From mineral water to water slides, things that are free in some countries often cost in others, sometimes much to the surprise of travellers venturing out of their homeland.

从矿泉水到滑水道，有些东西在其他国家通常都要收费，但在某些国家却是免费的，这种福利有时候会让外国游客喜出望外。

To find out what bargains can be had abroad, we looked to question-and-answer community Quora.com to ask, "What are some things free in your country that you have to buy when visiting other countries?" The answers not only revealed good deals, but a fascinating insight into the local culture.

为了了解国外都有哪些免费福利，我们在问答网站Quora.com提了这个问题：“什么东西在你的国家是免费的，而你在其他国家旅游时却发现要花钱买？”答案中不但透露了很多划算的买卖，而且还让我们窥得一些地方的本土文化。

Northern India and Pakistan

印度北部和巴基斯坦

Pretty much every grocery shop in this part of the world offers a free and generous side of fresh coriander and green chillies, common local ingredients in curries¹ and chutneys.

在世界的这个角落，几乎每家杂货店都会免费提供新鲜胡荽和绿辣椒，要多少给多少，这在当地是做咖喱和酸辣酱的常见佐料。

"In most of northern India… dhaniya-mirch (coriander and chillies) is synonymous with groceries," said Khusrau Gurganvi from Varanasi. So much so that he explained that "Kal dhaniya-mirch lana hai" translates into "I need to buy groceries tomorrow."

“在印度北部的大部分地区，胡荽和绿辣椒和杂货同义。”印度瓦腊纳西的Khusrau Gurganvi说道。

An anonymous² answerer echoed the perk³ within Pakistan. "Whenever you go to buy vegetables, the shopkeeper will give you a handful of free coriander and green chilli," the person said. "If they don't, then all you have to do is ask."

一位匿名用户表示，巴基斯坦也有此福利。“无论什么时候你去买蔬菜，店主都会给你一把免费的胡荽和绿辣椒。如果店主没给，你管他要就是了。”

India

印度

Not every free thing mentioned was a physical object. It seems that in India, people enjoy an unlimited⁴ supply of advice.

本文所提到的免费福利不只局限于实物。在印度，人们似乎能得到无穷无尽的建议。

"In other countries, there are wedding planners. Here, we have aunts, uncles, uncle's uncles to give us advice for free," said Mehul Manot from Calcutta. "In other countries, there are counsellors. Here, we have the ever-poking neighbours: 'You shouldn't take up Arts, it's for girls. Do engineering, you'll earn lakhs per month.'"

加尔各答的Mehul Manot说：“在其他国家有婚礼策划师。在我们国家，有七大姑八大姨，叔叔伯伯舅舅会免费给我们建议。在其他国家，有咨询师。在我们国家，有喜欢指手画脚的邻居告诉我们：‘你不该学艺术，那是女孩们学的。你该学工程学，这样你的月薪才会高。’”

He added that travel agents are replaced by jet-setting cousins, and trendy friends step in for fashion consultants⁵.

他补充说，旅行社代理商的位置被乘喷气客机到处旅游的有钱表兄取代，时髦的朋友们给你充当免费的时尚顾问。

Advice doesn't always have to come from just friends and family, either.

在印度，不只是亲友会给你建议。

"In other countries, you need to pay for consultations⁶, but in India you can get it free of cost at tea stalls, [during] marriages or family functions, [on] trains, buses by almost anyone," said Kanchan Saxena, who currently lives in the United States. "We love giving advice."

“在其他国家，你咨询需要花钱，但在印度你可以在茶水摊、婚礼、家族聚会、火车、公交车上向几乎任何人免费咨询，” 现居美国的Kanchan Saxena 说，“印度人就是喜欢给别人建议。”

United States

美国

Fast food may have originated in the US, but the free condiments⁸ that generously accompany meals haven't always translated to their counterparts overseas.

快餐也许发源于美国，但美国快餐店免费无限量供应的调料却没有随着快餐一起传播到其他国家。

American Jon Baldwin experienced this first hand when visiting a McDonald’s drive-through in the United Kingdom and noticed his bag of food was conspicuously⁹ missing the typical sauce packets.

美国人乔恩•鲍德温在英国的一家麦当劳汽车餐厅第一次体会到了这一点。他注意到他的快餐里面赫然不见了在美国标配的调料包。

"Excuse me, you forgot the ketchup¹⁰," he told the server.

他告诉服务员：“对不起，你忘记给我番茄酱了。”

"Instead of reaching for ketchup packets, she starts typing away on the cash register: 50p."

“但是，服务员没有伸手去拿番茄酱，而是开始在收银机上打上：50美分。”

To make matters worse, the 50p went toward just a single ketchup packet. "In the US, not only do they not charge for ketchup, they hand you like 10 packets when you ask. Literally¹¹ a fist full of ketchup.

更糟的是，50美分只能买一小包番茄酱。“在美国，番茄酱不但不收费，而且你向服务员要的话，他们会给你10包左右。也就是一大把番茄酱。”

Dave Holmes-Kinsella vouched¹² for the fact that his American wife "was driven into fits of rage by the capricious condiment⁷ tax" in his native New Zealand, especially since salt and sugar sides come free.

