2017.1.25｜老外说
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Spring festival is coming up. Are you excited about it? Population-wise, the spring festival is probably the biggest holiday in the world, because at least 1/6 of all humans are off for the holiday week. Can you image how many people are travelling during this week? Especially ever since China has become more and more open, a lot of Chinese people choose to travel abroad instead of staying at home.
春节长假马上要到了，小伙伴们开始鸡冻了吗？从人数上来说，春节估计是世界上最大的节日了，因为至少有六分之一的人类在过节。你能想象这星期全世界有多少人奔走在路上吗？尤其是自从中国越来越开放以后，很多中国人会选择出国旅行过节。
Do you guys have plans to travel to the US? In order to make it easier for you, I am going to give you some advice for when you visit. Since I have talked to quite a number of Chinese people around me, I have noticed there might be some interesting cultural difference that may cause some confusion on your trip.
不知道有人计划来美国玩儿吗？通过和很多中国朋友聊天，我意识到一些很有趣的中美文化差异，可能会造成大家旅途中的困惑。所以为了让大家玩的更嗨，在本期节目里，我将会跟大家分享一些旅行小建议。
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Tipping - 小费
Our first tip is about tipping. This may be one of the biggest differences between China and the US. Most restaurants here expect you to tip.
第一个建议是关于给小费的问题。这可能是中美文化最不同的地方之一。美国大部分的饭店都默认顾客会给小费。
I think the origin of tipping dates back to the 20s, restaurant owners decided they weren’t making enough money. So they started to pay their employees less. And then the employees had to get more money from the customers. This is a super bullshit dick move. And I am not sure how it’s legal, but please tip because that is how waiters make most of their money.
我觉得小费的历史恐怕得追溯到20世纪，餐馆老板突然有一天觉得自己赚太少了，一言不合就开始给雇员减工资，于是雇员们只好向顾客多收钱了。这绝对是一个卑鄙无耻的行为，我也不知道为啥这居然能合法。但还是请给服务员小费，因为这是他们大部分的收入来源。
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How much should I tip?
小费给多少合适？
So, you are expected to tip in pretty much every restaurant in the US. And a good amount is probably 15% regardless of the time of day. You’ll hear people give you specific percentages for specific times of day, like for dinner you are expected to tip over 20%, but that’s all complicated and I have never done that. I just do 15%.
在美国，几乎所有的餐馆都默认顾客会给小费。我个人的建议是任何时候都给消费金额的15%。也许会有人建议你在一天中不同的时间给不同的数，比如晚饭给20%以上。但是我觉得那样太麻烦了，不用管，反正我任何时间都给15%。
There are some exceptions where you don’t need to tip them, most of which are fast food, like McDonald's or Burger King. The general rule is if you don’t get a waiter serving on your table, you don’t need to tip.
也有一些餐馆是例外，不用给小费。这些大部分是快餐店，比如麦当劳、汉堡王之类的。一般的规律是如果没有服务员帮你点餐上菜，就不用给小费。
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Where else should I tip?
还有哪些地方需要给小费？
Other places you might tip is if you are at a fancy hotel and have somebody who helps with your bags, parking your car, etc., you should tip that guy. I have never been to one of those places before, so I don’t know how much to give. Google says $1-5 per bag?
除了餐馆，还有其他一些需要给小费的地方。比如入住高级酒店，有门童帮你搬行李、停车等等，最好也给点小费。我从来没住过，所以也不知道给多少合适。网上说每搬一件行李给1-5美元就OK。
If you get a driver, like a cab driver, you would tip them also. Again I would just go with the 15% rule. For those ride sharing services like Uber, the apps would tell you the tip options. In beauty treatments like spas, nails, barbers, skin care specialists, you are also expected to tip.
如果你请了一个司机，比如出租车司机，也要给小费。我个人一直坚持给总金额的15%。如果是像Uber那样的拼车服务，软件会提示你应付的小费金额。还有就是一些美容护理类的服务，比如做水疗按摩、美甲、美发、皮肤护理等等，也需要给小费。
Another bit of advice regarding this is that it is always better to calculate tips yourself. Some restaurants would calculate their “suggested tips” for you and it is not always the correct amount. My wife has found some restaurants’ calculations are purposely more than they should be. So it is always good to bring your own brain while travelling.
我还有一个小建议，就是给小费的时候，最好自己计算金额。有些餐馆会帮你计算他们的“建议小费”，但并不一定是对的。我老婆就发现有些餐馆会故意算错，企图多收小费。脑子是个好东西，出门在外一定要记得带哦~
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Restaurant Etiquette - 用餐礼仪
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Please wait to be seated
就算有空位，也要等一等
Next we have some bite-sized bits of restaurant etiquette. When you enter a restaurant, you don’t go just sit yourself down, even when it is empty.
