?yàn)槟抢镉斜姸嗾f(shuō)阿拉伯語(yǔ)的國(guó)家，因此有同樣眾多的大使館需要人手）。
I had recently got married at this stage, and my wife told me in no uncertain terms that she did not want to spend half of her life heavily wrapped up in the fierce desert heat. So I needed to find another choice to prevent being forced into that course of action. Because my studies had been almost entirely Eurocentric, I knew nothing whatever about China, beyond a vague idea that it was a large place a long way to the east. But I pretended great enthusiasm for a career as a Sinologist, and was thus able to avoid banishment to the deserts of the Middle East.
當(dāng)時(shí)我新婚燕爾，我妻子明確得對(duì)我說(shuō)她可不想下半輩子生活在酷熱的沙漠。為了不被派往阿拉伯，我需要個(gè)替代方案。我的學(xué)問(wèn)都是有關(guān)歐洲的。當(dāng)時(shí)我只模糊曉得中國(guó)在遙遠(yuǎn)的東方，是個(gè)大國(guó)，除此這些，我對(duì)她一無(wú)所知。但為了不被流放到中東沙漠，我假裝對(duì)漢學(xué)家這個(gè)職業(yè)抱有極大的熱情。
I enjoyed studying the language, although learning the characters remains probably the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. I had one major problem with my studies; my first son was born the week the course started, and he made it impossible to concentrate (or sleep at night). I began the two-year course with no children and ended it with two, as we had another son in Hong Kong where the second year took place.
我喜愛(ài)學(xué)習(xí)中文，但學(xué)漢字可以說(shuō)得上是我這輩子遇見(jiàn)的困難的事兒。在學(xué)中文時(shí)，我遇到的主要麻煩是：開(kāi)課的第一周我大兒子降生了，當(dāng)時(shí)他使我很難集中精力學(xué)習(xí)（夜里也很難睡個(gè)好覺(jué)）。第二年我的二兒子在香港出生。歷時(shí)兩年的中文課程開(kāi)始時(shí)我還沒(méi)孩子，而課程結(jié)束時(shí)我已是兩個(gè)男孩的爸爸了。
I was to spend most of the 1990s in China, a total of nine years, in which my children grew up chasing cockroaches around the living room and learning Chinese songs from our ayi. Sadly they never really learned Chinese, as in the diplomatic compounds there were families from every nationality on earth -- except Chinese.
90年代我在中國(guó)度過(guò)了整整九年時(shí)間，孩子們漸漸長(zhǎng)大，在客廳追著蟑螂到處跑，跟中國(guó)阿姨學(xué)著唱中文歌。遺憾的是，他們都沒(méi)有學(xué)會(huì)中文，因?yàn)樵谑桂^區(qū)雖說(shuō)有來(lái)自世界各國(guó)的家庭，卻唯獨(dú)沒(méi)有中國(guó)的。
I was always keen not to limit my acquaintance to other diplomats and foreigners; as I was in China I wanted to get to know the Chinese people, which in the late 1980s was just beginning to become possible. The criminal offence of "li tong wai guo" had been abolished, and it was possible to establish genuinely friendly relations with people, both those one met through work and those one met through the social life which was just beginning to take off in the newly-opened bars.
在中國(guó)期間，我的交際圈不僅僅局限于外交官和外籍人士，因?yàn)槲疑硖幹袊?guó)，我想要了解這里的人。80年代末，中國(guó)廢除了“里通外國(guó)”的刑事罪名，這讓我和當(dāng)?shù)厝顺蔀檎嬲呐笥殉蔀榭赡埽瑹o(wú)論是在工作中還是在日常交往中遇到的。沒(méi)了藩籬的束縛，生活也豐富了起來(lái)。
From the start I found Chinese people naturally friendly and approachable. Despite China's long isolation from the West, people seemed genuinely free from any inbuilt suspicion or resentment of foreigners, and happy to meet on equal terms. I learnt that it was very important to treat everyone I met with respect; the Chinese, like most people, don't like being condescended to by foreigners, and the British have to be very careful in this respect because of our colonial past.
