英国人怎么看美国?

Mark Stubbs
I have travelled and worked in many countries around the world, America being one of them. My opinion is “Nothing Special”, been to better, been to worse.
I won’t go into health insurance, I was on Corporate insurance so didn’t bother me, I won’t mention gun crime since I didn’t experience any, but to me it was just another country I was on a work assignment to for a year or so, get in, do the job, take the money, thank you and goodbye.

我在世界上许多国家旅行和工作过，美国是其中之一。我个人对美国的看法是“没什么特别的”，我去过的国家有好有坏，美国并不突出。我不会谈论医疗保险问题，因为我享受的是企业保险，这对我来说不是问题。我也不会提及枪支犯罪，因为我没有经历过，但对我来说，美国只不过是我被派遣去工作一年的又一个国家，进入，工作，拿钱，感谢，然后告别。

Neil Godwin
I see the USA as a land of wasted potential, and false promise. America could have been a beacon of democracy and free speech. Then came Joseph McCarthy and that veneer fell away. In 2016 we saw Hillary Clinton get more votes, but to our bemusement Trump was elected. Odd form of democracy, given it was a two horse race.
We have since seen Trump face charges. Even been impeached. Yet party leaders of the right stopped him being put on trial. From the viewpoint of a nation which once put its own King on trial, and executed him, this is astonishing and disgraceful.
You could do so much for your people, as the richest economy on earth, but you allow citizens to die, sometimes in agony, because the proper minimum standards of healthcare enjoyed by almost every other civilised country are eschewed because that would be “socialism”. No, it's caring.
The ultimate socialist is Jesus. His teachings are given lip service but ignored in practice. Televangelists scrounge money from poor but devout viewers, in one case openly asking for finance for a new private jet plane, and the cash flows in.
Workers are treated like animals. Trump has ordered meat processing plants to reopen, even if no PPE is available for workers. Hygiene standards in food production are disgustingly low.
Yet Americans on the whole are good, kind, decent people. Obama showed the world America at its best.

我把美国看作是一个潜力被浪费、承诺落空的国家。美国本应成为民主和言论自由的灯塔，但自从约瑟夫·麦卡锡时代以来，这层光辉的外表已经剥落。2016年的选举中，希拉里·克林顿获得了更多选票，但特朗普却当选了，在这场看似只有两位候选人的竞赛中，这种民主的形式显得有些怪异。
特朗普面临过指控，甚至被弹劾，但右翼政党领导人阻止了对他的审判。对于一个曾经审判并处决自己国王的国家来说，这是令人震惊和可耻的。
作为世界上最富有的经济体，美国本应能为自己的国民做得更多。然而，却有公民在痛苦中逝去，原因在于，几乎世界上所有其他文明国家公民都能享受到的基本医疗标准，在这里却被弃之不顾，理由是这会被视为'社会主义'。但事实上，这关乎的是对人民的关怀。
耶稣基督堪称社会主义的典范。虽然人们在口头上对他教义表示尊重，但在实际行动中却常常置之不理。电视福音传道者从那些贫穷却深信不疑的观众那里搜刮钱财，有的案例中，他们甚至公开要求信徒资助购买私人飞机，而钱财就这样滚滚而来。
工人被当作动物对待。特朗普甚至在没有为工人提供足够的个人防护装备的情况下，命令肉类加工厂重新开放。食品生产的卫生标准低得令人作呕。
然而，总体上，美国人是善良、正派的好人。奥巴马向世界展示了美国最好的一面。

Lara B. Sharp
What do Brits think of America?
I’m an American, who lived in London, twice, for five years both times - I am also a British citizen - which means that I’m also a ‘Brit’.
The ‘Brits’ who are the most disparaging, critical, negative, and bigoted towards America and Americans… Are also, most often, the ‘Brits’ who have been to Florida, once, and/or Vegas, once, and/or perhaps even to California, once… They ate at Burger King… They rode some amusement park rides… They had pizza… and they believe that THIS qualifies them to be experts on America… Or, even more common, the ‘Brits’ who are the most disparaging, critical, negative, and bigoted towards America and Americans… Are the ‘Brits’ that have literally never even set foot inside the country…

