中国留学生将文化包袱带入加国校园

 

以其稳定和包容著称的移民国家加拿大日益成为全球的国际教育圣地，也是国际学生的梦想之地。但在那些大量渴望到加国留学的国际学生中，只有那些财力雄厚者才能支付得起其高昂的教育费用。而来自中国的留学生有幸成为这些国际学生中的一大组成部分，他们的父母财大气粗，对子女宠爱有加，因此不惜重金送子女远渡重洋到加国求学。

Canada has increasingly become a global education destination as it enjoys a growing perception of a stable and immigrant friendly country. However, among a flood of international students cherishing a Canadian education dream, only those with strong financial resources can afford the highly expensive tuition costs. Tapping into their dotting parents’ deep pockets, students from China have made up a large portion of those who have gained coveted access to the Canadian education markets with a heavy price tag.  

自2000年来，中国赴加国留学人数激增，几年来留学生人数涨幅超过5倍之多。这些留学生在加国支付高昂的学费、住宿费和生活费，为加国经济注入了大量资金， 给加国经济作出了重要贡献。统计数据显示，2010年国际留学生为加国经济带来近$80亿元收益,其中37%收入来自中，韩两国的留学生。

Since 2000, China has seen a rapid surge in international students studying in Canada, with the population climbing by over 500 per cent over the years. Through tuitions, accommodation and lifestyle expenses, Chinese students have injected a large amount of money into the Canadian economy. According to stats, in 2010, international students spent close to $8 billion in Canada, with thirty-seven per cent of the revenues coming from China and South Korea only.  

的确，大笔的留学资金刺激了加国经济的增长，让政府财囊满满。因此，联邦自由党政府不遗余力地招揽中国留学生，称他们是加国的“宝贵财富”，“对加国经济发展意义重大”也就不足为奇了。 

Indeed, the bonanza of cash cows can spur the growth of Canadian economy and load hidden gems the government coffers. Unsurprisingly, the Liberal government has aggressively courted students from China, proclaiming they are the assets to the country and extremely valuable to Canada.

但是，这些留学生不仅带来了大笔财富，也带来了某些加国校园难以接受的文化包袱。一些媒体报道及轶事证据揭示了自东亚的加国学生现状之阴暗面。虽然佼佼者不在少数，但很多留学生跟不上课堂进度，学习成绩不佳。而难以跨越的语言和文化障碍令他们与校园文化相隔而自成一统，难以融入主流环境。

However, accompanying this massive capital flow is the foreign students’ cultural baggage that may not find its place in the merit based Canadian academic world. Media reports and anecdotal evidence paints a grim picture of this East Asian student demographic. While exceptions are abundant, many struggle in classrooms and fail to meet academic expectations.  Faced with language and cultural barriers, they form their own social enclaves and are reluctant to integrate themselves into the Canadian university.

虽说这些语言和文化障碍的确难以跨域，让人担忧的是，许多留学生不思上进，不图进取。并且，他们在重视学术表现的加国校园中大肆挥霍父母钱财而过度追求奢华的生活的现象，包括名牌傍身，身佩昂贵珠宝，出门豪车代步等，引起当地加国同僚们的鄙视和反感，而这些同僚中也包括那些来自华裔背景的当地学生们。

But apart from the inherent challenges, their lack of desire for success and ambitions to achieve has caused growing concerns. Moreover, their eagerness to embrace an extravagant lifestyle in Canadian learning environment by blowing their parent’s money away – from dressing in designer clothes to wearing expensive jewelries to driving sports cars -- has been increasingly despised and frowned upon by their Canadian counterparts – including those with a Chinese heritage. 

 

 

Katie Jia

 

 

在大学里担任学生大使期间，我曾带领一个中国家庭参观校园，并向他们介绍我所学的专业。参观进行了大约30分钟后，学生的母亲问道：“你觉得加拿大怎么样？”这个问题让我心头一颤。很显然，她误以为我是来自中国的留学生。在听到我说我是出生在加国的二代移民后，她立即道歉，“亲爱的，很抱歉，但你很像那些有钱的留学生。”

Working as an ambassador for my school, I was helping a Chinese family take a tour and answer their questions about my program. After around 30 minutes into the tour, the mother asked, “So how do you like Canada?”. The question struck like a chord. Apparently, she was under the misconception that I was an international student from China.  After hearing my response that I was a second generation Canadian and was born here, she immediately apologized by saying “I’m sorry dear you just looked like you had the money to study here.” 

 

那天我的确穿的有些过分，但看起来国际留学生似乎已经塑造了自己的形象。他们骄奢无度、挥金如土的奢侈生活令人反感，因为这一切都是他们的父母在买单。他们的父母有求必应，二话不说地竭力满足他们，使得这些留学生愈发的唯我独尊和娇生惯养。

 

While I was overdressed that day, it seems as if that international students have created a brand image for themselves. Society notably distinguishes their life style, that being an affluent life style filled with luxury’s and riches, all at the expense of their parents. It gives off a vibe of entitlement and spoiled, as whenever they need something, its off to mom and dad. 

