[2020-12-16]当中国人第一次来纽约时，他们对什么感到震惊？

Minkang Wei knows Mandarin Chinese
Background: Born and raised in a 2-tier city of China. Come to the US for the Model United Nations conference in the winter of 2013. I was 16 years old. First time ever abroad.
Shocks:
* The smell of coffee and cheese is everywhere. The airport, the hotel that I stayed, the hotel that held the conference were full of the unique sweet and bitter coffee smell. It’s kinda weird to me at first, but later on I started to like it. (Most Chinese including myself really don't consume coffee and cheese that much. ) The donuts are sooo good.
* The infrastructure, including the airport, subway, roads, traffic lights and so on were not well maintained. I remember I saw one of the subways was built in the late 19th century. That explains a lot. (Wiki: The earliest subway in Boston was built in 1897, and 1969 for Beijing.)

【回答】懂普通话
背景：我出生成长于中国的二线城市。2013年冬天，来美国参加模拟联合国会议吧。那时我16岁。第一次出国。
冲击：
*到处都是咖啡和奶酪的味道。机场，我下榻的酒店，举办会议的酒店，都弥漫着独特的咖啡香味，有甜有苦。刚开始我觉得有点奇怪，但后来我开始喜欢上它了(包括我在内的大多数中国人都不怎么喝咖啡和吃奶酪)。甜甜圈太好吃了。
*机场、地铁、道路、交通灯等基础设施没有得到很好的维护。我记得我看到过一条地铁建于19世纪的晚期。(维基百科：波士顿最早的地铁建于1897年，北京最早的地铁建于1969年。)

* So many mentally ill and homeless people on the streets. That really scared me a lot. Every day I would see one or two homeless people talking to themselves or cursing randomly.
* The ladies on Wall Street are no joke. I saw a lady wearing a skirt and suit in the snowy winter, when I was wearing Canada goose. She looked skinny but tough to me.
* Polices riding horses. That’s DOPE.
* Traffic lights for pedestrians are not green but white. That confused me A LOT.
* A lot of squirrels and birds. They are not afraid of people.
* Seagulls in the city ( that’s probably no shock at all for people live at the coast, but a shock for me. I live in the middle of China).
* The streets in NYC are actually pretty narrow, especially Wall Street.

*大街上有非常多的精神病患者和无家可归的人。这真的让我很害怕。每天我都会看到一两个无家可归的人自言自语或者胡乱咒骂。
*华尔街的女性们可不是闹着玩的。我在大雪纷飞的冬天，看到一位女士穿着裙子和西装，当时我穿着加拿大鹅羽绒服。她看上去瘦骨嶙峋，但在我看来很硬朗。
*骑警。太酷了。
*行人的交通灯不是绿色的，而是白色的。这让我很困惑。
*许多松鼠和鸟。他们不怕人。
*城市中的海鸥(这对住在海边的人来说可能一点都不奇怪，但对我来说却很震惊。我住在中国中部)。
*纽约的街道非常狭窄，尤其是华尔街。

* Cemetery in the city. That’s a huge cultural shock to me. Cuz Chinese people are kinda afraid of walking by the graveyard, not to mention living next to it.
* This trip to NYC and the east coast pretty much made me not want to live there. So I went to California for college. Sorry if that offends anyone who loves there. It’s just personal preference.
Difference doesn’t mean one place or culture is better or worse than the other. Difference is just difference.

*城市墓地。这对我来说是一个巨大的文化冲击。因为中国人都有点害怕走过墓地，更别说住在旁边了。
*这次去纽约和东海岸的旅行让我不想住在那里了。所以我去了加州上大学。不好意思，如果这冒犯了任何喜欢那里的人。这只是个人喜好。
差异并不意味着一个地方或文化比另一个好或差。只是不同而已。

Leah J. Zhang Senior Infrastructure Engineer
Brought up some old memory.
The first time I visited NYC was back in 2011. It was a gloomy, rainy day.
The biggest shocking impression I had and never changed today even now I often travel to the NYC for work and conferences, is that NYC is both Heaven and Hell. When I arrived at Manhattan port by water taxi from New Jersey, and soon turned into the famous Wall St. and looked up, I was overwhelmed by the skyscrapers where the billionaires live, and those buildings like NY trade center are constantly processing trillions of dollars every minute. However, when I walked close enough, I saw at the corner of every single building mentioned above, there are homeless people, who were struggling for a single dollar. It seared a harsh image in my brain that I could never forget: Those skyscrapers are like the Towers of Babylon connecting the Heaven and Hell. People rushing on the busy streets vanished into those towers trying to knock on the heaven’s door. A few succeeded, ascended; but most failed, fallen, turning into bricks of bones holding those towers taller and higher.