英国人是如何看待美国的？
我是美国人，在伦敦住过两次，每次都住了五年。我也是英国公民，这意味着我也是一个“英国人”。
那些对美国和美国人最刻薄、最挑剔、最消极、最偏执的“英国人”，往往是那些只去过佛罗里达、拉斯维加斯或加利福尼亚一次的人，他们在汉堡王吃过东西，坐过一些游乐设施，他们吃披萨，他们认为这让他们有资格成为美国专家；或者，更常见的是，那些对美国和美国人最轻蔑、最挑剔、最消极、最偏执的“英国人”是那些从来没有踏进过这个国家的“英国人”。

The same can usually be said for the Americans who are the most disparaging, critical, negative, and bigoted towards other Nations. Often, they've never even been to those nations!
I’m American, and I’m British, which qualifies me to say this: There are definitely assholes on both sides of the pond.
There are also fantastic people on both sides of the pond!!!!!!
My English in laws (who are British, or umm, ‘Brits’) had very odd, absolutely negative views of America, even though they'd gone on several family holidays to America… Now that they've got a son/brother/uncle/cousin (my husband) living in America, they've visited, and they’ve finally seen the real America… Not a tourist area… Actual America.
NOW, THEY ALL LOVE IT HERE.
I literally cannot keep them OUT of my home!!! They visit constantly!
They all want to buy property here!
Which would be good, because it would mean that I’d have my house back…

同样的道理也适用于那些对其他国家最轻蔑、最挑剔、最消极、最偏执的美国人。通常，他们甚至从未去过那些国家!
我是美国人，也是英国人，我有资格说：大西洋两岸都有混，但两边也都有了不起的人。
我的英国亲家最初对美国有着非常奇怪和消极的看法，尽管他们已经来美国度假好几次了。但现在他们的儿子/兄弟/叔叔/表亲（我的丈夫）在美国生活，他们来美国参观，看到了真正的美国，不是看旅游区，而是看到真实的美国。
现在，他们都爱上了这里，我几乎无法让他们离开我的家，他们不断地来访，甚至想要在这里购置房产；这很好，因为这意味着我可以拿回我的房子了。

Paul Fenech-Soler
What do Brits think of America?
Having just returned from a short break in New York, my first trip to USA, my preconceptions were shattered.
The people are polite, proud, humble, hard as nails, honest, take no sh!t and give no sh!t, entertaining, jazzy, respectful and delightful.
You are just amazing.

英国人是如何看待美国的？
我刚从纽约短暂休假回来，这是我第一次去美国，我之前的成见都被打破了。那里的人们有礼貌、自豪、谦逊、坚韧、诚实、直言不讳、有趣、充满活力、尊重他人，令人愉快。
你们真是太棒了。

Elaine H
I'm British and living in California for 12 years.
It took about 10 years to adjust to the way of life here and even today, though I feel more comfortable, I preferred life in Britain (for the most part).
Here are a few positives:
Many US Citizens are friendly and polite and have a “can do" attitude. I've made some good friends and have good work colleagues here. They are generally optimists and are lots of fun to be around. They like to party but don't drink too much. Many people in the bay area voted for Bernie Sanders in the election and are not afraid of democratic socialism. I can't speak for people living outside this bubble but it is a good start.
San Francisco hosts some cool free festivals called “Stern Grove” and “Hardly Strictly Bluegrass". These festivals bring back the old San Francisco vibe that is pretty much dead now most of the year thanks to gentrification that pushed out musicians and artists. Tech rules here now unfortunately.
There are plenty of amazing places to travel in the USA with totally different climates from tropical, desert, alpine etc. There are some really cool spots and communities that I love to visit that I couldn't find in the UK. I feel like this is a great place to travel but a difficult place to live.

我是英国人，在加利福尼亚生活了12年。
我花了大约10年时间才适应这里的生活方式。尽管现在我感觉更自在，但我大多数时候还是更倾向于英国的生活。
以下是一些积极的方面：
美国的许多公民友好、礼貌，并且拥有一种“我能行”的态度。我在这里结交了一些好朋友，也有不错的工作伙伴。他们通常都很乐观，和他们相处很有趣。他们喜欢聚会，但不会饮酒过量。在湾区，许多人在选举中投票支持伯尼·桑德斯，并且不畏惧民主社会主义。我不能代表这个小圈子之外的人发言，但这已经是一个不错的开始。
旧金山有一些很酷的免费节日，比如“斯特恩格罗夫音乐节”和“旧金山蓝草音乐节”。这些节日让人回想起现在大部分时间已经消失的老旧金山风情，这要归咎于赶走了音乐家和艺术家的中产阶级化。不幸的是，现在这里被科技主宰。
美国有很多令人惊叹的地方可以旅行，气候多样，从热带到沙漠，再到高山等。这里有很多非常酷的地方和社区，我非常喜欢去参观，而这些特点在英国是找不到的。我觉得这里是个旅行的好地方，但生活起来有些困难。

