美国青年给中国青年的十八条建议

　　
　　这是一个美国小伙子所写，他现在在中国工作，一直对中国的事情很热心。我们中国的青年，实在是太需要与这个世界沟通了。


　　出于他自己在中国的所见所闻所感，这位美国青年写道：“近来发生的一切并不能带给中国尊敬或荣耀。相反地，在外人眼里，这些行为使中国看上去既不开化又粗鲁无礼（uncivilized and brutish）。我想帮助我的中国朋友，尤其是那些旅居海外的人，帮助他们学习如何恰当的处理西方的政治争议，这样他们就能更好的让外人了解他们的祖国，修补中国的国际形象……衷心祝愿北京奥运会成功！”


　　在建议开始之前，他说“我有些担心我所写的东西有点儿‘训导’的味道”( I'm a little concerned that what I wrote might seem patronizing. )

　　下面就是他的详细建议，共五段十八条：


　　一、如果你看到西方媒体的反华失实报道：


　　1.给该节目编辑写一封有礼貌的信，指出问题所在，用逻辑来支撑你的观点。（要文明的体面的表达你的观点，给编辑写信是个好办法 --- 而且你的信可以被免费发表出来，让更多人看到）

　　DO write a polite letter to the editor to point out the problem, giving a logical argument to support your position. （Letters to the editor are a respectable, civilized way to express your opinion—and you can get it published for free）


　　2.如果某些照片或视频片段是错误的或具误导性的，自己制作一段冷静的、有信息含量的视频解释为什么那些东西是错的。（人们愿意观看冷静理性的视频并从中学习）

　　DO make a calm, informative video that explains why a photograph or media clip is wrong or misleading. （People are willing to listen to and learn from calm, reasonable videos）


　　3.不要写怒气冲冲的、丧失理性的充满了个人攻击和共产主义政治魔咒的抗议信。（如果你的信怒气冲冲，人们不会尊重你的观点。人身攻击时歇斯底里的表现，会被置之不理。共产话语的特点一目了然，如果人们认为你只是简单的重复政府的宣传的话，没人会搭理你）

　　DON’T write an angry, irrational protest letter with an argument based upon ad hominem attacks and Communist political mantras.（If you write an angry letter, your opinion will not be respected. Ad hominem attacks

　　(irrelevant criticism of a person’s character) will be rejected as desperate. Communist language is very easy to spot, and people will disregard you if they think you are simply repeating government propaganda.）


　　4.不要制作怒气冲冲毫无逻辑的视频，目的就想告诉西方观众他们是白痴。（如果一个人试图通过侮辱你的方式纠正你，你一般很难接受，尤其这种纠正还毫无逻辑可言，这段YOUTUBE上的视频就是绝佳的反面教材。它不止侮辱了观众，还大肆宣扬一些毫无根据和逻辑的论断，比如CIA现在还在支持打来拉马。）

　　DON’T make a video that makes angry, illogical statements and tells the Western viewer he is an idiot. （It is difficult to accept correction from a person who insults you, especially if he does it illogically. This video on YouTube is a perfect example of what NOT to do. It insults the viewer and makes unsupported and illogical claims, such as saying the CIA still provides support to the Dalai Lama.）


　　5.对那些进行了不实报道的媒体，一不要呼吁禁止，二不要暴力攻击。（有一点很重要，西方媒体并不受政府掌控，所以不要太把它们的错误和偏见当回事儿。保护言论自由同样要保护那些错误和不公正的言论，为使我们免受政府暴政之害，记住这一点很重要）

　　DON’T call for bans or violent attacks against publications or broadcasters who make unfair statements. （It is very important to remember that since Western media are not controlled by the government, their errors and biases should not be taken so seriously. Freedom of speech even covers speech that is unfair or wrong; this is an important protection against government tyranny.）



　　二、如果一个外国人和你在西藏问题上意见不一致：


　　6、尊重人们不同的文化，知道他的政治观点和道德观念与你不同。（举个例子，美国人通常对各种“独立”运动都抱积极态度，因为他们认为今天美国的好日子完全归功于美国的独立。还有，别国的人通常对政府抱有更多的怀疑，尤其是对中国中央政府这样的极权政府）

　　DO respect the fact that the person’s culture is different, and that he views political and moral issues differently. （For example, Americans often have a positive view of “independence” movements because they think of all the good things that came from American independence. Also, people from some countries are more suspicious of government, especially authoritarian governments like the central government of China）


　　7、请记住他没有长在中国，所以他接触的是关于藏藏的不同信息，其中的某些比你在中国得到的更准确。（在学习藏藏体验藏藏文化方面，中国人的优势在于你们有更多机会，而外国人的优势在于他们可以不受中国政府的宣传、审查和欺骗的干扰）

　　DO realize that since he didn’t grow up in China, he has access to different information about Tibet, some of which is more accurate than what you learned in China. （Chinese people have the advantage of having better opportunities to study and experience Tibet. Foreigners have the advantage of learning about Tibet without the interference of Chinese government propaganda, censorship, and deceit.）


　　8、与之友好的辩论，晓之以实动之以理。（可以争论，不要感情用事，最好是你们都能从中学习）

　　DO have a friendly debate based on facts and logic.（Have a little debate. Don’t get emotional. Hopefully you will both learn something.）


　　9、不要直斥别人所知的所有都是错的。（他对西藏所知的一点一滴未必都是错的，善意的纠正比直斥别人无知更有礼貌）

　　DON’T tell the person that everything he knows is wrong. （The person is probably not wrong about everything regarding Tibet, and it is more polite to gently correct than to tell him that he is ignorant.）


