[ 英国 BBC ] 3000年历史的现代化古都—北京 [英国媒体]

WHY BEIJING IS THE BEST CITY FOR ENTERPRISING EXPATS

为何北京最适合外国人拼搏进取的城市

•        With significant investment in AI, access to cutting-edge technology and an unrivalled cosmopolitan energy, the Chinese capital is among the most exciting cities in the world.
By Lindsey Galloway 16 January 2018

由于对人工智能大量投资、拥有尖端科技及无与伦比的国际资源，中国首都是世界上最令人兴奋的城市之一



It may have a history stretching back 3,000 years, but Beijing is fast becoming today’s modern ‘it’ city. With amazingly fast internet, access to cutting-edge technology like facial recognition software, significant investment in artificial intelligence and an unrivalled cosmopolitan energy, China’s capital is among the most exciting cities for enterprising expats.

拥有3000年历史的北京，如今正迅速成为现代化的“IT”城市。凭借惊人的互联网网速、拥有诸如面部识别等尖端技术，对人工智能的大量投资，以及无以伦比的国际资源。

“‘If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere’,” said German expat Clemens Sehi, referencing Frank Sinatra’s ode to New York City.

中国首都是有胸怀拼搏进取的外国人，最为感到兴奋的城市之一。

“If Sinatra lived today, he would probably sing about a city like Beijing.” Sehi, who is creative director at , says living in the city means you feel like you are “living in the new age” and always up to date.

“如果我在这里能获得成功，我到那儿里都能成功”，德国移民克莱门斯，引用弗兰克辛纳特对纽约的颂扬歌词说道 “如果辛纳屈现在还活着，他很可能会唱一首关于北京的歌。”SEHI是《旅行者档案馆》的创意总监，他说，住在这个城市里就好像自己“生活在新时代”，总感觉与时俱进。

“There’s a general feeling of being at the centre of something big, which is quite hard to put your finger on but which keeps a lot of expats there for a long time,” said Simon Norton, originally from England but who recently lived in Beijing and blogged about his experiences at . “They want to see where it goes, and be there when it gets there.”

“人们普遍感觉自己正处于大事件的中心，人们很难指出那是什么，但却让许多外国人在那里呆了很长时间”。西蒙·诺顿说道，西蒙来自英国，最近住在北京，他的博客讲述了他旅行天涯海角的经历。“他们（如果）想知道去哪里，他们就能到达那里”

Why do people love it?

人们为什么那么喜欢它

The city’s quick, high-quality internet and tech-friendly environment have made everyday living easier than ever before. “Beijing is quickly transforming into a cashless society and the internet integrates the functions of the traditional wallet into smartphones, making it easier for everyone to do many transactions,” said Andy Peñafuerte, originally from Manila and deputy editor of .

这个城市快速、高质量互联网，以及友好的科技环境使得生活日新月异。 “北京正迅速转型为一个无现金社会，互联网将传统钱包功能整合到智能手机中，让每个人都可以非常方便的交易，”来自马尼拉、《北京儿童》副主编安迪·佩尼亚弗尔特说道。

But smartphones are just the beginning for Beijing’s tech ambitions. Facial recognition software is already widespread, and many apps use the technology to allow bank transfers and payments, enable building access to apartments and offices, and even verify that ride-hailed drivers are who they say they are. The city also recently  its intentions to build a 13.8 billion yuan AI technology park, which will be home to more than 400 businesses focused on developing artificial intelligence technologies in everything from biometrics to self-driving cars.

但智能手机只是北京科技雄心的开始。面部识别软件已开始普及，许多APP应用软件已经利用这种技术进行银行转账和付款，成为进入大楼公寓和和办公室的钥匙，你甚至可以识别司机就是他们所要求的那个。这座城市最近还宣布打算建立一个138亿元的人工智能技术园，它将有400多家企业入驻，并专注于开发从生物识别到自动驾驶的人工智能技术。

Though the latest tech has its perks, old-fashioned food can also be the way to new residents’ hearts and an easy way to make local friends. “You get to know the dim sum guy on the corner,” Sehi said. And the flavours can’t be beaten. “The amazing jiaozi [Chinese dumplings] from the vendor between the station and my apartment in the mornings absolutely blew my mind every time,” Norton said.

那里不仅拥有最新科技的好处，还有传统小吃也可以让新住户称心如意，而且很容易交上朋友。 “你会认识街角买点心的家伙，”SEHI说。那味道简直独一无二。 “每天早上在我公寓和车站之间的路上，你总会遇到卖美味饺子的小贩，总会让人惊喜。”诺顿说道。

Food is also at the heart of many of the big Chinese festivals that occur throughout the year, and expats recommend joining the celebrations. The Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, which lasts a few days in February this year, is the most important social and economic holiday and one of the easiest for expats to get involved with. “I recommend offering help to Chinese friends to prepare for the festival. Cleaning the apartment is just as important as decorating it with red paper scrolls on the door and New Year congratulations written on them,” Sehi said. “On the eve of the Chinese New Year, all family members gather for a sumptuous feast and then stay up until midnight to greet the New Year with colourful and loud fireworks. Being in the company of friends and family on this night is a real door opener for expats.”

