周黎明 (Raymond Zhou's bilingual blog) 用中文写娱评，用英文写时评

狭隘的文物保护心理：宁可在自己手中毁灭，也不能在他人家里兴旺

Be sincere in preservation of cultural artefacts
By Raymond Zhou

What is the use of a house if you don't have the money to maintain it and it's probably doomed to destruction?

Well, by selling it to someone who plans to move it to Europe, you can raise public awareness to such an extent that local officials put it on the endangered list.

This was what happened in July when an old house in Anhui Province suddenly got elevated to the status of "a cultural relic."

"Green Screen Abode" is a 200-year-old teahouse that has fallen into disrepair. "We had to sell it because we have no means to keep it in working condition. But once it is outside China, it'll be protected as a museum for tea," said the original owner.

The new buyer, a corporate executive, planned to move the house to Sweden piece by piece, then reassemble it and restore it to its former splendour.

But that was before the building got special attention.

For me, the whole story is ironic: If a foreign relocation scheme had not surfaced, this house would most probably have crumbled like many others in similar situations. As a local official put it, "We're a poor county. We don't have the financial resources to protect the designated relics, let alone private properties scattered here and there."

Even in the nation's capital, whole stretches of the traditional hutong are being razed to make way for so-called "modern" buildings. Countless complaints and protests have been launched, but to no avail. Where are the preservation-minded officials when you need them?

It seems that when purchase by a foreign party is involved, our national psyche can be easily bruised. To use an oft-quoted refrain, that would be "selling a national treasure cheap." But the secret to public aversion towards foreign ownership of things old lies in our embedded sense of history. In the old days when China's door was forced open by Western power, our ancestors did not have the means or even the sense to protect our own heritage. Ancient architectures were pillaged and plundered, and artefacts looted.

But we must realize that things have changed. Now we have laws and regulations designed to preserve and protect, albeit not implemented to everyone's satisfaction. We should overcome the victim mentality when dealing with foreign parties on loans, purchases or relocation of cultural relics.

Those who abide by Chinese laws should not be treated with discrimination. Whoever takes the trouble and expense to move an old house overseas for reassembling surely cherishes the architecture.

As a matter of fact, when it comes to illegal acts of vandalism, such as cutting off a Buddha's head and smuggling it across the border, it is greed and wanton disregard for laws and decency that are at work, by corrupt Chinese and foreign nationals alike.

There is a fundamental difference between someone who bribes a local to steal a piece of an artefact and someone who legally buys something of cultural value and exports it. The role of the government is to spell out what can and cannot be bought for overseas destinations and to guard those irreplaceable items that are an integral part of our cultural inheritance.

I'm not implying the Anhui house should be allowed to be moved to Sweden. I believe our existing laws probably have made it quite clear. But if it is within the realm of protection, local authorities should not have waited until it got into the headlines to act.

My point is, if there is no option for protection by ourselves, I'd rather see it re-erected in Sweden and used an exemplar of Chinese culture than see it fall into decay in its homeland.

Two decades ago, I accompanied a few curators from China on a tour of the San Francisco Asian Art Museum. While walking through the properly air-conditioned and ventilated vault, one of them sighed: "In our museum, this kind of stuff just lies in the backyard with no shelter from rain or wind."

Psychologically, this is not a unique issue for China. In the animated film "Toy Story 2," Woody the toy cowboy falls out of favour with his owner. But a museum in Japan wants to display him and other quintessentially American toys to Japanese kids. Woody resisted the idea of moving at first, but then embraced the prospect of new popularity and possible immortality in a foreign museum.

My conjecture is, if a Chinese government agency had paid for the Anhui house and designated it as an exhibit for Chinese civilization in Sweden, there might have been no controversy.

(China Daily 09/02/2006 page4)

以前每次西方媒体引用我，毫无例外把我视为中国官方的代言人，甚至有人在网上讨论我是否“党的喉舌”。这样的桂冠我实在担当不起。这次英国《卫报》终于把我的话当作个人的观点，不需要我出面解释“专栏只代表个人观点”。要向西方媒体解释清楚中国的事情，真是一件麻烦的事。

Webhunt for 'British bounder'

Jonathan Watts in Beijing
Wednesday August 30, 2006
The Guardian

Chinese internet vigilantes have launched a hunt for a self-professed British bounder who has sparked outrage by blogging about his seduction of women in Shanghai. The campaign to uncover the identity of the blogger and have him kicked out of China is the latest in a series of online denunciations that have drawn comparisons with the humiliations inflicted by mobs during the cultural revolution.

Traffic on the Sex and Shanghai blog has surged from 500 hits to more than 17,000, thanks to a swarm of castration threats, anti-British rants and attacks on women who sleep with foreigners. The author, who calls himself Chinabounder, introduces himself as a wastrel, "lacking in moral fibre, but coping with the situation". According to the posts, he is an English language teacher at a university.

