美国华人：中国并不是一夜之间发展起来的，这是一个循序渐进的过程
As an elder millennial Chinese diaspora in the US who visited China every couple of years from 1990 when I was 6, I gotta say…
译文简介
身为一位较年长的千禧一代美国华人，我从1990年6岁起便每隔几年就回中国一趟，我必须得说…
正文翻译
As an elder millennial Chinese diaspora in the US who visited China every couple of years from 1990 when I was 6, I gotta say...
身为一位较年长的千禧一代美国华人，我从1990年6岁起便每隔几年就回中国一趟，我必须得说…
The narrative of China being a backwater agricultural sustenance farming country and suddenly transforming overnight into an urbanized country around 20 years ago is greatly exaggerated.
那种认为中国作为一个落后的农业国在20年前某个夜晚突然开始转变为一个城市化国家的说法被过分夸大了。
I remember visiting my relatives way back in 1990, or 36 years ago, in a third or even fourth tier Chinese city (Baotou in Inner Mongolia, where I was born) and despite everyone living in (relatively large) apartments instead of detached houses, mostly everyone in my middle class extended family had modern amenities that people in the US had. Sony color TVs, satellite channels, refrigerators, microwaves, washer and dryers, tankless water heaters, sit down toilets and around half of my relatives had simple and humble cars like a VW Santana or their work place sent a car (I remember a Jeep Cherokee) every morning to pick up 3 or 4 of them to carpool to work. The only white good that wasn't widespread in China at that time was dishwashers.
我记得早在1990年，也就是36年前，我去探望亲戚，那是一个中国的三线甚至四线城市（我出生在内蒙古包头市），尽管大家都住在（相对较大的）公寓里而不是独栋房屋，但我那中产阶级大家庭中几乎每个人都拥有美国人所拥有的那些现代化生活设施。比如索尼彩电、卫星频道、冰箱、微波炉、洗衣机、热水器、坐式马桶等等，我大约一半的亲戚都拥有一辆比较朴素的汽车，比如大众桑塔纳，亦或者他们工作单位每天早上会派一辆车（我记得是那一辆吉普切诺基）来接三四个人去上班。唯一在当时的中国并不普及的白色家电就只有洗碗机了。
These were very middle class people like teachers and city administrators, not factory owners or other bigwigs in government. In fact I remember visiting my cousin in 92 and he already got a Super Famicom with a bunch of (possibly pirated) games and I remember being pissed because I still had a regular degular NES at home back in the US.
我的那些亲戚都是非常典型的中产阶级，比如教师和城市行政人员，不是什么工厂主或者什么政府要员。事实上，我记得92年去看望我表弟时，他已经有了一台超级任天堂游戏机和一大堆游戏了（可能是盗版的），我记得我当时颇为恼火，因为我在美国家里用的还是普通的红白机呢。
Anyways, I just wanted to talk about how China's transformation of its quality of life for its people started way earlier and was more gradual than people here in the west assume and commonly purport.
不管怎样，我只是想说，中国人民生活质量的转变开始得远比这里的人们所假设和声称的要早得多，也更是一个循序渐进的过程。
身为一位较年长的千禧一代美国华人，我从1990年6岁起便每隔几年就回中国一趟，我必须得说…
The narrative of China being a backwater agricultural sustenance farming country and suddenly transforming overnight into an urbanized country around 20 years ago is greatly exaggerated.
那种认为中国作为一个落后的农业国在20年前某个夜晚突然开始转变为一个城市化国家的说法被过分夸大了。
I remember visiting my relatives way back in 1990, or 36 years ago, in a third or even fourth tier Chinese city (Baotou in Inner Mongolia, where I was born) and despite everyone living in (relatively large) apartments instead of detached houses, mostly everyone in my middle class extended family had modern amenities that people in the US had. Sony color TVs, satellite channels, refrigerators, microwaves, washer and dryers, tankless water heaters, sit down toilets and around half of my relatives had simple and humble cars like a VW Santana or their work place sent a car (I remember a Jeep Cherokee) every morning to pick up 3 or 4 of them to carpool to work. The only white good that wasn't widespread in China at that time was dishwashers.
我记得早在1990年，也就是36年前，我去探望亲戚，那是一个中国的三线甚至四线城市（我出生在内蒙古包头市），尽管大家都住在（相对较大的）公寓里而不是独栋房屋，但我那中产阶级大家庭中几乎每个人都拥有美国人所拥有的那些现代化生活设施。比如索尼彩电、卫星频道、冰箱、微波炉、洗衣机、热水器、坐式马桶等等，我大约一半的亲戚都拥有一辆比较朴素的汽车，比如大众桑塔纳，亦或者他们工作单位每天早上会派一辆车（我记得是那一辆吉普切诺基）来接三四个人去上班。唯一在当时的中国并不普及的白色家电就只有洗碗机了。
These were very middle class people like teachers and city administrators, not factory owners or other bigwigs in government. In fact I remember visiting my cousin in 92 and he already got a Super Famicom with a bunch of (possibly pirated) games and I remember being pissed because I still had a regular degular NES at home back in the US.