【回答】高级基建工程师
唤起了一些旧的记忆。
我第一次去纽约是在2011年。这是一个阴沉的下雨天。
直到现在，我仍然经常去纽约工作和开会，我对纽约最大的印象就是纽约既是天堂又是地狱。当我从新泽西乘坐水上出租车到达曼哈顿港，很快就到了著名的华尔街，抬头一看，我被亿万富翁们居住的摩天大楼淹没了，像纽约贸易中心这样的建筑每分钟都在不断地处理着数万亿美元的资产。然而，当我走得足够近的时候，我看到在以上提到的每一栋建筑的角落里，都有无家可归的人，他们在为一美元而挣扎。这在我脑海中留下了一个难以忘怀的画面：那些摩天大楼就像连接天堂和地狱的巴比伦塔。熙熙攘攘的街道上，熙熙攘攘的人们消失在塔楼里，试图敲开天国的门。有几个成功了，爬了上去；但大多数都失败了，倒下了，变成了骨砖，支撑着塔楼越来越高。

It reminds me a slogan in a very old Chinese movie: If you love someone, send him/her to NYC; if you hate someone, also send him/her to NYC.
And some additional shocks:
The Statue of Liberty is gorgeous!
Yellow cab drivers are absolutely crazy, and rude!
Hotel Pennsylvania - Worst Hotel EVER!! I couldn’t believe how it got 3 stars? Just because it is near the Time Sq? It was so creepy like Hotel Transylvania!
The Empire State night view is Amazing!
Traffic is absolutely horrible…world class horrible!

这让我想起了中国一部很老的电影里的一句口号：如果你爱一个人，就把他/她送到纽约；如果你讨厌某个人，也把他/她送到纽约去。
还有一些其他的冲击：
自由女神像太美了!
黄色出租车司机真是疯了，而且很粗鲁!
宾夕法尼亚酒店，有史以来最糟糕的酒店！！我不敢相信它怎么得了3颗星？仅仅因为它接近时代广场？就像《怪物旅社》一样恐怖!
帝国州的夜景太棒了！
交通太烂了… 世界级的烂!

Edmund Leung Radio Station Program Host - Current Issues (2016-present)
You don’t really want to know!!!
Seriously!!!
Here are the comments I have from my clients:
* Wow, I thought NYC is a much prosperous city and turn out to be a nothing city.
* I thought NYC will be much advance and I was shocked it was so behind, let alone comparing to our big cities like Shanghai and BeiJing.
* Most of the shops in NYC are supposed to be grand BUT I haven’t seen one that I can call grand.
* Brand name shops are so lifeless and most of the customers are Chinese and wondering where are the shoppers in NYC?
These are but a few.
Open up your eyes and take a trip to China and tell me what shocks you when you first visit Shanghai or Beijing. Sitting under the well and will only let you see that much.

【回答】电台节目主持人-时事(2016年至今)
你真的不会想知道的！！
我说真的！！
以下是我从我的客户那里得到的评论：
*哇，我以为纽约是一个非常繁荣的城市，结果却什么都不是。
*我原以为纽约会很发达，但我很惊讶它这么落后，更不用说和上海、北京这样的大城市相比了。
*本以为纽约的大多数商店都应该很豪华，但我还没有看到一家可以称得上豪华的。
*品牌商店死气沉沉，大多数顾客都是中国人，不知道纽约的顾客都到哪里去了?
这些只是其中的一部分。
睁开你的眼睛到中国来一趟，告诉我你第一次到上海或北京时，什么让你震惊。坐在井里，你能看到的只有这么多。

Chuangpu Tangnade
1, Streets are so narrow. But that is ok for a tourist.
2, Bus stations are quite stinky, which really shocked me at first time. It is unbelievable in Mega cities in China. But later, I found the same thing in Washington DC, near White House. I found an excuse for those cities, which is the people there may not have high education background, and most of them are homeless people. Until I smelled the same thing at a bus station located at the gate of Harvard University…..
3. The time square is very shabby and small, I wonder why it is so famous?
4, Compared to Orlando, Miami, New York city is not my cup of tea.
5, American really need to spend some money on infrastructure. Residents are worth of better living environment. Not for tourist, and not for the wall street elites, only for the local residents.
6, Too many tales about New York city, now I found tales are lies.

