陽光
早就聽說過居住在世界各地的華僑多達幾千萬，占全中國總人口的百分之二左右。這倒不是一個小數目，比許多小國家的人口還要多。百多年來, 早在新中國建國前, 就有無數人渡洋過海出國稚?Ｐ輪泄?閃⒑螅?貏e是改革開放以來的二十年, 出國的人數更是與日俱增，光是留學生就有幾十萬人，而且不少人畢業後便留下來求職就業，在當地安家定居。近年來，出來做各種各樣事情的人也不少，有到國外投親團聚的、有投資做生意搞買賣的，也有不少是非法偷渡的。真可以說是什麽背景、什麽來頭的人都有。於是，除了老華僑外，出國並留在外邊的人就越來越多，海外的唐人街就越來越變得熱鬧。
在旅英的華僑當中，我和老伴算是新移民了。 一九九五年，我在廣州辦好退休手續，結束了幾十年的工廠生活,次年，便和老伴申請英國簽證來倫敦探親，順便幫在英的女兒、女婿照看孩子。一九九八年，我們再次來英探親。此時我們的親人提出要為我們辦理英國居留的申請。於是我便委托華人資料和谘詢中心代辦申請手續。還好，一年後我們的申請順利地獲內政部批準。隨後又在華人社區中心的幫助下向南倫敦房屋署要了一個住宅單元。這樣我們便正式地安居下來，開始了在海外安度晚年的生活。
在國內生活了整整六十年，這一次投身異國他鄉，開始時在生活上的許多方麵真不太習慣。首先由於不懂英語，出門遇到的不便真是數不勝數：乘公共汽車時不認得終點站，坐地鐵不會換車，寄掛號信說不出名堂，房東的信件不會看… … 簡直跟聾啞人沒有什麽兩樣。後來，得知所住區內有華人社區辦事處，每當有事時我便上去找工作人員幫忙，這樣才免受許多麻煩。此外，我還加入社區辦事處開辦的英語班， 學習基本英語課程。我們班上的人大都是年紀較大的，不少人還向我一個樣，都是初學者，這樣一來大家便不分彼此。就這樣，經過這幾年來一點一滴的積累、研磨，我總算是學會一些簡單的日常生活的用語。現在靠著字典的幫忙，我也能看得懂一些簡短的信件了。更重要的是，幾年的相處，我還在英語班上認識了不少新的麵孔，結交了一些新的朋友，使我的社會接觸麵更廣、更有意義。
英國是高消費的國家，一般物價比國內貴多倍，吃一個揚州炒飯也得花幾英鎊，同樣的一個飯在廣州的大牌檔頂多隻賣人民幣十元錢。所以咋一聽起來，幾英鎊一個飯的生活費用真令人吃不消。然而慶幸的事，英國也是世界上社會福利安排得較周到的國家之一,對老年人、傷殘人士、婦女及幼小兒童的照顧特別周全。產婦可以免費在醫院分娩和療養；嬰兒可以領取免費奶粉；收入較低的家庭，嬰兒出生時還可申請額外補助；兒童每周還可領到幾十英鎊的補貼。這還不說普通教育還是免費的呢。這裏的小孩子真是太幸福了。至於對那些六十五歲以上老年人、或傷殘或帶病人士，政府同樣提供了生活上個方麵的保障。老年人每周除了可領取一筆為數不少的養老金外，還可以申請各種各樣的津貼，例如房租津貼、地稅津貼等。出外行走時，老弱人士乘公車不需花錢，看病不要掛號費用，取藥不用給藥費，甚至參觀展覽館也是免費或半價的。這樣的民政政策真正算得上是無微不至的關懷，老弱人士的晚年可謂沒後顧之憂了。說實在，從這些例子中可以看得出，發達國家的社會福利實在了不起，老年人真正生活在幸福之中。
說起氣候，英國的夏天太不熱，比起廣州來，倫敦算得上涼爽多了。然而冬天的倫敦卻要比廣州冷得多了，英國家家戶戶都裝有暖氣設備，故雖然室外很冷，室內總是暖融融的。更令我感到溫暖的是友人給於的關懷、幫助。在英國幾年中，街上所見到的人，不管是白人還是其他少數民族的人，大多數是以禮待人、樂意助人的。
離開中國好幾個年頭了，去年年底我才回國探親，並在那裏小住了近三個月，直到今年二月中才返回倫敦。在中國，我和老伴到過廣州、上海、寧波等大中城市，並碰見不少過去的同事、老朋友。一轉眼，昔日的熟人朋友都成了年逾花甲、早已下崗退休的人了。久別重逢，大家互相問長問短，一塊兒回憶往事，都覺得有說不完的話。其實，人老後，無論生活在什麽國度，隻要有人知足，晚年自然會生活得很幸福、快樂。
In Retirement in the UK
It was long ago that I got to know that tens of millions of Chinese people are living outside China. They are equivalent to some 2% of the population in China. This is really not too small a figure; it is actually larger than the population of many small countries in the world. Over the past centuries, Chinese people left their homelands for places abroad for all sorts of reasons. After the founding of the People’s Republic, in particular since the opening up of the country in the late 1970s, people have continued to arrive in the West. Many have come as students and chosen to stay after their studies. Others arrived as visitors and business-men/women. Of course there have also been illegal immigrants. Whatever the reason, the number is increasing; and Chinatowns in major Western cities have become ever more vibrant business quarters.