我的那些亲戚都是非常典型的中产阶级，比如教师和城市行政人员，不是什么工厂主或者什么政府要员。事实上，我记得92年去看望我表弟时，他已经有了一台超级任天堂游戏机和一大堆游戏了（可能是盗版的），我记得我当时颇为恼火，因为我在美国家里用的还是普通的红白机呢。
Anyways, I just wanted to talk about how China's transformation of its quality of life for its people started way earlier and was more gradual than people here in the west assume and commonly purport.
不管怎样，我只是想说，中国人民生活质量的转变开始得远比这里的人们所假设和声称的要早得多，也更是一个循序渐进的过程。
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but at what cost
但代价是什么？
monoatomic
I live in a third tier US city and don't have a dishwasher, lMao
我住在美国的一个三线城市里，我也没有洗碗机，笑死。
VorpalBlade-
Or a Super Nintendo!
也没有超任游戏机！
Cruhbruhs
Same. I also don't have a TV, washer, dryer, or tankless water heater.
同上。我没有电视、洗衣机、烘干机或热水器。
detrimentallyonline
36 years isn't a long time crodie
36年并不算长啊，兄弟。
u/Rumicon avatar
800 million people lifted out of poverty in the last forty years isn't gradual. Maybe it's gradual in the sense that the people who existed in the middle class at the time haven't seen a dramatic change in their quality of life. But hundreds of millions of other people in China have.
过去四十年里有8亿中国人脱贫，这可不是什么循序渐进。也许“渐进”是指当时的中产阶级生活质量没有发生太大的变化。但在这期间中国有数亿人的生活发生了翻天覆地的变化。
Dangerous_Return460
I always wonder about this. I came to China in 2012 and lived in some "backwater" places with gridlock traffic, dust storms, not much to do by Westerner standards, people spitting everywhere, you know the toilet situation.
我一直对这件事感到好奇。我2012年去了中国，住在一些所谓“穷乡僻壤”的地方，那里交通堵塞，沙尘暴肆虐，完全达不到西方人的标准，人们随地吐痰，厕所的情况你们懂得都懂。
Now? Jesus. It's like a completely different country. The advancements are monumental. I went back to visit my initial 3rd tier backwater and they have a 6 line subway and everything looks shiny and brand new.
现在呢？天哪。这里完全像是另一个国家，他们取得的进步实在太大的。等我再次拜访我最初去的那个三线城市时，他们已经建造了六条地铁线，一切看起来都如此的光鲜靓丽。
Toilets are still a problem (smell wise, something about the pipe infrastructure).
厕所仍然是个问题（气味方面，跟管道基础设施有关）。
I always think about the ABC's born in Northern California in 2002 who come to China to see grandma every 4 years what they must think seeing these brand new and dazzling cities and will they feel like they missed out something?
我总是在寻思，那些2002年左右出生在美国北加州的华人，每四年回中国看一次奶奶，当他们目睹这些崭新靓丽的都市时，他们究竟会作何感想？他们是否会觉得自己错过了什么？
u/gotohela avatar
I wonder when the reverse diaspora happens.
我想知道反向移民潮什么时候会上演。
Dangerous_Return460
I know a guy who's 30something, Chinese born in Canada, we have this conversation that China has wiped Canada out liveability wise. Because of all the rules he has to pick a passport in the next year and he's really taking it heavy but is leaning to taking the Chinese passport because he thinks Canada/The West is over for prosperity.
我认识一个30多岁的华人，他出生在加拿大。我们之间有过这样一段对话：在宜居性方面，中国已经把加拿大甩在身后了。因为各种规定，他必须在一年内选择加拿大或者中国护照，他为此压力很大，但他倾向于选择中国护照，因为他认为加拿大或是西方的繁荣时代已经结束了。
u/gotohela avatar
If i were him id be claiming that Chinese citizenship. Its the Chinese century, with absolute sincerity. Im envious
如果我是他，我会选择中国身份。这是属于中国的世纪，我这话是100%认真的，我很羡慕。
Dangerous_Return460
I tell him that all the time. Neither me nor my wife are Chinese but we've lived here a long time and I'm like I WISH I could buy a house and retire here.
我也一直这么跟他说。我和我妻子都不是中国人，但我们在这里生活了很久，我真心希望能在这里买套房子，然后在这里退休。
gotohela
I understand why hes hesitant though. Probably spent his whole life being told he was lucky to be in canada, how much the parent sacrificed bringing him over, etc.
我理解他为什么会烦恼。可能是因为他一生都在被人告知他能生活在加拿大是一件多么幸运的事情，父母为了把他带到这里牺牲了多少之类的话。
TernarySquare0123
It must feel like choosing what to give up as much as anything. That's really sad. He's lucky to have the choice but it's still sad.
