“City”热梗美国网红热衷在中国传播欢乐
Paul Mike Ashton is an active American video blogger on social media. In his recent videos about his travels in China, he often asks in a quirky tone, "City or not city, ah? So city!" These videos have quickly gone viral on various social media platforms, amassing over 10 million views.
Paul Mike Ashton是一位活跃在社交媒体上的美籍视频博主。在他近期有关中国旅游的视频里，他常常会以一种魔性的语调提问：“city不city啊？太city了！” 这些视频迅速走红各大社交媒体平台，并累计获得了超过1000万次的浏览量。
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning addressed this popular catchphrase at a regular press conference on Thursday, stating that she had just learned about the new usage of the word "city."
中国外交部发言人毛宁在7月4日的例行记者会上提及了这句网络流行用语，并表示自己也是刚了解到“city”这个词的新用法。
Mao expressed her pleasure at seeing foreign friends enjoying the beautiful scenery and delicious food in China, and experiencing a vibrant and authentic China firsthand.
毛宁表示，很高兴看到外国朋友们在中国享受美景美食，亲身感受生动真实的中国。
Ashton, known online as Baobaoxiong, responded by saying that he lives in Shanghai and travels across various provinces in China. He mentioned that he has been warmly welcomed by people everywhere in China and felt the enthusiasm of everyone he met.
Ashton，也就是网络博主“保保熊”，回应说自己目前住在上海，已经游历了中国很多个省份。他提到，在中国各地他都受到了人们的热烈欢迎，也感受到了每个人满满的热情。
When filming travel videos, he genuinely enjoys the entire process and hopes to attract more foreigners to experience Chinese culture through his videos.
他说自己在拍摄旅游视频时，他非常享受整个过程，也希望通过自己的视频能够吸引更多外国人前来感受中国文化。
"There are many beautiful places in China, and the food is great, which is why I enjoy traveling around China," Ashton told the Global Times.
“中国有很多美丽的地方，食物也很好吃，这也是为什么我喜欢在中国旅游。”Ashton告诉《环球时报》记者。
"The word 'city' itself means urbanization, and it conveys a sense of vitality. I often feel a sense of freshness and happiness while traveling in various places in China, so I think it's very 'city.' "
他还解释说，“‘city’这个词其实是指城市化，它传递的是一种活力。我在中国各地旅游时，经常感受到鲜活与欢乐，所以我觉得这很‘city’。”
Enjoyable experiences
愉悦的体验
Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the US, Ashton has always been interested in Chinese culture and speaks Chinese fluently.
Ashton来自美国宾夕法尼亚州的费城，一直对中国文化感兴趣，还能说一口流利的中文。
He is adept at noticing subtle differences between Chinese and English expressions and presenting them humorously, which is why he can create popular catchphrases like "city or not city."
他擅于用趣味的方式，将自己发现的中英表达细节差异呈现出来，这就是为什么他能够创造出像“city不city”这样受欢迎的流行语。
"I find the way Chinese people say 'city walk' quite amusing. Although the term has been around for a long time, I noticed that many Chinese people tend to pronounce the 't' sound more prominently than we do in English, which sounds really cute. Moreover, in business settings, many people switch between Chinese and English, which I find particularly fascinating," Ashton said.
Ashton说：“我觉得中国人说‘city walk’的方式很有趣。虽然这个词已经存在了很长时间，但我注意到许多中国人往往比我们在英语中更突出‘t’的发音，听起来很可爱。而且，在商务场合，很多人能在中文和英语之间切换，我觉得这特别吸引人。”
"I find this word-switching between Chinese and English very interesting; it not only reflects the flexibility of the language but also demonstrates the integration of Chinese and English in everyday life in China. Coupled with my enjoyable travel experiences in China, 'city or not city' came out naturally," Ashton emphasized.
“我发现这种在中文和英文之间切换单词的现象非常有趣。它不仅反映了语言的灵活性，还展示了在中国日常生活中中英文的融合。再加上我在中国愉快的旅行经历，‘city不city’就自然而然地出现了。”Ashton强调说。
To Ashton, the most "city" place in China is Shanghai, because he lives there and loves the lifestyle. He also mentioned that anywhere in China can feel urban because everyone's experiences are different. So, no matter where you are in China, you can have a "city" experience because it's about love and excitement for life.
