今天給我們投稿的，是一枚印度裔的英國妹紙。
她在網站上看到另一位印度妹子寫的文章，那位妹子對自己的膚色很不自信（關心臉），並表示她在中國不好過。
於是這位印度裔英國妹紙，結合自身經歷對那篇文章發表了一些感慨。
我們一起看看她是怎麼說的吧~
Mithila Phadke是一枚居住在北京的印度妹子，最近她在Scroll.in上發表了一篇文章關於她和當地人約會的經歷，「我一邊很高興自己是一個外國人，一邊又因為我的人種不同而畏縮。」妹子說道。
Mithila Phadke, an Indian woman living in Beijing, recently published an article on Scroll.in about her experiences in the local dating scene. "There's a part of me that takes unconscious pleasure in being exotic, and another part that cringes at being scrutinized for my race," Phadke wrote.
結果她的文章被各國網民嘲諷了一番。有白人移民在Reddit論壇中諷刺道「印度女孩去中國只是為了和白人做愛，然後繼續抱怨白人有特權」、印度網民則說「看起來她甚至沒有先搞清楚這個星球上是否有對她感興趣的非白種男人存在」、有歐亞混血則質疑「為什麼一個毫無吸引力的女人非要用語言攻擊大家」……
Her article was met with across-the-board derision by netizens of all nationalities, including Caucasian expats on Reddit's r/China ("Indian girl goes to China, only f*cks white guys, goes on rant about white privilege"), Indian nationals on r/India ("Doesn't seem like she even bothered to see if there were any non-white men available and interested in her, in Beijing of all places!") and Eurasian offspring on r/Hapas ("Why is it that unattractive women have to lash out at everyone?").
作為一名在上海生活的印度女性，我也認為印度人在中國約會是受限制的。像我和Phadke這樣的妹子，要麼就只能去和其他人種的漢子戀愛，要麼就只能坐等變成單身狗了。事實上，就在她發表文章的三個星期前，我在Global Times寫過另一篇名為《印裔妹子伐開心：中國男人咋這麼不待見深色姑娘？！》的文章，表達了自己的心聲。我與她有相同的觀點，這是巧合嗎？
As an ethnic Indian "fempat" (what foreign males in China call female expatriates) residing in Shanghai, I agree that the Indian dating pool is tragically limited in China, forcing women of color like me and Phadke to date other races or risk staying single. In fact, just three weeks before her article was published, I penned my own rant ("Brown girls like me get no love in pale-crazed Shanghai" Global Times Metro Shanghai 2017/3/22) with very similar views. Coincidence?
我在這兒的印度朋友很少，因為我們較深色的皮膚和較多的毛髮使我們變得「太出眾」。所以，我們自然就在這個國家中被「孤立」了。但是，正如Phadke所說的，我們得明白這不僅在中國是如此——英國人、美國人和北歐人也會對棕色人種有些歧視。
With few female or male Indian friends here, this can naturally isolate us in a country where having darker skin and more hair definitely stands out. But as much as I agree with most of Phadke's points, we must remember that it's not only China that behaves this way. The UK, the US and Scandinavia are also known for their racialism when it comes to people of brown color.
我是一個印度裔的英國妹紙，我們的經歷不可能完全相同。但是，我敢肯定在中國人的眼中，我和Phadke長得一樣。而當我告訴英國人我也是英國人的時候，對方也曾質疑過我，什麼「唯一一張深色膚色的臉」，被貼上了「種族」標籤……這樣的遭遇Phadke會有，我也不例外。
I am a British Indian, so by no means can our experiences be completely the same, however, in the eyes of the Chinese I'm sure that Phadke and I look similar. I have experienced some doubt when I tell locals that I am an England national. I can also relate to her comments about being the "only brown female face" and being "racialized."