戴夫•福尔摩斯-金赛拉担保说这是真的，他的美国妻子在他的家乡新西兰时，“因为难以捉摸的调料税大为光火”，尤其在盐和糖都免费的情况下。

Singapore

新加坡

A different kind of condiment is given away in abundance in this small nation.

新加坡这个小国免费给予另一种调料。

"We have unlimited, free access to chilli sauce in any fast food restaurant and any food court," said native Joseph Lee. "We literally eat anything and everything with chilli sauce, from the iconic chicken rice to McDonald’s hamburgers."

新加坡人约瑟夫•李说：“我们在任何快餐店和美食广场都可以免费无限量地获得辣椒酱。我们几乎吃所有东西都要放辣椒酱，从标志性的新加坡鸡饭到麦当劳的汉堡。”

In fact, McDonald’s even makes a "garlic chilli sauce" that’s exclusive to the heat-loving Singapore market.

事实上，麦当劳甚至专门为嗜辣的新加坡人定制了“蒜蓉辣椒酱”。

Australia

澳大利亚

To accompany Australia's great outdoors, the country offers plenty of free things to enjoy outside.

搭配绝妙的户外活动，澳大利亚还有许多可在户外享受的事物。

"Many public parks and national parks have free barbeque hot plates," said Christopher Mardell from Adelaide. "You bring meat and whatever else you want to cook, push a button to start it up and away you go. After 20 minutes or so, they turn off automatically, so you push the button again." All visitors have to do is keep it clean, and Mardell said most people follow this etiquette¹³.

来自阿德莱德的克里斯托弗•马德尔说：“许多公园和国家公园都提供免费的烧烤电炉。你带着肉类和其他任何你想烧烤的食物，按下炉子开关，然后就可以走开。约20分钟后，烤炉就自动关了，你就再按下开关。”所有的使用者都要保持器具的干净。马德尔表示，大多数人都能遵守这一规矩。

In the Northern Territory, residents can enjoy a unique respite¹⁴ from the heat.

而北领地的居民们则用一种独特的方式来缓解炎热。

"As the waters are croc infested¹⁵, residents can cool down by using free water slides," said Jane M, originally from England. Leanyer Recreation Park in Darwin is just one example, with three large water slides (including a 124m-long raft ride) and a water playground and pool – all completely free.

原本来自英格兰的简说：“因为很多水域都有鳄鱼出没，居民们会选择免费的滑水道降温。” 比如北领地首府达尔文市的林依尔休闲公园就拥有三座大型滑水道（包括一个124米长的漂流水道），还有水上乐园和泳池。——这些都是免费的。

Slovakia

斯洛伐克

Tap water might be free in some countries, but true mineral water usually comes at a premium¹⁶. Not so in Slovakia, where mineral springs are everywhere.

自来水在一些国家可能免费，但真正的矿泉水常常售价高昂。不过在斯洛伐克却并非如此，那里的矿泉遍地都是。

"Every region has a number of mineral water sources that are open to the public and free to drink," said Juraj Spisak, who currently lives in Brussels. "Mineral springs in Slovakia each have a particular taste. Some are more sulphuric, others are rich in manganese or iron."

现今住在布鲁塞尔的尤拉伊•斯匹萨克说：“每个地区都有一些矿泉资源是向公众开放的，并且可免费饮用。斯洛伐克的每一眼矿泉都有独特的滋味，有的含硫磺多一些，其他的则富含锰或者铁。”

While it's still possible to buy water in shops, it's common for residents to refill their own bottles at the local springs.

尽管商店里也可以买到水，居民们通常会在当地的泉眼把瓶子重新装满。

Norway

挪威

In this Scandinavian country, very specific laws keep nature – and the enjoyment of it – free for all.

这个斯堪的纳维亚国家有着明确的法律维护自然和享受自然的权利，那就是面向所有人免费。

"We have a set of laws known as the 'Freedom to roam', or actually in a more literal translation as 'Everyman’s right’," said Eivind Kjørstad.

爱文德说：“我们有一套被称为‘自由漫步’的法律，或者确切来讲，可更直接地翻译为‘每个人的权利’。”

These allow residents to have free movement on roads, rivers and lakes; to forage¹⁷ for berries, mushrooms and wildflowers; and to camp overnight -– as long as its 150m from the nearest building.

法律允许居民在道路、河流和湖泊自由活动；去采集浆果、蘑菇和野花；去野营过夜——只要和最近建筑物的距离达到150米。

"We divide land into 'innmark' and 'utmark', which literally translates to ‘infield’ and ‘outfield’," explained Kjørstad. "The distinction is that 'innmark' is cultivated and actively¹⁸ used land such as gardens, fields, parks and roads. 'Utmark' is everything else; mountains, forests, moorland, tundra¹⁹, swamps, beaches, lakes and rivers."

爱文德解释说：“我们将土地划分为‘inmark’和‘utmark’，直译过来是‘內野’和‘外野’。其区别就在于‘內野’是有在耕种的、被积极使用的土地，比如花园、田地、公园和道路。而‘外野’就是此外的一切，高山、森林、荒野、苔原、沼泽、海滩、湖泊还有河流。”

The nature laws apply to anyone anywhere in the utmark, even if the land is privately²⁰ owned.

有关自然的法律在“外野”适用于所有人和所有地方，即使这片土地是私人所有也不例外。