美国人如何看待北京奥运会？
丹 奇
2008年8月9日
NBC出于商业的考虑未现场直播2008奥运会开幕式，我们在焦急的等待中度过了慢长的十二个小时后，终于观赏到了这台美轮美奂，无与伦比的奥运开幕式。世界各国的媒体已经竭尽全力寻找最能表达这次盛会的词语来赞美她。我心骄傲，我心自豪。我的祖国和人民向全世界证明：当初授予主办权是正确的选择。中国人民用集体的智慧和奉献精神向全世界兑现了七年前的承诺。我们不可避免地又一次含泪观看了这个令人难忘的时刻。我仍然沉浸在那浩浩长卷所展示的泱泱五千年的意境之中，美不胜收，目不暇接。
七年前，我的先生罗杰思奈德撰文赞美中国获得奥运会主办权并发表在美国主流媒体“俄勒冈人报”上。七年后的今天，噙泪观看完盛大的北京奥运会开幕式后，罗杰又一次在他的手提电脑里写下了“民族的骄傲，人民的胜利“的文章，表达了他对北京奥运会开幕式顺利成功的欣喜，并对那些拿中国的人权和宗教说事的人发表了自己的见解。
他的观点在主流社会颇有代表性，我仅在此将他的文章翻译并与大家分享（英文原稿附在后面）：
民族的骄傲，人民的胜利
罗杰.思奈德
2008年8月9日
七年前,我写了一篇关于中国被授予2008奥运会主办国的文章。自从写下那些文字，好像过了一个世纪。
自那以后的岁月里，直到北京奥运会，关于中国主办2008奥运会的质疑和嚣张气氛一直继续发酵着。 世界各国（包括这里美国）的许多声音竭尽所能，对中国在言论自由，宗教，西藏问题以及人权方面的缺点进行曝光。一些国家领导人甚至威胁要杯葛开幕式（尤其是法国总统萨科齐），也有人利用出席开幕式作为肥皂合来责打中国政府（如布什总统）。
所有这些人和某些国家领导人的行为完全违背了奥林匹克精神及其传统。两千年前，希腊产生了举办奥林匹克运动会的想法，所有的国家都获得了邀请。那些在战争中的邻国都会号召暂时休兵以参加运动会。这是一个理想，当然现在很难达成。令这个理想更难达成的是人们根本就不去实践这个理想。相反，他们情愿往主办国身上堆砌轻蔑而不是拥抱这个理想和奥运会精神。他们宁可利用奥运会这个机会来达到个人政治目的或自以为是地指责中国的所谓毛病。
当然，中国是有缺点。但是，中国总算走过漫长的道路成为国际社会的一员并终于成为世界第三大经济体。中国的生活水平是人类历史上提高得最快的，这是一个十三亿人民每年的增长率达到9%的经济体。
我对那些尖刻地拿中国说事的人有看法是因为同样是这些领导人和其他人并没有意识到这些正是他们自己国家的毛病。比如法国，实施的移民法严厉到可以认为是种族主义和反穆斯林。美国不经审判就把人囚禁在关塔纳摩达五年之久。美国不宣而战打击伊拉克的军事力量，浪费宝贵的资源和他们的年轻人的鲜血和生命。上周，美国违反日内瓦公约，在德州休斯顿处决了一名非法移民。日内瓦公约保障外国人，不管合法还是非法，都有权寻求其祖国领事馆的帮助。美国此举基本上是对世界其余地区说“见鬼去吧”和 “我们想干啥就干啥，哪管什么公约”。
现在，所有这些事情正是这些人和一些领导人对中国说三道四的内容。其实他们自己的国家也有许多问题—除了他们不必忧心如何管理一个有着十三亿人口五十六个民族的国家之外。扔石头容易，但要把石头接住就不容易了。
把奥运会政治化，除了让批评者自己难看外，没有任何意义。当我在观看开幕式时，看到法国总统萨科齐在那，美国总统布什也在，我不免想到，到人家家里做客却说主人的坏话，那是多么的糟糕。
我母亲教导过我“你自己家里乱七八糟的时候，不要费心去清洁你的邻居的房子”。她还教过我 “如果你不会说好话，那就干脆啥也别说”。当时是好的建议，现在是伟大的建议。我建议那些指责中国的人重视这个建议。它对你会有用的。
无论世界各地中国的对手如何在七年里不断挑起紧张气氛，无论他们多么努力地破坏这次的奥运会，中国呈上了一个伟大的开幕式，一个令所有见证了这个伟大时刻的人们终生难忘的开幕式。如果说开幕式壮观和令人震撼，都不足以表达其意义。如果说这是最伟大的奥运会开幕式----一点都不为过。
七年前，我撰文说中国配得主办奥运会。昨晚，他们不但证明了他们值得。更为将来的奥运会树立了榜样。
“谢谢”中国，你们的奥运会开幕式令人叹为观止，令我终生难忘！
（英语原文）：
Pride of a Nation
Success of the people
By Roger D. Snyder
August 9, 2008
Seven years ago I wrote a brief article about China being awarded the 2008 Olympics. It seems an eternity ago that I wrote those words.