食品也是很多中国节日的核心，而且每年都会有这样的节日，建议外国人加入庆祝活动中去。今年二月还有几天就到的春节，或是叫中国新年。是最重要的社会经济节日，也是最容易和外国人打交道的节日。“我劝大家最好帮助中国友人做下准备，比如打扫打扫房子、张贴对联，祝贺新年等”SEHI接着说道“农历新年前夕，全家人聚到一起一起享用丰盛的晚餐，然后熬到午夜，点燃色彩缤纷、响亮的鞭炮迎接新年。”晚上和朋友的家人聚在一起，这对一个老外来说是融入中国的开始。

What’s it like living there?

住在这里的感觉啥样

Beijing has a large and growing expat population, but Chinese language barriers and the ease of connecting with other expats can easily become an excuse to not fully integrate into the local culture.

北京人口庞大且不断增长，但语言成为与外国人交流的障碍，外国人很自然地把它当做无法融入当地文化的借口。

“Some expatriates have lived in China for many years, but have hardly experienced their host country,” Sehi said. “If your first attempts to get in touch with Chinese people have been less-than successful, you can easily get the feeling it might be easier to spend time with other foreigners.” In these so-called ‘expat bubbles’, foreigners stick together in their own neighbourhoods, eat out in Western restaurants and only have non-Chinese friends.

SEHI说到：“一些外国人在中国生活虽有多年，但几乎没有在中国旅行过。” “如果你初次与中国人接触不顺利，你自然而然地觉得还是和其他外国人打交道容易些”。陷入所谓的“泡泡圈”里，比如只生活在有外国人小区里，吃在西餐馆，没有中国朋友。

The simplest way to combat this is to learn a little bit of Mandarin – and it’s easier than people might think. “One or two hours of private Chinese lessons per week or beginner radio plays in Chinese should fit into everyone’s busy schedule,” Sehi said. Even a few standard phrases are helpful for shopping, ordering in restaurants or making small talk in a taxi.

对付这种情况的最简单办法就是学点普通话，学普通话要比人们想象的要容易地多。SEHI说道：”每周一到俩小时的私人汉语课，或是听点初级汉语广播节目，对住在中国的忙人来说比较适合。“。即使是学点普通话短语也会对购物，点餐以及和出租车司机闲谈有帮助。

Understanding the basics of Chinese social culture also goes a long way, especially the concepts of guanxi and mianzi. “Guanxi is nurturing connections with locals, while mianzi is making sure that you give them ‘face’ or reputation, in other words, not embarrassing them in any way possible,” said Peñafuerte. “In the Western world, people might be accustomed to straightforward talk. In China, however, locals value their reputation. Being arrogant and making them feel insecure are a big no-no and you might end up being the talk of the town.” 

但要想了解中国社会文化本源，仍需很长的路要走，尤其“关系”与“面子”的概念。“Guanxi指的是培养与当地人的关系，而Mianzi是确保你给他们的‘脸面’或声誉，换句话说，绝不能让他们产生任何尴尬。培尼亚福尔特说过“在西方世界，人们谈话时可能习惯于直截了当。然而，在中国，当地人注重声誉。傲慢自大会使他们感到不舒服，必须绝对避免，要不然你可能会成为全村子的话题人物。“

What else do I need to know?

我还需知道点啥

A part of fitting into the local culture is not being afraid to be a little bit aggressive. “If you're not… you'll definitely get pushed around,” said Mikey Wu, originally from San Francisco and blogger at .

融入当地文化的一个方法就是不要怕被小小地进犯，“要不然......你肯定会被推来搡去的”，来自旧金山的吴麦吉博主说到。

This advice especially applies when shopping. “Haggle for everything! Unless it's a legitimate establishment, always bargain,” Wu said. “The price is never what it is. Doubt what you are buying, because 70% of the time someone may be trying to cheat you.”

这个建议在买东西讲价时尤其好用，除非是正规企业，要不然你总得去讨价还价。吴说到“价格从来不是写是多少就是多少，买东西的时候多想一想，因为70%情况下他都有可能是在骗你”

Stubborn air pollution is also a daily fact of life here, though government efforts have curbed some of the problem in recent years. Residents stress the importance of getting outside in the warmer months when the pollution tends to be lighter, and taking those blue-sky days as opportunities to wander the historichutongs (residential alley districts) or explore the popular Ritan Park, home to the Ming dynasty-era Temple of the Sun.

顽固的大气污染仍是你日常生活所面对的事实，尽管近年来政府为解决这个问题付出了努力。这里的居民们重点建议，在户外温暖、污染较小的几个月里，如果遇到蓝天白云，你可以去老胡同里散步，或是探索深得人们喜爱的，明朝时代太阳神庙—日坛公园。

“Beijing is the Chinese city with the most to discover below the surface,” Norton said. “Good arts and music scenes, bonkers nightlife, historical wonders, ultra-modern business districts and rickety old alleyway districts.”

“北京是中国众多城市中最易被发掘的城市”，诺顿说到。这里有优雅的艺术，音乐剧场，疯狂的夜生活，历史奇观，超现代商业区，还有岌岌可危的老胡同。