Differences Between Expats in Beijing and Shanghai京滬兩地外僑的不同

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.

說到京滬兩地的差別，相較于城市本身，唯一更為顯著的差別在于其居民。無論是生于斯長于斯的當地人，還是自愿視之為第二故鄉的外來戶，正是人賦予了這兩座城市獨到的韻味。

Hipster3 vs. yuppie4

潮人與雅痞

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.

有人說京城是藝術文化之都、魔都為金融時尚之都，這兩種說法都有失偏頗。誠然，總體而言，北京更具藝術氣息，上海商圈本色彰顯，然北京不乏金融人士，上海亦有地下音樂人。只是，兩個城市各自固有的魅力吸引了特定的人群，使北京更趨潮流前衛，而上海則更顯優雅品位。

Ni chi le ma vs. ni hao

“你吃了嗎”與“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.

論及兩地外僑的漢語口語水平，都知道北京更勝一籌。部分原因是北京吸引原本就會說漢語的外國友人，還因為北京生活不通漢語頗為不便。相較之下，上海英語普及程度較高，外僑學習漢語動力不足，故而漢語水平止步于淺顯對話。

Integrated vs. multicultural

融入當地與多元文化

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.

北京外僑更好地融入當地人生活，上海外僑則傾向于待在自己的圈子里。周六晚上，去北京隨便哪家火鍋店瞧瞧，都能看到朋友聚會，一群群中國人里夾雜著幾個外僑。上海外僑社交圈更為多元，融合了來自不同文化和民族的友人，不只是西方人和中國人。

Craft beer vs. aperol spritz

精釀啤酒與阿佩羅橙光雞尾酒

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.

最能體現京滬外僑差異的，莫過于他們偏愛的飲品。北京外僑對精釀啤酒青睞有加，中國最好的一些精釀啤酒就是在北京釀制的。上海外僑則對雞尾酒情有獨鐘，阿佩羅橙光雞尾酒更是他們的心頭好。若言中國精釀啤酒之冠在京，則中國調酒技藝之王在滬，獲得過國際大獎的中國頂尖調酒師都在上海。

Local eats vs. Michelin stars

當地美食與米其林星級餐廳

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.

北京外僑常引以為傲的，便是當地的美食。若求中華饕餮盛宴，北京是不二之選。無論是烤制得恰到好處的北京烤鴨，還是辣到味蕾爆炸的川香面條，應有盡有。遺憾的是，上海街頭小吃日漸式微，取而代之的是外僑愿意拿來炫耀的高端餐飲。自2016年《米其林指南》登陸魔都以來，高端餐廳和國際美食如雨后春筍般涌現，使得這里在美食方面與紐約、新加坡等地分庭抗禮。

Hutong vs. lilong

胡同與里弄

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.

僑居北京和上海的外國人可能有這么一項共識，那就是在這樣充滿活力的都市生活真的很棒。你會發現他們都非常愿意住進極具歷史韻味的街區。在北京，這便是最早建于元代的街巷——胡同。在上海，則是里弄，兩側蓋滿建于20世紀初的連排房屋。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者）

1 typify成為……的典型。 2 vibe（常用復數）氛圍。 3 hipster西方國家千禧年后崇尚復古和非主流的時髦青年，又稱嬉普士，區別于20世紀60—70年代反抗習俗和政治的年輕人［即嬉皮士（hippie）］。 4 yuppie西方國家20世紀80—90年代高收入、高消費的年輕人，又稱雅皮士。 5 do sb/sth a disservice傷害某人或某物。 6 artsy藝術的。

7 get by（勉強）過活。 8 phrasebook（供旅游者用的）外語常用語手冊。 9 hodge-podge大雜燴。

10 sling用力搖，此處等于shake。 11 in spades大量的。 12 hole-in-the-wall不起眼的。 13法國輪胎制造商米其林公司出版的旅游美食指南。

14 gastronomically有關美食地；烹飪地。 15 jump at sth迫不及待地接受，欣然接受（機會、建議等）。

《論語》英譯選登

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？

過猶不及。

Going beyond is as wrong as falling short.

季氏富于周公，而求也為之聚斂而附益之。子曰：“非吾徒也。小子鳴鼓而攻之可也。”

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.”

（《〈論語〉最新英文全譯全注本》，吳國珍，福建教育出版社，2012）