老外在中國，是種什么樣的生活體驗？Second Thought欄目系列文章帶你走近老外的真實生活。

I’ve never done too many truly bold, romantic things in my life, but just about five years ago, after getting a job offer in China, I told my on-again, off-again girlfriend of several years that I wanted to drop by her house to talk to her.
我這一生中從未做過什么真正大膽又浪漫的事情，但就在五年前，在得到中國的一個工作機會之后，我告訴我分分合合數(shù)年的女友說我想在路過她家時和她談談。

We had dreamed about living in China after a friend had come back from a few years living in Shanghai and Hong Kong and telling us all about his experience. Neither one of us had ever been to Asia, but it sounded fascinating.
我們有個朋友在上海和香港生活了幾年，回國后和我們分享了他的經(jīng)歷，于是我們開始夢想在中國生活。我們兩人都未曾去過亞洲，但那里聽起來很讓人神往。

So when the opportunity came around a few months later, straight out of the blue, I had to see Delores. We were, by the way, off again at that time. But I could not image going to China without her. It had been our dream. I realized I loved her and I didn't want to lose her.
于是大約幾個月后，突然之間，機會來了。我得去見德洛麗絲。那會兒我們又分手了。但是我無法想象沒有她自己獨自一人去中國的情景。這曾經(jīng)是我們共同的夢想。我意識到我愛她，不想失去她。

So, my talk went something like this: "Marry me and let's move to a faraway land." How’s that for a shocker?
于是，我就說出了這樣的話：“嫁給我，然后一起搬到很遠的地方去住吧。”這句話是不是會讓人嚇一跳？

We each had a job and a house where we were living in the US state of Florida, so it wasn't like we actually needed to move halfway across the globe. But this opportunity called to us. So we both decided to take a leap of faith in each other and in a new country.
我們各自在美國佛羅里達都有工作，也有房子，所以我們事實上并不需要搬到地球的另一頭去。但是這個機會在召喚著我們。于是我們都決定大膽地信任對方，信任一個新國家。

Those first few months in Shanghai were some of the most wonderfully intense times of my life. We were newlyweds in a new country at a time when many of my contemporaries were starting to think about their retirement.
初到上海的那幾個月是我人生中最緊張的一段時期，但是感覺還不錯。我們在一個新國家成了新婚夫婦，而與此同時我的很多同齡人都已經(jīng)開始為退休做打算。

China drew us closer together and helped bond our relationship.
中國讓我們彼此靠得更近，鞏固了我們的感情。

Now it's almost five years later. March 31 is our fifth wedding anniversary. The time has gone by fast, and I have no regrets. China has become our adopted home. We moved north almost three years ago and have become Beijingers.
現(xiàn)在將近五年過去了。3月31日是我們第五個結(jié)婚紀念日。時間過得很快，而我一點也不后悔。中國已經(jīng)成為我的第二家鄉(xiāng)。大約三年前我們搬到了北方，成為北京居民。

We have felt welcome and have received many blessings here, and have also tried to give back to China, in part through our work. In my case, that’s media, and in my wife’s case, teaching.
我們在北京受到了熱情的歡迎，也收到了很多祝福，我們也試圖通過我們的工作和其他方式回報中國。我在中國的工作是媒體人，而我妻子則是當老師。

We hope we've been able to show our relatives and friends around the world what China and her people are really like, and why we like it here -- to be a bridge of sorts, at least in a small way.
我們希望我們能夠向我們的親人和世界各地的朋友展示真實的中國和中國人，以及為什么我們喜歡在中國生活，我們希望自己能夠充當橋梁，哪怕是很小的一座橋梁。

The experience also reminded me that before you make a commitment to someone, make sure they want to go on the same adventure in life that you do. I still feel like I'm on my honeymoon five years later. I know I made the right decision in a life companion and in a new home.
這段經(jīng)歷也提醒了我，就是當你向某人作出承諾之前，一定要確定他們是否愿意和你踏上共同的冒險旅程。雖然五年過去了，我還是覺得自己就像在度蜜月。我知道我在人生伴侶和新家的選擇上都作出了正確的決定。

About the author
關于作者

Matt Prichard is a copy editor and writer who works on the front page team of China Daily. He has lived in China for more than four years, in Shanghai and Beijing. Before that, he had a 30-year career as a reporter and editor in the United States and Latin America. He has an ABJ from the University of Georgia and did postgraduate work at the Universidad Nacional del Sur in Argentina. He speaks Spanish fluently and is still learning Mandarin.
本文作者馬特?普利查德是《中國日報》頭版小組的文字編輯及撰稿人。他已經(jīng)在中國（上海和北京）生活了四年多。此前他在美國和拉丁美洲有過三十年的記者和編輯工作經(jīng)歷。他在喬治亞大學獲得了新聞學士學位，并在阿根廷蘇爾國立大學做過研究生。他能講流利的西班牙語，目前還在學習中文。

（英文來源：中國日報 編譯：丹妮）