The Guardian's questions to the author went unanswered, and his claims could not be confirmed, but this has not hindered their ability to stir up outrage.

The campaign against the blog was launched on Friday by Zhang Jiehai, professor of psychology in the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences under a post titled The Internet Hunt for an Immoral Foreigner. "I have something to tell Chinese men: please think about how these foreign trash have dallied with your sisters and made fun of your impotence," he wrote. "This piece of garbage must be found and kicked out of China!!!"

Encouraging "netizens and patriots" to investigate the people and the places mentioned in the blog, he set a goal of expelling Chinabounder by October 1. More than 1,500 people are now visiting Prof Zhang's site every hour.

"Trial by virtual lynching has become the norm in China's cyberspace," Raymond Zhou wrote in a comment article in China Daily after previous mass campaigns. He added: "Online 'flaming' wars exist everywhere, facilitated by anonymity. But in China they may have a self-propelling force that sweeps thousands, sometimes millions, into a frenzy. It is nearly impossible, even for the most respected scholars, to give voice to dissension."

Chinabounder condemned the campaign against him, saying many expats and "a goodly number of local men" were no different to him.

Criticism can be sensible exchange
By Raymond Zhou

A philosopher has thrown down the gauntlet and asked a science maverick to a duel. Since we are living in the 21st century, to make it "civilized," in the philosopher's words, whoever loses the contest will commit suicide "in a civilized manner."

You might think this is a plot from a romantic story penned by Pushkin.

But no, it happens in present-day China, and is more of a raucous farce than a play of burning passion and green-eyed jealousy.

The philosopher is Li Ming （黎鸣）, who claims he has solved the "four-colour theorem" by using the theories of Lao Tzu （老子）and Kant （康德）. Actually he cracked the case six years ago. It all boils down to six pages, three for text and three for graphs.

"This is a riddle that perplexed Western scholars for 150 years," Li said in a press interview. "It was not unravelled until they resorted to computers that crunched numbers for 1,200 consecutive hours."

Knowing that a computer can do more calculations in one second than a human can in a lifetime, Li did not bother to compete with the machine, but used his own ingenious method. But he wouldn't reveal how he came to the solution, "for fear of piracy."

"There is no trust in China. There have been so many cases of academic theft. Even published articles could be lifted, let alone scientific discoveries, which would be evident with one glance." That's why Li chose not to publish it, he said.

Fang Zhouzi （方舟子）is China's best-known crusader against academic fraud. The US-trained biologist is like a one-man army who uncovers all kinds of academic misconduct, from doctored credentials to fraudulent research.

Fang questioned the validity of Li's discovery. Publishing the result is the best way to prevent piracy, and other scientists could go ahead to prove it, he said.

But he used a tone that was less than respectful, and hinted that Li is just one of a bunch of "crazy people" in the mathematics field.

Hence the duel, which, as both sides steadfastly maintain, they will win hands down.

Now, I'm no scientist, natural or liberal. I didn't even know what the "four-colour theorem" is. According to Wikipedia - which is inconveniently out of reach from where I work, perhaps to prevent laymen like me from getting into such high-brow brawls - "the four-colour theorem states that given any plane separated into regions, such as a political map of the counties of a state, the regions may be coloured using no more than four colours in such a way that no two adjacent regions receive the same colour."

The conjecture was first proposed in 1852 and was the first major theorem to be proved using a computer, reads the entry, as emailed to me from the US.

Still, I'm no clearer as to whether Li Ming or Fang Zhouzi is in the right. For me, squabbling over an issue of scientific nicety is nothing but normal. But the atmosphere surrounding this tussle is lamentable.

Supporters of both camps get into mud-slinging overdrives more reminiscent of Roman gladiatorial games than the polished sideswipes of an American political campaign. It has been an umpteen-ring circus if you care to follow the blows and counterblows from each camp. Rarely has a scientific controversy received such intensive coverage from the hype-prone carnival that is the Chinese media.

Why can't the two sides sit down and talk it through? They can dispute each other and strengthen their own arguments - online or through academic channels, if not in one room. Maybe one will convince the other, or maybe they'll combine their best points and come up with a better line of logic.

It seems to be that, in China, criticism has to be combative. If you are nice in attitude, you are perceived as being ceremoniously congratulatory or lacking self-confidence. And you won't grab public attention.

Even if you adopt a neutral tone in criticism, your target may still be offended. A lot of people have difficulty separating personal insult from dissension, especially when polite language is eschewed.

That comes from centuries of tradition, when powerful people surrounded themselves with sycophants and finding fault with the boss was tantamount to betrayal.