一開(kāi)始我便發(fā)現(xiàn)中國(guó)人天性友好、容易相處。盡管歷中國(guó)曾與西方長(zhǎng)期隔絕，但中國(guó)人對(duì)外國(guó)人沒(méi)有固有的猜疑與怨恨，也愿意和外國(guó)人平等地結(jié)交。我意識(shí)到，尊重每一個(gè)我遇見(jiàn)的人非常重要；像大多數(shù)人一樣，中國(guó)人不喜歡被外國(guó)人瞧不起，有過(guò)殖民歷史的英國(guó)人更應(yīng)注意這一點(diǎn)。
This was particularly true in my job as a diplomat. Chinese diplomats were always highly intelligent and professional, but extremely concerned to preserve the dignity of their country. Debate was always tough, but open and honest and usually concluded with a friendly lunch or dinner. The impression I got at these meetings -- which I have retained ever since -- is that, so long as you treat the Chinese with proper respect for their nation and their culture, you can say anything you like, and I have always been able to be completely frank.
作為一名外交官，我忠誠(chéng)得履行著我的職責(zé)。中國(guó)的外交官悟性都很強(qiáng)，且具有很高的職業(yè)素養(yǎng)，他們竭力維護(hù)國(guó)家尊嚴(yán)。我們之間的爭(zhēng)論常常非常激烈，卻又坦誠(chéng)布公，過(guò)后我們經(jīng)常友好地共同用膳。在這些會(huì)議上中國(guó)外交官給我留下的印象是，只要你尊重中國(guó)和中國(guó)文化，你就可以和中國(guó)人敞開(kāi)心扉，暢所欲言。
And, as a diplomat, there was always the danger of politics putting a strain on professional and personal relationships. The worst case of this was the terrible accidental NATO bombardment of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999. It was a very difficult meeting a few days later when I had to go into the China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make formal apologies on behalf of my government, and had to listen to a lot of fierce and entirely understandable criticism. In the preceding days I had been besieged in the British Embassy for four days by stone-throwing demonstrators angered by NATO's dreadful mistake. While I sat in my office dodging missiles, I was delighted to receive a phone call from a young Chinese couple I had met a few days before. They expressed sympathy for my difficult situation, and said they hoped I wouldn't be prevented from appearing at the dinner to which they had invited me that evening!
身為一名外交人士，政治動(dòng)蕩常會(huì)影響工作和人際關(guān)系。糟糕的一件事情是，1999年位于貝爾格萊德市的中國(guó)大使館遭到北大西洋公約組織轟炸。事后數(shù)日，我代表英國(guó)政府到中國(guó)外交部致歉，我不得不面對(duì)許多完全合乎情理的激烈批評(píng)。在這之前，被北大西洋公約組織的暴行激怒的*者向英國(guó)大使館投擲石頭，導(dǎo)致我被圍困在大使館四天之久。幸運(yùn)的是，當(dāng)我在辦公室躲避石塊時(shí)，我接到了不久前認(rèn)識(shí)的一對(duì)年輕中國(guó)夫婦的電話，他們很同情我當(dāng)時(shí)的境遇，并且希望我能如約參加當(dāng)天晚上他們組織的晚宴。
It cannot be denied that living in faraway countries imposes strains on family life. Sadly, a lot of marriages fail in careers like diplomacy, and mine was one of them. I got very much involved in China, its people and its culture, which my wife did not do to any great extent, and gradually we discovered that we had been drifting apart. This is a fate which can be very difficult to avoid, as one can never tell in advance how a spouse will adapt to a strange environment.
不可否認(rèn)，生活在遙遠(yuǎn)的國(guó)度會(huì)給家庭生活帶來(lái)很大的壓力。讓人傷心的是，許多外交人士的婚姻以失敗告終，我的婚姻也未能幸免。我深深地融入中國(guó)人民和中國(guó)文化之中，而我的妻子卻不是這樣的。逐漸，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)彼此日益疏離。這是命運(yùn)，難以避免。因?yàn)榇饲拔覠o(wú)法預(yù)知妻子適應(yīng)陌生的生活環(huán)境的能力。
And so, in a development which is very common among expatriate men working in China, I acquired a new wife, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine from Chongqing. We are still experiencing the eternal ups and downs of a cross-cultural marriage; I love my fu-qi-fei-pian and she enjoys a full breakfast of sausages, bacon and beans at the weekend.
