十分钟读懂中国

What is China?

中国到底什么样?

The People's Republic of China, commonly known as China, is located in east Asia and borders 14 nations or any other country in the world. It is the most populous state in the world with a 1.3 billion citizens, while the world's population is 6.8 billion. That means other every 5 people in the world, one is Chinese. China is made of 56 distinctive ethnic groups with Han Chinese making the 92% of its whole population. China is a single party state governed by the Communist Party of China, whose power is enshrined in Chinese constitution. Though China is officially an atheist country, its religious roots lie within Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and from these most social and moral values are derived. There are also a significant number of Chinese Muslims, who arrived via the silk road trade route and still retain their distinct culture.

中华人民共和国，简称中国，位于东亚与14个国家或地区接壤。是世界人口最多的国家有13亿人口而世界人口是68亿，也就是说，世界人每5个人中就有一个是中国人。中国有56个民族汉族占总人口的92%。由中国共产党一党执政执政地位被写入了宪法中。中国奉行无神论，其宗教文化扎根于儒教、佛教和道教，社会道德也多根源于此。中国也有大量的穆斯林，沿丝绸之路到达中国，保持着自己的传统。

History历史

China is one of the world oldest civilizations, dating back more than 5 million year and was ruled by successive dynasties until 1912. During these time, many great discoveries in fields of science and technology were made, including the inventions of printing, paper, gun powder and compass. This period also saw the construction of many landmarks, such as the Great Wall which stretches over 4,000 miles, equals to 30 return travels from London to Paris. the Communist Party of China led by Mao gained control of mainland China in 1949 and established People's Republic of China. The modern China of today is as much shaped by its past as its rapidly looking to the future, while many of its big cities are comparable to any in the west, the underlying culture is still vastly different. Traveling outside large urban areas also highlights the growing disparity between rich and poor.

中国是文明古国之一，有五千年文明，世袭的封建王朝终结于1912年。中国古代有许多重要的科技发明，包括印刷术、造纸术、火药和指南针，也有很多著名的建筑比如绵延四千英里的长城。抗战和内战结束后毛泽东领导共产党于1949年夺取了中国大陆的政权，建立了中华人民共和国。中国历史和未来塑造了当今的中国许多城市很像西方的大城市，但二者存在着巨大的文化差异走出城市就能看到不断增大的城乡贫富差距。

Language语言

Chinese which is the most widely spoken language in the world as well as one of the most impenetrable for foreigners. There are many regional dialects of Chinese although the most widely spoken is Mandarin and Cantonese. Chinese characters evolved over time from earlier forms of hieroglyphs. Chinese contains over 49,000 characters, but a well-educated person can recognize around 6,000 characters, some 3,000 are required to read a newspaper.

汉语是世界上使用最广泛同时让外国人最难搞懂的语言之一。汉语的方言很多，使用最多的是普通话和粤语，汉字发源于象形文字，有超过四万个汉字，受过良好教育的人能认识大约六千个字，阅读报纸需要认识三千字左右。

Chinese Calendar农历

Chinese Zodiac's a scheme that relates each year to an animal, this is the year of rabbit. Chinese new year is the most important of traditional Chinese holidays, windows and doors will be decorated with red color paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of happiness, wealth and longevity. On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will meet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year and receive money in red paper envelopes. Chinese people love red color, which symbolizes prosperity and good luck. The period around Chinese new year is also the time of the largest human migration, and between 150 and 200 million migrant workers in China, bring home their earnings and go to have a unit dinner with their families on Chinese new year eve.

中国用十二生肖来代表年份，今年是免年。农历新年是最重要的传统节日，门窗会贴上红色的剪纸和对联，象征幸福、富裕和长寿。除夕夜，家人会一起吃年夜饭，过年时会放鞭炮。大年初一，小孩子会给长辈拜年，长辈则会发红包。中国人喜欢红色，红色象征着繁荣和吉利。最大规模的人类迁徙也发生于春节期间，1.5亿到两亿农民工，会带回一年的收入，和家人一起吃团圆饭。

Youth青年

Most married couples in China are subjected to one child policy, which is introduced in 1979 to curb massive population growth. It is believed to have prevented more than 300 million births since then. Another consequence of the policy has been the emergence of so called "little emperors", a generation of self-centered consumes has developed, while Chinese education system has rapidly developed there remains a heavy emphasis on passing exams. The upshot of this is that exams dictate the curriculum, while Chinese students can master and memorize incredible amounts of knowledge and information. They often lack the ability to critically think, develop their own opinions, and engage in creative activities. Due to the propensity for preferring sons over daughters, China is facing a large population imbalance with currently around 120 boys born for every 100 girls. By 2020, there will be 30 million more men than women.