　　10、当你手头没有证据时，就别把话说绝。（“西藏过去是、现在是永远是中国的一部分”就是一个不完整的判断。对于西藏与中国的联系你必须提供有说服力的历史证据）

　　DON’T make absolute statements that you cannot readily support. （“Tibet was, is and always will be a part of China” is not a complete argument. You must provide convincing historical evidence of the ties between Tibet and China.）



　　三、如果一个中国人和你在西藏问题上有分歧

　　11、要尊重观点的不同，尝试理解为何有人与官方意见不同。（再次强调，我认为“不同”是最好的老师）

　　DO talk about your differences of opinion respectfully and learn why some people disagree with the official Chinese position. （Once again, I think it is best to try to learn from someone with different opinions.）


　　12、不要直斥别人为“卖国贼”，并以暴力威胁对方及其家庭的安全。（与中国政府意见不同并不等于叛国，暴力或威胁使用暴力永不可恕！他们让中国看上去既不文明又凶巴巴。中国人对待他们同胞杜克大学的王千源的方式让我不寒而栗）

　　DON’T denounce the person as a “traitor” and threaten him or his family with violence. （Disagreeing with the Chinese government is different from betraying China. Violence or threats of violence are never excusable, and they make China seem nasty and uncivilized. I was appalled at the way Grace Wang at Duke was treated by her fellow Chinese citizens.）



　　四、如果抗议者干扰了奥运火炬传递


　　13、 对那些少数处于政治目的干扰火炬传递的人，要表达你的失望和不安。（你也许会发现很多人同样对这次奥运被如此政治化表示失望，但很多人也确实认为中国政府“出来混久了该还点儿了”）

　　DO express your dismay that a small number of people have decided to disrupt the torch relay for political purposes. （You will probably find many people who are also disappointed that the Olympics have become so political—but many people also think that the Chinese government deserves to be embarrassed.）


　　14. 问问你的朋友他们是否认为这种干扰有情可原，如果他们的观点与你不同，要在尊重的基础上互相讨论。（反正奥运已经被如此政治化了，正可以借此讨论这政治化应该到何为止？）

　　DO ask your friends if they think these disruptions are acceptable, and have a respectful discussion if your opinions differ.Since the Olympics have already become so political, the attacks on the torch provide a good starting point to discuss what the limits to this politicization should be.


　　15、别把火炬受干扰当成那整个城市或国家不可饶恕的罪过。（火炬在巴黎和三藩受阻并不代表大部分法国人和美国人就是反华的，他们中的大多数根本就是漠不关心。没有确凿证据之前，也不能责怪法国和美国政府）

　　DON’T behave as though disrupting the Olympic torch relay is an unforgivable sin on the part of an entire city or nation.（The fact that the torch relay was disrupted in Paris and San Francisco doesn’t mean that most French or most Americans are anti-China. Most of them don’t really care. You can’t blame the French or American governments, either, without serious evidence.）


　　16、不要试图通过抵制和暴力骚乱“惩罚”外国公司。（为了她的某些民众所为就“惩罚”这个国家是错误的，抵制家乐福对家乐福影响有限但很可能伤害到其中中国员工的利益，以及在家乐福出售产品的中国公司的利益。在家乐福组织骚乱真的让中国看上去非常落后和愚蠢）

　　DON’T try to “punish” foreign companies with boycotts and violent mobs.Not only is wrong to try to “punish” a country for an insult made by some of its citizens, boycotting Carrefour will not hurt Carrefour much and will mostly hurt Carrefour’s Chinese employees, and the Chinese companies whose products are sold at Carrefour. Forming violent mobs at Carrefour makes China look really backward and stupid.



　　五、如果某人侮辱了“中国”或“中国人民”


　　17、当这人说“中国”或“中国人民”时，弄清楚他的意思是不是“中国中央政府”。（用“中国”指代“中国政府”的用法非常普遍，就像人们也常用“美国”指代“美国政府”一样。当西方人批评中国政府时他们并不是在批评全体中国人，他们知道中国人不能选择自己的政治领导人）

　　DO think carefully about whether the person means “the Chinese central government” when he says “China” or “the Chinese.” （It is very common to say “China” when speaking about the Chinese government, just like one would say “the US” when talking about the US government. Furthermore, when Westerners criticize China’s government they are not blaming all Chinese; they realize that the Chinese people do not choose China’s political leaders.）


　　18、对一个在很多事情上都习惯口出狂言的人，别把他当回事儿。（像Jack Cafferty, Lou Dobbs 和 Bill O’Reilly这些人，他们的职业就是口出狂言，要靠这个养家糊口。他们把那些愚蠢冒失的话挂在嘴边是为了吸引眼球。所以当他们对中国胡说八道时，最好的办法是置之不理而不是呼吁严惩。就因为某人在电视上说了些关于中国的蠢话就如此敏感，多荒唐啊！）

　　DON’T feel like you need to respond if the person frequently makes outrageous statements on other topics. （People like Jack Cafferty, Lou Dobbs and Bill O’Reilly are paid to be provocative. They say silly, offensive things all the time because more people will watch them. So when they say something silly and offensive about China, the best response is to roll your eyes, not to call for severe punishment. Americans think it’s ridiculous how sensitive the Chinese are about one man saying some dumb things about China on TV.）