COSTA MESA, Calif. — On a hot summer day, nearly two dozen Chinese tourists descended from a white shuttle bus for an afternoon of shopping at one of Southern California's signature upscale malls.
加利福尼亚科斯塔梅萨——一个炎热的夏天，20多名中国游客从一辆白色班车上下来，打算花一下午的时间，在南加州最具标志性的一座高端商场购物。
One tourist conferred with a salesman at South Coast Plaza about a plum-colored, $610 Prada handbag while fellow visitors on the 10-day tour sauntered through the mall, each with their sole child in tow, after a morning of whale watching off the California coast.
一名游客在南海岸广场(South Coast Plaza)与售货员谈论一只紫红色的售价610美元（约合3754元人民币）的普拉达(Prada)手提包，而其他参加这个10天旅程的游客则在商场里闲逛，每个人都牵着独生的孩子。他们上午刚刚在加州海岸观看了鲸鱼表演。
It's a common scene at the popular destination in Orange County, which is doing what it can to keep buses filled with Chinese tourists coming. To make them feel at home, it accepts China's UnionPay card and provides Mandarin-speaking salespeople.
这在热门旅游目的地奥兰治县(Orange County)是常见景象。奥兰治县正在竭尽所能地让满载着中国游客的大巴不断到来。为了让中国人有宾至如归之感，它还接受中国银联卡，并配有讲普通话的销售人员。
From the mall's shops to tourist spots that offer maps and brochures in Mandarin to hotels serving congee, or rice porridge, for breakfast, businesses in California are trying to entice the growing numbers of Chinese tourists coming to the U.S. to visit the state — and spend money.
从商场里的商店，到提供中文版地图和宣传册的旅游景点，再到提供粥当早餐的酒店，加州企业正试图把越来越多来美国旅游的中国游客吸引到加州——并让他们花钱。

Tourism from China to the U.S. has soared since the countries signed an agreement in 2007 promoting travel. More than 1.8 million Chinese visited last year, a three-fold increase in five years. By 2018, the number is expected to surpass 4 million, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
自从2007年中美两国签订一项旨在推动旅游业发展的协议以来，前往美国的中国游客就开始大量增加。去年共有180万以上的中国游客来到美国，在五年内增加了三倍。美国商务部(Department of Commerce)表示，这个数字预计到2018年将超过400万。
California, the No. 1 destination, holds particular allure due to its proximity to China, theme parks and sunny weather. Nearly half of all Chinese tourists make a stop in the state.
作为最受欢迎的目的地，加州因为邻近中国，再加上它拥有主题公园和阳光灿烂的天气，所以极具吸引力。有将近一半的中国游客都要在加州停留。
Haybina Hao, of the National Tour Association, which qualifies U.S.-based tour operators to receive Chinese tour groups under the 2007 agreement, said the tourists are keen to see how a relatively young country like the U.S. developed so quickly and became so prosperous.
美国国家旅游协会(National Tour Association)是根据2007年的协议为接待中国旅游团的美国旅行社颁发资格证的组织。该组织的赫比娜·郝(Haybina Hao)说，游客非常想看看一个像美国这样相对年轻的国家为何会发展得这么快，又为何会变得如此繁荣。
"Until they have visited U.S.A., they don't feel they have done their international travel yet," Hao said. "They need to see it and put themselves in the photograph, so they can prove they have done this."
“如果没有来过美国，他们觉得自己好像没出国旅游过一样，”赫比娜·郝说。“他们要亲眼看看美国，然后把自己拍进照片，这样他们才能证明自己做过这件事。”
During their travels, they each spend an average of $5,400, 21 percent more than the average for all overseas tourists.
在此次旅行中，他们每人的平均花费为5400美元，比所有外国游客的平均值高21%。
"We see tremendous potential," said Nick Hentschel, vice president of AmericanTours International LLC. He said 15 percent of the company's business now stems from China compared to virtually none a little more than five years ago.
“我们看到了巨大的潜力，”美国国际旅游有限责任公司(AmericanTours International LLC)的尼克·亨切尔(Nick Hentschel)说。他说目前公司业务有15%都来自中国，而五年多以前几乎为零。
Hentschel said China is the only country where ATI, which originally focused on tourism from Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, has opened a local office. "But it is cutthroat," he said, adding that some tour operators slashed prices to vie for a place in the Chinese market.