【回答】
*街道太窄了。但这对游客来说还可以。
*公交车站很臭，这第一次让我很震惊。这在中国的大城市是难以置信的。但后来，我在华盛顿特区白宫附近发现了同样的事情。我为这些城市找到了一个借口，那就是那里的人可能没有高等教育背景，大部分都是无家可归的人。直到我在位于哈佛大学门口的公交车站闻到了同样的味道...
*时代广场非常破旧和小，我不知道它为什么这么有名?
*跟奥兰多、迈阿密相比，纽约不是我的菜。
*美国人真的需要在基础设施上花些钱。居民值得拥有更好的生活环境。不是为了游客，也不是为了华尔街精英，而是为了当地居民。
*有太多关于纽约的故事了，现在我发现那些故事都是假的。

Wenjie Piao lived in The United States of America
Two things.
First I landed in JFK, looked outside and just wanna hop on and go back. Where the fuck am I? Oh that wasn’t even half of it. I was loaded on a windowless little bus and dropped off in front of the famous grand central. And I didn’t know where I could stand. It was mind bogglingly filthy. I looked up and down on the streets, all I got is WTF.
Secondly for years, if it weren’t because of my wife, I came very closely to forgot that any pastry should have tastes and smell other than sweet. I picked up my first US cupcake in my college cafe and after the first bite I thought I just ate a mouthful of pure baked sugar. Then I thought hey what do you want from a college cafe, so I went to a highly yelped bakery. I still remember telling my friend to spray bitter apple in my mouth.

【回答】住在美国
有两件事。
1、我降落在肯尼迪机场，向外望去，只想跳上飞机回去。我他妈的在哪儿？哦，还不到一半呢。我上了一辆没有窗户的小公共汽车，在著名的中央车站下车。我不知道我能站在哪里。脏得吓人。我在街上到处逛到处看，我所有的感觉就是：卧槽。
2、多年来，如果不是因为我的妻子，我几乎忘记了任何糕点都应该有味道和气味，而不是只有甜的。我在我大学的咖啡馆里买了我的第一个美国纸杯蛋糕，吃了第一口，我以为我就吃了一口纯烘焙的糖。然后我想，嘿，你还想从大学的咖啡馆里得到什么呢，所以我去了一家有名的面包店。我还记得，过后叫了朋友往我嘴里喷苦苹果喷雾剂。

David Sternlight American international economics consultant
I was born and raised in New York City and moved to Los Angeles over 50 years ago. Though I miss NYC’s ubiquity of classical music, ethnic restaurants and grocery stores, I am much happier and less stressed in the salubrious climate and relaxed, live and let live atmosphere of coastal LA suburbs, and with LA’s outstanding and modern public transportation and UCLA health care have made it so far to 86 years. In particular about NYC’s antiquated subways, with poor handicapped facilities and elevators often absent or not working. In contrast LA is a fully handicapped-accessible city with modern rapid transit stations and ubiquitous handicapped curb-to-curb transit services. Too bad about our homeless problem, though, which local and State government seems unwilling or unable to solve due to civil rights limits. That is as endemic to our West Coast cities as NYC. Dunno if it is political incompetence or a “problem of poverty”.

【回答】美国国际经济顾问
我在纽约市出生、长大，50多年前搬到了洛杉矶。虽然我想念纽约的无处不在的古典音乐，民族餐馆和杂货店，但在洛杉矶近郊的宜人气候和轻松、自由自在的氛围中，我感到更快乐，压力更小，而且洛杉矶卓越的现代公共交通和加州大学洛杉矶分校的医疗保健已经让我活了86年。纽约老旧的地铁，残疾人设施和电梯很差，经常没有或不能使用。相比之下，洛杉矶是一个完全无障碍的城市，拥有现代化的快速交通站和无处不在的残疾人路边上下车交通服务。然而，我们无家可归者的问题太糟糕了，由于公民权利的限制，地方和州政府似乎不愿意或无法解决这个问题。这是我们西海岸城市和纽约的地方病。不知道这是政治无能还是“贫困问题”。

