【文章一】

“No, no, no! I’m not buying Smith’s Potato Chips this week. They’re not on sale, $3.00 for one bag this week. Crazy.”

“不，不，不!”我这周不买史密斯薯片了。这周不打折，3美元一袋，真是疯了。”

So says my mum every time I finish the snacks when I lived at home and want more. She hardly buys toilet paper, detergent, chocolate and other necessary household items unless they are on sale. You can call her thrifty. Frugal. Stingy. A penny-pincher.

每次我在家里吃完零食还想吃的时候，我妈妈都会这么说。除非打折，否则她几乎不买卫生纸、洗涤剂、巧克力和其他必要的家居用品。你可以说她节俭、吝啬、小气，是一个守财奴。

I used to laugh at my mum counting her coins when she came home from buying groceries, making sure no cashiers had shortchanged her and that she didn’t drop a single cent on the way back. I laughed and clapped my hands like a seal until one day when I was in between jobs, I needed money. I realised then my parents and many Asian generations before me work hard for their money and save for a number of reasons.

我过去常常嘲笑我妈妈买完杂货回家后数着硬币，确保收银员没有少找她钱，而且在回家的路上她也没有掉一分钱。我大笑着，像海豹一样拍手，直到有一天，当我没有工作却需要钱的时候，那时我才意识到，我的父母和我之前遇到的许多亚洲人都是为了赚钱而努力在工作，出于各种原因在存钱。

When my family and I lived in Malaysia, I remembered my white-collar worker dad always worked on Saturdays. Very rarely did we dine out at eateries where the tables had fancy tablecloths and the walls artsy decor; we usually ate at home. When we went shopping and I picked out a shirt that was not on sale, my mum would go, “So expensive!” and dragged me by the hand to the bargain section.

当我和家人住在马来西亚时，我记得我的白领爸爸总是在周六还在努力工作。我们很少到外面的餐馆吃饭，即便那里的桌子铺着华丽的桌布，墙壁装饰得很有艺术气息；我们通常在家吃饭。当我们去购物时，我挑了一件不打折的衬衫，我妈妈会说:“太贵了!“然后拉着我的手，把我拖到特价商品区。

Up until today, hardships are commonly faced by many in developing parts of Asia such as India, China and the Philippines. Although there are CBDs, high rise buildings and the latest technologies in these regions, truth be told, life is financially and socially difficult here – the cost of living is usually at a moderate or high level, corruption and bribery are often rife. Those living away from these areas tend to have it difficult too. In isolated towns, people frequently make a living working in sweatshops, are paid single figures by the hour, live in non-air conditioned cramped shop houses and struggle to prepare a full dinner most evenings.

直到今天，印度、中国和菲律宾等亚洲发展中国家的许多人仍然普遍面临着生活困难。虽然这些国家也有中央商务区、高楼大厦和最新的科技，但说实话，这里的生活在经济层面和社会层面上都很困难——生活成本通常处于中等或较高的水平，腐败和贿赂盛行。那些在偏远地区的人也会遇到困难。在偏远的城镇，人们经常在血汗工厂打工谋生，拿着每小时个位数的工资，住在没有空调的狭窄的挂壁房里，大多数时候都难以拥有一顿丰盛的晚餐。

People here, and even Asians living in certain suburbs in the Western world, want a better quality of life, especially for their kids. Saving allows them to dream for better basic necessities or permanent moves overseas that will almost guarantee more financially and socially stable livelihoods. When they do manage to live a more cushy lifestyle, like my parents, they remember the hardships that they faced and reckon it pays to save and so continue to save.

这里的人，甚至是生活在西方国家某些郊区的亚洲人，都想要得到更好的生活质量，尤其是为了他们的孩子。存钱能使他们得到更好的基本必需品，或者永久移居海外，这样就几乎可以保证更稳定的经济和社会生活。当他们过上了更轻松的生活时，他们就会像我的父母一样想起他们以前所面临的困难，并认为存钱是值得的，因此就会继续存钱。

Another reason why Asians are tight with their money can be put down to the fact that many Asians are insistent on “having face”, to show-off to family and relatives. Many Asians hold the mentality that owning pricey goods and living lavish lifestyles are prestigious and admirable. So perhaps they save and save to afford luxurious items and show them off like they are kings of the world.

亚洲人节俭的另一个原因可以归结为这样一个事实，即许多亚洲人坚持“有面子”，可以向家人和亲戚炫耀。许多亚洲人认为拥有昂贵的商品和奢侈的生活方式是值得羡慕和钦佩的。所以也许他们存钱是为了买得起奢侈品，然后像世界之王一样到处炫耀。

Investing hard earned dough on stocks, shares and properties is very popular among many Asians all over the world. That’s yet another feasible reason why they skimp on spending. They simply can’t spend much – their earnings are stashed away for investment purposes.

把辛苦赚来的钱投资于股票、期货和房地产，在世界各地的亚洲人中非常流行。这是他们节省开支的另一个可能的原因。他们根本不能花太多钱——因为他们的收入都被用于了各项投资。

Of course, sometimes such investments bring about good returns. Sometimes extremely good returns that tempt one to buy lots of fancy things and appear well-to-do.

当然，有时这样的投资也会带来不错的回报。有时极其丰厚的回报会诱使一个人买很多漂亮的东西，让自己看起来很富有。

There is the possibility that some Asians, especially the younger generation, seem well-off and rich not because they strategically manage their money well, but because they like to spend. It has been suggested that this demographic sees being cheap as rather distasteful and so spend lavishly. However, this may or may not be the case with all of them. Research has shown some Chinese students feel “guilty about using future money” and retain the frugal attitudes of their parents and grandparents.