In the days and years since that time, leading up to the Olympics in Beijing, tensions and questions continued to be raised about China hosting the 2008 Olympics. Many voices around the world (including here in the U.S.A.) did all they could to spotlight China’s short comings regarding freedom of speech, religion, Tibet and human rights. Some leaders even threatened to boycott the opening ceremony (French President Sarkozy in particular) while others used their attendance as a soap box to chastise the Chinese government (President Bush specifically).
All of the actions of those people and leaders is contrary to the Olympic spirit and tradition. Over 2000 years ago the Greeks had the idea of the Olympics and that all countries were invited. Neighbors who were at war would call a truce to participate in the games. It’s an ideal, certainly, something hard to attain. What makes it harder to attain is when people fail to even try to practice the ideal. Instead they prefer to heap scorn on the hosts nation and rather than embrace the “ideal” and the “spirit of the games” they prefer to use the games as an opportunity for their own political gain or point out what that they consider being China’s short comings.
Certainly, China has short comings. But, it has also come an enormous way towards being part of the international community and the third largest economy in the world. The standard of living in China has grown at the fastest rate in the history of man kind, an economy that grows 9% per year with over 1.3 billion people.
The issue I have with people throwing words at China that cut like a knife is that those same leaders and people fail to recognize the short comings of their own countries. France, for instance has instituted immigration policies that are so stringent that they can be construed as racist and anti Muslim. The U.S. jailed people without trials in Guantanamo Bay for over 5 years. The U.S. preemptively strikes out militarily in Iraq wasting its precious treasure and the blood of its youth. The U.S. executed a man in this past week Houston, Texas who was an illegal alien in violation of its own treaty under the Geneva Convention which guarantees Consulate access to foreign nationals, legal or not, accused of a crime. So, the U.S., and Texas specifically, essentially said to the rest of the world “go to hell” and “we’ll do what we want regardless of a treaty”.
Now, all of these things are the same things those other leaders and people say about China, but their own countries have the same problems – except they don’t have to worry about managing a country with over 1 billion people and 56 different ethnicities. It’s easy to throw stones; it’s much harder to catch them.
Politicizing the Olympics serves no purpose except to make those who criticize look bad. As I watched the opening ceremony and saw French President Sarkozy there, and President Bush, too, I couldn’t help but think how bad it looks talk bad about your host.
My mother taught me “don’t worry about cleaning your neighbors’ house when your own is still cluttered”. She also taught me “If you can’t speak something good it’s better to not speak at all”. Good advice then, great advice now. I advise those who pick on China to heed this advice. It will serve you well.
Despite all of the tensions raised in the past 7 years by China’s nemesis around the world, and despite their best efforts to sabotage these games, China put on an opening Ceremony that will be remembered long after those who witnessed it are gone. To say the ceremony was spectacular or stunning would be an understatement. To say it was the grandest Olympic opening ceremony ever – would be the truth.
Seven years ago I wrote that China deserved to host an Olympics.
Last night they not only proved they deserved it but they indeed set the standard for all future Olympics.
“Xie Xie” China for an opening Olympic ceremony that was breath-taking and I will never forget it.(end)
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