导读:也许有人认为和外国人恋爱是一件颇为浪漫之事，但是由于双方立场和抱负的不同，会产生一系列问题，终究不可避免。
Being an expat in China can be a lonely thing. You might think it would be nice to have someone to chat with while waiting for movies to download, or a partner to go discover everything this seat of civilization has to offer. But, is it worth it?
外籍人士在中国可能会非常孤独。你也许会认为在等待电影下载时有个人可以聊聊天，或者临时离开时有个人帮你看着座位是一件很不错的事情。但是，这值得吗？
As an expat, it is pretty common not to stay in one place for very long. Whether you are doing a short stint as a teacher during a gap year, or making your way around China city-by-city, putting down long-term roots usually doesn’t fit into the picture.
作为一个外国人，一般来说都不会在同一个地方待得太久。不管你是在间隔年里短暂支教，还是在中国一个城市接一个城市游历，通常都不会在一个地方扎根太久。
So, what’s the point in trying to get involved in a serious relationship?
那么，试图来一段严肃的恋情又有什么意义呢？
I have two friends who I consider the perfect couple. I was surprised when I found out one of them was moving back home to Australia and the other was getting a new job here in Beijing. At the going-away party, I saw all their friends and the life they made together in full bloom. However, this flower was wilting.
我认为我的两个朋友是非常完美的一对儿。但是当我发现其中一人要搬回加拿大，而另一人却在北京找了一份新工作时，我感到很惊讶。在散伙饭上，他们所有的朋友都集聚一堂，他们共同缔造的生活仿佛如花般绚丽。但是，这朵花却正在枯萎。
Every time I start to feel that pang of loneliness or long for someone to love me and show me attention, I tell myself to snap out of it. Even if I met someone today, who knows what my tomorrow looks like? I want to be able to focus on my goals without having someone who may cause me to change my mind or make sacrifices to make the relationship work. In a fast-paced city like Beijing, it is hard enough to find time to do things for myself, let alone trying to fit in the wants and needs of someone else.
每当我开始感到孤独，希望有个人来爱我、关注我的时候，我都告诉我自己要振作起来。即使我今天遇到了那个人，谁知道我的明天是什么样子？我希望能专注于自己的目标，而不会有人会来扰乱我的心，或是使我做出牺牲来维持这一段关系。在一个像北京这样的快节奏城市里，找点儿时间做你自己的事情就已经足够困难，更不要说满足别人的要求了。
I am not saying it is impossible. I just think that if you find someone and want to make it more official or serious, there are some things you need to consider.
我并不是说这毫无可能。我只是认为，如果你邂逅了某人，又想使这段关系更加正式、更加严肃一些的话，有一些事情你就必须要考虑。
First, you need to realize that the relationship may have a timestamp, so keep it light. Second, don’t compromise your dreams just to make someone happy today; you may regret it tomorrow. You should also make sure if you are entering into a relationship that you both understand each other’s goals and dreams so you don’t find yourself being the one costing your significant other the chance to live on their own terms.
首先，你需要意识到这段关系可能是有时间戳的，因此不要让它太过于沉重；第二，今天不要为了让某人快乐而妥协你的梦想，否则你明天会后悔的。你还应该确定在这段关系中，你们双方是否都理解对方的目标和梦想，如此一来你就不会是那个空耗自己重要梦想和失去实现这些梦想机会的人。
Date, go out and have fun, but remember love can make people do crazy things.
你可以约会、外出、玩得高兴，但是记住爱情能够让人做一些疯狂的事情。
You don’t want to look back on your experience as an expat and regret that you didn’t do something or achieve what you wanted because you were made stupid by cupid.
你不想作为一个外国人回忆自己的经历，并且后悔由于丘比特的愚弄自己一事无成、没能实现梦想。