下面我们来说说用餐礼仪。当你走进一家餐厅的时候，就算看见餐厅里有空位，也最好不要直接自己找位子坐下来。
There will usually be a sign that says “please wait to be seated.” But if there is no sign like that, usually you can either catch someone’s eye, like a wait staff, and they will tell you to sit anywhere or you can just wait at the front desk, and someone will come up to get you. Fast food is also an exception here, where you can just pick up your order and seat yourself.
一般餐厅的门口都会有一块提示牌，写着“请在此等候排位”。如果没有这块牌子，你可以示意相关工作人员，他们会带你入座；或者你可以直接在前台等一会儿，会有人来接待你的。快餐店依然不在此范围，在快餐店拿到餐点后，自己找位子坐下就行。
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Don’t shout at waiters
别喊“服务员”
I have heard stories from one of my Chinese class teachers, who was from Chengdu. She told us that you need to scream “fuwuyuan” in the restaurant in China when you need the waiter.
我的中文老师是个成都人，我从她那儿听说，在中国餐厅里，你需要的时候得大声招呼“服务员”，才会有人来理你。
Unlike that, we don’t scream at our waiters. Usually they will come by the table every few minutes to see if you are doing OK and if you need anything. But if they have not come to you for a while and you need them, you really kind of have to wave at them when they are looking in your direction to get their attention. We don’t like being loud and making noise in public.
这跟美国很不同，我们一般不出声招呼服务员。他们通常每隔一会儿就会过来问你需要什么，看看你是否满意。但如果你需要的时候他们没来得及过来，你只要向他们挥手示意就行了。我们不喜欢在公共场所太过喧闹。
Also, when eating, it is best to keep your mouth closed. We consider it rude to talk with food in your mouth, or to chew with your mouth open, or to chew very loudly.
还有就是吃东西的时候，最好是闭着嘴巴。边吃边说话、张大嘴嚼东西、或者大声bia ji 嘴，我们可能会觉得有点无礼。
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Noise control in public
公共场所降低音量
Like I said, people here in the US don’t like being loud and making noise in public. So if you are in a public area, you don’t want to be too loud, unless of course you’re at a sports event or some other large crowd event like a parade or concert.
就像我刚刚说的，美国人不喜欢在公共场所大声喧哗。除了一些体育赛事或大型活动，比如游行、演唱会之类的，其他时候在公共场所都尽量放低音量。
And I think it might be sort of a problem for Chinese visitors, because sometimes they talk really loud without realizing it, especially when they are excited or something. The first time I saw several Chinese people talking, I thought they were quarrelling the whole time. And also if there are non-Chinese speakers with your group and you can speak English, it is a good idea to try to speak English. It is always good to try to fit in with the locals.
我觉得或许这对于中国游客来说有点点困难，因为有时候他们意识不到自己说话很大声，尤其是在比较兴奋的时候。我第一次见到几个中国人说话，（听声音）还以为他们是在吵架。另外，如果你的团里有个别外国人，而且你会说英语，那最好大家都说英语。能入乡随俗总是好的。
Security Concerns - 安全问题
Next, let’s talk about safety. So I heard it’s very common in China for people to go out for a walk at night. But, depending on your area here, if you are in the city, it may not be a great idea to go out at night by yourself. Going out in groups would probably be fine.
接下来我们来聊一聊安全问题。我听说在中国，很多人习惯在晚饭后出去散散步。但是，在美国晚上一个人出去闲逛可能不大安全，一群人一起活动会好一些。
Walking after dinner is not a thing that we do, so there are not usually too many people out. Wandering alone at night can be dangerous. A substitute option is, like my wife always does, you can drive to a mall after dinner and walk there. It is pretty safe and comfortable, and there is usually more interesting stuff to look at.
因为美国人没有饭后散步的习惯，晚上外面基本都没什么人，一个人出去逛真的有点危险。一个替代方案是，你可以开车去商场散步…… 我老婆就经常这么干。商场里又舒服又安全，还有很多好玩的东西可以看。
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Transportation - 交通
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Within Cities - 城内交通
Now let’s talk about options for getting around. Most cities have public buses you can take. They tended to be a little slow, but their routes are easy to follow. Most buses here have a string you can pull to indicate that you want to stop at the next station, so it is important for you to know where you want to get out. If you don’t pull the string, the bus isn’t guaranteed to stop. The bus may or may not call out the stops, so you may want to watch for the stops yourself.