The negatives:
Healthcare is expensive and only available for the rich. I have a job and health insurance but have to pay $3000 before insurance kicks in. Even when you go for a procedure that is “covered" by insurance (such as an annual check up) you end up with a bill for lab work that was not covered. I just paid $2300 out of pocket for a procedure. Finding a job with better insurance is key. Also, you spend your days off work on the phone trying to sort out a bill.
Paid Time Off (Work) - It is tricky getting time off work for vacation and sick. You generally get around 10 sick days a year and two weeks vacation working for a company. People need to work for themselves to allow time off (if they can afford it). This is why sometimes people are happy to get fired from their job, so they can get social security benefits and go travel before their next job.
Gun violence…mass shootings multiple times a week.
Homeless - I live in an okay neighborhood yet there are homeless campsites only a few blocks away. The homeless are left alone or moved if someone complains about sanitary conditions. They don't get help and create a huge mess wherever they go. They poop on sidewalks and pee on public transportation. It is sad that things have got this bad. 

负面方面包括：
医疗保健费用昂贵，似乎只有富人才能负担得起。我有工作和健康保险，但在保险生效前，我必须自付3000美元。即使你去做保险“覆盖”的程序（比如年度体检），最终也可能因为实验室工作未被覆盖而收到账单。我刚为一项程序自掏腰包支付了2300美元。找到一份保险更好的工作至关重要。此外，你可能还得在休息日花时间打电话处理账单。
获取带薪休假和病假在美国并不容易。一般来说，公司员工每年大约有10天的病假和两周的年假。为了能够休假，人们往往需要自己当老板（前提是经济条件允许）。这也是为什么有些人在被解雇后反而感到高兴，因为他们可以领取社会保障金，并在找到下一份工作前去旅行。
枪支暴力……每周都有多次大规模枪击事件。
无家可归者问题 - 我住在一个还不错的社区，但仅仅几个街区外就有无家可归者的营地。无家可归者要么被放任不管，要么如果有人抱怨卫生条件差，他们就会被赶走。他们没有得到帮助，无论走到哪里都会制造巨大的混乱。他们在人行道上大便，在公共交通工具上小便。情况变得这么糟糕真是悲哀。

Humor - British people miss the humor of their country. It is different here. In the bay area, you have to be careful what you say so that you don't offend someone. British like to “take the piss" out of everyone and have everyone do the same to them.
Privileged Attitudes/ Materialism - some people don't like to roll up their sleeves and help since they come from a privileged background. This can happen anywhere though I see a lot more of this behavior here (bay area) than back home. Some people expect the check-out staff to bag up their groceries for them and don't help them at all, many don't give up seats for elderly and disabled (which is why they now have designated seats). It is a materialistic society overall where money and status rules. Rarely people collect money for a staff leaving employment/birthday and staff are generally not celebrated when they leave a company. The rich live high up in the hills in their mansions while the poor live in overpriced apartments down below. The homeless do not go begging up near the mansions but near regular people living paycheck to paycheck (that is same wherever you go). In Britain, most people feel like they are “in it together” and have similar wealth/opportunities. Over here, certain ethnicities do certain jobs. The divide between rich and poor is much greater. The poor don't have access to good healthcare and are sometimes working three jobs.
Horrible leadership - For someone like Trump to get in power says it all. The good politicians are seens as “communists" and have no chance of getting in power.

幽默感 - 英国人想念他们国家的幽默。这里的情况不同。在湾区，你必须小心说话，以免冒犯别人。英国人喜欢互相取笑，也乐于接受别人的玩笑。
特权态度/物质主义 - 有些人因为拥有特权背景，不愿意亲身投入帮助他人。这种情况哪里都可能发生，但我在湾区看到的这种行为比在英国要多。有些人期望结账人员为他们打包杂货，而且一点忙也不帮，许多人不给老人和残疾人让座（这就是为什么现在有指定座位）。总的来说，这是一个以金钱和地位为主导的物质社会。很少有人为离职/生日的员工筹款，员工离职时通常不会受到庆祝。富人住在山上的豪宅里，而穷人住在下面定价过高的公寓里。无家可归者不会在豪宅附近乞讨，而是在普通人靠工资支票生活的地方乞讨。在英国，大多数人感觉他们是“一起的”，拥有相似的财富/机会。在这里，某些种族做某些工作。贫富差距要大得多。穷人无法获得良好的医疗保健，有时甚至要打三份工。
糟糕的领导 - 像特朗普这样的人能够上台就说明了一切。好的政治家被视为“共产主义者”，是没有机会上台的。

