从宁波到拉霍亚 From Ningbo to La Jolla
这是我第三次到美国，但是是我第一次要在这里生活。我觉得或许是时候记录一些现在的想法了，不知道一年后的我回头看这些文字时，会不会觉得幼稚，也会不会感到珍贵。
This is my third time in the states, but my first time living here. I think it's time to record some of my current thoughts. When I look back at these words a year later, I don't know if I will feel naive or precious.
先说说我前两次来美国的经历。
Let's start with my first two trips to the US.
第一次是2013年的夏天，那时候我刚上完初一，参加了一个为期两周的游学团，目的地是加州大学圣塔芭芭拉分校。我只记得我们住在校园里一栋栋独立的小屋子里，周围都是草地和树木，穿过草地就是上课的教室。这些就是我对美国校园环境的第一次认知。在这期间，我也去了东海岸，到过费城、纽约和华盛顿特区。那是大部分的经历我都没有太多印象了，唯一一件记忆格外清晰的事情是在纽约。当时我们坐船去看自由女神像，但轮船其实并没有真的抵达雕像所在的那个小岛，只是行驶到雕像附近的水面，供我们拍照，然后返航。我当时并不知道我们坐船是要去看自由女神像，以为只是坐船去某个地方游览，于是一个人坐在船舱一层的饮料吧台下面玩iPad，一直到船开回了码头。我当时特别疑惑，怎么开了一圈又回来了？晚上回到酒店，我看到室友的iPad上有自由女神像的照片，顿时一惊，才发现自己错过了什么。
The first time was in the summer of 2013, when I had just finished my first year of junior high and participated in a two-week study tour to the University of California, Santa Barbara. All I remember is that we lived in separate small houses on campus, surrounded by grass and trees, and across the grass was the classroom. These were my first perceptions of the US campus environment. During that period, I also went to the East Coast of America, to Philadelphia, New York and Washington DC. I don't have much impression of most of the experience, the only one that's particularly clear is about New York. At that time, we took a cruise to see the Statue of Liberty, but the boat did not actually reach the island where the statue is located, but just drove near the statue for us to take pictures and then return. I didn't know at the time that we were going to see the Statue of Liberty by boat. I thought it was just a trip to visit somewhere, so I sat alone under the beverage bar on the first floor of the cabin and played with my iPad until the boat sailed back to the dock. I was very puzzled at the time, how did it come back? Back at the hotel in the evening, I saw a picture of the Statue of Liberty on my roommate's iPad, and I was shocked to realize what I had missed.
总的来说，我的第一次美国之行并没有对我产生太大影响，只是让我在平淡中对美国有了初步的印象。
In general, my first trip to the US didn't affect me too much, but only gave me an initial impression of this nation.
第二次是2019年的夏天，那时候我刚上完大一，来美国参加一个学校的志愿服务活动，学校在佛罗里达州迈阿密边上的一座小镇好莱坞，我在那里待了大约一个月。我们在学校里教小孩子中文，给篮球架喷漆，整理图书馆，也给学校里的一些老师做了采访，这些都让我至今印象深刻。在志愿活动之外，我和同行的同学也去了奥兰多、纽约和拉斯维加斯。有趣的是，那艘前往自由女神像小岛的轮船没有变，我找到了六年前我蹲着玩iPad的那个吧台角落，感觉很奇妙。这一次，我登上了小岛，对着这座巨大的雕像仔仔细细、里里外外看了好久，某种力量驱使着我补回六年前的那一次大意。
The second time was in the summer of 2019, when I had just finished my freshman year and came to the US to do volunteer work at a school in Hollywood, a small town near Miami, Florida, where I stayed for about a month. We taught Chinese to children at school, painted the basketball hoop, organized the library, and did interviews with some teachers in the school, all of which have left a deep impression on me until this day. In addition to volunteering, my friends and I also went to Orlando, New York and Las Vegas. The funniest thing is that the ship to the island of the Statue of Liberty hasn't changed. I found the corner of the bar where I was squatting and playing with my iPad 6 years ago, and it was amazing. This time, I had a walk on the island and looked at this huge statue carefully, inside and out for a long time. Some force drove me to make up for the carelessness I made 6 years ago.
