It's been hot lately, hasn't it? Here in Beijing, it feels like the thermometer's been hovering around the 30 C mark for weeks now (whenever it hasn't been raining, that is).
最近是不是很熱？北京的氣溫似乎已在30°C左右徘徊數(shù)周（只要一直不下雨，就是這樣）。

Across the sea in Japan, meanwhile, the mercury soared to 41.1 C at the end of July, setting new heat records and hospitalizing thousands in the process. Scores also died.
與此同時，在與中國隔海相望的日本，氣溫也在7月底飆升至41.1°C，創(chuàng)造了新的高溫記錄，導(dǎo)致數(shù)千人入院，多人死亡。

In Greece, ongoing wildfires around the country's capital have claimed more than 90 lives, while up to 70 people died in Canada's Quebec province as a result of a recent heat wave.
希臘首都附近的森林大火奪去了90多條生命；加拿大魁北克省近期遭熱浪侵襲，導(dǎo)致多達(dá)70人死亡。

British tabloid newspaper The Sun, not known for understatement, even went so far as to declare across its front page on July 25 that "The World's On Fire".
喜歡夸大其詞的英國小報(bào)《太陽報(bào)》甚至在7月25日的頭版上稱“整個世界都在著火”。

Which it is, in a way. Summers are getting hotter, heat records are consistently being broken and out-of-control infernos are now seemingly becoming the norm.
在某種程度上，它說得沒錯。夏天越來越熱，高溫記錄一直被打破，失控的火海似乎已成常態(tài)。

But why dwell on the awful inevitability of dangerous climate change when we could just ignore it and carry on regardless? That seems to be how many have decided to deal with this particular existential threat.
但當(dāng)我們可以視而不見、繼續(xù)不管不顧地生活時，為什么還要細(xì)想那鬧心的不可避免的危險的氣候變化呢？這似乎是很多人應(yīng)對這種特殊的存亡威脅的辦法。

Personally, I'm no great fan of the heat. Never have been. Maybe it's due to my upbringing in the damp, drizzly North of England. Or the fact that, as an infant, I had serious trouble regulating my own body temperature and even ended up in hospital on one occasion as a result.
就我個人而言，我不喜歡高溫，甚至可以說從未喜歡過。這也許是因?yàn)槲覐男≡诔睗?、多雨的英格蘭北部長大。或者是因?yàn)槲倚r候就在調(diào)節(jié)自己的體溫方面有很大問題，甚至還因此住過一次院。

Later in life, whichever part of my brain it is that deals with thermoregulation seemed to finally figure out how to keep a lid on things. Though I do still have a tendency to overheat and perspire to a somewhat excessive degree.
后來，我大腦進(jìn)行體溫調(diào)節(jié)的那部分似乎終于弄清楚了如何保持克制了。但是我仍然有過熱和過分出汗的傾向。

All of which makes the Chinese phrase renao slightly baffling to me.
所有這些經(jīng)歷使得我對中文短語“熱鬧”略感困惑。

Roughly translated, it means "hot and noisy". Though perhaps "hustle and bustle" would be slightly more accurate.
粗略翻譯一下，這個詞的意思就是“熱和嘈雜”。也許解釋為“喧囂”會稍微準(zhǔn)確一些。

Because in China, renao is a good thing. It's something to be sought out. (Or so my limited language learning would have me believe). A renao place is buzzing with excitement. It's somewhere that feels alive.
因?yàn)樵谥袊?，“熱鬧”是一件好事，是一種值得尋覓的東西（或者說我有限的語言學(xué)習(xí)讓我產(chǎn)生這種認(rèn)識）。一個“熱鬧”的地方總是彌漫著興奮的感覺，是一個讓人感覺活著的地方。

Now don't get me wrong, I've spent my fair share of time in such places. Be it festivals, expos, tourist traps or other locales that are sure to draw the maddening crowds.
當(dāng)然，請不要誤會我的意思，我其實(shí)在這些地方度過了相當(dāng)多的時間。無論是狂歡節(jié)、博覽會、旅游陷阱景點(diǎn)還是其他吸引惱人的人群的場所，我都待過。

But in general, I'd rather not be among the multitude. In fact, I once gave up a place in line to see the Sistine Chapel's famed interior because the thought of being herded through a confined space with a bunch of strangers didn't exactly appeal.
但總的來說，我寧愿不要加入大部隊(duì)中。我曾經(jīng)放棄排隊(duì)參觀西斯廷教堂著名的室內(nèi)裝飾。因?yàn)閷ξ叶裕谝粋€狹窄空間里與一群陌生人擠在一起并不是很美妙。

No, cold and quiet are much more my cup of tea. There are few things in life I've enjoyed more than a hike across open country. Ideally on my own, or only lightly accompanied. In the autumn, preferably, or after winter's first snow.
算了吧，“涼爽和安靜”才是我的菜。沒什么能比在開闊的鄉(xiāng)村徒步旅行更讓我愉悅。我自己一個人最理想，有少許同伴也能接受。時間呢，最好是在秋天，或是冬季的初雪之后。

A part of me can understand the appeal of wanting to do everything together. Of seeking out the vibrant and the bustling, the heat and the noise.
我略能理解人們愿意扎堆兒做事的那種吸引力：他們想要追求活力和繁華，熾熱和喧鬧。

Mostly though, I have to say, I'd really rather avoid it. Because it seems to me that the whole world is a little too renao right now. And while sometimes it's good to be where it's hot and noisy, sometimes it's just a lot of hot air and noise.
但大多數(shù)情況下，不得不說，我敬謝不敏。因?yàn)樵谖铱磥?，現(xiàn)在整個世界都有點(diǎn)過分熱鬧了。雖然有時待在熱鬧的地方還挺好，但有時就只是充斥著炙熱的空氣和噪音。

譯者：胡佳李（實(shí)習(xí)生）
審校：董靜 丹妮
音頻編輯：焦?jié)?br>來源：CHINA DAILY微信公眾號：

About the author & broadcaster

Greg Fountain is a copy editor and occasional presenter for China Daily. Before moving to Beijing in January, 2016 he worked for newspapers in the Middle East and UK. He has an M.A in Print Journalism from the University of Sheffield, a B.A in English and History from the University of Reading.