现在我们来说说出门都有哪些交通工具。大部分城市都有公交车。虽然有点慢，但它们的路线比较简单好认。大部分公交车上都有一个下车铃，到站前你得拉一下铃，提醒司机有人要下车。如果你没有拉铃，司机有可能就不停车了。在这儿有的车报站，有的不报，所以最好自己注意一下站牌。
Other than that, a handful of big cities on the east coast or the west coast will have subways, which are pretty efficient but I don’t think they are as common here as in a lot of other countries.
We also have cabs, but they are fairly expensive. I think most people will usually Uber or Lyft, one of those other ride sharing services instead of taking a taxi, because it’s a lot cheaper.
东西部沿海有几个城市通地铁，虽然地铁效率很高，但好像在美国没有那么普遍。你也可以坐出租车，但是有点小贵。大部分人会选择 Uber 或者 Lyft 这类的拼车服务，因为真的要便宜很多。
A more convenient option is renting a car because then you will have a lot more freedom, this is America after all. But, you have to look into the laws for each state you’ll be in to figure out if a Chinese driver’s license is good enough to drive there.
更为便捷的一个方式是租车，想去哪就去哪，你能有更多的自由。但是你得先查查各州的法律，看中国驾照能否在当地使用。
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Between Cities - 城市间的交通
For travelling in between cities, other than renting a car, you can take a bus, although those tend to be really slow, they are probably one of the cheaper options. Not many people do that though. Trains aren’t really a thing we do either. We use them all the time for transporting freight but not really people.
城市间的交通，除了租车，我们也有城际公交。虽然便宜，但是相当慢，所以没几个人愿意坐。我们一般也不会坐火车出行，因为这里的火车只拉货，不拉人。
And of course airplanes are a good option. We’ve got tons of airports. Even our tiny little towns have airports, like my hometown has around 80,000 people; it has an airport. So you can get connecting flights to almost anywhere, and short local flights usually aren’t too expensive.
当然你还可以坐灰机。美国有很多机场，即使是很小的城镇上都会有机场。比如我老家，才8万人口都有一个机场。所以你几乎能飞到任何地方，而且短程航班也不是很贵。
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If you are invited
当你被邀请去做客
If you are invited by an American friend for dinner, it’s always good to bring something small like a bottle of wine, or ask if you could bring some small food or something from the store. But you don’t have to spend much money. Under $10 is totally fine.
如果你被当地朋友邀请去家里吃晚饭，最好能带上比如红酒、点心之类的小礼物。不知道带啥的话也可以直接问。不用花太多钱，一般10美元以下就很OK了。礼物是次要的，关键是态度。
And it’s more the gesture than the thing you actually bring that matters. And if they tell you they don’t want something, then don’t bring anything. It’s that simple. You don’t have to argue with them or anything. We are very straight forward like that.
如果主人家告诉你啥都不用带，你就不带，就这么简单~ 不用和他们客气争着带东西，美国人都很直接的。
Rules inside a house - 屋内习惯
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When you are in their house, it’s a good idea to ask if you need to take your shoes off. And then they’ll usually introduce you to their house and tell you if they have any other rules. You know, be respectful is a common rule around the world. But there is not too many special rules for Americans. We have a short history and are pretty laid back when it comes to traditions.
进屋之前，最好问问主人家要不要脱鞋。然后他们通常会带你参观房子，如果有一些特别的注意事项，这个时候他们就会告诉你。尊重他人是全世界通用的规则。美国人其实没有很多特别的风俗。我们的历史很短，所以其实也没啥传统（咳咳）。
Although nationally we don’t celebrate spring festival, I would guess ABCs might still celebrate it, depending on how recently their family immigrated to the US. In places like Chinatown in LA, or someplace like that with a large Chinese population, they would do something for spring festival. But it won’t be nearly as big or exciting as what you will get back in China. I think you guys are the masters of celebrating. Hopefully I get to visit China someday soon and experience a real Spring Festival there!
虽然我们不会全国上下一起过春节，但我想在美国的华裔一定还是会庆祝的。像LA的中国城之类的，中国人聚居的地方，也会有一些过年的活动，但肯定没有在中国那么有趣。我觉得你们绝对是过年过节搞庆祝活动的专家，希望我也能尽快去中国体验一把真正的春节~
以上就是今天的全部内容，念念编辑部祝大家新年快乐，念念有鱼~ 希望大家的英语每天都能进步一点点，来年再见咯~
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