But don't say this is only a Chinese characteristic. Hollywood stars do exactly the same. However, their insulation is limited. No matter how stellar their performance, there are always reviewers who will carp at them. So, James Cameron of Titanic fame became an anomaly when he publicly vented his anger at the Los Angeles Times film critic.

It's time we elevate the art of giving and taking criticism from malicious attacks to sensible exchanges.

(China Daily 08/26/2006 page4)

Oath absent action turns into parody
By Raymond zhou

Last Sunday, 500 newly recruited civil servants participated in a ceremony in Guangzhou.

They all come from government customs and tax departments, which are deemed "highly vulnerable to corruption." (Actually, the original term is "highly dangerous professions," something that usually refers to construction workers who toil on skyscrapers, nurses who handle contagious diseases and the like.)

Wearing brand-new uniforms, they pledged to "work with loyalty and dedication, abide by the constitution and the laws, execute authorities conferred by the State, refrain from abusing power or seeking self-interest, be supervised by the masses and act as good public servants."

These are indeed noble and high-sounding words. But the problem is, are they useful in holding down the beast of corruption?

Some media commentators praise the oath as a psychological warning. One of the oath-takers told the press that he would think twice before getting into something murky: "I've made a pledge and it has got to have some restraint on me."

Others say this is all pomp and protocol. "The motive is good, but I seriously doubt its effectiveness," reads an article in China Business Times. Many reports listed such ceremonies across the nation and concluded that the public has yet to see the effect.

The most unusual opinion, as reported by CCTV’s morning show “First Time,” suggests that the whole thing should be interpreted as a piece of satire.

“Egao,” or spoof, has been under attack. Ever since someone made a parody of a “red classic,” there have been denunciations and calls to ban the form of grassroots satire.

Many think the vow to keep clean throughout a career is so over-the-top that it amounts to a self-parody. It also fits squarely into the classic Chinese idiom, “No money hidden here.”

As the folk tale goes, a man fears that burglars would steal his 300 taels of silver, so he buries the money underground and puts up a sign with the above words. Then, a neighbour with similar reasoning purloins it and leaves a note: “Your neighbour Ah Er did not steal it.”

It is sad that a pledge to resist corruption is automatically met with scepticism and derision. But it shows how widespread and taken for granted corruption is in our society. There was a time when most took such promises seriously. But like it or not, we have moved from "the Age of Innocence" into "the Gilded Age."

That is the breeding ground for cynicism. What used to be solemn and sincere words now sound bombastic at best and downright hypocritical at worst.

Despite good intentions, many of the rituals held sacred by the old generation do not apply in this time and day. People demand accountability. A pledge against corruption is nice to start with, but what really matters is a mechanism, something like Hong Kong's ICAC, that reins in behaviours that constitute corruption and punishes officials for such wrongdoings.

Whatever positions they occupy, officials are first of all human beings and, like everyone else, have weaknesses when confronted with temptations. There are people who can rise above the hanky-panky a little longer, but without checks and balances, anyone is prone to straying from the rules if the rules are not enforced in the first place.

To chalk it up to character failings is an oversimplification and will only shift the focus from where it should be.

And seeking to counter the complexity of human behaviour with banal slogans is like the proverbial effort to put out a big fire with a cup of water.

The oath-taking ceremony is just a form. It becomes an empty pledge when not backed up with actions, and a laughingstock when blatantly contradicted by reality.

But even the ceremony should not be overdone. By its nature, ceremonies are already enhanced for dramatic effects. Overacting will only make it cheesier.

Some suggest that the young tax and customs officers may be sincere in their pledges. They haven't had the chance to embezzle or receive bribes yet. If the same ceremony is held for those who've already been in powerful positions for years, that will be either high drama or high camp.

(China Daily 08/19/2006 page4)

横店影视城的秦王宫，每天上演着《无极》中英雄救美人的那场戏，也就是被胡戈称为“连环逍遥宫”的地方。我询问了观众中一位幼儿园孩童，他说：“那个哥哥不是谢霆峰。”晕。

Chinawood recreates history, and makes some
By Raymond Zhou

HENGDIAN, Zhejiang Province: When Hollywood built a full-scale film set of a 1930s geisha district on a field in a Los Angeles suburb, Xu Yong'an thought it could have been done in his hometown in East China's Zhejiang Province.

The story of "Memoirs of a Geisha" is set in Japan, but it was an international production, based on an American book with a mainly Chinese cast. If the set of the US million movie had been built in Hengdian, noted Xu, the cost would have been much lower with no sacrifice to quality.

Xu, chairman and president of Hengdian Group, oversees a few hundred enterprises, ranging from electronics to pharmaceuticals, but he or, rather, the name Hengdian is best known for its mammoth movie backlots.