Crumbling infrastructure - for a wealthy country you would think things would be taken care of. Certain parts of town (Oakland, SF,) look derelict, public transportation is mediocre, everything looks and feels dirty where I live, however my US family live in New England which is clean and cared for and a totally different experience.
Overall, it is hard to make a criticism of USA as a whole as each state is very different with infrastructure, opinions and politics. What worries me is how divided it has become politically. As a liberal I am afraid to say things that may be seen as more conservative. I consider myself as progressive left but am not impressed by “woke" culture or “cancel culture”. Back in the UK, I could happily debate these issues all the time at the pub with a stranger and we would be both better for it without judgment. I feel silenced here! I felt more free back home to be honest as well as more cared for. Speaking up at work is generally an uncomfortable experience as you are supposed to always reflect the positives of the company and not criticize it. Most employees are afraid to unxize due to backlash from their employer.
I am here making the best of it but see many cracks showing here. I know the UK is struggling right now too but at least they are all in it together and will take care of each other.

基础设施崩溃 - 对于一个富裕的国家，你会认为一切会被照顾好。某些城镇的部分地区（如奥克兰、旧金山）看起来荒废了，公共交通是平庸的，我住的地方看起来和感觉都很脏，然而我的美国家人住在新英格兰，那里干净，得到了照顾，是完全不同的体验。
总的来说，很难把美国作为一个整体来批评，因为每个州的基础设施、观点和政治都非常不同。让我担心的是它在政治上变得如此分裂。作为一个自由派，我害怕说出可能被视为更保守的话。我认为自己是进步左派，但对“觉醒”文化或“取消文化”并不印象深刻。回到英国时，我会乐于在酒吧里与陌生人就这些问题展开辩论，我们都能从中获得成长，而且这种交流是毫无偏见的。在这里我感到被噤声！老实说，我觉得在家里更自由，也更被关心。在工作场所发言通常是一种不舒服的经历，因为你应该始终反映公司的积极面，而不是批评它。由于雇主的反对，大多数雇员不敢成立工会。
尽管我在这里努力适应并做到最好，但我还是看到了很多潜在的问题。我明白英国目前也在经历困难，但至少大家都团结一致，相互扶持。

Mike Richmond
What do Brits think of America?
America is the country, next to Britain, that the British know most about. However, that isn't saying much.
We know America through films, through music, through books, and enormously through the television. It is a combination of Mad Men and the Simpsons, with Catch 22 and West Side Story thrown in.
A decent proportion of British people have visited the US - 3.8 million each year, which, allowing for high levels of repeat visits, means at least 20% of adults have been there. Only France and Spain are more visited. So we think America is Florida and Disneyland, New York and Las Vegas.
Our national myth tells us that Americans are fat and loud, gun-toting and god fearing. Our personal experience tells us they are polite and decent people, much like you find anywhere else.
America is, for the British, like France, Spain, Germany, India or Australia. We know it well enough to have a lot of conflicting and overlapping narratives and views. It is an important part of our culture.

英国人如何看待美国？
美国是英国人除了自己的国家之外最熟悉的国家。但即便如此，我们对美国的了解也有限。
我们通过电影、音乐、书籍，尤其是电视来了解美国。我们对美国的印象是《广告狂人》和《辛普森一家》的混合体，再加上《第二十二条军规》和《西区故事》等元素。
相当一部分英国人亲自去过美国——每年大约有380万人，考虑到重复访问的情况，这意味着至少有20%的成年人曾踏足那里。在所有国家中，美国仅次于法国和西班牙，是我们访问量第三高的国家。因此，我们心目中的美国是佛罗里达（阳光沙滩）、迪士尼（魔法王国），是纽约（高楼大厦）和拉斯维加斯（霓虹灯）。
我们的民族神话常常刻画美国人为肥胖而喧哗，手持枪支，虔诚信教。然而，我们的个人经历却告诉我们，他们通常都是有礼貌、正派的人，这与世界上其他地方的人并无二致。
对英国人来说，美国就像法国、西班牙、德国、印度或澳大利亚一样，我们对它有着深刻的了解，形成了许多相互矛盾而又交织的看法。美国是我们文化中一个重要的部分。