一些亚洲人，尤其是年轻一代，看起来很富有，不是因为他们善于理财，而是因为他们喜欢花钱。有人认为，这部分人对便宜的东西相当反感，因此出手阔绰。然而，这可能是也可能不是他们所有人的情况。研究表明，一些中国学生“对透支感到内疚”，并继承了父母和祖父母的节俭主义理念。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


My parents’ stinginess has rubbed off on me. Before buying something, I always wait a few days to see if I really want or need it. Sometimes I order the cheapest item on the menu just because, well, it saves me money. The cheapest dish on offer can be just as filling as the most expensive one.

我父母的节俭影响了我。在买东西之前，我总是会等几天看看我是否真的想要或需要它。有时我会点菜单上最便宜的菜，只是因为这样能省钱。最便宜的菜和最贵的菜一样都能填饱肚子。

I guess it’s because I like having plans and being prepared if I have no source of income flowing into my pockets. In the instance I suddenly find myself trudging through a rainy day, it would be nice to have savings to fall back on. It only makes the sun shine brighter on these days.

我想这是因为我喜欢制定计划，以防我会突然失去收入来源。当我突然发现自己正在下雨天艰难跋涉时，有存款可以依靠就太好了。这会让这些天的阳光变得更明媚。

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【文章二】

When we think of summer, we think of sun. The beach. Blue skies. Cool drinks. Our swim suit coming off as we swim in the strong yet warm ocean waters.

当我们想到夏天，我们会想到的是阳光、海滩、蓝色的天空、清凉的饮料，穿着泳衣在温暖的海水中游泳。

Summer’s my favourite time of the year in Melbourne – December through to February – for many reasons. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way.

从12月延续到2月的夏天是我在墨尔本最喜欢的时节，原因有很多，而且我相信我不是唯一一个有这种感觉的人。

We feel so much more productive, so much more eager about getting up during summer in Melbourne – there’s something about warmth that can be so inviting.

在墨尔本的夏天，我们会觉得自己的工作效率更高，也更渴望起床——温暖是一种如此诱人的东西。

We feel alive, full of energy when it’s summer in Melbourne. Flowers blooming on city sidewalks. The cricket and the Australian Open Tennis on. Outdoor orchestra concerts. So much to see and do.

在墨尔本的夏天，我们总是感到充满活力，精神抖擞。城市的人行道上鲜花盛开，板球赛和澳大利亚网球公开赛正在如火如荼地进行着，还有户外的管弦音乐会，有那么多可以看的和做的。

And so we get to go places in Melbourne when it’s warm, places so easy to get to by foot or public transport. Going out, we discover people and places, and have fun and exciting times. Be at one with everything and everyone. And we can get away without taking an umbrella with us most summer days – 4-seasons in one day doesn’t usually happen this season, more so in autumn and spring. We get the chance to have some peace come summer

所以当墨尔本天气变暖的时候，我们会去一些很容易步行或乘坐公共交通到达的地方。走出去，发现新的人和地方，享受欢乐的时光，与所有的人和事物融为一体。。而且在夏天的大多数时间我们都可以不带伞外出——这在一年四季中的其它季节并不常见，在秋天和春天更是如此。到了夏天，我们总是会在内心中感受到更多的平静。

Then again, not all Asians like summer, fearing the hot summer sun. My Chinese-Malaysian mum has never been to Melbourne’s beaches in summer, afraid of getting tanned and turning “all dark and ugly”. And she hates hot air on her skin.

不过，并不是所有的亚洲人都喜欢夏天，有的亚洲人害怕炎热的夏日阳光。我的华裔马来西亚妈妈从来没有在夏天去过墨尔本的海滩，她害怕被晒黑，变得“又黑又丑”，她也讨厌热空气吹在皮肤上。

Some Asians spend most of their lives in hot, humid parts of Asia, and maybe, naturally summer in the western world doesn’t feel nice at all to them. Plus, when the weather heats up in Melbourne, some of us get red Asian cheeks when we usually don’t. Happens to me. Some think it’s cute, but a lot of the time red cheeks are annoyingly painful.

一些亚洲人一生中大部分时间都生活在炎热潮湿的亚洲地区，也许西方世界的夏天对他们来说一点也不舒服。此外，当墨尔本的天气变热时，我们中的一些人的亚洲人的脸颊会变红，不过这通常不会发生在我身上。有些人认为这会显得很可爱，但很多时候，脸颊发红是令人烦恼的痛苦。

There are flies everywhere come summer in Melbourne, flies that seem to be a bother to Asians. Countless times summer flies have flown around my face. Countless times I’ve seen flies annoyingly flying around me and my Asian friends but not my Caucasian friends standing an arm’s length away from us. Maybe sometimes five-spice sauce sticks on our lips after we eat Asian, sauce that flies probably like.

而到了夏天，墨尔本到处都是苍蝇，苍蝇似乎是亚洲人很讨厌的东西。苍蝇无数次的在我脸旁飞来飞去。我无数次看到苍蝇烦人地在我和我的亚洲朋友周围飞来飞去，但我的白人朋友却站在离我们还没有一臂远的地方安然无恙。我猜也许有时候我们吃完亚洲菜后嘴唇上会沾上五香酱，苍蝇可能是喜欢这种酱的气味。