像很多在中國(guó)工作的外籍男人一樣，我開(kāi)始了另一段婚姻。我的妻子是一名來(lái)自重慶的中醫(yī)?，F(xiàn)在，我們?nèi)匀唤?jīng)歷著跨文化婚姻的坎坷與甜蜜；我喜歡吃夫妻肺片，她也喜歡周末早餐里的香腸、培根和豆子。
Now I no longer work in China, but I have kept up a habit of visiting at least once a year, funds permitting. I still maintain a network of good Chinese friends, who are very important to me; some of them I have been close to for over twenty years. I never found it at all difficult to establish good friendships. In fact some of my Chinese friends are prepared to tell me secrets about themselves which they wouldn't tell to their Chinese friends! (Because a foreigner knowing your secrets doesn't make you lose face.)
現(xiàn)在我已不在中國(guó)工作，但只要財(cái)力允許，我每年仍然回到中國(guó)。我與許多中國(guó)朋友仍舊保持著聯(lián)系，他們對(duì)我而言非常重要。我和其中一些人已經(jīng)密切交往了20多年。和他們成為朋友不是什么難事。事實(shí)上我的許多中國(guó)朋友更愿意向我傾訴心里話，而不是向他的同胞朋友。（因?yàn)橐粋€(gè)外國(guó)人知道你的秘密不會(huì)讓你沒(méi)面子。）
I have been there to support a young family when their son was born; I have acted as interpreter at a Sino-British wedding; and I have attended the funeral of a lovely girl who died tragically young. My friends and I know all each other's histories, and I find it very reassuring that, while the China I knew in 1989 has changed beyond recognition, the people have not.
在中國(guó)，我一直資助著一對(duì)年輕夫婦，那時(shí)他們的兒子剛出生。我曾在一個(gè)中英婚禮上擔(dān)任翻譯，我還曾參加一位可愛(ài)可惜英年早逝的女孩的葬禮。我和我的朋友們都熟知彼此的過(guò)去?？梢钥隙ǖ氖?，雖然1989年后的中國(guó)已經(jīng)變得無(wú)法識(shí)別，然而，那里的人們始終沒(méi)有變。
Except in one respect. All my friends seem to have the most enormous children. The rapid improvement in nutrition in China over the last 30 years is really noticeable, especially in the north; medium-height parents are producing boys growing to 185-190 cm in height! It is quite alarming.
改變的是，我的中國(guó)朋友們的孩子長(zhǎng)得都很高大。在過(guò)去的30年里，中國(guó)人的營(yíng)養(yǎng)狀況迅速改善，特別是北方，中等個(gè)頭夫婦的兒子身高可達(dá)1.85到1.9米，這簡(jiǎn)直太令人吃驚了。
I don't know whether I will ever live and work full-time in China again. I am in my fifties now, and as a long-term expatriate friend once said to me, China probably isn't the best place to grow old in. (If one does not benefit from a Chinese network of family relationships, that is.) What I would like is a little house in the countryside, perhaps somewhere in Sichuan near to my wife's family, in which I would live for five or six months a year writing books and journalism, and spend the rest of the year in Scotland, which has now become my home. But once China gets into your blood, you will never get it out again.
我不知是否還會(huì)回到中國(guó)全職工作和生活。如今我已年過(guò)五旬，一個(gè)和我一樣在國(guó)外工作過(guò)的老友告訴我，中國(guó)不適合養(yǎng)老（如果在中國(guó)沒(méi)有家人和親戚的話，的確如此）。我希望在中國(guó)的鄉(xiāng)間有個(gè)小院，好就在我妻子四川老家那邊。每年我在那里住上五、六個(gè)月，寫寫書、撰撰稿。其余的時(shí)間我呆在蘇格蘭，那里是我現(xiàn)在的家。沒(méi)錯(cuò)兒，一旦中國(guó)融入你的血液，你就再也無(wú)法割舍。
I came to China as a British diplomat in 1989. For two years prior to that I had been studying Mandarin. It was not really my decision.
1989年，我以外交官的身份來(lái)到中國(guó)，之前的兩年我開(kāi)始學(xué)習(xí)中文?？蛇@并不是我自己的決定。
In 1986 I joined the British Foreign Office. I had a degree in European history and languages and spoke fluent German. Naively, I assumed that my future would lie in Western and Central Europe. But of course the Foreign Office had other ideas. This was not just out of sheer perversity, of the kind that all large organizations demonstrate from time to time. Their thinking was that, as I had a talent for languages, I should study one of the really hard ones, and they were particularly keen to send young diplomats to learn Arabic. (This is not just because of the strategic and economic importance of the Middle East, but simply because there are a large number of Arab countries, and so a large number of embassies need staffing.)
