各国网友评论:你更愿意生活在日本还是中国？ [美国媒体]

Would you rather live in Japan or China?

你更愿意生活在日本还是中国？


Terry Newman, Ten years living and doing business in China.
Updated Feb 1
I have lived four years in Japan and now almost ten in China. I do business in both, but am based in a regional city a couple of hours from Shanghai.

我曾在日本生活四年，现在在中国差不多十年了。我在两边做生意，但住在离上几小时车程的一个小城市。

Personal Safety
About the same. Japan is universally safe, but some areas of China have a higher crime rate than others. However I have never felt threatened in either. Certainly both are much safer than most Western countries. No guns to speak of and very little violent crime.
In China, but not Japan, there is always the slight chance of government-orchestrated violence against or arrest of foreigners if there is a dispute with your country. It is wise to be aware and to be ready to get out for a while if things start to turn nasty. This is especially true if you happen to be Japanese.

人身安全
两国差不多。日本普遍很安全，中国有些地方犯罪率比其他地方高。但我在两国都没有受到过威胁。当然了，两国比大部分西方国家要安全得多。禁枪，只有零星的暴力犯罪。
在中国，有那么点小可能，就是他们当与你的国家发生争端时，中国政府策划的针对外国人的暴力拘捕会殃及在你身上。明智的做法是随时准备在事情恶化前出去避一避。尤其当你是个日本人的时候。而在日本，没这种事。

Driving
Japan every time. I have driven a lot in both, with over 300,000km in China. 700 people a day perish on Chinese roads and millions are involved in less serious accidents. It is carnage! e-bikes, which appear to operate in a separate rule-free dimension oblivious to other traffic, are a menace. Having said that I do not feel in as much danger as you may think. You must drive defensively and be very alert. If you do that you will be fine. Believe it or not I enjoy driving in China. It is a test of both skill and mental discipline.

驾驶
无论何时都是日本。我在两边开车都很多，在中国的里程超过300000公里。中国每天的车祸死亡人数是700人，涉及交通事故的人数几百万。简直是大屠杀！电动车绝对是个威胁，它们完全无视交通规则。你开车必须要保持警觉，如果你防备着开，那就还好。信不信由你，我喜欢在中国开车，它是对你技术和智力的双重考验。

Hygiene
Japan, but have to give China points for improvement in the last ten years. Major facilities like airports are not too bad. Streets are getting better too, but largely due to an army of cleaners that picks up after a thoughtless, littering public.
No spitting in Japan, certainly not in cities, but still an issue in China. Have seen them spit on the floor in restaurants.
Public urinating still happens in China, but improving.

卫生
日本。但不得不给中国过去十年的进步点赞。重要场所如机场都不差。街道也越来越干净了，但很大部分要归功于清洁大军的清扫。
日本没有人吐痰，城市里当然也没有，但是中国还有这个问题。看到过他们在餐馆地板上吐痰。
公共场所便溺在中国还是时有发生，但正在进步中。

Pollution
Do I need to answer this? In Japan pm2.5 readings hover around 20–40. In my area it averages about 120, if you believe the official numbers. Visibility is always poor. Japan generally has clear blue skies, depending on the season.
Nuclear pollution in Japan is a current problem (edit suggested by another Quoran - thank you) but unless one lives in the immediate area the effects are limited. In China nuclear plants are going to be a bigger part of the energy mix in the future, so it is not free of risk. When and if accidents happen the rapid and truthful dissemination of information is going to be vital.

污染
需要我回答这个问题吗？日本PM2.5指数在20-40徘徊。而我住的地方（中国）平
均值是120，如果你相信官方数据的话。能见度总是很小。日本通常都是碧空如洗，也要看季节吧。
日本现在的问题是核污染。但是除非直接生活在污染区，不然伤害也是有限的。中国未来的核能会在能源中占比更大，所以核能这一项上，中国也并非是无风险的。当事故发生时，真实消息的迅速传播是至关重要的。

Language
Japanese grammar is more difficult for Westerners to master, but pronunciation is pretty easy. Chinese grammar is not a big problem, but listening comprehension and correct pronunciation are more difficult because the language is tonal. Chinese requires more characters to be able to read and write.
If you only speak English, Japan is better, but sometimes communication is facilitated by writing it down. They are much more competent at written than spoken English. Chinese young, educated people speak English well, but they are thin on the ground if you venture outside the developed parts of the big cities.

