6 Ways to Improve Interactions with Local People in China

GuideinChina 2018-10-29 10:23:21

A tidy salary, a pleasant apartment, and a tasty bit of disposable income can placate most expatriates who reside in China. While these things can make your arrival here, and the subsequent change in environment, much easier initially, interacting with local Chinese people is something that expats need to do sooner or later, whether it’s taking a taxi, getting on with colleagues in the office or dinner with Chinese friends.

一份体面的薪水, 一间舒适的公寓, 和一份可观的可支配收入可以让大多数居住在中国的外籍人士生活得不错。虽然这些条件可以吸引你来到这里, 但随后环境的变化, 让你与当地华人的互动变成了一件早晚都要面对的事情, 无论是乘坐出租车, 还是与同事在办公室相处、与中国朋友的聚餐，都需要和中国友人沟通。

Naturally, some of these situations can be difficult whether you’re new to China, or even if you have lived here for a few years, which is why it’s handy to have an understanding of how you can better relate to and ingratiate yourself with a company. Here are a few simple ways in which you can achieve this:

自然的，当你刚来中国的时候，或者即使你已经在中国生活了好几年，会遇到很多比较困难的情况，因而学会融入中国的环境是非常重要的一环，以下是你可以参考的一些建议，帮助你融入中国的环境。

1. Try and learn some of the languages

1. 学会一些当地的语言

It’s obvious, but even knowing a few words in Chinese, whether pronounced correctly or not, will at least demonstrate your acknowledgment that not everyone speaks English! There are plenty of UK and US people that complain when ‘foreigners’ live and work in an English-speaking country but don't speak a word of the language- the same goes for China.

很明显，当你会一些中文的时候，不论你发音是否准确，至少你知道不是所有的人都会说英文。有很多英国人和美国人会抱怨“外国人”在英语国家工作生活却不会说英文，在中国也会有同样的情况。

2. Take interest in nearby sights

2. 对周围的景点保持兴趣

Having an encyclopedic knowledge of bars and western restaurants is all well and good, but getting to know places of cultural and historical relevance is what local people are going to relate to. In future conversations, being able to name drop some places lesser known to most expats will show locals that you have taken an interest in your area beyond simply the downtown malls and ‘touristy’ landmarks.

对酒吧和西式餐厅有一个全面的了解固然很好，但是本地人更爱做的是参观和了解周围的一些文化历史景点。在之后的交往中，如果您能说出一些对外国人来说比较鲜为人知的地方会让你向当地人展示出你对于该地的浓厚兴趣，表现你对除了当地商场和“打卡圣地”以外好去处的了解。

Photo credit: Pixebay.com

3. Accept cultural differences

3. 接受文化差异

Like any other country, there are certain behavioral differences that some people may find jarring. For example, while you might find a pile of fish bones piled up on the table next to someone’s plate in a restaurant a tad uncouth, try to remember that this is the norm in China. Moreover, everyone likes to have a dig at their own country from time to time, but remember how you react when others then try to criticize your country- China is no different. No one wants to hear you complain constantly about their home country, even more so if you’re earning a living there.

像其他国家一样，这里有许多人们会觉得不一样的地方。比如，你可能会发现有一堆鱼骨头堆在餐厅里某个人的盘子里，试着记住，这是在中国的日常行为。而且，每个人可能都会时不时地挖苦自己的国家，但是记住当别人批评你的国家的时候你会怎么反应，这在中国没什么不同。没有人会想听到你对他的祖国持续不停的抱怨，即便你也在这里生活。

4. Be patient

4. 有耐心一点

This is a tough one, but one must understand that although many Chinese people interact with foreign people on a regular basis, an equally large proportion have rarely or never done so before. Therefore, their views on where you come from or your countries activities and so on may be based on somewhat antiquated stereotypes. When explaining that a certain view is inaccurate, do so with a degree of patience, remembering that the original view posited was most likely not meant as an insult.

这是个比较困难的话题。即使有些中国人会和外国人有一定的接触，大多数中国人可能之前从没有和外国人交往过，所以他们有一些观点，比如对你从哪里国家来，或者关于你的国家的活动等等话题，都会基于一个固定的思维惯性，当你向他们解释有哪些观点是不对的时候，你需要更耐心一些，有很多时候有一些思维惯性的观点并不意味着冒犯。

5. Be open to trying various types of food

5. 敢于尝试各种类型的食物

Food and drink are wonderful ways to build relationships. The more you try, the easier it is to dine with colleagues and clients in the future as you can not only try more, giving face to the host or person who orders but also suggest dishes that you have tried in the past- this allows locals to see that you don't spend all your time away from them chomping on a BK or bucket of KFC! You actually choose to eat Chinese food and have indeed educated yourself on what there is to offer.

食物和饮料是建立友好关系的最佳方式。你尝试的越多，以后就会有更多的机会和同事或者客户一起吃饭，这样显示出你并不仅仅只是爱吃像肯德基之类的外国食物，你还会选择吃中国菜，并让自己接受中国本土化的食物。

A host from YouTube subscription channel The Food Ranger is showing one of the most popular local food in Sichuan.

6. Learn subtle customs

6. 学习一些习俗

This is perhaps the easiest thing to do but can have a great impact. For instance, taking a business card with both hands when you meet someone new, or when another guest tops up your drink at a dinner, lightly tap the table next to the glass with your middle and index fingers to acknowledge and thank the guest. You could, of course, mimic other locals’ actions in an attempt to fit in, but by actually learning these subtle behavioral nuances, you can then take the initiative at future dinners and other events, resulting in more positive and successful interactions.

这或许是最简单但最有效的一个方式。比如说，遇到新认识的人可以双手递上名片，你可以模仿一些当地人的行为去尝试融入当地环境，通过学会这些细微的行为习俗，你可以更主动的在未来的活动中表现自己，形成更加积极成功的人际交往关系。

Of course, the goal here is not to completely assimilate, losing your own national identity, but rather to understand and relate to the local experience in order to foster a happier and more positive living environment for yourself. By doing this, not only will your daily activities run smoother as people respond more positively to you, but also your experience in China will be all the richer for it too.

当然，这篇文章的目标不是教你如何完全同化在中国的环境中，更不是让你丢掉自己的身份认同，而是去了解和融入中国的当地文化，去为自己建立一个更加开心和积极向上的生活环境，通过这样做，不仅你的日常生活会因为人们的积极回应而变得更加顺利，也会使你在中国的经历更加丰富多彩。

责编：田梦瑶

来源：GuideinChina

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