我在1986年進(jìn)入英國(guó)外交部。我曾獲得歐洲歷史與語(yǔ)言學(xué)位，能講流利的德語(yǔ)。我曾天真地以為我會(huì)被派到西歐或者中歐，但他們對(duì)我卻另有安排。外交部的決定也并非完全有悖常情，與所有大機(jī)構(gòu)時(shí)而做出的變態(tài)決定還不同。他們認(rèn)為我有語(yǔ)言天賦，應(yīng)當(dāng)學(xué)習(xí)一種真正有難度的語(yǔ)言。當(dāng)時(shí)外交部特別喜歡派年輕外交官去學(xué)阿拉伯語(yǔ)。（這并非僅僅出于中東地區(qū)戰(zhàn)略和經(jīng)濟(jì)地位的重要性考慮，也是因?yàn)槟抢镉斜姸嗾f(shuō)阿拉伯語(yǔ)的國(guó)家，因此有同樣眾多的大使館需要人手）。
I had recently got married at this stage, and my wife told me in no uncertain terms that she did not want to spend half of her life heavily wrapped up in the fierce desert heat. So I needed to find another choice to prevent being forced into that course of action. Because my studies had been almost entirely Eurocentric, I knew nothing whatever about China, beyond a vague idea that it was a large place a long way to the east. But I pretended great enthusiasm for a career as a Sinologist, and was thus able to avoid banishment to the deserts of the Middle East.
當(dāng)時(shí)我新婚燕爾，我妻子明確得對(duì)我說(shuō)她可不想下半輩子生活在酷熱的沙漠。為了不被派往阿拉伯，我需要個(gè)替代方案。我的學(xué)問(wèn)都是有關(guān)歐洲的。當(dāng)時(shí)我只模糊曉得中國(guó)在遙遠(yuǎn)的東方，是個(gè)大國(guó)，除此這些，我對(duì)她一無(wú)所知。但為了不被流放到中東沙漠，我假裝對(duì)漢學(xué)家這個(gè)職業(yè)抱有極大的熱情。
I enjoyed studying the language, although learning the characters remains probably the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. I had one major problem with my studies; my first son was born the week the course started, and he made it impossible to concentrate (or sleep at night). I began the two-year course with no children and ended it with two, as we had another son in Hong Kong where the second year took place.
我喜愛(ài)學(xué)習(xí)中文，但學(xué)漢字可以說(shuō)得上是我這輩子遇見(jiàn)的困難的事兒。在學(xué)中文時(shí)，我遇到的主要麻煩是：開(kāi)課的第一周我大兒子降生了，當(dāng)時(shí)他使我很難集中精力學(xué)習(xí)（夜里也很難睡個(gè)好覺(jué)）。第二年我的二兒子在香港出生。歷時(shí)兩年的中文課程開(kāi)始時(shí)我還沒(méi)孩子，而課程結(jié)束時(shí)我已是兩個(gè)男孩的爸爸了。
I was to spend most of the 1990s in China, a total of nine years, in which my children grew up chasing cockroaches around the living room and learning Chinese songs from our ayi. Sadly they never really learned Chinese, as in the diplomatic compounds there were families from every nationality on earth -- except Chinese.
90年代我在中國(guó)度過(guò)了整整九年時(shí)間，孩子們漸漸長(zhǎng)大，在客廳追著蟑螂到處跑，跟中國(guó)阿姨學(xué)著唱中文歌。遺憾的是，他們都沒(méi)有學(xué)會(huì)中文，因?yàn)樵谑桂^區(qū)雖說(shuō)有來(lái)自世界各國(guó)的家庭，卻唯獨(dú)沒(méi)有中國(guó)的。
I was always keen not to limit my acquaintance to other diplomats and foreigners; as I was in China I wanted to get to know the Chinese people, which in the late 1980s was just beginning to become possible. The criminal offence of "li tong wai guo" had been abolished, and it was possible to establish genuinely friendly relations with people, both those one met through work and those one met through the social life which was just beginning to take off in the newly-opened bars.