语言
日语的语法对西方人来说更难一点，但发音很简单。中文语法不是大问题，但因为声调，听力理解和正确的发音对我们来说很难。读写两方面中文都有更高的词汇量要求。如果你只讲英语，日本更好，但有时需要靠书写来加强交流。他们写英语比说英语强。中国受过教育的年轻人英语说的很好，但这种年轻人在发达的大城市以外就寥寥无几了。

Friendliness
Japan is more friendly and open. I think in China it depends where you are and on the generation. Certainly in daily interactions with strangers the Japanese are very polite and cordial and go out of their way to be helpful and avoid giving offence. In China if you ask directions some people will be helpful, but many will give you short shrift. Buy a train ticket in China and the transaction will be perfunctory and the tickets and your change will be thrown at you without comment or eye contact.
I think deeper friendships are equally possible in both places, but it takes time.

友好度
日本更为友好更为开放。我觉得在中国还是要看地方，也要看年龄层。就日常接触陌生人这点来看，当然日本人更礼貌更诚恳，也乐于助人，不会冒犯你。在中国，如果你问路，有些人乐于帮助你，但有些人也会不理你。在中国买火车票的话，整个过程都没有语言交流和眼神接触，很敷衍。我认为两地的友好度都会一样好，但需要时间。

Food
A matter of preference. Both have good food. Ten years ago in China I couldn’t get a salad, or good coffee, but now common. Chinese food is being influenced by international travel and the internet.

食物
这个见仁见智。两边都有美食。十年前我在中国买不到色拉和好咖啡，但现在都普及了。中国食物也受到国际旅行和网络的影响。

Daily Life
Life in urban Japan is super-convenient with fantastic public transport, great shopping, wonderful service and high-quality everything. Daily life in China is an endless, tiring series of inconveniences. Things break, traffic is horrible, service is bad.

日常生活
日本市区的生活真是超方便，极好的公共运输，大商店，很棒的服务，高质量的所有商品。中国的日常就是持续的无穷无尽的不便。交通糟糕，服务很差，都是些破事儿。

Cost of Living
Overall the cost of living in Japan is higher than China, however if you live in Beijing or Shanghai and want to own property you need to be wealthy. In the regions China is quite cheap, but then so is Japan. China is cheaper for daily necessities and basic services. In Japan the quality of everything is good, but in China it is very patchy. Prices reflect this fact. In China you get what you pay for, usually.

生活成本
总的说来日本的生活成本比中国高，不过你要是在北京上海想有点财产的话还是得富有。在中国很便宜的区域，日本的同类区域也一样。中国的日用品和基础服务更便宜点。日本所有的商品质量都很好，但中国的商品质量就良莠不齐了。价格就能反映这点，在中国通常你出什么钱就拿什么货。

Freedom of expression
Japan is a liberal democracy. Anything goes really, but there is also some media manipulation I suppose. There is complete freedom of association. I now live in China so I cannot talk about this. OMG they just banned the use of VPNs.

言论自由
日本是个自由民主国家。一切都很真实，但我猜也有媒体操控。有完全的结社自由。我现在人在中国所以我不能说这个。OH,My God，他们（中国）连VPN都禁止使用。

Dealing with Officialdom
Both places are quite rigid. Japan is probably more so, but that is partly because policy is properly formulated for the most part. There is no corruption. China is a movable feast, or rather a movable dog’s breakfast. Idiotic new rules are issued on a daily basis - like making it illegal to go through an orange light - and then retracted when it is realised that it was a stupid idea. Corruption still occurs in China but it is less common than a decade ago and more sophisticated.

与官场打交道
两国都很死板。日本尤甚，但这在一定程度上是因为政策制定得当。日本没有贪腐。中国是场流动的盛宴，简直就是不固定的狗的早餐。有时制定个白痴的日常规则--如规定闯黄灯违法--然后意识到太愚蠢又撤销。对比十年前，中国现在的贪腐虽然没那么普遍了，但依然存在，只不过更隐晦了。

Doing Business
Doing business should be a separate post, or a book, but both have their challenges. China is much more difficult and frustrating, but also has more vitality and still more opportunity to make money for committed and capable foreigners.

