一、英语不努力学，是掌握不了的
出国以前我以为到了国外，有了英语环境，自己会不费力地通过语言关。然而，除了小孩子，成年人欲消除语言障碍谈何容易？难怪许多在国外生活了半辈子的老侨，其英语程度还属初级。
Before going abroad, I thought it would be easy to study English with an English-speaking environment. However, except children, it’s difficult for adults to eliminate the language barrier? No wonder many of the old overseas Chinese’ English is not that good.
二、从中国出口海外的食品，是给华人吃的
在国内时，经常看到这样的宣传：某某传统食品远销世界五大洲，深受各国人民的喜爱。到国外才知道，中国的食品绝大部分只有在华人超市里见到，是以华人为销售对象的，西方人除了偶尔到中餐馆打打牙祭，平时几乎不买中国食品。
In China, we often see such advocacy: certain traditional food is exported to the world’s five continents, and deeply loved by people of all countries. In fact, the vast majority of these foods only are in the Chinese supermarket which is mainly sold to the Chinese. Instead, foreigners buy those occasionally.
三、在国外完全脱离华人圈，是不大可能的
国内人有这样的误解：到了国外，交的是西人朋友，接触的是西文，吃的是西餐……。其实，除了华人稀少的城镇，以及生活于校园内，或者嫁了老外，在中心大城市，你的生活范围很大程度是在华人社区。
Domestic people have some kind of misunderstanding: when abroad, we will make foreign friends, contact the Western culture and ate Western food....... In fact, apart from rare Chinese cities and towns, and living on campus, or marrying a foreigner, in the center cities, the scope of your life to a large extent is in the Chinese community.
四、频繁变换职业身份，没有什么了不起
本人粗略计算，出国六年多，自己从事过不下十个职业，从快餐店服务员到赌场发牌员，从中文教师到电话推销员，从送晨报的到送比萨饼的，从流水线工人到公司小职员……，频繁地身份转换，而且职业属性五花八门，对于我来说原来是不可想象的，而对于新移民是再正常不过了。
According to my rough calculation, during the six years abroad I had been engaged in no less than 10 careers, from the fast-food restaurant waiter to the casino dealers, from Chinese teachers to telephone salesman, from the Morning News to send pizza delivery, from the assembly line workers to the company a small staff of ... ... I frequently did the identity transformation, and my professional attributes varied accordingly. It may be strange to me at first, but not to the new immigrants.
五、汽车洋房，不是可望而不可及的
过去国内报章经常报导某某“海外人士”，如何放弃国外优越的生活，放弃汽车洋房，毅然决然回归祖国云云。原来在国外，只要你是劳动者，汽车洋房人人有份。
The domestic press frequently reported in the past that how certain "overseas person" gave up superior living abroad including cars, houses, and resolutely returned to China and so on. Originally in foreign countries, as long as you are working, car and houses are for everyone.
六、上电视上报纸，没什么了不起
国内媒体是舌，高不可攀；在国外报纸电视是私营企业，公开透明。所以这里的新闻媒体大家办、大家看，没准一不留神你就成了焦点人物，不信明天你中了彩，后天大小报纸都有你的照片。
The domestic media is the tongue, out of reach; in foreign newspapers, television is a private, open and transparent agency. So here’s the news media we do, for everyone to see, chances are there that you may become the focus.
七、牙齿保健，不能不重视
在国内，什么时候牙痛了才去看牙医，平时根本不在乎，很多人都有用牙咬开啤酒瓶盖的“英雄壮举”。出了国发现西人的一口白牙，似排珠，赛玉贝，咱们真是相形见绌，“难于启齿”，所以花心血让下一代一定爱护好自己的“门面”。
In the home, you won’t see the dentist until there is something wrong with them. You usually do not care about them. Also many people use their teeth to bite open the beer bottle. After going abroad, you will discover that westerners white teeth, resembling a row of bead.
八、西方政要，没有什么可神秘的
我在多伦多大街上见过加国总督伍冰枝，除了有两个粗壮男子五米之外相随，人家伍总督和老公牵手漫步，俨如平民。在一些场合，与市长、省长、议员握个手、合个影，也并不难。而在国内，森严壁垒的政府部门，警车开道的领导出行，相比之下，你会有许多吹牛的资料。
I have seen Canada Governor Adrienne Clarkson on the Toronto Avenue. Besides the two sturdy male following five meters away, Governor Wu and the husband are strolling just like common people. In some situations, shaking hands or taking a photo with the mayor, governor, congressman, is also not difficult.
九、与西人交往，并非想象的那么容易
国内人以为我们在国外都有一些西人朋友，其实不然，与西人较深层次地交往，除了语言的差异，更重要的是文化的隔阂。谁都对身边事务的关心程度甚于外域，普通西人热衷中国文化、渴望结识华人朋友的少之又少，“物以类聚，人以群分”，在哪里都一样。
The domestic person thought that we in overseas certainly have some westerner friends. But in fact it is not so. It is difficult to develop deep level contact with foreigners for language difference, and also cultural barrier.
十、高学历知识分子，做普通工作不新鲜
“龙陷浅滩，虎落平阳”，高知做蓝领在国外司空见惯，我见过印度的哲学博士开出租车，东欧的音乐家干装修，中国的计算机工程师肉联厂杀猪……。人为了生存，要能屈能伸，很多时候学问不能当饭吃。
It is common for scholars to be a blue collar in overseas. I used to see India’s doctor of philosophy being a taxi driver, an Eastern Europe’s musician doing the repair, Chinese computer engineer working as the meat producer.作者: 芳群 时间: 2011-11-30 12:53
