喝开水成哲学家？中国这些独特习惯，引发外国网友热议

在《左传.襄公十四年》中，姜戎国首领驹支被晋国将领范宣子传讯审问时曾说：

我诸戎饮食衣服不与华同，贽币不通，语言不达。

毫无疑问，姜戎首领驹支的短短19字，基本概括古典中华文明与周边所客观存在的各种差异！

当然，作为四大文明古国仅存，不仅仅是在古代，即使在今天，受中华文明所深远影响的中国人民，依旧从衣食住行乃至思维方式上保持着方方面面的“独特”。

哪些习惯是中国人所特有的？

所谓当局者迷旁观者清，要认识中国的“独特”，我们不妨看看外国人眼中的中国。

1、Paul Denlinger

The ability to accept differences among peoples without trying to project their own Chinese values onto other peoples and cultures.

（中国人）能接受不同民族之间的差异，不会把中国人的价值观强加到到其他民族和其他文化上。

If other people like the Vietnamese, Koreans and Japanese adopt certain features of Chinese culture of their own volition, that is their business, but for the most part, the Chinese don’t force others to adopt Chinese values.

如果其他民族如越南人、韩国人和日本人自愿采用了中国文化中的特性，那是他们自己的事情，大多数情况下，中国人并不强迫别人接受中国的价值观。

In Chinese, it is called 求同存异 or “seek common ground while respecting the differences.”

在中国，这被称为“求同存异”。

In the United States or other countries, such as the UK, France or Saudi Arabia, where I have been, people generally have their own ideas. If they find out that you have other opinions in conversation, it usually means quarreling and breaking up unhappily!

而在美国或是其他，例如我去过的英国、法国或者沙特，哪里的人们一般都有自己坚持的想法，如果在交谈中被他们发现你拥有其他的意见，那么通常就意味着争吵和不欢而散！

2、John Koh

When I was 25, I had a trip to China. Because of this trip, I still lament that there is such a tolerant place in the world!

我25岁的时候去了中国。因为这次旅行，我仍然感叹世界上有这么一个宽容的地方！

Chinese,even down to the uneducated Chinese person , have an exceptional tolerance of religions other than their own. They are hard wired into thinking that other people’s religion is just like their skin or hair colour ! They will not think their Chinese skin or hair colours are superior or try to change other’s to theirs .

中国人，甚至连没受过教育的中国人，都对宗教有着超乎寻常的宽容。他们天生就认为其他人的宗教信仰就像他们的皮肤或头发一样！他们不会认为自己的中国肤色或发色优越，也不会试图改变别人的肤色或发色。

3、Manoj Namboodiri

Chinese people's eating habits are very interesting. They usually don't like all kinds of cans like us, such as canned fruits, canned vegetables, or canned meat. Their eating tradition thinks that fresh vegetables with dew are the best!

中国人的饮食习惯很有趣。他们通常不喜欢像我们这样的各种罐头，如水果罐头、蔬菜罐头或肉类罐头。他们的饮食传统认为带露水的新鲜蔬菜是最好的！

The tendency to eat a lot of green leafy vegetables at every meal – very lightly cooked . I see more leaves in a traditional Chinese meal than many other diets. Very healthy.

（中国人）每顿饭都吃大量绿色蔬菜，非常清淡。传统中餐比其他其他国家的食物能看到更多蔬菜。非常健康。

4、Jasmine tower

The Chinese has little worry about the negative sides of high technology. Therefore they are very positive to learn and adapt new technologies in their own lives, and enjoy it very much.

中国人很少想到高科技的消极一面。他们非常积极地在自己的生活中学习并适应新技术，且非常乐在其中。

The cutting edge technologies very often are not discovered by the Chinese, but the Chinese are always looking forward to be the first group for using them.

尖端技术通常不是中国人发明的，但中国人总希望成为第一个使用尖端技术的群体。

5、Tom McGregor

Ever since I arrived in Beijing, China in Oct. 2010, I’ve learned a very important lesson from the Chinese that has made me a much better man. By observing, working and living with them, I’ve gotten to be more patient.Many Chinese have developed a stoic personality, with a knack for enduring the hard times without complaint or letting others know they are suffering. They just keep carrying on despite challenges that confront them on a daily basis.

2010年10月，我来到北京，在中国经历了一个非常重要的历练。通过观察、和他们一起生活工作，我变得更有耐性了。很多中国人养成了坚韧的个性，善于忍耐艰苦的日子，从不抱怨。尽管每天都面临挑战，他们还是坚持不懈。

It’s amazing to witness it in action, while the reason appears to be on account of their resilience to remain patient and silently hopeful under all circumstances.The Chinese just wait, wait and wait until something better comes along and if not they continue waiting and bear it in silence. I’m from the USA and while growing up and coming of age in my native country, I was not patient, not expected to be so and nearly everyone else I knew was impatient by nature.