In mountainous Zhejiang, far from China's entertainment-production hubs of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, lies a cluster of a dozen backlots, each recreating a certain period in Chinese history. Unlike a typical movie set, the structures in Hengdian are made up of not facades, but full-scale buildings.

Each movie backlot also functions as a theme park, drawing in a growing number of tourists who want to see replicas of famous structures, as well as locations of their favourite movies and TV shows. Total traffic flow in 2005 reached 3 million people, bringing in 300 million yuan (US37.5 million) to Hengdian's entertainment business.

But not a penny of the money came from rentals of the sets and backlots. Starting from 2000, Hengdian made a surprising decision to give free access to all productions, domestic or foreign.

On a typical day, there are about 10 crews shooting on the various lots. Except for epics directed by Zhang Yimou or Chen Kaige, most allow tourists to watch as long as they do not interfere with the production.

Visionary or madman?

Hollywood Reporter, a trade publication, has called Hengdian "Chinawood." But it is hard to believe that China's largest backlot, the world's most crawded, did not exist until 10 years ago.

In 1996 venerable director Xie Jin was looking for someone to build a giant set of 1850s Canton for his epic "The Opium War." Just when he was at his wit's end, Xu Wenrong came to his rescue.

Xu, father of Hengdian President Xu Yong'an, founded his business empire in 1975, when operating a factory was still an ideological taboo in the country. Fortunately, his business, named after the 200-household village where it originated, blossomed in the sunshine of the reform and opening-up policy.

But Xu always carries the moniker of "farmer entrepreneur" (farmer-turned-entrepreneur), which has a connotation of a member of the nouveau riche with no culture.

Xu brought in 120 construction crews and built the 20-hectare set in three months. That feat impressed the filmmaker so much that he recommended the location to Chen Kaige, who was then scouting for his "The Emperor and the Assassin" film.

For that costume drama, another province had promised to build a Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) palace, but there was little to show after four years. In desperation, Chen implored Xu to help.

Eight months later, a palace with 27 buildings had been built in erstwhile hilly terrain. "We used up more dynamite than this county had used in its whole history," Xu recalled. "But it was not easy. There is so much water underground that we couldn't ignite the dynamite. In the end, we had to put it inside condoms. We bought up all the condoms in the neighbouring counties."

Even then, some of the hardest rocks could not be removed. Inside some structures, all full-scale, there are no chambers, but hidden giant boulders that are part of the original mountain.

This 40-hectare palace later became the location of Zhang Yimou's "Hero," making Hengdian a household name not Hengdian the conglomerate, but Hengdian the imposing backlot. About one-third of the country's costume dramas have had shoots here.

While Xu was endearing himself to the film- and TV programme-making community, people in Hengdian, most of whom are his employees, were alarmed. Even his top managers did not think this was a prudent investment.

The building spree produced a haemorrhaging of cash that could not be offset by the revenue, whether it came from crews or tourists, they said. "Hero" reportedly cost US million, but according to a Hengdian executive, only a pittance of 3 million yuan (US375,000) was spent in the town.

But Xu was adamant. The economy of scale would develop only when more and more productions were moved there. To make that happen, he had to build more set-cum-theme parks. He added an old Hong Kong street to complement the Canton scene. A Song Dynasty (960-1279) town, based on an ancient scroll painting, was also recreated.

The most ambitious project is the 100-hectare re-creation of the Forbidden City, home of the Ming and Qing emperors. "The real palace charges 30,000 yuan, or US,750, an hour," Xu said. "Over here it is free and has more variety of scenes than the real place."

The son also rises

In 2004, Xu Wenrong handed the reins of the company to his son, Yong'an, who brought in new ideas and management expertise from beyond the Hengdian area.

"I'm still doing what my father started, but I have tried to expand on it," said the new boss.

The biggest change he wants to make is to "let film-makers come gladly instead of reluctantly."

"We cannot compete with Beijing on human resources. We have to provide one-stop services," he said.

Now Hengdian has built a state-of-the-art soundstage and added rental units for props and wardrobe. "They even provide a warehouse for your props," said Yue Youxin, a producer of a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) television drama that was being shot in the copycat Forbidden City in mid-August.

"For sets of Ming and Qing imperial courts, you don't really have much to choose from. Hengdian is the only feasible option."

Aspiring actors also come here for their big breaks. But these "Hengdian drifters" (heng piao) usually get only roles as extras that do not require too much acting skill. "We need better actors who can fill in supporting roles," said Xu Yong'an.

For that purpose, Hengdian set up an acting school that has already enrolled 200 students.

