在中国生活是一种变革性的经历

For those fortunate enough to go to college, the experience is very often one that brings profound changes. Young people’s minds are expanded. They meet people they may never have otherwise met, and they do a lot of growing up as they get their first real taste of adult life.

对于那些有幸上大学的人来说，这种经历常常会带来深刻的变化。年轻人的思想会得到扩展。他们会结识以前可能从未见过的人，并且在第一次体验到成年人的生活后，会得到很大的成长。

When I started my bachelor’s degree at the University of Georgia, in the United States, I was a small-town kid with a lot of curiosity. Just over four years later, I was in some ways a different person. I spoke a second language, had lived abroad and was more worldly – but still with a lot left to learn.

当我开始在美国佐治亚大学攻读学士学位时，我曾是一个充满好奇心的小镇孩子。仅仅四年之后，从某种意义上来说，我已经“脱胎换骨”了。我会说第二语言，曾在国外生活过，去过世界各地，但还有很多东西需要学习。

Now, many years later, I have been taking stock. Between Shanghai and Beijing, I have l made China my adoptive home for about twice as long as I was in college. Even after decades of work and raising children and just plain living before I crossed the Pacific Ocean, China still changed me.

现在，多年以后，我一直在回顾过去。在上海和北京之间，我在中国度过的时光差不多有两个本科那么长，这让中国成为了我的第二故乡。即使去中国之前，我已经在大洋彼岸度过了数十年简单的生活，工作、抚养孩子……但中国依然在我身上刻下了新的烙印。

It has taught me to look at things from many angles that I may never have considered, and taught me the value of patience – even though I sometimes forget the lesson. It has taught me that as humans, we have much more in common than not, and that also applies to people from a very different cultural context than our own.

它教会了我从许多我从未想过的角度看待事物，并教会了我耐心的价值——尽管有时我会忘记这一课。它告诉我，作为人类，我们彼此之间的共同之处大于差异，同样，这个道理也适用于跟我们文化截然不同的人。

China has reinforced my belief that what counts are life’s experiences, loved ones and good friends --   much more so than material things. These years have confirmed that things do not last, but relationships and memories can endure.

中国坚定了我的信念，即生活的经历、亲人和朋友比物质生活更加重要。 这些年来，事实证明物质不会持久，但是人际关系和记忆却可以持久。

It has been humbling and fascinating to live in such an ancient society. I live just a short walk away from the remains of a city wall built more than 700 years ago by Kublai Khan – known as Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). I’ve walked the streets of ancient water towns in Shanghai.

生活在这样一个古老的社会，一直令人感到谦逊和着迷。我住的地方距离700多年前元世祖忽必烈（1271-1368年）建造的城墙遗迹仅有几步之遥。我曾漫步在上海古老水乡的街头。

It also has been an amazing experience to live in two of the world’s great cities, with impressive architecture and transportation systems, and to see the pride people take in their nation reaching outward to the moon and Mars.

在世界上两个伟大的城市中生活，它们拥有令人印象深刻的建筑和交通系统，看到人们以自己的祖国登上月球和火星的成就感到骄傲，这也是一种了不起的经历。

But what really sticks with me is the friendliness of so many people here. We will forever be grateful for the generosity of people who have been willing to help, in ways great and small. There is a sense of vitality and life in neighborhoods that’s contagious, too, and that will always be a great memory.   

但是真正令我印象深刻的是人们的友好。我们将永远感激愿意以各种各样的方式慷慨提供帮助的人们。在社区中也充满活力和生机，这种感觉也具有感染力，这将永远是美好的回忆。

My wife, Delores, and I got married right before we left to move to China, and it’s the only place where we have been a married couple.

我和妻子 Delores在前往中国之前就结婚了，这是我们作为已婚夫妇所待过的唯一地方。

This shared experience has made our relationship stronger. She had never lived abroad, but took to the experience with enthusiasm. The one area of Chinese she learned well was numbers – both the verbal expressions and the hand and finger signs for the digits. She’s a former bank branch manager and I guess it comes naturally. I’ll never forget her rapid-fire haggling at markets.  

这种共同的经验使我们的关系更加牢固。她从未在国外生活过，但是热情地接受了这一经历她的中文数字学得特别好——语言表达以及数字的手指标志。她曾任银行分行经理，我想这很自然。我永远不会忘记她对市场的猛烈抨击。

So during this time of holidays, both Eastern and Western, it is a good time to express our sincere thanks to the Chinese people. It has been a great privilege to pass a portion of our lives here.

因此，在这个东西方共同庆祝的节日里，这是向中国人民表示诚挚谢意的好时机。我很荣幸在这里度过了生命中的一段时光。

By Matt Prichard

 Contact the writer at matthewprichard@chinadaily.com.cn