就他个人而言，Ashton认为中国最“city”的地方就是上海，因为他住在这里并且热爱这里的生活方式。他还提到说，在中国的任何地方都能有城市范的感觉，因为每个人的经历都不同。因此，不管你在中国的何处，你都可以有很“city”的体验，因为这是一种对生活的热爱与激情。
Ashton strongly encourages foreign friends traveling to China to try the wide array of Chinese cuisine.
Ashton强烈鼓励来中国旅游的外国朋友去品尝种类繁多的中国美食。
"I think the food is one of the best features of China. I believe that many times, foreigners might not eat too adventurously because we're unsure about trying many unfamiliar dishes. However, many Chinese dishes have left a deep impression on me and pleasantly surprised me. So, I would definitely recommend everyone to do the same and be brave enough to try a variety of foods."
“我认为美食是中国的最佳特色之一。我知道很多时候，外国人在吃的方面可能不会愿意去冒险，因为我们不太会去轻易尝试不熟悉的菜肴。但是，很多中国美食都给我留下了深刻的印象，让我感到惊喜。所以，我绝对会建议每个人都勇敢去尝试各种各样的食物。”
Ashton has personally enjoyed traditional Chinese dishes such as mouth-watering chicken, lion's head meatballs, and squirrel fish, and he expressed a great fondness for them.
Ashton个人很喜欢中国传统菜肴，比如口水鸡、狮子头和松鼠鳜鱼，他还表示他非常喜欢这些菜肴。
New life
全新的生活
Ashton said that he has gained more attention from Chinese fans, which has led to some changes in his life. His current work focuses on social media development and operation, which he finds interesting but also stressful.
Ashton说中国粉丝对他的关注让他的生活发生了一些变化。他目前的工作重点是社交媒体的开发和运营，他觉得这份工作有趣但也有压力。
"Now I have a platform to connect with more people, which is great. I get recognized occasionally, and some of the events I attend get more attention than before, so it's really busy now. I have had to transition from my previous lifestyle to a new one, but many of the changes are good, so I'm very excited to try this new life."
“现在我有了一个很好的、能与更多人建立联系的平台。偶尔，我会被认出来，而且我参加的一些活动也比以前更受关注了，所以现在真的很忙。我不得不把原来的生活方式改变成新的，但很多都是好的变化，所以我非常兴奋去尝试这种新生活。”
He had heard so many great things about various parts of China that it was difficult to choose what to experience next. Due to his current work, he has more opportunities to visit places he might not have considered before and shoot related travel videos.
他了解了许多有关中国各地的美好事物，以至于难以抉择接下来去体验什么。但当下新的工作让他有了更多机会去游览那些之前可能未曾考虑过的地方，也能去拍摄相关的旅行视频。
In China, there are many places he really wants to visit. He said, "Last weekend, I went to Qinghai, and that was an amazing experience. If I had to pick a top place on my wish list, I'd probably choose Inner Mongolia as my first choice."
中国还有很多Ashton想去游览的地方。他说：“上周，我刚去了青海。那真是一次令人振奋的经历。如果要我在愿望清单里选一个最想去的地方，我的首选很可能会是内蒙古。”
"My second choice is Changsha, where I will actually be going later this month. I'm really looking forward to this trip, tasting the food in Changsha, and experiencing life in another Chinese city," Ashton said.
“我的第二选择就是长沙，事实上这个月底我就会去那。我真的很期待这次旅行，品尝长沙的美食，体验在中国另一个城市的生活。”Ashton说。
Ashton would like to give a message for those who enjoy his videos and have been following him. He said that what he's doing now brings him great joy, and he hopes others can also find things in life that make them happy and spark an interest in pursuing them.
Ashton想给那些喜欢他的视频并且一直关注他的人留个言。他说他现在所做的事情给他带来了极大的快乐，并且他希望其他人也能在生活中找到让他们开心的事情，并激发追求这些事情的兴趣。
"One of the things that makes me happiest about making these videos in China is that they make my sister and I laugh and pass that joy on to other people. Everyone has the opportunity to find things that make them happy, even if it's not their job; just things they love to do," Ashton said.
Ashton说：“制作这些在中国的视频让我最开心的事情之一就是，它们能让我和我妹妹开怀大笑，并把这份快乐传递给其他人。每个人都有机会找到让自己开心的事情，哪怕不是工作，只是他们喜欢做的事情。”
