5年前，我和妻子初到中國，當時我們覺得仿佛是掉進了一個截然不同的維度。而現在，看著那些初來乍到的“新手”重復自己的經歷，我們感覺非常有趣。我可以毫不猶豫地說，搬到中國是一個非常棒的選擇。在這里，我們經歷了改變，日漸成熟，還見識了一些有趣的事情。但是移居國外并不適合所有人，無論你是移居北京的佛羅里達人，還是移居佛羅里達的北京人。對于那些打算移居國外的人們，以下有些小小的建議供你們參考。

By Matt Prichard

Five years ago this month, my new bride and I stepped off a China Eastern flight at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai and into our new lives.
五年前的五月，我和新婚妻子搭乘中國東方航空公司的飛機降落在了上海浦東國際機場，開啟了嶄新的新生活。

We were exhausted from wrapping up our lives back in the US state of Florida, and at first felt like we had been dropped into a different dimension.
那時，我們為打包收拾，告別在美國佛羅里達州的舊時光而倍感疲憊。初到中國，我們覺得仿佛是掉進了一個截然不同的維度。

It’s interesting to see other “newbies” go through some of the things we did.
而現在，看著那些初來乍到的“新手”重復自己的經歷，我們感覺非常有趣。

I can say without hesitation that moving to China has turned out to have been a very good decision. We have changed and grown as people and experienced some wonderful things. But life abroad is not for everybody, whether you’re a Floridian living in Beijing or a Beijinger living in Florida. For those considering such a move, I can offer a few words of advice:
我可以毫不猶豫地說，搬到中國是一個非常棒的選擇。在這里，我們經歷了改變，日漸成熟，還見識了一些有趣的事情。但是移居國外并不適合所有人，無論你是移居北京的佛羅里達人，還是移居佛羅里達的北京人。對于那些打算移居國外的人們，以下有些小小的建議供你們參考：

1. Do lots of research, and visit first if possible. This is especially true if you’ve never lived abroad before. After your move, keep learning. Ask local folks about things you shouldn’t do or places you shouldn’t go.
事前進行充分調查，如果條件允許，則進行實地考察。如果你從未在國外居住過，那更應該重視這一條建議。搬過去之后，常懷學習之心。向當地人詢問習俗和禁忌。

2. Simplify. Try to minimize what you leave in storage back home. Storing too much is an expensive mistake a lot of us have made. Bringing a few mementoes from home helps, but be very selective there, too.
凡事應簡化。輕裝上路。行李過多是許多人常犯的一個昂貴的錯誤。帶上一些家鄉的紀念品挺有用，但前提是要有選擇性。

3. If you work, don’t imagine your life abroad as a vacation. Sure, you get to do some amazing things, but work is still work, bills are still bills, and ask not for whom the alarm clock rings. It rings for thee.
如果打算在國外工作，那么不要把你國外的生活想象成度假。當然，你會接觸到許多有趣的事情，但工作就是工作，該付的賬單還是要付，不要問是誰的鬧鐘在響，它是為提醒你而響的。

4. Flexibility is a must. If you’re inflexible, stay home. Understand that “the way they do it back home” is not always the way the rest of the world does it. Stay loose. Listen. Learn. It will make you a better person.
一定要頭腦靈活。如果你無法做到隨機應變，那還是留在家鄉吧。要明白“我們那兒大家都是這樣的”并不總是等于世界上其他人也同樣如此。要保持輕松愉快的心態，善于傾聽，善于學習，這樣你會變成一個更為出色的人。

5. Be respectful of your host country. You can show respect and remain genuine at the same time.
尊重你所要移居的國家。尊重別人和堅持自我并不相互矛盾。

6. Diligently study your host country’s language, but give yourself a break, too. I know I’m much too much of a perfectionist and it hasn’t helped. Use your new language, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
努力學習你東道國的語言，但也要勞逸結合。我知道自己太過追求完美主義，也明白這樣毫無用處。多說多練你所學的新語言吧，不要害怕犯錯。

7. Having fellow expat friends is fine, and longtime expats in your host country can help show you the ropes. But avoid the expat bubble. Open yourself to having contact with a variety of people abroad.
可以結交老外友人，而且所在國的一些長期移民更有利于幫助你融入當地環境，但注意不要將自己限制在移民圈中。保持開放的心態，廣泛結交各種各樣的國外人士。

8. Expect ups and downs. Even if you’re having a frustrating day, it’s probably just temporary, and if you’ve done a good job choosing your host country, you’ll have many more good days than bad. People are pretty much the same everywhere, so if you run into a bad apple, back away and let it go.
要明白人生有起有伏。即便當下的時光糟糕至極，但也很可能只是短暫的烏云。如果你選對了國家，那么精彩的日子將遠遠多于糟糕的日子。無論在哪里，人們總是相似的，如果你遇到了壞人，不要往心里去，退一步海闊天空。

9. Stay in contact with family and friends back home. Prepare all your communications technology before you leave.
和家鄉的親朋好友保持聯系。在出發前準備好所有的通訊手段。

10. Understand that the lives of those at home will continue without you. Roll with it. When back home, don’t talk too much about your adventures abroad. It can be boring.
要明白家鄉親友的生活沒了你依然會繼續。順其自然。返鄉時，注意不要一而再再而三地談論海外的奇聞異事，以免使人厭煩。

Mostly, enjoy the precious time you have abroad, no matter how long it is.
最重要的是，不論時間長短，好好享受海外生活的珍貴時光吧。

英文來源：“CHINA DAILY”微信公眾號
翻譯：華心語
編審：丹妮 董靜
音頻編輯：焦潔

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Broadcaster

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.