我不讲中文如何才能在中国生存？ [美国媒体]

How can I survive in China without speaking Chinese?

我不讲中文如何才能在中国生存？




Derek Harkness, lived in China
Updated Feb 17, 2013
It depends allot on what city you are going to be living in. If you choose one of the big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Hong Kong, then you will find many western people living there and many locals who speak at least a little English.
Living in a smaller city will be different but not difficult. Although few if any people you meet will speak English, they will almost all try to help you do what you want to do. Most day to day tasks are quite simple - buying food in a supermarket, taking a taxi or going to a restaurant. You don't really need to be able to do much more than point to a menu card and look on the cash register for the amount to pay.
Some things will require assistance. Probably through your work or place or study, you will meet Chinese people who speak English and they will offer to assist you with shopping and such. There may even be someone officially assigned to you are in a large organisation such as a University. They will help you with things like negotiating with landlords, paying your electricity bill, arranging internet, telephone and other services or purchasing items.
After six years in China, I still speak just the basics of the language but have few problems. One notable issue when I first came was paying for services like water and electricity. I didn't know that the electricity bills were bits of paper stuck on the wall outside the building door. Several times I spent a night or two in the dark after the power was cut off. Once I learned to read the name of the landlord on the bill, I could take the paper and pay it myself but I was surprised by the amount. Turns out there was another household with the same name as my landlord in the same building and that I was paying some other persons electricity bill by mistake.
However, none of these misshapes were of great issue. Living in a foreign country, even if you don't speak the language, is fun and a great experience to add to your life.

这某种程度上要看你生活在哪个城市了。如果你选择像北京、上海、广州、香港这种大城市，你会找到很多也生活在那里的西方人，许多本地人多少也能讲一点英语。
生活在小一点的城市会有不同，但也不难。尽管你遇到的人很少能有讲英语的，但他们也会尽全力帮助你。你最常做的事很简单----超市购物、打车、去饭馆。除了点餐和付款这两门技能，其他的都太不需要。
有些事还是需要帮助的。可能在你工作、学习和呆的地方，会有些能说英语的中国人协助你买东西这些事。至于处在机构，机构官方会协助你去解决，比如和房东协商，交电费，装宽带、电话及其他设备，或者采购之类。
来中国6个月了，我只能讲点基础的中文，但基本没什么问题。我刚来的时候，最大的麻烦是交水电费。我都不知道电费单贴在公寓大门口的墙上，好几次因为断电了我一两个晚上都是摸瞎。有一次我终于知道了看房东贴的电费单的名字，拿起来付款，被数字吓了一跳。后来我才知道因为失误，居然帮一个跟我同公寓同名的人付了电费。
然而，这些小曲折都不算啥事。在外国生活，即使你不会讲外语，也很有趣，是你一生中很棒的经历。

Jessica Bolin, Language Learner, Lived in China
Written Dec 13, 2015
I know a couple who lived in China for a decade and never spoke any Chinese, and they were in a smaller city with few foreigners to boot.
The secret? Friends.
This is easy if you work teaching higher level English. Your students are now your friends. I know it sounds weird to someone who has only had polite, professional relationships with college professors, but in China this is not unusual at all. Just mention casually in class that you need help getting something done, and you will have volunteers offering to help you do it. I would also suggest cultivating a relationship with other English speaking teachers and your school foreign affairs office staff (the lower their level on the office totem pole, the better their English usually is).
If you're teaching young students or are working in a company, obviously they wouldn't have hired you if they didn't expect be able to communicate with you in some way, so you will have English speaking colleagues and should maintain good relationships with them.
Of course it's probably a good idea to learn some phrases just so you don't have to be escorted everywhere you go. Learning some spoken Chinese isn't that hard :)

我认识一对夫妇，在中国住了上十年了，从来不讲中文，他们在一座小城市，那里还有几个外国人，会帮他们。
秘诀？就是朋友喽。
如果你是个教高级英语的，那就轻松了。你的学生就成你的朋友了。我知道这在某些有修养的专业人士如大学教授们听起来蛮奇怪的，但在中国这很普遍啊。上课的时候你不经意地提一下你需要的帮助，就会有志愿者主动去帮你。我也建议你跟同校其他英语老师和事务部门同事搞好关系（通常在部门级别越低的人，英语水平越高）。
如果你是教年轻学生或者在公司就职的，显然的，如果他们不愿跟你交流也就不会聘用你，这你就要跟讲英语的同事搞好关系了。
最好还是自己学一些短语，这样去哪儿都不用别人陪同了。学一点中文口语吧，没那么难的。:)

Julian Mintzis, Education and Business Professional.
Written Mar 3, 2014
Agreed with Derek - it does depend where you are living. Both Beijing and Shanghai, as well as other developed cities are "foreigner friendly," meaning for example most signs in Beijing are translated into English or the Pinyin, the Romanized form of expressing Chinese characters.  If you are creative, you can always find someone that will know enough English to be able to help you in any given situation. Smaller cities will have fewer signs translated.  Many restaurants have picture book menus and attempted translations; although this can get interesting real quick!

