在中国的外国人，对于你的期望与现实，你自己Get到了？
Foreigners in China often found themselves in shock in a lot of situations. It doesn’t matter how much you read about China before you get there, whether to travel or to teach English. Your expectations will almost always be different from reality. Maybe not every single one of them, but it’s funny how quickly that reality check can set in.
在中国的外国人经常发现自己在很多情况下都处于震惊之中。无论你在到达中国之前读了多少关于中国的书，无论是去旅游还是教英语。你的期望几乎总是与现实不同。也许并不是每一个都是如此，但有趣的是，现实检验可以如此迅速地开始。
Expectation 1: Everything looks like ancient Chinese temples.
期待1: 一切看起来都像中国古代的寺庙。
Reality: Nope!
现实: 不！
There is no doubt that China is a beautiful country. In just about any place you can go, you will see things that will truly make you happy to be alive and have the experience of being in China. But not everything has that ancient style to it. Some of it does, but other things are incredibly modern in the bigger cities. What’s fascinating is seeing the modern architecture juxtaposed next to ancient relics of the past.
毫无疑问，中国是一个美丽的国家。在几乎任何你能去的地方，你都会看到一些让你真正开心的事情，让你活着，让你有在中国的经历。但并不是所有的东西都有那种古老的风格。有些确实如此，但是其他的东西在大城市里却是非常现代的。令人着迷的是看到现代建筑与过去的古迹并列在一起。
Expectation 2: My students will all hang on my every word.
期望2: 我的学生都会记住我的每一句话。
Reality: Nope!
现实: 不！
Just because you’re their English teacher doesn’t mean they’re going to listen to everything you say. Kids are kids anywhere you go. Your Chinese students will mostly be a wonderful bunch anywhere you teach but you will always have those that are bored because their level is higher and those that are behind the rest of the flock. It’s up to you to be engaging to capture their attention and make them excited to learn English.
仅仅因为你是他们的英语老师并不意味着他们会听你说的每一句话。无论你去哪儿，孩子们都是孩子。无论你在哪里教书，你的中国学生都会是一群很棒的学生，但你总会遇到那些无聊的学生，因为他们的水平更高，而且落后于其他学生。这取决于你是否能吸引他们的注意力，让他们对学习英语感到兴奋。
Expectation 3: I need to know Chinese to live here.
期望3: 我需要了解中国人才能在这里生活。
Reality: Nope!
现实: 不！
Learning Chinese will definitely help and it will enrich your own experiences, but you can arrive and even survive living and teaching in China without knowing more than “ni hao.” You don’t need it to teach English either and many schools often prefer you don’t speak Chinese to your students so they can fully immerse themselves in English.
学习汉语肯定会有帮助，也会丰富你自己的经历，但是你可以在不知道更多“你好”的情况下到达中国，甚至在中国生活和教学中生存你也不需要它来教英语，而且许多学校通常不希望你对学生说汉语，这样他们就可以完全沉浸在英语之中。
At the same time, knowing some basic social etiquettes will help you transition to the local life more smoothly!
同时，了解一些基本的社交礼仪会帮助你更顺利地过渡到当地的生活！
Expectation 4: No one will notice me.
期望4: 没有人会注意到我。
Reality: Nope!
现实: 不！
Chinese people are really curious about foreigners. In the big cities, it’s less of a problem, but living and teaching in China, you WILL have people come up to you and ask to either take your photo or take a photo with you. You may even feel like a celebrity at times. Try to embrace it and remember they’re just excited to meet you.
中国人对外国人真的很好奇。在大城市，这不是什么大问题，但是在中国生活和教学，你会遇到一些人来找你，要么给你拍照，要么和你合影。有时你甚至会觉得自己像个名人。试着去拥抱它，记住他们只是因为见到你而兴奋。
Expectation 5: I love Chinese food. I’ll just order what I loved back home.
期望5: 我喜欢中国菜，我会点我在家乡喜欢的菜。
Reality: Nope!
现实: 不！
Chinese food is very different in China. You may see some similarities to dishes you loved at the Chinese restaurant in your neighborhood back home, but for the most part, it’s going to catch you by surprise. Don’t let that stop you though. Surely there will be some things you will not like at all, but there are going to be even more things you’ll want to eat every day.
中国的食物在中国很不一样。你可能会看到一些相似的菜肴，你喜欢在中国餐馆在你的邻居回家，但在大多数情况下，它会让你吃惊。但是不要让这些阻止你。当然会有一些你根本不喜欢的东西，但是会有更多你每天都想吃的东西。
Expectation 6: I can enjoy the sights during the holidays.
期望6: 我可以在假期里欣赏风景。
Reality: Nope!
现实: 不！
In China, you’ll need to get used to the crowds. Even if you’re from a big city, the crowds in China are larger than you’ve ever seen. If you want to do some sightseeing, avoid it during the major national holidays as that’s when they are most crowded. Do use your school schedule to your advantage though. During summer or winter break on weekdays for example, it’s a great time to go to the Great Wall and other landmarks. During Chinese New Year or National Week? Not so much!
在中国，你需要习惯拥挤的人群。即使你来自一个大城市，中国的人群也比你见过的要多。如果你想去观光，那就避免在重要的国庆节期间，因为那时候人最多。不过，一定要充分利用你的学校时间表。例如，在工作日的暑假或寒假期间，是去长城和其他地标性建筑的好时机。在中国新年或国庆周？没有那么多！
Expectation 7: China is an interesting country.
期待7: 中国是一个有趣的国家。
Reality: Yes, very much so!
现实: 是的，非常是这样！
You may have days where you can’t handle it and want to hide away, but most of the time, you’re going to love living and teaching in China!
也许有些日子你无法应付，想要躲起来，但大多数时候，你会喜欢在中国生活和教书！
Yes there will be a lot of surprises and challenges for foreigners living in China, especially if they’ve never been overseas before. However, Chinese people are very welcoming, you will soon find it your second home!
是的，对于生活在中国的外国人来说，会有很多惊喜和挑战，特别是如果他们以前从未出过国的话。然而，中国人民非常欢迎你，你很快就会找到你的第二个家！