在纽约我们错过了回佛罗里达的航班，前前后后呆了差不多五天。我们逛遍了曼哈顿所有的球鞋店铺，路过了纽约市政厅、时报广场、华尔街铜牛，登上了帝国大厦、洛克菲勒中心和无畏号航空母舰，去了哈德逊广场看了vessel雕塑，去了曼哈顿上城的洛克公园，走上了布鲁克林大桥，去了麦迪逊广场花园和巴克莱中心，去了大都会博物馆、自然历史博物馆、古根汉姆博物馆等一堆博物馆，也进入了联合国大楼。纽约给我的印象非常深刻，当时的经历到现在虽然已经三年了，但我完全依靠记忆就列举出了上述所有的地点。同行的同学和我说，他觉得在纽约可以看到任何想看的东西，做任何想做的事。我虽然觉得有些夸张，但纽约就是一座罗万象的真正意义上的大城市。从某种意义上来说，我认为纽约的城市布局和发展深刻影响了“现代城市”这个概念。
In New York we missed our flight back to Florida and stayed for almost five days there. We visited all the sneaker shops in Manhattan, passed by New York City Hall, Times Square, Wall Street Bull, boarded the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center and the USS Intrepid, went to Hudson Yards to see the Vessel sculpture, went to the Rucker Park, walked on the Brooklyn Bridge, went to Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center, went to the Metropolitan Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Guggenheim Museum and a bunch of other museums, and also entered the UN Building. New York is very impressive to me, and it's been 3 years since my experience at the time, but I've listed all of the above locations purely from memory. My friend told me that he felt that he could see whatever he wanted and do whatever he wanted in New York. Although I think it is a little bit exaggerated, New York is a big city in the true sense of Vientiane. In a sense, I think the urban layout and development of New York has profoundly influenced the concept of the "modern city".
在奥兰多，我们去了心心念念的环球影城，其实基本的游乐项目和加州好莱坞以及新加坡大差不差，但我还是非常喜欢这个游乐园，尤其是其中的变形金刚。将影视作品、电视节目和游乐项目融合在一起，有一种独特的风味。
In Orlando, we went to Universal Studios, which we were thinking of. In fact, the basic rides are similar to Hollywood in California and Singapore, but I still like this amusement park very much, especially the Transformers in it. The fusion of film and television works, TV shows and rides has a unique flavor.
最后说说拉斯维加斯。当时我们已经去了纽约和奥兰多，因此我们还想规划一趟西海岸的行程。最初的目的地就是洛杉矶，但我们后来又特别想去大峡谷，因此改道内华达州的拉斯维加斯，我们也因此体会了一段更有趣的经历。我们刚到赌城，就开始了为期24小时的自助餐之旅——当时只需要购买一个通行证手环，就可以在24小时内任意进出多家赌场酒店的自助餐厅。虽然不记得吃了什么，但我记得我戴着手环睡觉的那个晚上。随后我们就前往了壮丽的大峡谷，路过了66号公路，坐直升机飞过蜿蜒的科罗拉多河，这一切都是我人生的第一次经历，也是第一次感受到大自然的造化。
Last but not least, Las Vegas. We had already been to New York and Orlando at the time, so we also wanted to plan a trip to the West Coast. The original destination was Los Angeles, but we had a particular desire to go to the Grand Canyon, so we diverted to Las Vegas, Nevada, and we had an even more interesting experience. As soon as we arrived in the casino, we started a 24-hour buffet tour at that time, we only needed to buy a pass bracelet, and we could enter and leave the cafeterias of many casino hotels within 24 hours. While I can't remember what I ate, I remember the night I slept with the bracelet on. Then we went to the magnificent Grand Canyon, passed Route 66, and flew over the winding Colorado River in a helicopter.
写到这里，不知不觉发现这次美国之行的文字已经很多了。这也正说明此行给我带来的影响之大。或许是这一次美国之行，让我慢慢在潜意识里有了想要到美国读书的想法。我对这个国家依旧怀有一定的期待。
Writing here, I unknowingly found that this trip to the US has already written a lot. This also shows that this trip has had a great impact on me. Perhaps it was this trip to the United States that I gradually subconsciously had the idea of wanting to study in the US. I still have certain expectations for this country.
以上就是我的前两次美国之行。一次俩周，一次一个月。说长不长，说短不短。与这两次不同的是，我的第三次美国之行，也就是现在，则大为不同。我已经不再是一个游览者、体验者的身份了，而是一个需要不断融入这个社会的参与者了。
These are my first two trips to the US. Two weeks at a time, a month at a time. It's not long, it's not short. Unlike these two times, my third trip to America, now, is very different. I am no longer a tourist or an experiencer, but a participant who needs to constantly integrate into this society.
巧合的是，我三次到美国都是从洛杉矶机场入境的，但我却不曾真正踏入过这座城市一步，要么是入境后直接转机，要么就是搭车去往别处。我不知道未来是不是有机会逛一逛这座城市。至少目前，我怀有一定的期待，毕竟这是我从小最早知道名字的一座美国城市。
Coincidentally, all three of my trips to the US came from Los Angeles Airport, but I never really stepped into the city, either by connecting directly after entering the country, or by taking a car to go elsewhere. I don't know if there will be a chance to visit the city in the future. At least for now, I have certain expectations, after all, this is the first American city I have known the name of since I was a child.
