Differences Between Expats in Beijing and Shanghai京沪两地外侨的不同

The only difference greater than Beijing and Shanghai themselves is the people who live in them. From the locals who grew up there to the expats who have chosen to call those places home， the people typify1 the unique vibes2 of each city.

说到京沪两地的差别，相较于城市本身，唯一更为显著的差别在于其居民。无论是生于斯长于斯的当地人，还是自愿视之为第二故乡的外来户，正是人赋予了这两座城市独到的韵味。

Hipster3 vs. yuppie4

潮人与雅痞

To say that Beijing is a city of art and culture and Shanghai is a city of finance and fashion is doing both cities a disservic5. Sure， overall， Beijing is artsier6 and Shanghai is wealthier， but Beijing also has its share of finance bros， just as Shanghai has its share of underground musicians. Still， the stereotypes of each city draw certain crowds， leaving Beijing a bit more hipster and Shanghai a bit more yuppie.

有人说京城是艺术文化之都、魔都为金融时尚之都，这两种说法都有失偏颇。诚然，总体而言，北京更具艺术气息，上海商圈本色彰显，然北京不乏金融人士，上海亦有地下音乐人。只是，两个城市各自固有的魅力吸引了特定的人群，使北京更趋潮流前卫，而上海则更显优雅品位。

Ni chi le ma vs. ni hao

“你吃了吗”与“你好”

Beijing expats have a reputation of speaking better Chinese than Shanghai expats. This is partly due to the fact that Beijing attracts those who have already learned the language and to the fact that it’s harder to get by7 in Beijing without knowing the local tongue. So many people in Shanghai know English that it’s hard for Shanghai expats to motivate themselves to break past the phrasebook8 basics.

论及两地外侨的汉语口语水平，都知道北京更胜一筹。部分原因是北京吸引原本就会说汉语的外国友人，还因为北京生活不通汉语颇为不便。相较之下，上海英语普及程度较高，外侨学习汉语动力不足，故而汉语水平止步于浅显对话。

Integrated vs. multicultural

融入当地与多元文化

Beijing expats are better integrated into the local life than Shanghai expats， who tend to stay in their bubble. Go to any Beijing hotpot restaurant on a Saturday night and you’re bound to see groups of friends that are mostly Chinese with just a few expats mixed in. Shanghai， on the other hand， has such a wide variety of expats that friend groups there tend to be a hodgepodge9 of many cultures and nations， not just Western/Chinese.

北京外侨更好地融入当地人生活，上海外侨则倾向于待在自己的圈子里。周六晚上，去北京随便哪家火锅店瞧瞧，都能看到朋友聚会，一群群中国人里夹杂着几个外侨。上海外侨社交圈更为多元，融合了来自不同文化和民族的友人，不只是西方人和中国人。

Craft beer vs. aperol spritz

精酿啤酒与阿佩罗橙光鸡尾酒

Few things say more about the Beijing/Shanghai expat divide than their respective preferred drinks. Beijing expats can’t get enough of craft beer， and some of the best craft beer in China is made right in their front yard. Shanghai expats are more cocktail-oriented， with the Aperol spritz being a particular local favorite. If Beijing has China’s best craft beer， Shanghai has China’s best bartenders， some of whom have won international awards for the drinks they sling10.

最能体现京沪外侨差异的，莫过于他们偏爱的饮品。北京外侨对精酿啤酒青睐有加，中国最好的一些精酿啤酒就是在北京酿制的。上海外侨则对鸡尾酒情有独钟，阿佩罗橙光鸡尾酒更是他们的心头好。若言中国精酿啤酒之冠在京，则中国调酒技艺之王在沪，获得过国际大奖的中国顶尖调酒师都在上海。

Local eats vs. Michelin stars

当地美食与米其林星级餐厅

One point of pride Beijing expats have is their local food scene. If you want the best Chinese food you’ve ever had in your life， chances are Beijing is the place to find it. Whether it’s Beijing roast duck cooked to perfection or Sichuan noodles spicy enough to make your taste buds explode， Beijing has it in spades11. Unfortunately， Shanghai’s street food and hole-in-the-wall12 food scenes are dying out， but replacing them is something Shanghai expats can feel good bragging about： high-end dining. The Michelin Guide13 came to Shanghai in 2016， and since then， high end and other international restaurants keep popping up， to the point that the city can gastronomically14 compete with places like New York and Singapore.

北京外侨常引以为傲的，便是当地的美食。若求中华饕餮盛宴，北京是不二之选。无论是烤制得恰到好处的北京烤鸭，还是辣到味蕾爆炸的川香面条，应有尽有。遗憾的是，上海街头小吃日渐式微，取而代之的是外侨愿意拿来炫耀的高端餐饮。自2016年《米其林指南》登陆魔都以来，高端餐厅和国际美食如雨后春笋般涌现，使得这里在美食方面与纽约、新加坡等地分庭抗礼。

Hutong vs. lilong

胡同与里弄

One thing Beijing and Shanghai expats can agree on is that it’s incredible to live in such vibrant cities. In both places， you’ll find expats jumping at15 the chance to live in the cities’ most historical neighborhoods. For Beijing， that means the hutong， or alley streets built as early as the Yuan dynasty. In Shanghai are the charming lilong， or lanes， filled with terrace houses from the early 20th century.

侨居北京和上海的外国人可能有这么一项共识，那就是在这样充满活力的都市生活真的很棒。你会发现他们都非常愿意住进极具历史韵味的街区。在北京，这便是最早建于元代的街巷——胡同。在上海，则是里弄，两侧盖满建于20世纪初的连排房屋。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）

1 typify成为……的典型。 2 vibe（常用复数）氛围。 3 hipster西方国家千禧年后崇尚复古和非主流的时髦青年，又称嬉普士，区别于20世纪60—70年代反抗习俗和政治的年轻人［即嬉皮士（hippie）］。 4 yuppie西方国家20世纪80—90年代高收入、高消费的年轻人，又称雅皮士。 5 do sb/sth a disservice伤害某人或某物。 6 artsy艺术的。

7 get by（勉强）过活。 8 phrasebook（供旅游者用的）外语常用语手册。 9 hodge-podge大杂烩。

10 sling用力摇，此处等于shake。 11 in spades大量的。 12 hole-in-the-wall不起眼的。 13法国轮胎制造商米其林公司出版的旅游美食指南。

14 gastronomically有关美食地；烹饪地。 15 jump at sth迫不及待地接受，欣然接受（机会、建议等）。

《论语》英译选登

未能事人，焉能事鬼？未知生，焉知死？

While you fail to serve the living well， how can you serve the ghosts？ While you do not know about life， how can you know about death？

过犹不及。

Going beyond is as wrong as falling short.

季氏富于周公，而求也为之聚敛而附益之。子曰：“非吾徒也。小子鸣鼓而攻之可也。”

The Jisun Family was wealthier than some lords of the Kingdom of Zhou， and yet Ran Qiu further added to its wealth by all sorts of villainous means. Speaking of Ran Qiu， the Master said， “He is no disciple of mine. You pupils may beat the drum to assail him.”

（《〈论语〉最新英文全译全注本》，吴国珍，福建教育出版社，2012）