ATI开始关注的是来自西欧、澳大利亚和新西兰的旅游业务。亨切尔说，中国是唯一一个ATI在当地设有办公室的国家，“但是很残酷，”他还说为了在中国游客市场争得一席之地，一些旅行社大幅降价。
At first, tours from China mostly included older people, some who had saved for years to make the trip. But now more also include middle-aged parents bringing their only child to see America and school groups of teens who tour during summer break.
最初，中国来的游客大多是上了年纪的人，其中一些人为了一趟旅行积攒了很多年。但现在，游客中带独生子女来见识美国的中年父母，以及放暑假的青少年组成的学校团体更多了。
Many are eager to visit Disneyland and snap photographs at landmarks such as the Hollywood sign and San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. They enjoy trying American foods — steak is a favorite — and taking advantage of cheaper prices for designer goods.
许多人渴望去迪士尼乐园(Disneyland)，在好莱坞标志以及旧金山的金门大桥(Golden Gate Bridge)等标志性建筑旁拍照。他们乐于尝试美国食物——牛排最受欢迎——购买价钱更实惠的名牌商品。
"It's shopping paradise," said 35-year-old Cici Chen on a stop at Disney California Adventure. Chen said she planned to fill up her suitcases on her California vacation before returning to Shanghai.
“这里是购物天堂，”35岁的陈琦琦（音译）说。在迪士尼加州冒险乐园(Disney California Adventure)游玩的她说自己打算在结束在加州的度假、回上海之前，把几个箱子都装满。
In the early years, Disney officials traveled to China to try to explain to the elder generations what the park was about since many weren't as familiar with American stories and movies as are younger visitors today.
早年，迪士尼的员工前往中国，尝试向老一代人解释迪士尼乐园是怎么回事，因为许多人不像如今更年轻的游客那么熟悉美国的故事和电影。
"A challenge was many of our Chinese guests were not familiar with the Disney stories," said Nicky Tang, director of Asia Pacific sales for Disney Destinations, of the older generation of tourists. "They grew up not knowing who Snow White is or Cinderella or Peter Pan."
“当时的挑战是，我们的中国游客中许多都不熟悉迪士尼的故事，”迪士尼亚太地区销售总监邓庆玲(Nicky Tang)指的是老一辈游客。“他们在成长过程中不知道白雪公主(Snow White)、灰姑娘(Cinderella)和彼得·潘(Peter Pan)是谁。
Many Chinese tourists see America from large tour buses, while some travel in smaller groups or rent cars to explore on their own. Others come on trips sponsored by employers as job-related perks, and travel in huge groups.
很多中国游客从旅游大巴上欣赏美国，还有一些则是跟着规模小一些的旅游团，或是自己租车游历。其他一些人的旅行则是和工作有关的特殊待遇，由雇主出资赞助，会成群结队地出行。
A 7,000-strong contingent held a two-day meeting in Southern California earlier this year and then fanned out to travel across the region. A group more than twice that size is expected in California next year, said Ed Fuller, president of the Orange County Visitors Association.
今年早些时候，一个7000人的庞大团体在南加州举行了一次为期两天的会议。会议结束后，这些人四散而去，在加州各地旅行。奥兰治县旅游观光协会(Orange County Visitors Association)主席埃德·富勒(Ed Fuller)表示，明年加州预计会迎来一个规模是其两倍多的团体。
Zhang Huan, 42, was among those touring Disney California Adventure with his wife, mother-in-law and 11-year-old son. He said he budgeted $20,000 for the family's first U.S. trip. While the itinerary mostly focused on leisure, Zhang said he was also looking forward to making a stop with his son at a college campus.
42岁的张欢（音译）是迪士尼加州冒险乐园的游客之一。和他同行的有妻子、岳母和11岁的儿子。他说自己为一家人的首次美国之旅安排的预算是2万美元。尽管旅行计划主要重在休闲，但张欢说他也期望和儿子去某个大学校园看看。
He hopes it's not the last visit there.
他希望这不是最后一次美国之旅。
"If he can study hard, he can go to Stanford," Zhang said.
“如果努力，他或许能上斯坦福，”张欢说。