Xu said that when Hengdian World Studios, as the backlot/theme park is collectively known, first started, his father did not have a clear role model in mind. He did not intend to imitate Run Run Shaw, Walt Disney or any other movie mogul. But now the son is intent on borrowing the "Sundance model" created by Robert Redford.

In fact, Hengdian has already invested heavily in the film industry, from urban movie theatre chains to a joint production company with China Film and Warner Brothers, which released this summer's hottest low-budget movie, "Crazy Stone."

"What would the film industry be like if we had 20 pictures like that?" he asked rhetorically. But budding film-makers are constantly starved of financing and support.

Xu intends to set up a fund, patterned after the Sundance Institute, that will give these newcomers a head start. "These movies do not have to be made in Hengdian, but they could be scripted, financed and promoted here," Xu said. "We can have a special film festival to promote them.

"We have built all possible sets for history-related Chinese programming. Now we'll need to put in a mechanism that can produce the talent that can galvanize the industry. We can have only one Zhang Yimou, but we'll need an army of foot soldiers who can fill in all the roles, such as script writers and producers, who can operate the business with competence and skill."

Xu still wants to build more sets, but he doesn't want to go it alone. "I can only guess what will be needed, but the film-makers have in mind what exactly they want," he said. "Hengdian would like to partner with production companies. We can chip in with some of the cost. But if you want to be the sole investor, you can participate in profit sharing when the set opens for tourism."

Xu Yong'an is eager to attract international productions with their deep pockets and technical expertise. "Projects with China-themed plots are ideal," he observed.

He understands that for international productions to invest here, they have to overcome the inconvenience of geographical, language and cultural barriers, and he has to provide enough incentive to make the arrangement palatable.

"If they don't see an overall cost benefit, they won't choose Hengdian over places such as Australia, Canada or the Czech Republic," he said.

Xu Yong'an wants Hengdian, now a sizable town of 100,000 people, to be the next Hollywood.

"It won't be easy," he said. "It cannot be done by one person or one company. We must have the support of the government and society. Only when foreign producers swarm here will we move closer to our goal of becoming the movie capital of the East."

(China Daily 08/24/2006 page1)

2002年初，我曾为《环球财经》杂志撰写了一篇关于索尼遭遇危机的cover story，后来收进了《好莱坞启示录》一书。没想到，当时的research现在又派上用场了。

中钵良治是索尼的第二把手，主管电子产品。通俗地说，CEO Howard Stringer管软件（如电影、音乐等），而“硬件”包括电视机、Walkman、摄像机等。这个部门以前是索尼赔钱赚吆喝的生意，如今终于走出阴影。这里面应该有社长的贡献吧。

中钵良治说话时非常有力，眼神也很有自信。可惜我不懂日语，而翻译过来的话多半失去了原汁原味，所以文章中无法传递话外的神情。

Plugged-in boss puts spark back in Sony
By Raymond Zhou

Dr Chubachi keeps a blog, which he updates daily. He writes about books he has read, sports events and Kabuki theatre he has attended, and music that he enjoys.

But Chubachi is no ordinary blogger he is president of Sony Corporation; and his blog is one of his ways of keeping touch with his managers and workers worldwide.

Written in both Japanese and English, "Chubachi Connected" shares not only the 58-year-old's hobbies, but also his management tips as a top executive of one of the world's best-branded electronics and entertainment companies.

"Yes, people want me to write more about management," he laughed.

When Ryoji Chubachi took over Sony's electronics business early last year, it had been in prolonged doldrums. Critics said that its product lines were too long and profit margins razor thin.

But as Chubachi saw it, it was the confidence of employees that was in crisis.

"I had to boost morale," he said. And the first thing he did was to build trust in the management-employee relationship.

"To strengthen communication, we went to the places where R&D, production and sales were conducted and picked the brains of our employees about ways to improve," he said. Townhall meetings were held, each lasting from half an hour to two hours, where ideas were exchanged. Although his blog, started on June 22 last year, does not accept messages from readers, employees can email their feedback to a designated mailbox.

"At that time, our employees were anxious. They were eager for the company to get back on track. As a leader, I had to give hope and guidance. After employee confidence rebounded, then we had to do something about our business, in short, to make money," he said.

After analyzing feedback from his employees, Chubachi set about to tackle the troubles plaguing the electronics business. "First, we started thinking from our customers' perspective. That thinking was embedded in every area, from designing to marketing. Second, we have the technology initiative, and it is infused with our unique style, the so-called Sony style. And third, we solve problems right at the site," Chubachi summed up.

With these new approaches, Sony Electronics, of which Chubachi is CEO, launched new products. Many of them, such as the HC1 and HC3 camcorders, the Bravia LCD televisions, and the Alpha digital cameras, have turned out to be runaway hits.