做生意
做生意这点应该单独来谈，或者写本书。这点在两国都有各自的挑战。在中国做生意更难更容易受挫，但中国也更有活力，对坚定且有能力的外国人来说挣钱的机会更多。

Which is Better?
Perhaps the above comments will help you to decide your likely preference, but for me both are fascinating for different reasons. If I had (when I have) a steady retirement income I would choose Japan as my second home - my first being Australia. While doing business it has to be China. For all its frustrating aspects, China is the more exciting at the moment. It is going through tremendous change at breakneck speed. It is a mass of contradictions, it is dynamic, it is full of vitality, drama, even terrible injustice, but it is totally, absolutely and sometimes, exhaustingly, engaging. Japan is a developed country with developed-country issues. It is no utopia if you dig beneath the surface, but if you have modest wealth you can live a safe, healthy, civilised, gentle and convenient life. The culture is unique and fascinating and there is no excuse to be bored if you are interested in the world

哪个国家好更好？
可能我上面的评论可以帮你决定你的选择倾向，但对我来说，两国都有让我着迷的理由。如果我（当我）有了稳定的退休收入的话，我会选择日本作为我的第二个家--我的第一个家是澳大利亚。而就做生意来说，肯定选中国。每到受挫的时候，兴奋感也更多。中国正在以极快的速度经历巨大的变化。中国充满矛盾，又活力四射，生命力爆棚，它有时颇具戏剧性，甚至有可怕的不公，但有时又实在吸引人。日本是个发达国家，也有发达国家的问题。若你挖掘到表面以下，它也不是乌托邦，但你若拥有一定的财富，你就能过上安全、健康、文明、便利的生活。日本的文化独一无二又吸引人，只要你对周围世界有兴趣就不会无聊。

Arthur Wan, lived there for over 30 years
Written Feb 9
Generally, Japan is a nation that has finished its modernization and westernization while maintaining much of its own culture and history; China is a country busy with industrialization and urbanization while quickly losing its traditional cultures and customs.
Presently,
Japan is more clean, refined, orderly and predictable.
China is more dynamic, rough, thrilling and changeable.
Seek what you like if you can.

总的来说，日本是个已经完成现代化和西方化同时又保留了许多自己文化和历史的国家；中国是个正忙于工业化和城市化同时又丢掉她的传统和风俗的国家。
目前来看，
日本更干净，更精致，更守序，更可预测。
中国更有活力，更粗犷，更激动人心，更多变。
如果可以，还是依你自己的喜好去探索吧。

Sally Hayes, lived in Japan
Written Jan 24
Oh, wow!
I lived in Japan for 5 years, spoke the language, traveled around a lot. I absolutely love the country, I loved living there, loved the people, the food, the lifestyle, the culture, the festivals, the villages, the countryside…. It’s a part of my heart and soul forever.
I only lived in China for 6 months, though I’ve visited different parts on three other occasions, anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months each time. I barely speak the language (though I love the sound of it and want to learn more), I loved some places (including where I lived) and hated others. The country is an enigma - more like another planet than another country - and a huge challenge to travel around. While living there I had less than ideal conditions, being a single mum with full time work and 2 little kids (aged 5 and 8) to manage by myself. And yet I love it too. I loved the people, the food, the lifestyle…. I barely scratched the surface and yet I felt like I was part of creating history just by being there - I could feel the ancient age of the land and its people.
They are two such vastly different countries with such vastly different cultures and lifestyles - I can’t answer your question. They are too different, and yet both amazing places. I love them both.