在任何情况下都能保持耐心，中国人只是一直等待，直到更好的出现，如果没有，那就继续等待，默默忍受。我来自美国，在成长过程中，我没有耐心，我认识的人也都天生没耐心。

6、Yuri Barron

Indeed, Chinese people are very patient. This kind of patience is even reflected in their drinking water. Almost all Chinese like boiling water very much. Whether it's tea or white water, they are very patient to wait for the water to reach the most palatable temperature. There is no doubt that it's torture for ordinary Americans!

确实，中国人非常有耐心，这种耐心甚至体现在他们的喝水上，中国人几乎都很喜欢滚烫的开水，不论是茶水还是白水，他们总是很有耐心的等待水到达最适口的温度，毫无疑问，对于普通的美国人而言这简直就是折磨！

When I just arrived in China, I still kept the American habit of drinking ice water, but on a sunny afternoon, I realized the charm of Chinese boiled water. In the process of waiting for the boiled water to cool, I realized the passage of time and the peace of life!

刚刚到达中国时，我依旧保持着美国式的喝冰水习惯，但是在一个阳光灿烂的午后，我体会到了中国开水的魅力，在等待开水变凉的过程中，我感悟到了时间的流逝和生命的宁静！

The whole world thinks that every Chinese is a born philosopher. I think it all started from waiting for boiled water to cool down.

全世界都认为每一个中国人都是天生的哲学家，我认为这一切，或许就是从等待开水变凉开始的。

7、Asia Nicks

Too much, really, man! I got my Ph.D. in Computer Science in Singapore and then worked full-time in China. Now, I have lived in China for more than two years. I'm sure there are many interesting facts about China.

太多了，真的，伙计！我在新加坡获得了计算机科学博士学位，然后到中国从事全职工作。现在，我已经在中国生活了两年多了。我确信关于中国有很多有趣的事实。

I love China. I love living in China. Here is a list of quick facts about China, in no particular order:

我爱中国。我喜欢住在中国。以下是一些关于中国的简短事实，排名不分先后:

A、Chinese language, Mandarin, is arguably the most difficult language to learn. According to a research by the US government, it requires 2200 class hours of studies to achieve a basic fluency in Mandarin. 700 hours for French and Spanish.There are over 50,000 characters in Chinese language, although a comprehensive modern dictionary will list only over 20, 000 in use.

A、汉语，普通话，可以说是最难学的语言。根据美国政府的一项研究，要达到普通话基本的流利程度，需要2200学时。而法语和西班牙语只需要700小时。汉语有5万多个汉字，而一本综合性的现代词典所使用的汉字只有2万多个。

B、It is also claimed that nearly 30/35 million Chinese still live in caves and enjoy it.

B、还有近3千万/3千5百万的中国人仍然生活在洞穴中，享受着洞穴的乐趣。（PS：窑洞）

C、世界上所有的熊猫都是从中国借来的，每年租金10万美元，全世界的熊猫，都属于中国！

D、Chinese daughters usually choose to cry when they get married, because they think that this can express their love for the original family. Hahaha, my colleagues pretend to cry when they get married, and then smile secretly!

D、中国人的女儿通常在结婚时选择哭，因为她们认为这样可以表达她们对原来家庭的爱。哈哈哈，我的同事结婚时假装哭，然后偷偷地笑！

8、Cristina

I am a Canadian. In 2009, I followed my husband to his hometown Chengdu. There, For the first time, I felt the cognitive gap between myself and my husband!

我是加拿大人。2009年，我跟随丈夫来到他的家乡成都。在那里，我第一次感觉到我和我丈夫之间的认知差距！

All by chance, when we were eating at home, the TV News reported that a drug dealer from Britain had been sentenced to death. There is no doubt that this news is shocking to me. You know, in Canada, I have never heard of drug trafficking!

一切都是这么偶然，当我们在家里用餐时，电视新闻中报道了一名来自英国的毒贩被判处死刑，毫无疑问，这个消息对于我来讲是震惊的，要知道在加拿大，我从未听说过贩毒该死！

However, my husband and his mother were indifferent to this shocking news. They told me that almost all Chinese people hate drugs. In China, whether the drug traffickers are Chinese or foreigners, more than 50g can be sentenced to death

但是，对于这个令我震惊的新闻，我的丈夫和他的母亲却表情淡定，他们告诉我，几乎所有中国人都憎恶毒品，而在中国，不论贩毒的是中国人还是外国人，超过50g就能判死刑。

My husband told me about the unfortunate history of modern China, and from his tone, I felt the most unique point of the Chinese people - they may be more concerned about the balance of national interests than the realization of personal values。

我丈夫为我讲述了近代中国的不幸历史，从他的语气中，我感受到中国人最独特的一点——他们可能更关心（自己与）国家利益的平衡，而不单单只是个人价值的实现。

At that moment, I seemed to understand why he gave up his research project in Canada and insisted on taking me back to China!

那一刻，我似乎明白了他为什么放弃在加拿大的研究项目，坚持要带我回中国！

毫不讳言，对于加拿大籍中国媳妇儿“ Cristina”因毒贩审判而得出的论断，老铁是表示支持的：

中国人可能更关心（自己与）国家利益的平衡，而不单单只是个人价值的实现。

而在老铁看来，正这短短几个字，隐藏着中华文明数千年绵延的核心秘诀！