Donald Eigendorff lives in Palm Springs, CA (2010-present)
I’m from NYC so I can’t say for sure. However, I would think that they would be impressed (and maybe shocked) by the human rights that exist in NYC. Same sex couples walking down the street holding hands or kissing, people freely protesting in the streets, the many parades celebrating the various cultures that are so much a part of NYC. The Gay Pride Parade, The Puerto Rican Day Parade, The Israel Day Parade, The St. Patrick’s Day Parade and so many more. I think they would be very impressed by the diversity of the people, cultures, and foods. Perhaps shocking is not the right word, but I think the diversity of people and cultures and the freedoms we take for granted would certainly stand-out.

【回答】生活在加州棕榈泉(2010年至今)
我来自纽约，所以我不能肯定中国人对什么感到震惊。然而，我想他们会对纽约现存的人权状况留下深刻印象(也许会震惊)。同性情侣在大街上牵手或接吻，人们在街上自由地抗议，许多游行庆祝各种文化，这些文化已经成为纽约市的一部分。同性恋骄傲游行，波多黎各日游行，以色列日游行，圣帕特里克日游行等等。我想他们会对这里人民、文化和食物的多样性留下深刻印象。也许“震惊”这个词用得不恰当，但我认为，人民和文化的多样性，以及我们习以为常的自由，肯定会让他们印象深刻。

Xiaoming Guo Born, lived and worked in China.
Gun violence. When I first come to NYC, I saw a man holding a handgun standing by the street, apparently expecting something. My colleagues told me that someone was robbed under gun threat next street a day before, and a gan fire about ten blocks away machine gun a month ago. I was told that a professor of Columbia University was killed by a stray bullet.

【回答】在中国出生、生活和工作。
枪支暴力。当我第一次来到纽约时，我看到一个男人拿着手枪站在街道旁，显然在期待着什么。我的同事告诉我，前一天有人在第二条街道那里被持枪抢劫，一个月前大约十个街区外发生了一起机关枪的枪击事件。我听说哥伦比亚大学的一位教授被流弹打死了。

Steve Chin lives in Hong Kong
* Trash cans and trash juice on the sidewalks of every single street and ally.
* Smell of urine in the subway, with no air conditioning at the platform.
* How expensive subway tickets are, especially when it’s so run down.
* Diversity of culture and people.
* Cheap pizza for a buck.
* Tons of Broadway shows
* How ginormous the Central Park is

【回答】现居香港
*每条街道和每个街区的人行道上都有垃圾桶和垃圾水。
*地铁里有尿味，站台没有空调。
*地铁票非常贵，尤其是在地铁这么破旧的情况。
*文化和人员的多样性。
*一美元的便宜披萨。
*大量的百老汇演出。
*中央公园好大啊。

Jimmy Wang works at Casino Arizona
There is so much disparity of wealth between rich and poor and how segregated people are based on ethnic and social strata. It is never a melting pot but a Swiss cheese of people who distrust each other so much. Very old public infracture and chaotic in many ways.

【回答】在亚利桑那赌场工作
富人和穷人之间的财富差距非常大，人们因种族和社会阶层而被隔离。它从来都不是一个大熔炉，而是一块由彼此非常不信任的人们组成的瑞士奶酪。公共基础设施非常破烂，在很多方面都很混乱不堪。

Xiaoming Wang
Arrived at NYC with the expectation that it’s more civilized than China. Found more people spit on the street than average Chinese city. Time: 2004

【回答】
我带着比中国更文明的期望来到纽约。发现随地吐痰的人比中国普通城市还多。时间：2004年

Honghao Bi
That NYC subway is so crappy….
NYC subway:
Shanghai subway


【回答】
纽约地铁太烂了....
纽约地铁：
上海地铁：

Run Ze Cao
Cops armed with assault rifles everywhere…
Mass homelessness…
Rats…
The stench and filth of the subway system…

【回答】
到处都是配备冲锋枪的警察……
大规模的无家可归者……
老鼠……
地铁的恶臭和肮脏…

Edmund Shen
That there are beggars on the street and litter is everywhere.

【回答】
街上有乞丐，到处都是垃圾。