Boosted by healthy sales of products like these, Sony's core electronics section, which has always contributed significantly to sales revenues but had been a drain on profit, was back in the black in the April-June quarter. Sales in this division rose 13.5 per cent.

For the latest quarter, the Tokyo-based electronics and entertainment giant reported a 32.3 billion yen (6 million) profit on the back of strong sales of electronics.

Sony's electronics have enjoyed long and eclectic product lines as well as high-end positioning. Asked how he went about balancing the two seemingly contradictory strengths, Chubachi responded that he approached each product category by its unique performance and market needs. Some were condensed while others went upscale. "Overall, our strength is at the high end," he said.

New battleground

Sony needs much more than this strength alone if it wants victory in the next-generation format war.

The high-definition format of Blu-ray, spearheaded by Sony, is going head-to-head with Toshiba's HD-DVD in a battle reminiscent of the Beta-VHS wrangling for the videotape standard some 20 years ago.

During that feud, Sony's Beta was widely considered to be technically superior to Matsushita's VHS but the latter had the support of a consortium of vendors while Sony did not license its technology to others. Eventually, Sony lost out.

"Beta still reigns as the standard in the broadcast industry," explained Chubachi, who is in China to attend the annual Beijing International Radio, TV & Film Equipment Exhibition (BIRTV 2006), which opens today.

Chubachi emphasized that Sony is not going to repeat that mistake. "Whoever gains more users will win in this round," he analyzed.

To win end-users, Sony has rallied the support of many vendors. "We have 90 per cent of the film companies behind us. And we have the majority of audio-video manufacturers and computer makers."

Hollywood majors such as Disney have announced video releases in the Blu-ray format. Sony has a lot of weight to throw around in Tinseltown as its own studio Sony Columbia Pictures has gained profitability and respectability with blockbusters such as the "Spiderman" franchise. However, by releasing movies on both formats, studios like Warner have refused to take sides.

Among supporters of Toshiba's HD-DVD standard are computer juggernauts Microsoft and Intel. Disks of both formats store more content and enable better sound and picture quality than conventional DVD discs.

Chubachi insisted that the Blu-ray format has larger capacity than HD-DVD, but ultimately it will be "content" that will determine which may survive. "For a consumer electronic product, it is the availability of content that determines the result."

Chubachi did not want to speculate whether both formats may coexist. "That is something only the consumers can decide." But he reasoned that the rivalry would probably come to an end in two years. "It won't happen this year, but next year we'll see the shakeout."

Additional factors that will help Sony put Blu-ray on top, according to Chubachi, are its computer and game platforms. Its PlayStation3 game console will come equipped with Blu-ray and broadband connection, which, though priced higher, will boost its attractiveness. Its Vaio notebook computers, a favourite with audio-videophiles, will also push the new format.

"We have learned a lot from our experience," said Chubachi.

What lies ahead?

In the words of some analysts, Sony suffers from the dichotomy of platforms. Its Vaio computer, with its strong AV capabilities, finds room in the study, while its PlayStation is stationed in the living room.

Talking about how to reconcile this multi-centre entertainment platform, Chubachi clarified that the centre is where the display, the television, is located. "It has got to be the living room. But it will extend beyond the living room - into the study, the office, and even outdoors, where IPTV and mobile equipment will come into play. It is also where opportunities will arise in abundance."

Opportunity is also the buzzword when it comes to Sony's China operation.

Sony is in "Phase 3" of its growth in the Chinese market, said Chubachi. It started by setting up a production base in southern China. In 1996, Sony China was founded, marking a shift in the company's perception of China "as a market."

"We are now at phase three, when we are training local talent and developing local technologies. We're integrating R&D, production and marketing," said Chubachi. "On top of it, we want to be a good corporate citizen and are actively involved in many charity and public service projects."

The 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2007 Women's Football World Cup are also events that will benefit Sony's promotion of its products such as flat-panel screens. "Sony China will grow in tandem with the Chinese economy."

As a matter of fact, Chubachi sees Sony more as an Asian company, at least one with Asian management style. Of the 160,000 employees globally, 50,000-60,000 are Japanese and 25,000 Chinese. "Some say our style is Western oriented. I cannot comment on it because I have not worked outside Sony. But we try to incorporate the best from both worlds."

He cited examples of executive titles that have only English names. At one point, Sony had 30 presidents, and now "we have only one."

Even the Japanese word for "company" was replaced by the English equivalent. But some of these were reversed when "we found the original terms were more accurate. There's a lot in our culture that is worth keeping."

The sharpest criticism of Sony in recent years was for its supposed "synergy" between software and hardware. It did not give rise to an iconic product like iPod, which was created by a nimble market player like Apple.

