It is only five more days to the Beijing Olympics. These days in the US, you cannot open a newspaper, a magazine, turn on a TV or radio without hearing, seeing, or reading about the Beijing Olympics 24/7. Two best TV programs in my opinion are the “Samantha Brown’s passport to China” on the travel channel or “Beijing, are you ready?”on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). The former is a travel guide by a very charming lady who have been doing travel logs for the channel for the past nine years. In this series she features Beijing and Xian. As someone who is very familiar with both cities, I’d say she did a very good job. If the Chinese 宣傳部 wanted to make a film, I doubt they could do it better. The PBS program deals with more sociological issues of Olympics and of China. But again the documentary is probably something the Chinese government will approve – no controversy about Tibet or human rights but honest reporting about people’s lives in Beijing and in China. For example there is an episode of Beijing volunteers, mostly senior retired people, who are busily and earnestly learning English so they can be of help to foreign visitors. Another piece deal with interview with a group of international students studying in Beijing. When asked which country each of them will root for in the Olympics, you of course get the expected answer of their own country, Italy, Norway, etc. However, two American students gave the unexpected answer that they will root for China. Because being there, they understand the extent to which China has gone all out to get Beijing ready. China is a host who has suffered humiliation in the past and now ready to show the rest of the world that  not only she have stood up (as chairman Mao said in ’49) but also ready to show off what she has achieved in the last generation. She wants this huge "coming out" party to be harmonious and successful. As an American I am proud of the perceptions of these two students.

 

On the other hand, I think it is important for China and the Chinese people to understand that most of the media people, in particular the news person, who come to this party are NOT the guest of China. They are supposed to do “balanced” reporting and be objective observers for the good as well as the bad.  Thus, if they report on certain negative aspects of China (and which country does not have faults that can be improved upon), then they are not doing it as China’s guest insulting their host. As guests, China can choose whom to invite. But do you really want an Olympics without any reporters? Instead, China should  try to be politicians in a national election and develop a thick skin (厚瞼皮). Opposing candidates will attack each other fiercely, and yet can remain friends afterwards. As the famous line in the movie “Godfather” – it is business, nothing personal, Much angst can be avoided if Chinese adopt this attitude.

 

Finally, the question inevitably arises as to whom I would be rooting for in this Olympics. As country of my birth and how I was brought up in the classic Chinese scholar tradition (孔夫子的儒家教育), China is my birth parents. But everything I have and accomplished to date (staring form nothing and without the benefit of inheritance, kwei-shi ( 关系) , or wealth) are due to the opportunities made available to me by the US, my adoptive parents. I will always love and honor both. I will only be disappointed if the US and China did not come out of the Olympics as number one-two or two-one – the order won’t matter and can not matter. (Note added 8/24/08: For me the outcome is the best one can hope for. China and the US are one-two in gold medals and two-one in total medal count) We have scheduled a “watch TV” party on the evening of August 8 with other Chinese American friends to have a good time together. Cheers!

还有五天，北京奥运会就要开幕了。最近在美国不管你随便翻开什么报纸、杂志，随便打开什么电视、电台，都能听到、看到或者读到24小时播报的关于北京奥运会的消息。在我看来，美国最好的奥运节目有两个，一个是旅游台的“萨满撒•布朗的去中国的护照”节目，一个是PBS频道的“北京，你准备好了吗？”布朗小姐非常迷人，她为旅游台做导游已经做了九年了。在这个系列里，她介绍了北京和西安这两个城市。我很熟悉这两个地方，我要说她做的真是棒极了。要是中国的中宣部打算拍电影，我很怀疑他们能不能拍得比布朗小姐更好。PBS的节目主要关注的是奥运会和中国的社会学问题。不过这个纪录片中国政府也会喜欢——一点也没谈到富有争议的西藏问题和人权问题，只是忠实地记录了北京居民和中国人的生活。比方说其中有一集是关于北京志愿者的，这些人大都是退休的老人，他们忙着认真学习英语，就为了到时候帮助外国游客。另外一集采访了北京的一群外国留学生。当问到他们会给哪个国家加油助威的时候，很自然的这些人都回答说会给他们的祖国加油，比如说意大利啦、挪威啦，等等。不过有两个美国留学生的回答很出人意料，他们说他们会给中国加油。因为生活在中国，他们能够理解，为了北京奥运会的准备工作，中国做出了多少艰苦的努力。中国作为主办国，过去曾经饱受凌辱，现在她做好了准备，要让全世界知道，她不仅仅站起来了（就像毛主席1949年宣布的那样），而且准备好展示她在过去二十年取得了怎样的成绩。她希望这次“展示”盛会和谐、成功。 作为一个美国人，我很为这两个美国学生的独特视角感到骄傲。
我认为，另外一方面中国和中国人民应该明白，大多数做媒体的人，特别是新闻记者，他们来参加这次盛会可不是作为中国的客人来的。他们按道理讲应该“平衡”报道，作为客观观察者，要既看到好的也看到坏的一面。所以，万一他们报道了中国的某些负面东西，（世上又有哪个国家没有应该改进的地方呢？）他们这样做也不是好像客人侮辱了主人似的。作为客人，中国可以选择邀请谁，不邀请谁，但是你真的希望看到一场没有记者的奥运会吗？相反地，中国应该努力向那些搞全国竞选的政治家们学习，长出一副厚脸皮来。敌对的候选人会猛烈抨击对方，但是事后仍然可以做好朋友。电影“教父”里有一句名言：这只是公事公办，与私交无关。只要中国采取这种态度，就不会这么焦虑担心了。
最后，还有一个必须回答的问题，那就是这次奥运会期间我会为谁加油。中国是我出生的地方，是我的亲身父母，我在那里长大，受中国经典的儒家教育熏陶。但是到目前为止我所拥有的一切和取得的一切成就 ( 我是赤手成家沒有遗產,关係,及财权)，都要感谢美国——我的养父母——给我的机会。我会永远热爱和尊敬这两个国家。如果美国和中国在这次奥运会上没有夺得奖牌总数第一、第二名（或者第二、第一名）的话，我会很失望的，至于到底谁得第一谁得第二对我倒是没关系，也不可能有关系。我们家已经在计划8月8号晚上举行“看电视”派对，邀请其他美籍华人朋友一起开开心。干杯！（科学网 何姣译）

 

相关专题：我看奥运
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