这个选择题感觉像是在选择要放弃什么，而不是选择得到什么，这真的很可悲。拥有选择是一件幸事，但这仍然很让人难过。
monkey-kong666
Very true. This 90s neolib fantasy allows them to take control of the narrative. "We didn't just outsource our entire economy and bankrupt our country, while simultaneously destroying unxs and the working class - we were a charity to the Chinese and Josh darn they ain't greatful! How dare they be awesome global hegemon!"
太真实了。这种90年代的新自由主义幻想让美国人得以掌控叙事。“我们把整个经济都外包出去了，我们的国家因此破产，同时还摧毁了自己的工会和工人阶级。对中国人而言，我们完全就是慈善家，他们竟然不对我们心怀感恩！居然还敢成为一个强大的全球霸权！
Dangerous_Return460
It's still around. My 70 yo dad refused to believe the photos I sent him of modern China were real. He'd always ask "is that Singapore or Japan?" and then it became "new AI?" but now he has to deal with it
这种想法仍然存在。我70岁的老父亲拒绝相信我发给他的现代中国的照片是真实的。他总是会问“这是新加坡还是日本？”，后来又换成了“这些照片是AI生成的吧？”但如今他已经不得不接受现实了。
Hot-Nefariousness187
I live in the biggest metropolitan spread in america and i dont have a dishwasher and i share a care with my girlfriend
我住在美国最大的都市区，但我没有洗碗机，而且我还和我女朋友共用一辆车。
BardicSense
Turns out Communism has always worked better than capitalism.
事实证明，共产主义一直都比资本主义运行得更好。
Apprehensive_Cash511
Socialism with Chinese characteristics!
中国特色的社会主义！
gotohela
Yeah i remember in.. 15ish being very concerned my gay roommate i was very close with was moving to China. I realize now i was being very silly, and he had a great time! He lived there for a few years, i greatly regret my ignorance preventing me from earnestly visiting while he was there.
是的，我记得在2015年左右，一个和我很要好的同性恋室友要搬到中国去，对此我非常担心。我现在意识到自己当时实在太傻了，他在中国过得很好，并且在那里生活了好几年，我非常后悔因为我的无知而没有在他还在中国时去拜访他。
I think conversely japan is viewed as very technologically advanced and thats just not true. I lived there briefly in 20, and i was in a relatively developed area. Outside of tokyo, things are not that advanced... In 20, most places were cash based and generally preferred. Hardly anyone had internet in their homes, mostly smartphones only. Not to mention the sexism and insane work culture. I wouldnt say it's worse than the USA specifically, it's better in so many ways, but its not this kawaii utopia that americans think it is.
与之相反的是，我一直认为日本是一个技术非常先进的国家，但这并不是真的。我2020年曾短暂地在那里生活过，住在一个相对发达的地区。东京以外的日本并没有那么先进…大多数地方还是以现金为主，并且人们普遍更偏好使用现金。几乎没有人家里有网络，大多人只是拥有一台智能手机。更别提性别歧视和疯狂的工作文化了。我不是说它比美国更差，它在很多方面都比美国更好，但它并不是美国人所设想的那种卡哇伊乌托邦。
Also im from hawaii, which has both a lot of japanese people kamaaina, also service a lot of rich japanese tourists... I experienced some of the worst of japanese people bc of that lol.
另外，我来自夏威夷，那里有很多日裔，此外我也服务过很多富有的日本游客…正因如此，我见识过一些最糟糕的日本人，哈哈。
gotohela
It was so fascinating reading about China, truly a civilization for the millenia. I remember really learning about their early development in my sophomore year and thinking damn why do we talk about these people this way.
阅读关于中国的东西真是太让人着迷了，那可是一个延续数千年的文明啊。我记得在大二的时候真正了解了他们的早期发展，然后我就寻思：该死，我们为什么要用这种方式谈论这些人和这个国家。
Project_596
Yeah it's definitely gradual, I'm in a similar boat as you but probably a fair bit younger. Every couple of years I would go back and visit you can feel the difference, something usually was new or better than before.
是的，中国的发展绝对是循序渐进的，我和你的情况类似，但我可能比你年轻不少。每隔几年我都会回中国看看，每一次拜访我都能觉察到她和之前的区别。总会有一些新的或者更好的东西冒出来。
My hometown is a Tier 2 city Dalian, which kinda fell behind the southern cities in terms of development, even then the infrastructure/cityscape etc is still quite nice. Also, VW Santana really is nostalgic too hahahaha
我的家乡在大连，一个二线城市，在发展方面有点落后于南方的沿海城市。即便如此，基础设施和城市景观等方面仍然建设得相当不错。还有，大众桑塔纳实在太让人怀念了，哈哈。