Chubachi explained that Sony employs the model of "vertical integration," which has the benefit of value-added features, but also carries the limitation of less compatibility. "Consumers want to go across platforms," he said, "so we have worked to solve the problem by enhancing compatibility such as adding MP3 and AAC features to the new line of Walkman."

Chubachi admitted that he was surprised by the success of iPod, "especially in a product field where the Walkman is a benchmark." But he is not worried. With the recovery across all Sony product lines, "we are confident that we'll take back the position of market leader that the Walkman used to occupy."

Chubachi has not used an iPod, but he has three different Walkmans. And he may write about their cool features in his blog.

(China Daily 08/23/2006 page1)

这是我回答《芭莎男士》问题的原稿，刊登时略有删节。（有些内容其实在自述里已经涉及。）

芭莎男士：你的文字非常平实，而其中却隐藏着非常犀利的观点，这是你的性格决定的吗？
答：性格是其中一个方面。我的性格偏中庸，由此决定了我的文字风格。但我也有幽默、恶搞的一面，偶尔也会从文字中流露出来。观点则是多年的观察、阅历日积月累起来的，有自己一套系统的思想体系。

芭莎男士：你并不是电影科班出身，我想知道你对电影的理解是从何而来的？
答：我在国内的本科和研究生学的都是文艺理论，在美国修了大量电影课程，因此从阅读及观影方面讲我完全够得上电影科班。但我一直把自己对电影的喜爱定位成业余爱好，这可以帮助我用平实的视角来审视电影艺术，回避了高高在上的象牙塔姿态。当然，比阅历更重要的是经历，看得越多，能够理解的事情也就越多。

芭莎男士：能告诉我你现在收藏了多少张DVD吗？你最喜欢看哪种类型的电影？最推崇的导演和影片是哪个？对你而言，什么样的电影才是一部好电影？2006年，让你印象最深的电影是哪部？
答：我至今购买过的影碟大概超过2000张，但我没有收藏的癖好，很多影片看完就转送别人了。我自己最喜欢的是经典文艺片，但我推崇任何类型的优秀影片，因为站在我的角度，我不应该仅凭自己的喜好来向广大影迷推荐影人和影片。我觉得一个影评人不应该把自己的审美趣味强加给他人，而是应该启发影迷尊重自己的喜好，同时拓展审美视野。
好电影的标准很多，比如说令人思索是衡量一部严肃文艺片的标准，而令人放松愉悦则是优秀娱乐片的标准；喜剧片更简单，能不断引入发笑应该说是最明显的质量标尺。
2006年的国产片中，给我留下深刻印象的有《芳香之旅》、《看上去很美》、《茉莉花开》。从产业意义讲，《疯狂的石头》非常重要，也非常难得。

芭莎男士：如今在中国，写影评的人非常多，你如何评价中国目前的电影评论现状呢？你觉得和他们想比，你的不同之处是什么呢？
答：中国电影评论呈两极：一边是学院派，偏重理论分析；另一边是感性派，以电影细节为抒情的借口。跟他们相比，我走的是中间路线，是西方媒体常见的电影评论。但我在《看电影》上的很多专栏文章，走的是朱光潜先生当年的艺术欣赏的路子。

芭莎男士：打个比方，你是希望你的影评能影响张艺谋的创作，还是更希望让读者理解你的电影观点？为什么？
答：影评的主要读者不是拍电影的人，而是看电影的人。尽管我的读者中有影人，但并不是我的目标读者。为普通影迷写的文章，即便内容跟为影人写的完全一样，行文也会不同，前者必须通俗易懂，而后者可以大量使用专业术语。

芭莎男士：如果让你拍一部电影，你会把它拍成什么样？
答：大概最接近的是伍迪•艾伦那种。我对知识阶层的语言比较感兴趣，喜欢睿智的台词。我最不可能拍摄的是千军万马的史诗片，因为我性格中缺乏呼风唤雨的冲动。

芭莎男士：作为一种表达方式和功能，你认为电影的力量更强大，还是文字的力量更强大？
答：这完全视题材而定，不能一概而论。如果是感性内容，通常电影的力量会更大；若是智力型、思辩型的内容，譬如《达芬奇密码》，文字的威力可能更大。

芭莎男士：你在个人博客里曾说过，还想写除电影之外其他领域的专栏，你觉得你还能写哪方面的专栏呢？
答：我最早在海外写出名的专栏是财经和IT方面的，我如今在国际范围内有影响的专栏是对中国社会现象的时评。我这个时评专栏（是用英文写的）引发的读者来信，远远超过我的电影专栏。但在一个特定的、人数众多的读者阶层，我基本被定型为影评人。我很难让我的影评读者相信我能写别的专栏，正如我的其他专栏读者听说我写影评，以为我在吹牛。我患了专栏领域的分裂症，而且非常严重。

