老外在中国：热闹不是我的菜

It's been hot lately, hasn't it? Here in Beijing, it feels like the thermometer's been hovering around the 30 C mark for weeks now (whenever it hasn't been raining, that is).
最近是不是很热？北京的气温似乎已在30°C左右徘徊数周（只要一直不下雨，就是这样）。

Across the sea in Japan, meanwhile, the mercury soared to 41.1 C at the end of July, setting new heat records and hospitalizing thousands in the process. Scores also died.
与此同时，在与中国隔海相望的日本，气温也在7月底飙升至41.1°C，创造了新的高温记录，导致数千人入院，多人死亡。

In Greece, ongoing wildfires around the country's capital have claimed more than 90 lives, while up to 70 people died in Canada's Quebec province as a result of a recent heat wave.
希腊首都附近的森林大火夺去了90多条生命；加拿大魁北克省近期遭热浪侵袭，导致多达70人死亡。

British tabloid newspaper The Sun, not known for understatement, even went so far as to declare across its front page on July 25 that "The World's On Fire".
喜欢夸大其词的英国小报《太阳报》甚至在7月25日的头版上称“整个世界都在着火”。

Which it is, in a way. Summers are getting hotter, heat records are consistently being broken and out-of-control infernos are now seemingly becoming the norm.
在某种程度上，它说得没错。夏天越来越热，高温记录一直被打破，失控的火海似乎已成常态。

But why dwell on the awful inevitability of dangerous climate change when we could just ignore it and carry on regardless? That seems to be how many have decided to deal with this particular existential threat.
但当我们可以视而不见、继续不管不顾地生活时，为什么还要细想那闹心的不可避免的危险的气候变化呢？这似乎是很多人应对这种特殊的存亡威胁的办法。

Personally, I'm no great fan of the heat. Never have been. Maybe it's due to my upbringing in the damp, drizzly North of England. Or the fact that, as an infant, I had serious trouble regulating my own body temperature and even ended up in hospital on one occasion as a result.
就我个人而言，我不喜欢高温，甚至可以说从未喜欢过。这也许是因为我从小在潮湿、多雨的英格兰北部长大。或者是因为我小时候就在调节自己的体温方面有很大问题，甚至还因此住过一次院。

Later in life, whichever part of my brain it is that deals with thermoregulation seemed to finally figure out how to keep a lid on things. Though I do still have a tendency to overheat and perspire to a somewhat excessive degree.
后来，我大脑进行体温调节的那部分似乎终于弄清楚了如何保持克制了。但是我仍然有过热和过分出汗的倾向。

All of which makes the Chinese phrase renao slightly baffling to me.
所有这些经历使得我对中文短语“热闹”略感困惑。

Roughly translated, it means "hot and noisy". Though perhaps "hustle and bustle" would be slightly more accurate.
粗略翻译一下，这个词的意思就是“热和嘈杂”。也许解释为“喧嚣”会稍微准确一些。

Because in China, renao is a good thing. It's something to be sought out. (Or so my limited language learning would have me believe). A renao place is buzzing with excitement. It's somewhere that feels alive.
因为在中国，“热闹”是一件好事，是一种值得寻觅的东西（或者说我有限的语言学习让我产生这种认识）。一个“热闹”的地方总是弥漫着兴奋的感觉，是一个让人感觉活着的地方。

Now don't get me wrong, I've spent my fair share of time in such places. Be it festivals, expos, tourist traps or other locales that are sure to draw the maddening crowds.
当然，请不要误会我的意思，我其实在这些地方度过了相当多的时间。无论是狂欢节、博览会、旅游陷阱景点还是其他吸引恼人的人群的场所，我都待过。

But in general, I'd rather not be among the multitude. In fact, I once gave up a place in line to see the Sistine Chapel's famed interior because the thought of being herded through a confined space with a bunch of strangers didn't exactly appeal.
但总的来说，我宁愿不要加入大部队中。我曾经放弃排队参观西斯廷教堂著名的室内装饰。因为对我而言，在一个狭窄空间里与一群陌生人挤在一起并不是很美妙。

No, cold and quiet are much more my cup of tea. There are few things in life I've enjoyed more than a hike across open country. Ideally on my own, or only lightly accompanied. In the autumn, preferably, or after winter's first snow.
算了吧，“凉爽和安静”才是我的菜。没什么能比在开阔的乡村徒步旅行更让我愉悦。我自己一个人最理想，有少许同伴也能接受。时间呢，最好是在秋天，或是冬季的初雪之后。

A part of me can understand the appeal of wanting to do everything together. Of seeking out the vibrant and the bustling, the heat and the noise.
我略能理解人们愿意扎堆儿做事的那种吸引力：他们想要追求活力和繁华，炽热和喧闹。

Mostly though, I have to say, I'd really rather avoid it. Because it seems to me that the whole world is a little too renao right now. And while sometimes it's good to be where it's hot and noisy, sometimes it's just a lot of hot air and noise.
但大多数情况下，不得不说，我敬谢不敏。因为在我看来，现在整个世界都有点过分热闹了。虽然有时待在热闹的地方还挺好，但有时就只是充斥着炙热的空气和噪音。

译者：胡佳李（实习生）
审校：董静 丹妮
音频编辑：焦洁
来源：CHINA DAILY微信公众号：

About the author & broadcaster

Greg Fountain is a copy editor and occasional presenter for China Daily. Before moving to Beijing in January, 2016 he worked for newspapers in the Middle East and UK. He has an M.A in Print Journalism from the University of Sheffield, a B.A in English and History from the University of Reading.