话说回来，在刚刚过去的2022年8月31日，我从洛杉矶入境，抵达了加州圣地亚哥的拉霍亚，一片宁静的海边社区。一个NBA球员的第一个赛季被称为“菜鸟”或者“新手”赛季，而相较于大多数已经旅居或者侨居美国多年的华人，我同样处于这一阶段，一切对我来说都是全新的。我进入了一座全新的图书管学习，住进了全新的宿舍，在超市看着玲琅满目却又毫不认识的瓶瓶罐罐无从下手。好在一周半的时间过去，基本都已安定，我渐渐喜欢上了烟熏培根和牛排，也习惯了价格昂贵的中国蔬菜和中国调料，生活回到了正轨。相比于生活层面，融入更加体现在人的意识层面，包括学习的方式、交流的方式甚至路上开车的方式。
Having said that, on the past August 31, 2022, I entered from Los Angeles and arrived in La Jolla, a quiet community in San Diego, California. The first season of an NBA player is called the "rookie" or "novice" season, and compared to most Chinese who have lived or lived in the United States for many years, I am also at this stage, everything is brand new to me of. I entered a brand new library to study, and lived in a brand new dormitory. I couldn't start looking at the dazzling but unknown bottles in the supermarket. Fortunately, after a week and a half, I have basically settled down. I gradually liked the smoked bacon and steak, and got used to the expensive Chinese vegetables and Chinese seasonings. Life is back on track. Compared with the level of life, integration is more reflected in the level of human consciousness, including the way of learning, the way of communication and even the way of driving on the road.
在国内的时候，我不知道每个人心里的实际想法怎么样，但是在各种场合，美国必须以一个不太友好的敌人形象出现，而美国人民也总是因为一切奇奇怪怪的原因，而不得不生活在水生火热之中。我或许不能在这篇文章里讨论政治或者什么历史问题，但我本人确实更偏向于西方的社会形态。我现在还没有完整的逻辑来论述这个事情，但我的直觉让我有了这样的选择。
When I was at home, I don't know what was actually going on in everyone's mind, but on various occasions, the US had to appear as a less friendly enemy, and the American people always, for all strange reasons, were Had to live in the hot water. I may not be able to discuss politics or any historical issues in this article, but I do prefer Western social formations. I don't have the complete logic to go into this right now, but my intuition led me to this choice.
美国确实有很多我无法适应的地方，例如中低端的流水线商品非常贵，大到桌椅板凳，小到锅碗瓢盆，几乎都是三四倍于中国的价格，而这些又恰恰都是中国生产的东西。美国涉及人工的东西也都很贵，比如开锁、理发或者高级餐厅的小费。但反过来说，美国的高端流水线制造产品又非常便宜，比如高端的汽车和电子产品，尤其是汽车，因为比中国少了大量的关税。所以对于一个土生土长的美国人来说，一家人出去下馆子大概是100美元，买辆类似宝马3系的中端车大概是30000美元，这之间的比例是1:300；而对于一个土生土长的中国人来说，一家人出去下馆子大概是300人民币，而买一辆同样的3系可能需要30多万人民币，这之间的比例就是1:1000。这个比例从很大程度上可以说明条件类似的美国家庭更容易接触到3系这辆车，他们需要付出的努力更少。如果用更低端的商品和更高端的车进行比对，这个比例会差距更大。
There are indeed many things in the US that I cannot adapt to. For example, the low-end assembly line products are very expensive, ranging from tables, chairs and stools to small pots and pans, almost three or four times the price of China, and these are all made in China. Here things involving labor are also very expensive, such as lockpicking, haircuts, or tips at fancy restaurants. But on the other hand, high-end assembly line manufacturing products in the United States are very cheap, such as high-end automobiles and electronic products, especially automobiles, because there are a lot less tariffs than China. So for a native American, a family outing is about $100, and a mid-range car like a BMW 3 Series is about $30,000, and the ratio is 1:300; For Chinese people, it is about 300 yuan for a family to go out to a restaurant, while buying the same 3 series may cost more than 300,000 yuan, and the ratio between them is 1:1000. This ratio goes a long way to explaining that similar American households have more access to the 3 Series and require less effort. If you compare lower-end products with higher-end cars, the difference will be even greater.
我作为一个买不起车的人，我会觉得美国消费非常高，因为我买得的东西，全都比中国贵好几倍。但如果我是一个买得起车的人，我可能反而会觉得美国的生活成本更低。这也是我想要尝试在美国生活的原因。
As a person who can't afford a car, I would feel that the consumption in the US is very high, because everything I can buy is several times more expensive than China. But if I were someone who could afford a car, I might instead feel that the cost of living in America is lower. That's why I want to try living in America.
