又中又英｜Learning curve

Newcomers to Taiwan will quickly realize they face a steep learning curve that they must deal with. I went through this learning curve when I lived in Taipei for about six months. A learning curve is a process where people learn from their mistakes. A steep learning curve means they must learn very quickly. Taiwan is a developed place with excellent health care, transport, internet, restaurants, night markets, and parks. It is a comfortable and affordable place to live. But I still experienced culture shock when I went to Taipei for an extended stay in October 2022.

Culture shock is a feeling of confusion and uncertainty by suddenly being in an unfamiliar place where things are done differently from what you are used to. My culture shock was seeing hundreds of noisy scooters driven by reckless drivers. Reckless drivers are people who drive dangerously. Taipei's roads are full of speeding scooters. Some have three or four people on each scooter, including small children sitting between parents. I had culture shock because it's so dangerous. My learning curve was to stand further away from the speeding scooters while waiting for a green light to cross.

Taiwan, like the US, allows drivers to make a right turn on a red light if no pedestrians are crossing. But many drivers turn right even when pedestrians are crossing during a green light. Many Taiwan restaurants allow customers only 90 minutes for meals. This is difficult when some friends you invite arrive late. When I go with friends to restaurants, we like to chat while slowly enjoying our food and wine. People go to restaurants for a good time, not to rush.

初到台湾的人很快便会意识到，自己正面对一个陡峭的学习曲綫（steep learning curve），是他们必须要应付的。我住在台北大概有六个月，就经历了这么一条学习曲綫（learning curve）。A learning curve就是人们从错误中学习的一个过程；a steep learning curve就是指他们必须在短期内快速地学懂。台湾是个已发展的地方，有一流的医疗、交通、网络、餐厅、夜市以及公园，是个居住舒适亦负担得起的地方。然而，我在二零二二年十月到台北逗留长一点的时间，还是经历了culture shock 。

Culture shock是文化冲击，就是突然置身于一个陌生的地方，做法跟你惯常的那套截然不同，因而感到困惑和不确定。我的文化冲击（culture shock）就是见到数以百计莽撞的司机（reckless drivers）驾驶着嘈吵的机车。Reckless drivers就是鲁莽、危险驾驶的司机。台北的路满是高速的机车，一些会一辆车载乘三或四个人，包括坐在家长中间的幼小孩童。那实在太危险了，这让我感受到了文化冲击（culture shock）。我的学习曲綫（learning curve）就是在等待绿灯过马路时，离那些高速的机车站得远远的。

台湾跟美国一样，如果没有行人横过马路，司机在红灯时可以右转。然而，即使行人在绿灯时过马路，却仍有许多司机右转。许多台湾餐厅只给予顾客九十分钟的用餐时间。但当你约的一些朋友迟了到来的话，这就很困难了。当我约朋友们去餐厅时，我们喜欢一边倾谈，一边慢慢地享受佳肴美酒。人们去餐厅是要度过美好的时光，而不是去赶时间。

 
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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