 

 

虽然并非所有中国留学生都是这种做派，但相当的中国留学生的这种现象足以让整个中国留学生群体名声扫地。要识别这个群体并不难，这些只有18至25岁左右的年轻学生通常都开着兰博基尼、高端奥迪、宝马或其他豪车，而且，他们总是身着名贵服饰来炫耀自己。

 

Not every Chinese student is like this of course, but enough of the population behaves this way to create their own stigma. It’s not hard to spot them either. These are the kids that are only around 18-their mid 20’s who are driving Lamborghini’s, high-end Audi’s, BMWs, the list goes on. Not only that, they also dress in the most costly apparel to show off their brand name accessories. 

 

 

虽然配备最新的电子产品和用品，但这些留学生往往都是形成自己的小圈子，难以融入主流环境。他们不愿与其他学生交流互动，常常自成“一派”。他们躲在自己的小圈圈内，享受“奢侈和高人一等”的生活，从而给人留下娇生惯养、懒散的负面形象。

Always with the newest gadget, accessories, etc, they have isolated themselves from the rest of society. They don’t have an interest in interacting with other students, whereas they tend to isolate themselves created their own ‘gang’ of international students. Secluded to their own group, they create an “affluent and prestigious” lifestyle that creates a negative image for international students, the spoiled and the lazy.

 

 

到加拿大留学需要花费很多钱，留学生的学费可能会比加国本土学生高出一倍，为了一个学位花费如此代价，学生理应努力学习才能让这笔钱物有所值。但是，有些学生却没有认识到这点，许多无心学习的留学生更是心安理得地挥霍着实属来之不易的受教育机会。

It isn’t cheap to be an international student. Tuition can cost up to double compared to Canadian students. Paying so much just for an undergraduate degree, you would think to work as hard as you can to make your moneys worth. However these students don’t see the value. Many don’t have a care in the world about their education abusing what should have been a hard-earned education system completely for granted.

 

 

在过去一年里，我亲眼目睹这些留学生的生活方式。在大学住校期间，我有两个室友都是来自中国的留学生。其中一个和我同一级（一年级），另一个则是三年级。

This past year, I witnessed myself the lifestyle of these international students. Living in residence at university, two of my roommates were both international students coming from China to study abroad. One was in my year (first year) with the other being in third year.

 

 

尽管我们在一个大学宿舍里住了八个月，但我和他们碰面的时间可能最多不过2个小时。每当我在宿舍里时，他们都是呆在自己的房间里闭门不出，拒绝同我及其他室友交流。除了偶尔看到他们去洗手间或到冰箱里拿饮料，我几乎从来没有和他们说过话。

Of the 8 months we lived together, I saw them probably for a total of 2 hours, the entire year, despite living under the same roof. Anytime I was home, they would isolate themselves to their room and refuse to talk to me and the other roommates. I’d occasionally see them go to the washroom and grab a drink, other than that I would never actually have a conversation with them.

 

 

最初，我以为他们一直躲在自己的房间里埋头苦读，但实际上他们根本不是在学习，甚至有时还会逃课。直到期末考试时，我才惊讶地发现一位中国留学生室友竟然和我一起修了长达四个月的同一门课。在我就读的大学里，国际留学生的学费有时甚至会比本土学生高出一倍有余，这还不包括住宿费和生活费。

Initially, since they were always secluded in their own room I thought they were studying all the time. As it turns out, both never studied once and occasionally skipped class. I didn’t find out until my final exam that my roommate was in the same lecture as me for four months. International students at my school pay sometimes even more than double, and that’s without residence and living expenses. 

 

 

同住期间，我常常目睹这两位留学生室友拎着新买的奢侈品满载而归，整晚在外边吸烟，或是带着其他中国朋友回宿舍。他们多次将我们的宿舍搞得垃圾成堆，但却拒绝清理，最终我和其他室友忍无可忍到学校投诉，让他们每人缴了$200元清洁费。

I would see them come home with new luxury’s, smoking outside throughout the night, and bringing in their other Chinese friends. Multiple times they had created a huge mess in our living space and refused to clean it up to the point my other roommates and I had to file a complaint and charge them each $200 in cleaning fees. 

 

 

 

对我来说，只有努力学习、不断进取才不会枉费高质量但学费亦高昂的大学教育，遗憾的是，这些留学生却对此毫不珍惜，甚至视而不见。实际上，这些挥金如土，拒绝融入加拿大文化和社会的留学生和观光的旅游者并无两样。对于这些留学生来说，在加国留学的岁月只不过是一次费用全包的度假，而为此买单的自然是他们的父母。

 

Given such an expensive and quality education system, what for me is filled with hard work and determination is disregarded and not even appreciated by these students. Lavished in gifts, refusing to participate with the Canadian culture and population, these students are no different than tourists. The time they study abroad in Canada, is just an all expenses paid vacation for these international students, compensated by their parents of course.