Of the Chinese living in the UK, my wife and I can be categorized as new arrivals. In 1995, I completed the final paperwork for retirement, saying goodbye to over 30 years of factory life. The following year we I applied for entry visas to come to the UK for visiting. My daughter and her family had settled here earlier so we when came we took the opportunity to baby-sit our grandchildren, too. In 1998, having come back to England a second time, my son-in-law suggested that we should apply for UK residence. With the help of a Chinese advice centre we soon got our permit to stay. Later another community centre helped us to successfully apply for council housing in south London. From then on we officially began to settle in the UK, leading a life in retirement outside China.
I had spent my first 60 years in China, now that I had to face a new environment for the first time, I felt somehow lonely. Since I hardly spoke any English when I first came, moving about in London was really difficult for me. There had been quite a lot of headaches. For example using the public transport system, dealing with official documents and so on were not entirely problem-free. Even getting a stamp in the Post Office could be something. In a sense we were disabled. Fortunately we found a local Chinese community centre and began to seek help there. This helped ease a lot of problems. Then I enrolled in a beginner’s English class organized by the community centre. Most of my fellow-learners in the class were older people so that I did not feel entirely out of the place. After a few terms I have learned a few basic but very useful sentences. More importantly, though, I have made a few friends too. The English class gave ground to expand my social circles, as I had been quite lonely previously.
Britain is a country with a high living standard. In general things are more expensive than those in China. A dish of Yangchow fried rice, for example, costs as much as five pounds, which in China may be only one third of what is charged here. High costs are of course a cause for concern for people with low income. But on the other hand, Britain does provide welfare benefits to the needy, eg., older people, the disabled, women with small children, refugees and asylum-seekers are given help in one way or another. A woman giving birth in hospital, for instance, need not pay for the expenses incurred; and the new born-baby will receive free milk tokens as well. Others who face financial hardships, such as people with special needs, can claim extra allowance. People are also entitled to such services as free transportation, free medical and dental checkups, free prescription and so on. Some museums offer senior citizens and disabled people free admission or concessions too. So on the whole, Britain is really a country that treats the needy quite well.
Speaking of the weather, summer in Britain is not too hot. London for example is quite a cool place compared with my hometown, Guangzhou. Although London is colder than Guangzhou in winter, most homes here have central heating. So even if it’s cold outside, it’s always warm inside the house. What is even warmer here, I think, is the generosity and kindness given to us by our hosts. Since coming here I have seen mostly smiling faces. My neighbours are friendly and generally helpful. Everyone here, regardless of their ethnic background, makes us feel at home.
Having lived here for a number of years, last December we went back China for visiting. We stayed there for nearly three months, before coming back to London in February. During that time we visited Guangzhou, Shanghai, Ningbo and some other cities, where we met with our former colleagues, friends and so on, most of whom had retired from their posts. Since it was our first re-union after years of separation, we felt that there were lots of things that we wanted to talk about. Indeed, for old people, wherever you live, as long as you feel content, you are always happy.
Yang Guang Translated by Cao Yuan
榮亦平