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Yip Sang, a Chinese-Canadian
加拿大籍华人叶春田
The British and Chinese signed the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, each providing their respective subjects with the right to benefit from full security and protection for their persons and property within each other's boundaries.
1842年，中英两国签订《南京条约》，双方为各自的国民提供在彼此的疆域内享有人员和财产受到完全保护的权利。
Even though China did no openly allow emigration, in 1860 a law was passed which stated that Chinese seeking to work in the British Colonies or other places were at liberty to do so.
尽管中国没有公开允许移民出境，但1860年通过的一条法律规定寻求在英国殖民地或其他地方工作的华人有这种移民自由。
They had only to ship themselves and their families on board any British vessel at any of the open ports in China.
他们及其家人只要登上在中国任一个开放港口里的任一艘英国船只即可。1
In 1868, another treaty, this one with the United States, gave the Chinese the right to change their home and loyalty from one country to another for the purposes of curiosity, of trade, or as permanent residents, thereby opening the gates for emigration from China.
868年，另一个条约--一个与美国签订的条约--给予那些观光、贸易或永久定居为目的的华人将家庭及对国家的效忠从一个国家转移到另一个国家的权利，从而打开了从中国移民出境的大门。
The gold boom in British Columbia in the 1850's was the beginning of Chinese immigration from the U.S. into Canada.
1850年，不列颠哥伦比亚省的淘金热开始了华人从美国移民到加拿大的历程。
Many of these early immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong provinces to San Francisco.
在这些早期移民中间，很多人是从福建省、广东省乘船到达旧金山的。
When they heard of the gold discoveries in British Columbia, many crossed the border into Canada by moving overland through Oregon or arriving by sea in Victoria.
当听说在不列颠哥伦比亚省发现了金矿，很多人从陆路穿越俄勒冈州，过边境进入加拿大，或者乘船到达维多利亚港。
When the gold deposits were depleted, these early settler stayed, moving into occupations like gardening, farming, domestic service, road construction, and railway building.
当金矿被淘尽的时候，这些早期的定居者留了下来，转而从事园艺、农业、家政服务、道路和铁路建设等行业。
By 1871, these were approximately 3,000 Chinese inhabitants in the province, only 53 of whom being women.
到1871年，这个省大约有3000名华裔居民，其中只有53名妇女。
Since Chinese workers were know to be conscientious and reliable, several companies actively recruited them.
因为华人劳工以勤劳守信闻名，多家公司争相雇佣他们。
As a result, it was estimated that 10,000 workers arrived between 1882 and 1884.
结果，在1882年至1884年期间，估计来了10000名工人。
In an effort to restrict the entry of Chinese immigrants, an act was passed in the Canadian Parliament confining the proportion to one person for every 50 tons of vessel tonnage. A head tax was also imposed.
为了有效地限制华人入境，加拿大国会通过了一项法令，限制每50吨排水吨位只能运载1人，还征收人头税。
Records of those who paid the head tax are still available for viewing in the National Archives of Canada.
那些交了人头税的人，其档案至今还可以在加拿大国家档案馆查阅到。
An article in the Illustrated London News in January 1875 gave some insight into the emigration process of the Chinese by conveying the ideas of changes they might undergo.
1875年1月刊登在《伦敦新闻画报》上的一篇文章，通过揭示华人一些观念的改变，对移民过程做了某些深层的透视。
The author thought the modifications would be slight and principally external.
其作者认为，他们的变化是很小的，而且基本上都是外在的。
He believed that, in an attempt to blend in, the Chinese would adopt American language, culture, and dress.
他相信在努力融入当地社会的过程中，华人接受了美洲的语言、文化和服饰。
However, because the Chinese brought with them a strong sense of their own identity, it wasn't necessary for them to cultivate a North American way of life, nor did they feel an obligation to abandon their traditions.
然而，因为华人总是带有一种对他们自己身份的强烈认同感，要他们养成北美的生活方式是没有必要的，他们也认为没有义务放弃自己的传统。
Much of the article would be considered insulting by today's standards.
以今天的标准来看，这篇文章的大部分内容可以被认为是带有侮辱性的。
In the United States, there were two opposing points of view.
在美国，存在两种对立的观点。
On one side of the coin, the Chinese were seen as an inexpensive means of providing the manual labor necessary to develop the assets of the country, most often in hazardous occupations.
一方面，华人被看成廉价的劳动力，为这个国家的财富积累提供了必要的人力资源，大多数通常从事危险的职业。
On the other side, there were those who branded them as the "curse" of the nation.
另一方面，又有人污蔑他们是这个国家的“祸根”。
Some Americans applauded the Chinese but others condemned them as evil. Some were disturbed by what might happen if all the immigrants decided to stay.
有些美国人赞扬中国人，另一些人则指责他们是恶棍。还有些人忧心忡忡于如果所有移民都决定留下来可能会发生的问题。
Their distress was unfounded however, as most Chinese had no intention of staying. Their greatest wish was to accumulate as much money as possible and return to China.
然而，他们的担心毫无道理，因为大多数华人并没打算留下来。他们最大的愿望就是尽可能地攒钱，然后回到中国。
Guilds were set up to provide lodging and employment for the emigrants, for a fee of course.
为移民提供食宿和就业的行会建立了起来，当然，这是要付钱的。
The fee ensured that the worker would be paid a decent wage and that his employer would not deceive him.
所付费用可以保证工人得到合理的工资，不受雇主欺骗。
The accumulated fees amounted to a large sum, allowing the Guilds to help those who were ill or out of work.
会费累积到很大一笔的时候，行会就能够帮助生病或失业的人。
They not only saw that the worker received whatever was due to him, they also made him pay all his debts.
他们不仅要注意工人是否得到应得的收入，还要使他还清所有的债务。
The worker wasn't allowed to return to his own country without a certificate from his agent stating he owned nothing.
没有其代理人出具的无欠债的证明，工人是不允许回到自己国家的。
Many Chinese were able to save a portion of their earnings to take with them to their family back home.
很多华人能够存下一部分收入，回家时带回他们的祖国。
Often, after workers returned to China, they would revisit North America to accumulate more money.
工人们回到中国后，常常会再次到北美挣更多的钱。
Before being allowed to board a ship in China, however, they had to prove that they were going to their own free will and were under no labor contract.
然而，在中国，被允许上船之前，他们必须证明自己是自愿走的，并不是受劳动合同的约束。
Before the ships set sail, the authorities would visit to guarantee that all on board had their ticket stamped and were not leaving the country against their will.
在开船之前，当局会上来检查，保证船上所有的人都检过票，并且不是违反他们的意愿离开这个国家的。