在中國(guó)期間，我的交際圈不僅僅局限于外交官和外籍人士，因?yàn)槲疑硖幹袊?guó)，我想要了解這里的人。80年代末，中國(guó)廢除了“里通外國(guó)”的刑事罪名，這讓我和當(dāng)?shù)厝顺蔀檎嬲呐笥殉蔀榭赡埽瑹o(wú)論是在工作中還是在日常交往中遇到的。沒(méi)了藩籬的束縛，生活也豐富了起來(lái)。
From the start I found Chinese people naturally friendly and approachable. Despite China's long isolation from the West, people seemed genuinely free from any inbuilt suspicion or resentment of foreigners, and happy to meet on equal terms. I learnt that it was very important to treat everyone I met with respect; the Chinese, like most people, don't like being condescended to by foreigners, and the British have to be very careful in this respect because of our colonial past.
一開(kāi)始我便發(fā)現(xiàn)中國(guó)人天性友好、容易相處。盡管歷中國(guó)曾與西方長(zhǎng)期隔絕，但中國(guó)人對(duì)外國(guó)人沒(méi)有固有的猜疑與怨恨，也愿意和外國(guó)人平等地結(jié)交。我意識(shí)到，尊重每一個(gè)我遇見(jiàn)的人非常重要；像大多數(shù)人一樣，中國(guó)人不喜歡被外國(guó)人瞧不起，有過(guò)殖民歷史的英國(guó)人更應(yīng)注意這一點(diǎn)。
This was particularly true in my job as a diplomat. Chinese diplomats were always highly intelligent and professional, but extremely concerned to preserve the dignity of their country. Debate was always tough, but open and honest and usually concluded with a friendly lunch or dinner. The impression I got at these meetings -- which I have retained ever since -- is that, so long as you treat the Chinese with proper respect for their nation and their culture, you can say anything you like, and I have always been able to be completely frank.
作為一名外交官，我忠誠(chéng)得履行著我的職責(zé)。中國(guó)的外交官悟性都很強(qiáng)，且具有很高的職業(yè)素養(yǎng)，他們竭力維護(hù)國(guó)家尊嚴(yán)。我們之間的爭(zhēng)論常常非常激烈，卻又坦誠(chéng)布公，過(guò)后我們經(jīng)常友好地共同用膳。在這些會(huì)議上中國(guó)外交官給我留下的印象是，只要你尊重中國(guó)和中國(guó)文化，你就可以和中國(guó)人敞開(kāi)心扉，暢所欲言。
And, as a diplomat, there was always the danger of politics putting a strain on professional and personal relationships. The worst case of this was the terrible accidental NATO bombardment of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999. It was a very difficult meeting a few days later when I had to go into the China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make formal apologies on behalf of my government, and had to listen to a lot of fierce and entirely understandable criticism. In the preceding days I had been besieged in the British Embassy for four days by stone-throwing demonstrators angered by NATO's dreadful mistake. While I sat in my office dodging missiles, I was delighted to receive a phone call from a young Chinese couple I had met a few days before. They expressed sympathy for my difficult situation, and said they hoped I wouldn't be prevented from appearing at the dinner to which they had invited me that evening!
身為一名外交人士，政治動(dòng)蕩常會(huì)影響工作和人際關(guān)系。糟糕的一件事情是，1999年位于貝爾格萊德市的中國(guó)大使館遭到北大西洋公約組織轟炸。事后數(shù)日，我代表英國(guó)政府到中國(guó)外交部致歉，我不得不面對(duì)許多完全合乎情理的激烈批評(píng)。在這之前，被北大西洋公約組織的暴行激怒的*者向英國(guó)大使館投擲石頭，導(dǎo)致我被圍困在大使館四天之久。幸運(yùn)的是，當(dāng)我在辦公室躲避石塊時(shí)，我接到了不久前認(rèn)識(shí)的一對(duì)年輕中國(guó)夫婦的電話，他們很同情我當(dāng)時(shí)的境遇，并且希望我能如約參加當(dāng)天晚上他們組織的晚宴。
It cannot be denied that living in faraway countries imposes strains on family life. Sadly, a lot of marriages fail in careers like diplomacy, and mine was one of them. I got very much involved in China, its people and its culture, which my wife did not do to any great extent, and gradually we discovered that we had been drifting apart. This is a fate which can be very difficult to avoid, as one can never tell in advance how a spouse will adapt to a strange environment.
