country of cat- and dog-eaters poised to take over the world in a matter of years. 一国的猫、狗的食用准备接管世界几年。 Perhaps this is the image that comes to mind for many Americans when they think of China . 也许这就是形象，想到很多人想到中国。 After two months in the nation's capital, 两个月后的首都， however,I can tell you that most of what the U.S. thinks about the country is a bit off the mark, 但我可以告诉你，大部份美国国家着想有点偏离马克， to say the least. 50 年不变。 Cat eating is said to be much more popular in the Cantonese-speaking provinces of the south, 据说猫吃更受欢迎的粤语南方省份， particularly in Guangdong , 尤其是广东， while dog dining is said to be most popular in Korea . 可说是狗餐厅在韩国最受欢迎。 While both animals may be consumed in scattered places throughout the country, 既可以食用的动物，而分散在全国各地的地方， including some specialty restaurants in Beijing , in the nation's capital, 其中包括在北京的一些特色餐馆，在该国首都， at least,the practice is far from commonplace. 至少，在实践中远未普及。 Indeed, you're far more likely to find Beijing diners feasting on ducks' feet, ducks' heads, 事实上，你更容易找到吃大拜拜在北京长大的脚鸭脑袋， crawfish and snails. 虾和蜗牛。 Of course, a country cannot be judged on the basis of its cuisine alone, 当然，一个国家不能根据其判断菜单， especially when the rest of the world may be forced to eat it in just a few years, right? 尤其是当世界其他国家可能被迫吃在短短几年内，对不对？ Not exactly. While it's true that China , as hard as it may be for Americans to stomach, 不尽然。但奇怪中坚硬如可以为美国人胃， seems destined to be the world's next global superpower, 似乎注定要成为世界的未来世界超级大国， skittish U.S. diners may have more time to digest the news than they think. 美国看起来可能不再有更多的时间来消化这些消息不是想。 Although some experts estimate that China 's economy will become the world's largest as early as 2030, 尽管一些专家估计，中国经济将成为世界上最大的2030年早， a myriad of obstacles stands in the country's path. 目前有很多的障碍在我国道路。 For example,?the age of the Chinese population. 例如，中国人口的年龄。 Add to that the economic disparity between the coast and the rest of the country,a host of environmental problems, 再加上经济差异和沿海其他地区的环境问题很多， and the fact that the government will have to juggle all these issues while sustaining 而且政府也应兼顾对所有这些问题， and controlling breakneck economic growth at the same time, 同时保持和控制经济飞速增长的同时， and you've got a tough roe to hoe. 还得强硬，5-10 头。 Another aspect of China that Americans often misunderstand is its relationship with North Korea , 另一个方面，中国人往往是误解与北韩的关系， especially in regard to that country's nuclear ambitions. 特别是该国的核武野心。 In the opinion of many Americans, 在许多美国人认为， China should either be friendly enough with their Communist brethren to convince 应由中国共产党的友好与兄弟足够说服 them to disarm or strong enough to force them to. 他们解除或强迫。 The fact of the matter is, neither is completely the case. 事实上，无论是完全如此。 China 's ties to North Korea , first off, aren't as cozy as many Americans might imagine. 中国对北韩的关系，第一产，不是想象中的形象，许多美国人。 While it's possible, though somewhat difficult, for Chinese to visit North Korea , 虽然可能，但有些困难，到中国访问北韩， for example, their counterparts across the Yalu River 例如对方越过鸭绿江 and the Yellow Sea have a much more difficult time leaving their shores. 和黄大海有更困难的时候离开海岸。 Following the Korean War, Chinese characters were essentially eliminated from the North Korean language, 韩战之后，汉字基本上消除北韩的语言， and despite decades of relief and aid from Beijing , 尽管十年来救济和援助从北京之前， North Korea simply does not seem to want to listen to its Chinese neighbors. 北韩似乎并不 想听取中国的近邻。 Theoretically, China could force Pyongyang to listen, 理论上，中国可以迫使平壤听， but, unlike some other countries, persuasion via military might does not seem to be its style. 但不像其他一些国家，通过军事力量劝说似乎没有它的风格。 For their part, the Chinese don't understand what America is so worried about. 对他们来说，中国人不明白，美国是担心。 "How can a nation that can barely feed its own people afford to go to war?" they ask. “ 一个民族怎样能够勉强养活自己的人民有能力打仗？”他们提出的问题。 Plus, if any country should be concerned about getting a nuclear bomb dropped on it, 加任何一个国家都不应得到关注投下原子弹， it should be China , practically in Pyongyang 's backyard. 应该中国几乎在平壤的后院． As much as America enjoys criticizing China 's relationship with North Korea , 象美国有批评中国与北韩的关系， it is perhaps even fonder of lambasting its government, 甚至其爱政府的抨击， especially for what it sees as the CCP's internal corruption and its control of the country's media. 其是对它所认为的中国共产党内部的腐败和国家控制的媒体。 Here again, however, the U.S is handing down opinions on a topic it isn't entirely informed about. 尤再次美国将减少对议题的意见并不完全了解。 While it's true that there are certain things you can't write about, 而真的有什么东西不能写， certain places you can't go and certain terms that you can't search for on the Internet, 有些地方你不能去一些条件，不能寻求在互联网上， for the most part, the government isn't nearly as controlling as Washington 大部分政府没有这么多控制在华盛顿 and the U.S. media would have Americans believe. 和美国媒体会相信美国人 I was able, for example, 我可以举例来说， to view the New York Times in its entirety online everyday. NewYork，把每天的全部上网。 Of course, by U.S. standards, 当然，美国的标准， any infringement upon individual rights is automatic grounds for a public outrage, 任何侵犯个人权利的基础是自动公愤， but in China , different standards apply, and for good reason. 但在中国，实行不同的标准，并有很好的理由。 Consider this, in the past 100 years China has witnessed the end of dynastic rule 考虑这一点，在过去100年中发生了翻天统治的结束 (essentially the only thing it had known its entire history),foreign invasion and occupation, civil war. （是唯一知道它的整个历史）、外国侵略和占领、内战。 The U.S. has suffered only one of those atrocities, 美国唯一受到的暴行内战， civil war, and it is viewed as perhaps the singular, most horrible event in the nation's history. 看作是唯一的可能，如果该国最可怕的历史。 Imagine that, plus all the Chinese had to go through, 相信，所有的中国人，加上经过， crammed into a period of less than 100 years 冲进了不到100年的时间， and you begin to understand why the Chinese accept their government the way it is at present. 你开始明白为什么中国政府接受他们的方式。 China was once a powerful nation, under the Tang dynasty, from 618 -907 A .D., 目前，中国是一个大国，曾在唐代，从模仿广告， it was the cosmopolitan Mecca of the Far East, 这是世界城市vs麦加的远东地区， and unlike most once-powerful nations, it has a unique opportunity to return to the top. 并曾与最强大的国家，它有一个独特的机会，回到首。 Chinese people are hardworking, intelligent and extremely friendly to foreigners，中国人民勤劳、聪明、非常友好的外国人， and rather than point out their shortcomings, the U.S. should applaud their progress. 而不是他们的缺点指出，美国应该欢迎他们的进步。 Rather than hinder China 's return to its former glory, 而非阻碍中国恢复昔日的辉煌， America should help it along the way, 这将有助于美国在途中, if not out of sheer good will, 如果不是纯粹出于善意， then simply so that once it does inherit the reins of world power 就这么简单,一旦它继承权掌握世界， we will be its friend and not its enemy. 我们将它的朋友，而不是敌人。