本文作者与姚明蜡像合影

日前，中国日报网刊载了在我校best365官网登录入口进行短期讲学的美国教授的逸闻趣事。全文如下：

So far, so bad...and that's good
犯错，收获，还不错！

written by Uri Toch / translated by Rachel Liu
尤里·托克【美】 / 刘瑞卿 译

As much as positive experiences are beneficial, I found that many of my most enduring experiences came through miscues. There is nothing as healthy as a good old-fashioned mistake to help sear experiences into your brain (and heart).

凡事顺利当然好，而我的收获却大多数来自犯错。犯个有趣的经典错误，学到的东西就会深深烙印在脑海里（也烙在心里），这种方式还真不错。

I knew that my first trip to China (for three weeks) would be enlightening and educational. I was fairly well prepared, having talked to friends and colleagues that had made the trip and I also did some reading on the politics and history of China. I knew about the "paper" shortage and avoiding street food and tap water. I also knew that probiotics might make my intestines operate at a higher capacity. Most of all I was prepared to meet wonderful people. All this preparation, of course, was designed to make things go as smoothly as possible.

这是我第一次来中国（为期三周），我知道此行必定受益匪浅。临行前我还是做了不少功课的：和促成此行的好友兼同事们聊了很多，也读了一些和中国历史与政治相关的东西。我了解到了中国“纸贵”，也决定尽量不吃路边摊，不喝自来水。当然，我的肚子也已做好迎接各种美餐的准备咯！最让我期待的，是遇到各种各样的人。做了这些功课，我满心以为一切都会非常顺利的。

On our first night in Xi'an, we were hosted for a nice meal. I was the first person in the room and looked at the round table for a place to sit. My eyes spied a nice chair with a tall napkin in the glass in front of the plate. I thought that that place looked inviting, so I went to sit down. I was then informed that the plate with the tall napkin signifies the seat of the person of honor, or more correctly, the seat of the person who is going to pay for the meal. I hastily moved my seat to a setting with a flat napkin!

来到西安的第一晚，我们就受邀享用美餐。我第一个走进餐厅，里面有一张圆桌，我立马注意到一个座位前的杯子里叠放着一张高高的餐巾。嗯，这个座位不错，我想了想就径直坐了下去。后来有人告诉我，这样的座位是给尊者或长者坐的，更确切地说，是给打算买单的人坐的。于是我赶紧起身找了一个餐巾平放着的座位！

Later at that same meal, the person hosting the meal offered a toast. I, of course, happily matched our wine glasses together. I was then informed by a colleague that I should have lowered my wine glass as a sign of respect, something I would have happily done.

过了一会儿，主人举杯敬酒，我呢，乐呵呵地和他豪爽碰杯。后来一个同事告诉我，为了表示尊敬，碰杯时自己的酒杯应该放低一点。早知道的话，我肯定乐意这么做的。

While in Xi'an, I had the pleasure of going shopping in the Muslim quarter. One of the things I needed was a light hat. Of course, the stalls have all sorts of merchandise and my eyes alighted on a soft, cashmere-like hat, green in color. The hat had large ear flaps and so did a great job of calling attention to itself and whoever was wearing it. The hat was comfortable (and well-priced after careful negotiations), what else could an intrepid traveler want?

后来，我们来到了西安有名的回坊街，这里商铺林立，应有尽有。刚好我想买个轻便的帽子，眼前一亮，就看到一顶非常柔软的仿羊绒帽子，翠绿翠绿的。上面还有两个大大的护耳廓，谁看了都会为它停住脚步。帽子很舒服，价格也公道，还有什么能让一个无畏的旅者更心动呢？

I proudly wore my green hat through the stalls poising to have my picture taken with some of my colleagues, including some female colleagues. Later that afternoon, we hooked up with some of our other Chinese colleagues and one of them took me aside and told me the story of how wearing a green hat is a sign that a spouse (or girlfriend) is cheating on you and to wear one is to be a bit of a dim idiot! I immediately took off the hat but I rather sheepishly asked what I should do with the photographs that I was planning on showing to my wife of 25 years!

我买了这顶绿帽子，得意地戴上它，得意地和同事合影—包括几个女同事。到了下午，我们和几个中国同事会面，其中一个悄悄把我拉到一边，告诉了我“绿帽子”的故事。原来，在中国，“绿帽子”意味着老婆或女友背地里偷腥，而戴绿帽子的男人就是个大傻帽！我听了赶紧把帽子摘下来，但还是弱弱地问他该怎么处置那些照片，它们本来是要给我结婚25年的妻子看的呀！

We were also looking to purchase some flags so we made our way to the area that sold flags. Having been tutored in the subtle art of negotiation, we knew that the stated price was only the starting point for negotiations. We found some flags we were interested in and asked how much they were. The vendor replied that the flags were 300 Yuan. Without missing a beat, we countered with an offer of 250 Yuan. The vendor gave us a quizzical look and quickly lowered the price to 240. Such a deal, we thought! It was only later that we learned the 250 rule. If someone bids 250 or brings it up in conversation that is a sign of disrespect of calling the other person stupid.

然后我们挤到卖国旗的一些摊位前，打算买些国旗。来之前就有人教授了我们“讲价”的艺术，我们学到，商家的要价只不过是砍价的起点。选好了需要的国旗，我们问老板多少钱，老板管我们要300元，我们赶紧还价250元。老板意味深长地看了我们一眼说：240吧！我们当时想，哇，还有这样的老板，真划算。后来，我们才知道250这个数字的含义。原来，在中国，谈话中提及“二百五”是对人不尊重的表现，相当于说人家是傻瓜呢！

Finally, I gave a shirt to a colleague because it had the name of my American college on it and I thought he would enjoy wearing it after we left. He looked pleased and asked me how I knew his size and if the shirt was new. Both of my responses would have been uncomfortable for both of us, so I asked how someone in China would respond in such situations. He responded "I would just laugh." So, that is what I did!

最后，我送给一位中国同事一件印有我们学校名字的T恤，想着我们离开后他说不定会穿穿。他特别高兴，问我怎么知道他穿衣服的尺寸，还有这件T恤是不是新的。结果呢，我俩的反应都有点尴尬。于是我问他，要是中国人会怎么回答。他说，傻傻笑吧！于是我也就傻傻地笑了！

All cultures have the tradition of people overcoming intellectual adversary and triumphing (think of the Chelm stories in the Yiddish tradition, for example). I am sure there is a Chinese equivalence where folly or at least fearlessness in the intellectual realm is rewarded. This is the China I am preparing to meet. I look forward to many more miscues in my romps through China, a country rich in symbolism and word plays.

我想，不论是哪种文化中，人们都有克服理解障碍后有所收获的传统（比如说犹太文化中切尔姆的故事）。我想中国文化中也一定有这样的传统，讲述着鲁莽无畏的文化探路者取得收获的故事。当然，我也期待着自己犯更多的“错误”，在这个充满文字游戏和多重文化意义的国家学到更多。这才是我所期待的中国。

The author is an associated professor of College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois.

本文作者系美国伊利诺伊州，格雷斯莱克，湖郡学院副教授。

链接：http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/mychinastory/2012-03/14/content_14830859.htm