大多数夫妻都需要遵守一胎化政策，这是1979年制定的控制人口增长的政策据信，该政策避免了3亿人口的出生。政策的另一个结果是造就了一代“小皇帝”，以自我为中心的一代人。中国的教育在快速发展，但仍然以应试为主，课程学习都以考试为中心，中国的学生能记住大量的知识和信息，但却缺乏批判性思维、独立思考和创新的能力。由于更加偏爱男孩，中国失衡的男女性别比达到了120比100，到2020年，男性将比女性多三千万。

Economy经济

Since economic opening up and reform policy began in 1978, China's economy has grown 90 times bigger and is the fastest growing major economy in the world. China's annual average GDP growth is predicted to be 9.5 percent for the period of 2011 to 2015. It is the world's largest exporter, and the second largest importer of goods. It is also known as the world's second biggest consumer of luxury goods. It now has the world's second largest GDP at about 6 trillion US dollars, 40 percent of the United States. Although its per capita income of 4300 US dollar is still low, and puts China behind roughly a hundred countries. China's growth has been uneven when comparing different geographic regions and rural and urban areas. Development has also been mainly concentrated in the eastern coastal regions, while the remainder of this country are left behind. In the past decade, China's cities expanded at an average rate of 10 percent annually, a scale unprecedented in human history.

自1978年改革开放以来，中国经济增长了90倍，是增长最快的主要经济体。预测2011年到2015年，平均GDP增长会保持9.5%。中国是世界最大的出口国，第二大进口国，也是世界第二大奢侈品消费国。目前的GDP位于世界第二，大约6万亿美元，相当于美国的四成，但人均只有4300美元，排名一百位开外

不同地区、城乡之间发展也不均衡，发达地区集中在东南沿海，其余地方则普遍落后。过去十年，城市以年均10%的速度扩张，这是人类历史上前所未有的规模。

China is a country crazy for skyscrapers to show its economic booming. More than 200 skyscrapers are being built now. Within next three years, there will be one skyscrapers completed every five days in China, which will make the total 800 in five years time, 4 times as many in the States. China is the world's factory. One out of every three household appliances/three toys/two pairs of shoes/two shirts are made in China. It has now become the world's largest energy consumer, but relies on coal to supply about 70 percent of energy needs. Leading Chinese environmental campaigners have warned that water pollution is one of the most serious threats facing China now. Yet with 34.6 billion US dollars invested in clean technology in 2009, China is the world's leading investor in renewable energy technologies. China produces more wind turbines and solar panels each year than any other country in the world.

中国喜欢用摩天大楼来显示经济实力，现在有超过200幢在建，未来三年，每五天就会有一幢摩天大楼竣工，五年内总共达到800幢，比美国多四倍。中国是世界工厂，每三件家电、三件玩具，两双鞋子、两件衣服中，就有一件是由中国制造，是世界最大的能源消费国，但七成能源由煤炭提供。环保人士警告说，水污染是中国最严重的环境问题，但2009年中国就向清洁能源投资了346亿美元，成为世界最大的可再生能源投资国，是风力发电机和太阳能电池板最大的生产国。

Food饮食

Being such a large and ethnically diverse country, each region has its own local specialties which the Chinese are often keen to try and introduce to others.

由于幅员辽阔和民族众多，每个地方都有自己的特色，中国人也乐于向外人推荐

Generally you will find hot and spicy food in the western and central China and cooler food in the south and north.

总的来说西南和中部的味道偏辣而南方和北方清淡

A Chinese dining table is usually round allowing everyone to engage equally in conversation.

餐桌一般是圆形的，大家能平等交谈

It will be set with empty bowls, plates, and chopsticks for each person.

会摆放空碗、盘子和筷子

Food dishes are placed in the center of the table to be shared between everyone.

菜肴放在中间，一起分享

Don't be put off if you see people spitting bones/seeds onto the plate, this is perfectly normal.

看到有人把骨头吐在桌子上也别惊讶，这简直太正常了

Contrary to what you might find in your local China Town,

跟你在唐人街看到的不同

Chinese food is generally healthy and often beautifully presented. Texture, flavor, color, and aroma are key considerations for all Chinese cooks, even above nutritional contents.

中国的食物基本都很健康并且摆放美观，厨师注重菜肴的质、色、香、味，甚至比营养更重要

Chinese dining is about showing respect and hospitality for the guests and is often used as an extension of the boardroom.

请客吃饭是显示对客人的尊重和热情，家里的客厅就连着饭厅

Heaving drinking is often a part of doing business and it is expected that you'll keep up with others.