我在另一篇文章中提到過，我教的一個年輕的中國學生經常評論我的外貌。但我在中國待的時間比Phadke要長，我能理解當中國人表達自己觀點的時候是就事論事的。諷刺的是，如果我們去對著某個膚色偏黑的中國人評頭論足（中國人都不太喜歡深色皮膚），對方一定會氣炸，嚷嚷說我們「傷害了中國人民的感情」。
I mentioned in my own article that a young local student who I tutor often comments on my physical appearance. But as I have been in China longer than Phadke, I have learned to understand that the Chinese are very matter-of-fact when it comes to expressing their opinions. Ironically enough - and Phadke dropped the ball in this regard - should her or I openly comment about a Chinese person with tan skin (a mark of shame among urban Chinese), we would probably be screamed at and accused of hurting the feelings of the Chinese people.
與Phadke不同的是，她似乎真的不喜歡待在中國，而我在中國的日子更加積極向上些。此外，我很樂意成為獨特的、不同的、「充滿異域風情」的人。我認為這可以歸因於上海本身，歷史上它是一個比北京更多樣化、更開放的大都市。或許，對於「膚色」介懷與否，也能成為比較京滬兩座城市差異的一個切入點。畢竟，除了我年幼的學生們（的無心指責），我在這兒從來沒有遇到過種族歧視。
Unlike Phadke, who seems genuinely unhappy in China, my experiences here have been quite positive. Also, I take pleasure in being unique, different and "exotic," and I think this can be attributed to Shanghai itself, which historically is a much more diverse, cosmopolitan and open-minded metropolis than Beijing. Perhaps this is the perfect case study to contrast and compare a tale of two cities. Apart from my adolescent student, I have never experienced any racism here.
Phadke沒意識到，膚色較深的亞洲人很想擁有白皙的皮膚，中國人討厭曬黑的皮膚和強烈的陽光，他們通過採取很多措施來阻止自己變黑，比如塗防曬霜、撐遮陽傘、關上窗簾。
What Phadke forgets is that whiter, paler skin is a popular desire all across Asia among those who don't have it. The Chinese abhor tan skin and the sun itself, taking every measure - from bleaching creams to parasols to keeping the curtains closed - to avoid turning brownish.
而在孟買，似乎也有一種對於淺膚色的狂熱痴迷。寶萊塢經常選用白一些的、長得不太像印度人的年輕演員當主演，從而使他們接到目標受眾是深膚色印度人的美白產品的商業廣告。在Phadke的文章中，她一直覺得很羞恥，「我告訴自己我體毛很多，我體味重，我身上有斑斑點點。有時候在約會前，我希望自己能換張皮。」
But another craze for "less-brown" skin is taking place in Phadke's own Mumbai, where Bollywood often casts the whitest, least-Indian-looking starlets in leading roles, which in turn gets them commercials to advertise skin-whitening products pitched at dark Indians, perpetuating the shame echoed in Phadke's article ("I tell myself I am hairier, I am smellier, I am bumpier and lumpier. Sometimes before a date, I find myself wishing I could climb into new skin").
然而，考慮到中國經濟如此快速的發展，也許我們可以期待她在包容性上也能達到裡程碑式的階段，比英國和紐約等國家地區還要更多元。
Nevertheless, with China advancing so far forward economically, perhaps it could also take this milestone of acceptance and surge forward in embracing a fully diversified society, perhaps someday even more than England or New York.
上海的經濟事實上很大程度依賴於跨國公司和外國人才（包括Phadke看不太起的、不需要什麼技術難度的英語老師）。他們是幫助這座城市進行全球合作交流和交易決策的驅動力。放眼全球，接受和包容來自世界各地的包括不同民族、膚色、語言、外貌、和宗教的所有人，才是發展的長久之道。（妹子覺悟很高嘛~）
Shanghai's economy is in fact largely dependent on international companies and foreign talent - including the English teachers that Phadke admits to looking down on as "something that requires little skill" - who are the driving force behind all the global communication and deal-making coming out of this city. On a global scale, then, it makes sense to accept all people from every country, ethnic group, skin color, language, accent, appearance and religion.
原文：Sabrina Samra
翻譯：Zhou Xinyu
圖：Chen Xia、網絡
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