至于为什么会有这样的现象，我认为一是美国抓住了属于自己的高端行业，主持供应链和人才透明，不断突出人本身在生产中的作用，不管是设计还是制造还是服务。这么一来，越来越多的人愿意投身利润更大的高端产业，因此美国将低端产业转移至中国等地。二来是中国正好相反，不愿意或者没法突出人在生产中的作用。不管是流水线还是快递外卖服务业，人力成本不断压缩，压缩到最后的商品价格几乎只有原材料加工成本，人工成本占比很低很低。大企业面对可能的发展机遇，往往选择求稳，选择垄断，而不是前进。这么一来，中国人习惯了低廉的商品，习惯了低廉的人力服务，也不得不接受无比昂贵的进口高端产品。这不是一个发达社会应该具有的形态，至少一个发达社会应该尊重每一个人，尊重每一个声音。
As for why there is such a phenomenon, I think one is that the US has seized its own high-end industries, presided over the transparency of supply chains and talents, and constantly highlighted the role of people themselves in production, whether it is design, manufacturing or service. As a result, more and more people are willing to join the more profitable high-end industries, so the US has transferred low-end industries to China and other places. Second, China is just the opposite, unwilling or unable to highlight the role of people in production. Whether it is an assembly line or an express delivery service industry, labor costs are continuously compressed, and the final commodity price is almost only the raw material processing cost, and the labor cost is very low. Faced with possible development opportunities, large enterprises often choose to seek stability and monopoly rather than advance. As a result, the Chinese are accustomed to low-cost commodities and low-cost human services, and have to accept extremely expensive imported high-end products. This is not what a developed society should have. At least a developed society should respect everyone and every voice.
再说说另一个事，上周末我在海滩路边打车，是一个很小的三岔路口。每条岔路的车子也都很多。很很神奇的是，虽然每一条路都堵满了车，但三岔路中间却很干净。每一辆车通过路口之前都会先刹车，然后和对面路口的司机比划一下，确认后再走。基本都是转弯让直行。所以路口虽然很堵，但每一辆车都在动，没有堵死。路口没有交警，一切都是默认的公共秩序。作为一个刚拿到驾照的人，我在国内就已经经历了好几次在路口被塞住的情况了。欲速不达的道理是中国人提出来的，但在做的却是美国人。
Another thing, last weekend I took a taxi by the beach road, which was a small fork in the road. There are many cars on each road. It's amazing that although every road is jammed with cars, the middle of the three-way road is very clean. Each car will brake before passing the intersection, and then make a gesture with the driver at the opposite intersection, and then go after confirming. Basically it's a turn to go straight. Therefore, although the intersection is very blocked, every vehicle is moving and not blocked. There are no traffic police at the intersection, and everything is the default public order. As a person who just got a driver's license, I have experienced several times of being blocked at intersections in China. The principle of haste can't be rushed is proposed by the Chinese, but it is the Americans who are doing it.
最后说说最重要的，也就是在美国的学习。专业的学习肯定是最主要的，我计划看一些当地的专业课课本，增强基础知识。同时，在这一年内，我也希望做好一个未来的决定，决定是否继续读书，或是回国工作。从某种意义上来说，学习也是为了赚钱，做一个更有价值的劳动者。
Finally, the most important thing is to study in the US. Professional study is definitely the most important. I plan to read some local professional textbooks to enhance basic knowledge. At the same time, within this year, I also hope to make a future decision, whether to continue studying or return to work in China. In a sense, learning is also to make money and be a more valuable worker.
我有时候也在想，网上那么多的数据库，那么多的论文，国内也能看，那么多的外国网课，国内也能上，为什么要出来呢？我还没有找到能够足够说服自己的答案，但我预感这会是我在第一学期结束后圣诞假期所撰写的那那篇文章的出发点。
Sometimes I also think, there are so many online databases and so many papers that can be read in China, and so many foreign online courses can also be taken in China, so why I come out? I haven't found a convincing enough answer yet, but I have a hunch that this will be the starting point for the article I wrote over the Christmas break after my first semester.
暂时就这么多。希望未来一切顺利。
So much for this, and I hope everything goes well in the future.
备注：翻译成英语太麻烦，因此我使用了谷歌翻译，并适当进行了修改。
Note: Translating into English was too much trouble, so I used Google Translate and modified it appropriately. (This sentence is also translated by Google)
另：本文转自微信公众号ITSBY_WARPLANE，为2022年9月12日的推文，并作为此博客的第一篇博文，本文只转载了文字内容，并无图片。同时，公众号ITSBY_WARPLANE不再更新。未来的博文可能会穿插相应图片以起到说明作用。