一个沉默的中国人的疑问

下面这首诗歌上了《纽约时报》,作者署名为“一个沉默的中国人”。虽然是节选,但它已经代表了西方主流媒体对这种不同声音的接受。这当然是一个非常好的进步。虽然整首诗歌的语气听上去有点幽怨,有点儿失宠的小媳妇的感觉,但是它至少向西方的读者(主要是美国读者)表达了一种立场,即我们一直都在被你们误解,我们弱小的时候,你们嘲笑侮辱我们;我们想要摆脱弱小、并逐步变得强大的时候,你们诋毁我们;你们观念真的都是正确的吗?你们真的理解我们吗?难道你们就不能真正地来了解我们吗?我想很多西方的读者对这样的基本要求是会表示认同的。这个版本转引自杜然博客,据说是足本:

A Poem Dedicated to the last 150 years of this planet
By a Slient, Silent Chinese.

When We were called the Sick man of Asia,
We were in Peril.
When We were going to be the next Superpower,
We were called The threat.
When We closed our doors,
You smuggled Drugs to our Open Markets.
When We Embraced Freed Trade,
You blamed us for Taking away your jobs.

When We were falling apart,
You marched in your troops and wanted your fair share.
When We were putting our broken pieces together again,
‘ Free Tibet’ you screamed, ‘it was an invasion!’

(Without giving back the Birth Place of Confucius, Woodrow Wilson handed us a ticket for the Famine Relief Ball)

So, We Tried Communism,
You hated us for being Communists.
So, We embraced Capitalism,
You hated us for being Capitalists.
When We had a Billion People,
you said we were destroying the planet.
When We were trying to limited our population,
you said It was a human rights abuse.
When We were Poor,
You called us dogs.

When We Loaned you cash,
You blamed us for your debts.
When We were building our industries,
You called us Polluters.
When we were selling you goods,
You blamed us for global warming.

When We bought oil,
You called that exploitation and Genocide.
When You were fighting for oil,
You called that Liberation.

When We were lost in Chaos and rampage,
You wanted to Rule us with Laws.
When We established laws and orders against Violence,
You called us Violating the Human Rights.

When We were in silent,
You said you wanted us to have the right to Free Speech.
When We were silent no more,
You said we were Brainwashed Xenophobias.

When you invaded Iraq and caused millions of deaths,
It was an Operation of Freedom.
When we called One China,
You said we have no Rights.

Today, you are calling us Hans, Tibetans, Mongolians…
(there are 56 ethnic groups in China!)
100 years ago, you said ‘oh you poor CHINESE people…’

Why do you hate us so much? We asked.
‘No’, You Answered, We dont hate You.
We dont Hate You either, But Do you understand us?
‘Of course We do’, You said, ‘We have AFP, CNN and BBCs’

What do you really want from us? Think Hard first
Think History, not Media

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