不可否認(rèn)，生活在遙遠(yuǎn)的國(guó)度會(huì)給家庭生活帶來(lái)很大的壓力。讓人傷心的是，許多外交人士的婚姻以失敗告終，我的婚姻也未能幸免。我深深地融入中國(guó)人民和中國(guó)文化之中，而我的妻子卻不是這樣的。逐漸，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)彼此日益疏離。這是命運(yùn)，難以避免。因?yàn)榇饲拔覠o(wú)法預(yù)知妻子適應(yīng)陌生的生活環(huán)境的能力。
And so, in a development which is very common among expatriate men working in China, I acquired a new wife, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine from Chongqing. We are still experiencing the eternal ups and downs of a cross-cultural marriage; I love my fu-qi-fei-pian and she enjoys a full breakfast of sausages, bacon and beans at the weekend.
像很多在中國(guó)工作的外籍男人一樣，我開(kāi)始了另一段婚姻。我的妻子是一名來(lái)自重慶的中醫(yī)?，F(xiàn)在，我們?nèi)匀唤?jīng)歷著跨文化婚姻的坎坷與甜蜜；我喜歡吃夫妻肺片，她也喜歡周末早餐里的香腸、培根和豆子。
Now I no longer work in China, but I have kept up a habit of visiting at least once a year, funds permitting. I still maintain a network of good Chinese friends, who are very important to me; some of them I have been close to for over twenty years. I never found it at all difficult to establish good friendships. In fact some of my Chinese friends are prepared to tell me secrets about themselves which they wouldn't tell to their Chinese friends! (Because a foreigner knowing your secrets doesn't make you lose face.)
現(xiàn)在我已不在中國(guó)工作，但只要財(cái)力允許，我每年仍然回到中國(guó)。我與許多中國(guó)朋友仍舊保持著聯(lián)系，他們對(duì)我而言非常重要。我和其中一些人已經(jīng)密切交往了20多年。和他們成為朋友不是什么難事。事實(shí)上我的許多中國(guó)朋友更愿意向我傾訴心里話，而不是向他的同胞朋友。（因?yàn)橐粋€(gè)外國(guó)人知道你的秘密不會(huì)讓你沒(méi)面子。）
I have been there to support a young family when their son was born; I have acted as interpreter at a Sino-British wedding; and I have attended the funeral of a lovely girl who died tragically young. My friends and I know all each other's histories, and I find it very reassuring that, while the China I knew in 1989 has changed beyond recognition, the people have not.
在中國(guó)，我一直資助著一對(duì)年輕夫婦，那時(shí)他們的兒子剛出生。我曾在一個(gè)中英婚禮上擔(dān)任翻譯，我還曾參加一位可愛(ài)可惜英年早逝的女孩的葬禮。我和我的朋友們都熟知彼此的過(guò)去?？梢钥隙ǖ氖?，雖然1989年后的中國(guó)已經(jīng)變得無(wú)法識(shí)別，然而，那里的人們始終沒(méi)有變。
Except in one respect. All my friends seem to have the most enormous children. The rapid improvement in nutrition in China over the last 30 years is really noticeable, especially in the north; medium-height parents are producing boys growing to 185-190 cm in height! It is quite alarming.
改變的是，我的中國(guó)朋友們的孩子長(zhǎng)得都很高大。在過(guò)去的30年里，中國(guó)人的營(yíng)養(yǎng)狀況迅速改善，特別是北方，中等個(gè)頭夫婦的兒子身高可達(dá)1.85到1.9米，這簡(jiǎn)直太令人吃驚了。
I don't know whether I will ever live and work full-time in China again. I am in my fifties now, and as a long-term expatriate friend once said to me, China probably isn't the best place to grow old in. (If one does not benefit from a Chinese network of family relationships, that is.) What I would like is a little house in the countryside, perhaps somewhere in Sichuan near to my wife's family, in which I would live for five or six months a year writing books and journalism, and spend the rest of the year in Scotland, which has now become my home. But once China gets into your blood, you will never get it out again.
我不知是否還會(huì)回到中國(guó)全職工作和生活。如今我已年過(guò)五旬，一個(gè)和我一樣在國(guó)外工作過(guò)的老友告訴我，中國(guó)不適合養(yǎng)老（如果在中國(guó)沒(méi)有家人和親戚的話，的確如此）。我希望在中國(guó)的鄉(xiāng)間有個(gè)小院，好就在我妻子四川老家那邊。每年我在那里住上五、六個(gè)月，寫寫書、撰撰稿。其余的時(shí)間我呆在蘇格蘭，那里是我現(xiàn)在的家。沒(méi)錯(cuò)兒，一旦中國(guó)融入你的血液，你就再也無(wú)法割舍。