喝酒是做生意的一部分，你需要喝的跟别人一样多

If you do not want to drink alcohol, make it clear before you start.

如果你不能喝酒，一开始就需要表明

Core Concepts要点

Face (Mianzi)面子

The concept of "face" can be loosely described as someone's social status or reputation in the eyes of others.

面子是某个人在他人眼中的社会地位和名声

Throughout a Chinese person's life, it must be maintained and enhanced through giving to and receiving from others in both words and actions.

中国人的一生都必须用语言和行动相互维护和提升面子

It may be something as small as who gets in the lift first to the awarding of multi-million dollar contracts.

可以小到谁先上电梯，也可以大到百万美元的合同授予

But without it you will have very little power or influence.

没有面子也就没有影响力

To make someone lose face or even unknowingly is a huge dishonor and could mean the end of a relationship.

即使是无意中让别人没面子，也是极其严重的冒犯，可能意味着断绝关系

Connections (Guanxi)关系

Guanxi literally means "connections" or "relationship" as it essentially boils down to exchanging favors.

关系本质上就是个人利益的联系

"You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours".

互相帮忙，互相恩惠

It can loosely be compared with the idea of networking in the west,

跟西方社会的人际网络类似

but usually goes much further in terms of developing and nurturing the relationship through social exchanges and favors which must be repaid at greater value in time.

但是在培养关系的利益交换过程中，你需要在适当时间给对方足够的好处

Relationships between family, friends and business associates are often closely interwoven.

家人、朋友和商业伙伴的关系经常紧密交织

In such an environment, issues of corruption are not uncommon when guanxi obligations take precedence over normal rules or laws.

这样的环境中腐败从来都不是新鲜事，因为关系人情往往比规则甚至法律更重要

The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhong Yong)中庸

Known as the Doctrine of the Mean or Golden Mean, this concept involves balancing one's position among a group to maintain conformity and a sense of harmony. To do this while still achieving one's personal objectives is considered by the Chinese people the ideal way of living. This can be applied to the workplace, where one should behave in a way which is seen to be neither ambitious nor lazy at the same time. Chinese people never openly criticize, ignore or make fun of a person in front of others, even jokingly. When discussing individual performance, they always emphasize good points before bad ones.

中庸之道，是指个人保持跟群体的一致与和谐。中国人最理想的生活状态就是既中庸又能实现个人目标，工作中也是如此。员工要做到既不野心勃勃，又不懒惰懈怠。中国人不会公开批评、忽视或者取笑他人，即使是开玩笑，点评个人的成绩时，也总是先说优点、再讲不足

Differences差异

Chinese may ask you personal questions or make observations about your age, income, religion or appearance,

中国人可能会问你的私事，或者探寻你的年龄、收入、信仰和外貌

don't take it personally.

别往心里去

Likewise, Chinese rarely say "please" or "thank you" as this is seen as unnecessary formality between friends or family.

就像中国的朋友和家人之间也不会说“请”或者“谢谢”，觉得没必要

In a Chinese meeting, often only the most senior attendees will talk and all questions should be directed to those people.

开会时，通常是资格最老的与会者发言，有问题也问他

Silence is not a sign of weakness in China,

沉默并不意味着软弱

often the unsaid message is more important than what is being said verbally.

通常潜台词比明说的话更重要

To be successful in China requires different ways of thinking.

在中国要取得成功，需要另外的思维方式

A Chinese historian professor puts this way. The Chinese people are frank yet tactful,

有位中国的历史学教授总结说，中国人是这样的，耿直却又圆滑

honest yet sophisticated,

坦诚却又世故

suspicious yet gullible,

多疑却又轻信

unscrupulous yet loyal,

讲实惠却又重义气

advocate etiquette yet often appear unmannered,

尚礼仪却又少公德

stand for the golden mean yet are extreme,

主中庸却又走极端

value the quality of being thrifty yet like to parade their wealth,

美节俭却又喜排场

maintain traditions when convenient yet love to chase modern fashion,

守古法却又赶时髦

believe contentment brings happiness yet often daydream about becoming overnight millionaires,

知足常乐却又梦想暴发

believe the word of fortune teller yet lack affiliation to any religion.

烧香算命却又无宗教感

This is China, one big contradiction which refuses to be placed in a box.

这就是中国，矛盾复杂，很难归纳成一个模式

In China, you will find all extremes but that's all part of the challenge and adventure of doing business here.

在这里遇到的所有挑战和冒险都是做生意的一部分

Be patient and have fun.

耐心等待，玩得开心