我同意Derek--这取决于你生活在哪里。北京上海如其他国家城市一样，是“对外友好”的，比如，大部分标识都有英文翻译，或者拼音，也就是汉字的罗马注音。如果你有心，你总能找到英语够好的人帮你。小一点城市，有英文翻译的标识就少点了。很多餐馆都备有那种图文并茂的英语翻译菜单，尽管你很快就会觉得搞笑（意思是说那些菜名翻译很搞笑）。

Fiona Shi, works at Burger King
Written Dec 16, 2015
To survive is not that difficult but to live, I still recommend u to grab some Chinese, more or less.
For first-tied city like Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen and other foreigner-populated city like Hangzhou,Suzhou etc, I don't think it influences your life a lot while you don't speak Chinese. As long as u are willing to ask for what you may need,  just a few words(thank u, ok and no) can help you go smoothly.
For other city, problem may come out since less local know foreign language very well especially in urban area.
I have a lot of foreign friends who come from middle east, east Asia and other country. Actually no everyone need to learn Chinese very well since the time and  energy are both limited. What's more, Chinese is a total different language to them. Like my tutor in university, professor in Istanbul University, he spends all his spare time, studying Islam and Buddist Traditional document. But for other who really need to adapt himself to China society, Chinese will be a plus.

生存不难生活难，我还是建议你或多或少学点中文。
在并列第一的上海北京，还有深圳，还有其他受外国人欢迎的城市如杭州苏州等等，在这里，你不讲中文，我认为不会影响你的生活。只要提出你的需求，会几个单词（谢谢、好的、不），就能让你畅通无阻了。
在其他城市话，那么问题就来了，能把外语讲好的本地人很少，特别在城区。
我有许多来自中东、东亚和其他国家的朋友。事实上，因为时间精力有限，不是每个人都需要学好中文。再者，中文对他们来说是一门完全不同的语言。像我的导师，一位伊斯坦布尔大学的教授，把他所有的业余时间都花在学习伊斯兰和传统佛教典籍上了。但对于另一些真正需要融入中国社会的人，就要学习中文了。

Jason Lv, In-house interpreter in a Chinese Financial SOE
Written Mar 7, 2014
If you really don't want to learn Chinese, you need to choose a place where most people can speak some English(I assume you speak the language).
Take Beijing for example, you can live near Sunlitun where most of the embassies are. In that part of Beijing, even local tailors, watresses nad peddlers can speak fluent English.
You will not just survive, but also thrive there.

如果你实在不想学中文，你可以选择那种大多数人可以讲点英语的地方生活（我假定你是讲英语的）。
拿北京举例，你可以住在三里屯附近，大部分外国大使馆都在这里。在北京的这个地区，即使本地的裁缝、服务员、商贩都可以讲流利的英语。
在那里你不仅能生存，还会活的很滋润。

Sandra Johnson, Reader, writer, Bookworm
Written Nov 23, 2012
Big cities in China might not be very difficult for you because of presence of western people and the ability of locals to speak at least broken English. But don't be assured. It will be better that you get hold of Chinese language and start learning it. It is only going to help you in the long run because the Chinese language is becoming a very important language throughout the world. If you are busy in your schedule then you can go for Chinese lessons online. You can take them as per your convenient timings. One of my friends had availed the services of a company called Chinesesphere. he strongly recommended it. Here is the link. Maybe you can have a look.Learn Chinese Language Online

在中国大城市生活可能不难，因为有西方人出没，本地人多少能讲点蹩脚的英语。但不保险。最好还是掌握中文，现在就开始学。长远来看，学会中文会对你很有帮助，因为中文在全世界范围内都越来越重要。如果你日程上很忙碌，你可以网上在线学习。利用你每段空余时间。我一个朋友就是这样，现在在一家叫做Chinesesphere的公司。他强烈建议学中文。这是链接。你可以看看。Learn Chinese Language Online

Rishu Sinha, simple
Written Jun 3, 2014
1.Translation App
2.Make English Speaking Chinese friends.
3.Sign Language or actions.
It's not too difficult..I am here for around 3 years now knowing less than 100 Chinese words and only a few sentences.

1.翻译软件
2.交讲英语的中国朋友
3.手语或者比划
没那么难，我在这里3年左右了，知道的中文单词不超过100个，另加几个句子。