外国人最想和你聊的文化话题：跨国婚恋

     Falling in love with an exotic handsome prince is easy, but maintaining the cross-border marriage and enjoying a happy family life turn out to be much more difficult and challenging.
     热恋上一位异国的白马王子并不难，但要长期维持跨国婚姻并享受和谐的家庭幸福却绝非易事！
     Frequent migration across borders, driven by the country's rapid economic growth, is a major reason behind the growing number of mixed marriages.
     跨国婚姻增多的主要原因是我国经济高速发展所带来的频繁移民。
     In the age of globalization, the international matchmaking industry- still known in many circles as the mail-order bride trade - is thriving like never before.
     在全球化时代，国际婚介机构，也就是很多人所谓的"邮购新娘"业务，正迎来从未有过的繁荣发展。
     The transnational marriage is not a new word which appears after the reform and opening policy, actually it originated in the ancient time.
     跨国婚姻不是改革开放后才兴起的新鲜词，其实古已有之。
     The marriage of Songzanganbu and Princess Wencheng created a much-told tale and greatly consolidated the regiment of Tang dynasty.
     松赞干布迎娶唐朝文成公主成就一段佳话，更极大地巩固了唐朝的统治。
     In addition, it is argued that the roles of newly arrived migrant partners are important in Taiwan's labor market and in-house service market.
     来台湾的移民包含了两类，一种是"外籍劳工"，另外一类则是因为台湾的社会阶层化而造成的跨国婚姻移民。
     Furthermore, "transnational marriages" manifest the international division of labor within interpersonal relationships, localizing the international division of labor as an unequal relation between people.
     再者，借由跨国婚姻，国际分工具体化为不平等的人际关系，因此可称为国际分工的人际关系化。
     Some people query about the marriages between Chinese and Africans.
     中国人和非洲人的婚姻，受到一些人的诘问。
     For most Chinese, marriage is a lifetime matter.
     对大多数中国人而言，婚姻是一辈子的事情。
     It is crucial for cross-cultural couples to get to know each other's cultures.
     对来自不同文化背景的夫妻来说，了解双方国家的文化是非常关键的。
     It is said that some Chinese women marry Western men for money.
     据说，有些中国女人为了钱嫁给外国人。
     According to China's traditional viewpoints on marriage, the spouse should at least match with each other in terms of social status, personal fortune and family background if the marriage can not bring them upwards.
     中国人对婚姻的传统观念是，即使它不能成为人往高处走的跳板，至少也要根据社会地位、个人财富和家庭背景讲究个门当户对。
     But, most African countries lag behind China in economy. Obviously, people will consider the marriages between Chinese and Africans are instable.
     目前大多数非洲国家经济落后，生活水平远不如中国。因此，中非青年联姻，理想中的条件显然有所缺失，婚姻基础不牢靠。
     However, we find that some youth of two regions overcome difficulties and tie the knots. They strive together and fight for their love.
     一对对中非年轻人冲破各种传统观念，顶住有形无形的社会压力，为了爱情和幸福，勇敢坚定地走进了婚姻的殿堂。
     About 42.5% of Chinese women were willing to marry a foreign man before the global financial crisis, a survey by a matchmaking website indicated. What do you think of it? China Daily said.
     《中国日报》上报道说，中国某婚介网站的调查显示，大约有42.5%的中国女性愿意与外国男人结婚。
     She married an American despite strong opposition from her family and friends.
     尽管她的家人和朋友极力反对，她还是嫁给了一个美国人。
     Cultural differences tend to cause misunderstandings and conflicts in mixed marriages.
     文化差异往往会引起跨国婚姻中的误会和争执。
     Nowadays, cross-cultural couples walking in the street are not uncommon.
     现在，经常可以看到来自不同国家的夫妇或情侣，手拉手走在大街上。
     The relationship of cross-cultural couples is assumed to be inherently problematic.
     有人认为，跨国婚姻本身就有问题。
     Western culture is rooted in individualism. private belongings are one's own.
     西方文化植根于个人主义，个人的东西都是属于个人自己的。

     Nancy: If you can choose, will you marry a foreigner or a Chinese?
     南希：如果让你选的话，你是愿意嫁给一个中国人还是一个外国人？
     Sara: Why? Did tom pop the question?
     萨拉：为什么这么问，汤姆向你求婚了吗？
     Nancy: Not yet. But I wonder if I can get my parents' consent.
     南希：没有，我怕父母不同意。
     Sara: Let me guess, your parents want you to marry a Chinese man, right?
     萨拉：我猜猜，你父母一定是希望你嫁一个中国人，对吗？
     Nancy: You are right. It is giving me a real headache. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place.
     南希：是啊，我正头疼呢，我觉得左右为难。
     Sara: I used to have the same problem when I was with my ex.
     萨拉：我和以前的男朋友谈恋爱时，也遇到了同样的问题。
     Nancy: Oh, how did you deal with it?
     南希：那你是怎么解决的？
     Sara: I just let it go and continued dating with my Korean boyfriend. But finally we broke up.
     萨拉：我就顺其自然，继续和我的韩国男朋友约会，但后来我们还是分手了。
     Nancy: Oh, it's a pity. What was the matter?
     南希：太可惜了，为什么啊？
     Sara: Simple. We had personality clashes and there were too many cultural differences.
     萨拉：很简单，我们性格不合，双方文化也有很多不同之处。
     N: Like what?
     南希：比如呢？
     Sara: He hoped to live in the Korean way and asked me to give up working and stay at home to take care of the family.
     萨拉：他希望我过韩式的生活，要求我放弃工作，安心待在家里。
     Nancy: Oh, I see. In their culture women should put family first.
     南希：这样啊，在他们的文化里，女性应该以家庭为重。
     Sara: Yes, he said it would be better for me and for the whole family. But I simply can not quit working.
     萨拉：是啊，他说这样对我，对整个家庭都好。但我就是不想辞掉工作。
     Nancy: so that's why it's hard to have a happy marriage with a foreigner.
     南希：所以和外国人结婚，很难幸福。
     Sara: Not really. There are many successful mixed marriages around us.
     萨拉：也不一定，我们周围不也有很多成功的例子嘛。