哇喔~
我在日本住了5年了，说日语，经常四处旅游。我绝对喜欢这个国家，我喜欢在这里生活，喜欢这里的人，这里的食物、生活方式、文化、节日，喜欢这里的村庄、乡野......她永远是我心和灵魂的一部分。
我在中国仅仅生活过6个月，尽管在另外三个假期游览过三个不同的地方，每次花2周到3个月不等。我勉强能说点中文（尽管我喜欢中文发音也想多学点），有些地方我喜欢（包括我住过的），另一些我就很讨厌。这个国家就是个迷--不止是外国，简直就是外星球--四周旅游是个巨大的挑战。住在那里的时候我的条件不太理想，我是个单亲妈妈，有全职工作还要自己带两个小孩（一个5岁一个8岁）。是的，我也喜欢这里，我爱这里的人们，这里的食物和生活方式....
这两个国家在文化和生活方式上有着极大的不同----我无法回答你的问题。两个国家太不同了，但都是令人惊奇的地方，两个地方我都爱。

Kim Carner, Contract attorney in Los Angeles
Written Jan 31
I've only been to China, so here's that side:
I lived in Hong Kong for a summer and traveled to Guangzhou in mainland China. Hong Kong is still separate enough that you notice a difference. Very very safe, I am a youngish female and walked home at night at 2 to 3am completely alone. The subway is amazing, the trains are immaculately clean and no one has to push you through the doors like you see in videos of Tokyo.
Food is very cheap, even nice places, because the overcrowding makes it hard to have kitchens in most apartments. Hong Kong has real bathrooms everywhere (not squat toilets) is just generally very clean.
Guangzhou was interesting because half the buildings were less than 10 years old and everything was brand new, high tech and covered in neon. It's a different vibe because it's so recently become wealthy and accessible. The subway there was also really clean and efficient, something that surprised me. However, it's stuck in between two times, and everyone seems not ready to let go of one or the other. For example we ate at a very nice family style restaurant that was highly rated (great food), but to get there we had to go up some old creepy stairs in an unmarked and very old office building before finding the hidden gem upstairs. And despite how nice it was, it had only squat toilets, which, as a female, aren't the greatest.
I loved Hong Kong and would move there in a second, even though it's expensive. Definitely not as much smog as the rest of China because it's on the ocean. Mainland will be cheaper, and still not bad, but there are those little differences. I found people to be pleasant but not overly friendly, which I appreciate appreciate an introvert.
I can't wait to visit Japan, I've heard great things minus the insane cost of things in Tokyo.

我就去过中国，表述如下：
我在香港住了一个夏天，这期间去了大陆的广州。你会注意到香港还是够独立的。香港非常非常安全，我是个还算年轻的女性，凌晨两三点独自一人走路回家。地铁特别棒，车厢相当干净，也没有人像你在视频里看过的东京那样挤着你进门。食物很便宜，是个非常漂亮的地方，因为过度拥挤，你很难在你的公寓拥有一个厨房。香港到处都有真正的盥洗室（不是那种蹲式厕所），一般也很干净。
广州很有趣，因为一半的建筑都不超过10年，都是崭新的，高技术的，布满霓虹灯。这是个不同的感觉，因为广州近些年才变得富有变得有融入感。地铁干净又高效，这点惊到我了。然而，它常在相邻两件事之间让你不知所措。比如，有次我们去一家家庭风格的高级餐馆吃饭，但要到达地点我们必须穿过一栋破旧写字楼里一道没有标识的恐怖楼道，然后才找到隐藏的豪华楼道。尽管餐馆很漂亮，但只有蹲式厕所，这对我一个女性来说，不太好。
我爱香港，还会去第二次，尽管那里消费高。香港因为在海边，当然不像中国其他城市一样有雾霾。大陆的话就比较便宜，也不差，但有些许不同。我发现人们都较可爱，但不要过度友好，我欣赏内敛的人。
我等不及要去日本了，我听说过关于东京的很棒的事情。

Chi Nguyen, a happy, friendly vietnamese
Updated Feb 2
Well I will choose China.
Japan is just an ideal place to visit in summer, not a place to live to me. Stuff in Japan are unreasonable expensive. I’ve heard that Japanese people are not so friendly.
Besides, China is like a brother to Vietnam. We have the same living style so I won’t have culture shock.
Furthermore, I'm interested in learning chinese and Chinese people that I know are super friendly.
Have a good day guys! ≧'◡'≦

好吧我会选择中国。
对我来说，日本是个夏天旅游的理想之地，而不是生活的地方。日本的东西价格昂贵的不合理。我听说日本人不是那么友好。
而中国就像越南的兄弟。我们有一样的生活方式，这让我不会有文化冲击。
此外，我对学习中文非常有兴趣，而且我认识的中国人都超友好。
哥们，祝你玩得愉快!≧'◡'≦