I'm French, lived 10 years in the UK and currently¹ living in Germany. I can sometimes tell the three apart from some subtle² physical features.

我是法国人，在英国住了10年，现居德国。有时根据微妙的身体特征我就能把这三个国家的人区分开。

 

Outward appearance:

外貌：

 

•Freckles and red hair - very common in the UK, relatively³ common in France, very rare in Germany.

雀斑和红头发——在英国很常见，法国一般多，德国很少见。

 

•Blue eyes - very common in the UK and in Germany, relatively rare in France.

蓝眼睛——在英国和德国很常见，法国相对少一点。

 

•British people are generally taller than French people, and German people are generally taller than British people.

英国人普遍比法国人高，德国人普遍比英国人高。

 

•French people tend to be generally less overweight than in the UK and Germany (or perhaps overweight people in France stay indoors?).

法国人中超重的人一般比英国人和德国人少。（或者可能法国超重的人都不出屋？）

 

•There are also ways people dress, but it's very complex and would take a lot of time to explain. Some items of clothing are just more popular in some countries than in others. For example, German people often wear sandals with their socks on, which is something a French person would normally never do. In Berlin, where I live, people don't really dress a smart as they would in Paris or London. Germans have a reputation for not caring so much about their outward appearance – as long as the clothes are efficient and comfortable, they're happy! They also seem to love sportswear more than anywhere else.

人们穿着也有区别，但这个问题很复杂，解释起来很费时间。有些着装在某些国家比其他国家更流行，比如德国人穿凉鞋时常穿袜子，法国人通常不会这样做。我住在柏林，那里的人们真没有巴黎或伦敦的人穿得时尚。都知道德国人不是很在乎外表，只要衣服得体舒适他们就很开心！他们也似乎比其他任何地区的人都更喜欢运动服。

 

Traits⁴ of character:

性格特点：

 

•The French cannot queue, while the British just seem to love it.

法国人不排队，但英国人就热衷排队。

 

•French people are always late, British people are always on time and German people are always early.

法国人总是迟到，英国人总是守时，德国人总会提前。

 

•French people use their hands a lot more when they speak, and take a lot more time to say something.

法国人说话时总是用手比划，说话更费时间。

 

•French people care a lot about how things are done or said. The British do care about things are done and said, but only in a context⁵ of etiquette⁶ and politeness. Germans just care about how things are done.

法国人很在乎做事或说话的方式，英国人在乎做事和说话要讲规矩、有礼貌，德国人只在乎怎样做事。

 

•The French and the British seem to care more about how things look. For example, food products and packaging.

法国人和英国人好像更关注事情的外在，比如食品和包装。

 

Habits and customs:

习惯和习俗：

 

•French people kiss on the cheeks when saying hello to friends and relatives, whereas⁷ British people do it only with very close friends, and even though very rarely. A lot of them just never do it, even with their family. They don't even shake hands (except perhaps in more formal settings). Germans are somehow in between, but a handshake is usually enough.

法国人跟朋友亲人打招呼时会亲吻对方脸颊，而英国人只会在亲密的朋友间这样做，甚至很少这样做，很多人从来不这样，甚至跟家人也不会。他们甚至不握手（除非是正式场合）。德国人介于两者之间，但通常握手就够了。

 

•When it comes to food, for example in a restaurant, a French person would never think of ordering beer with a meal, which is something totally normal for a German or a Brit.

提到食物，比如在饭店里法国人吃饭从不点啤酒，但对德国人或英国人来说却很正常。

 

•I find Germans the cleanest and most disciplined in public spaces. The French are the worst and the British somehow in between.

我发现德国人在公共场所最干净、最守规矩，法国人在这方面最不好，英国人介于两者之间。

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