Syria is a long way from Australia and the 12,000 refugees who will make their way south over the next 12 months will be likely to measure the distance in more than kilometres.
敘利亞距離澳大利亞很遠，1.2萬難民將在未來一年南下，這段路程可不止數公里。

In a surprising policy change, the Australian government recently said it would accept 12,000 Syrian refugees from camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.
澳大利亞政策出現意外轉變，澳政府近期宣布，澳大利亞將從約旦、黎巴嫩和土耳其的難民營接收1.2萬名敘利亞難民。

In what will be Australia's biggest refugee intake in decades, the government is rushing to find accommodation and extra services to help resettle people fleeing trauma and persecution in their home country.
這將是十年來澳大利亞接收難民最多的一年，政府正緊鑼密鼓地為難民安排住宿，提供額外服務，幫助安置這些逃離在家鄉遭受的痛苦和迫害的難民。

It won't be easy moving to a strange, new country but the government has a helpful explainer for new arrivals.
到一個陌生的國度定居并不是件容易的事，不過，澳大利亞政府已經為這些新來的難民準備了有用的生活指南。

The "Life in Australia" booklet, published by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, offers handy tips and explanations about the ways down under.
澳洲移民與公民事務局出版了這本名為《澳大利亞生活》（Life in Australia）的小冊子，為在澳生活的難民提供有用的提示和說明。

There are facts and figures about the country, an explanation of national symbols and a potted history of this "wide, brown land".
小冊子介紹了澳大利亞的相關信息和數據，闡釋了這片“廣袤棕土地”的民族象征和國家簡史。

More intriguingly, the faceless bureaucrats have offered a cultural snapshot that may bemuse rather than reassure new arrivals, complete with definitions for time-honoured phrases such as "drop by this arvo for a cuppa" (please visit this afternoon for a cup of tea or coffee) and "no worries", which of course means "the task or request will be carried out without fuss or bother".
更有趣的是，千人一面的政府官員卻提供了不少文化背景介紹。但對這些初來乍到的難民而言，有些內容不僅不能讓他們消除疑慮，反而更加困惑。小冊子中闡釋了一些歷史悠久的澳式短語的定義，如"drop by this arvo for a cuppa"（意為“今天下午請過來喝杯茶或咖啡”）和“no worries”（意為“這項工作或請求可以不受干擾或影響地開展”）等。

The booklet also points out that although locals may often strip off on hot days at the beach, that does not mean wearing little clothing translates to having "low moral standards".
小冊子還指出，盡管當地人天熱的時候在海灘會脫光衣服，但這并不意味著穿很少的衣服就是“道德敗壞”。

It describes the concepts of "mateship" (a friend but also a total stranger), a "fair go", and the much-loved ritual of having a "barbie".
小冊子還描述了“同伴關系”（是朋友，同時也是完全的陌生人）、“公平對待”的概念和澳大利亞人喜歡“燒烤”的傳統。

It claims another defining feature of Australian society is its egalitarian nature and Australians' informal relationship with work colleagues.
小冊子還點出了澳大利亞社會另一個典型特征——本質上的平等主義，同事間的關系比較隨便，不那么正式。

"However, this informality does not extend to physical contact. When meeting someone for the first time, it is usual to shake the person's right hand with your right hand. People who do not know each other generally do not kiss or hug when meeting."
“但是，這種不正式并不適用于肢體接觸。初次見面時，通常是用右手去握對方的右手。不熟悉的人見面通常不會親吻或擁抱。”

The importance of good manners and good hygiene are also explained. Not blowing your nose on the street gets a mention, as does washing your hands before eating and after going to the toilet, and saying "thank you" or "please" when dealing with others.
小冊子也闡明了舉止得體和 良好衛生習慣的重要性。比如，不要在街上擤鼻涕，飯前便后要洗手，跟人打交道時要說“謝謝”和“請”。

"Australians also queue or line up when waiting to be served in a shop, a bank, a government department, a cinema or anywhere a number of people are all seeking a service at the same time."
“澳大利亞人去商店、銀行、政府部門、電影院或任何同時有多人尋求服務的場所時，都會排隊等候。”

The peak eating times of the day are spelt out:
進餐時間也有詳細解釋：

"The midday meal is called 'lunch', and the evening meal is usually called 'dinner'. Some Australians also refer to the evening meal as 'tea' and can use the term to mean either dinner or, literally, a cup of tea or 'cuppa'. If invited for tea, the time of the event is a good sign of whether your host means dinner or just a cup of tea. An invitation to tea, any time after 6 pm (1800 hours) usually means dinner."
“中午那頓飯叫‘午餐’，晚上那頓飯通常叫‘晚餐’。有些澳大利亞人也把晚餐叫做‘茶’，這個詞可以指晚餐，也可以指字面意義上的茶。如果被人邀請喝茶，可以通過時間來確定主人是請吃晚飯還是只請喝茶。一般來說，邀請在下午6點之后喝茶，意味著是請吃晚飯。”

Is there a typical Australian, asks the booklet?
小冊子中提出一個問題：有沒有典型的澳大利亞人呢？

Well, what with the ocker, the digger and his mate, it can all be a bit confusing.
嗯，粗魯的澳大利亞人、澳大利亞士兵和他的同伴，這些都讓人有點困惑。

Just remember:
只要記住：

"Australians are egalitarian, irreverent people with a deep suspicion of authority - yet they are mostly law-abiding and conformist."
“澳大利亞人信奉平等、不畏權貴，對當局深懷疑慮，但他們大都遵紀守法，尊奉習俗。”

Oh, and we all love the bush but most of us live in cities on the coast.
哦，我們都熱愛叢林，但大部分人都住在沿海的城市里。

Bonza!
太棒了！

Vocabulary

faceless：沒有個性的

bemuse：使困惑

egalitarian：平等主義的

spell out：清楚地解釋，詳細說明

ocker：粗魯的澳大利亞人

irreverent：不尊敬的 [表贊許]

conformist：因循守舊的

英文來源：BBC

譯者：Sapphire909

審校&編輯：馬文英