芭莎男士：我能不能说周黎明是一个有着强烈表达欲望的人？
答：既是，又不是。我对体育外的几乎所有话题都有强烈的表达欲望，但我只选择几个很小的领域来公开表达自己的想法。我不是诗人，我注重表达的效果。

芭莎男士：你认为如何才能成为一个优秀的专栏作家？
答：深厚的积累，加独立的思想。

芭莎男士：最后一个问题，你写完一篇专栏文章一般需要多长时间？
答：通常情况，完成初稿花三个小时，次日再花一两个小时修改校对。但酝酿过程完全没谱，短则几小时，长则好几个月。这是指《看电影》的专栏，其他专栏通常花半天研究题目，另外半天写作和修改。我从未写过副刊专栏，估计是一个小时的工作量，很是羡慕。

这是央视十套(CCTV10)这几天正在播出的《走进科学》节目的其中一档，叫做《病毒危机》，是讲跟病毒有关的电影。我不记得他们采访我时我胡说了些什么，反正让我胡说了一个钟头。但这是节目最后剪辑出来我的片断，供大家一笑。

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

　　概述：命的病毒入侵人类社会，从而暴发不可遏制的瘟疫，并迅速传播，人类面临从未有过的威胁，即将被毁灭。《卡桑德拉大桥》、《恐怖地带》、《生化危机》、《惊变28天》这些电影中病毒成为嗜血恶魔，不断夺走鲜活的生命，当我们为电影中的情节惊魂未定的时候，疑问也随之产生，这究竟是现实还是科幻？世界上真的存在这种可怕的病毒吗？不久的将来某种致命的病毒真的将毁灭人类吗？我们又该怎么面对未来可能出现的灾难呢？

　　影评人周黎明：觉得有相当一部分观众，他始终会迷恋病毒题材的影片，是因为这个事情，这个恐惧，病毒的威胁是时时刻刻存在的。

　　影评人周黎明：因为医学在发展以后，毕竟越来越多的疾病是可以得到治疗，越来越多的病毒、细菌可以得到控制，所以人类在真实生活当中对这些东西的恐惧感是在减少。

　　影评人周黎明：这一类科幻片的话，其实就反映了这些人的这种忧患意识，他觉得科学，我们不要太盲目地崇拜它，就是在看待科学的时候，是要冷静，考虑到它是有可能带来危害的。在卡桑德拉大桥里面，其实给我们的最强烈的印象就是一种真实感，反而到生化危机就变成一种游戏了，因为生化危机本身就是一个电子游戏演变过来的。所以在生化危机这样的，甚至包括惊变28天这样的影片里面，更多的是一种幻的东西，科幻当中的幻字，而不是科学的东西，当它幻的成分比较多的时候，让你的想象力来驰骋，来天马行空，那个时候我觉得游戏的成分就更多一点。

为《看电影》写专栏已经五年了，从最早用中文写影评算起则将近十年了。如果不是我刻意抗拒，可能早就进入了跟电影或电影媒体相关的专业。但权衡之下，我还是更愿意以一个“业余”选手的身份来谈电影。那样的话，那种乐趣就更加纯粹些，更加没有压力。

以下是受《时尚芭莎》之约所写的自述，刊登在今年九月号的男子版上。还有一个问答下回再贴。
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

我写的第一个专栏是讲IT的，第二是财经，第三个偏时尚类。我的专业就是没有专业，我以“业余”为荣。当某些人用鄙夷的口吻贬我“不够专业”时，我感到我真正突破了固有的学科框架，进入了无我的境界。

有趣的是，我的多数专栏并不是媒体编辑约我写的，而是媒体老板。在我印象中，媒体老板忙于经营，甚少有时间阅读别人的文章。我在《看电影》专栏之前，已经在网易和洛杉矶一家中文媒体有影评专栏，起初都是纯粹的新片评论，后来因为工作重心向国内转移，无法在第一时间看到美国新电影，便慢慢将话题转向更宽泛的电影欣赏。我喜欢用美学、心理学、社会学等角度来探讨电影，这比就事论事更能触类旁通，给了我前所未有的回旋空间。

写专栏不是写日记，我选题和落笔时心中是有读者的，我会揣摩哪些题目和角度是目标读者有兴趣但在其他渠道不容易了解的，而且又是我擅长的。我希望比读者超前一两步，既不能自己躲进小楼成一统，也不是重复他人的老调。专栏是一种自我表达，也是一种交流和影响，如果人家不爱看或看不懂，那就失去存在的意义了，也对不起提供版面和稿费的媒体。

有人把我的电影专栏比喻成“扎啤”，认为非常大众化。这既是我的刻意追求，也是《看电影》的定位所决定的。该刊的读者以超级影迷为主，其中包括大量学生和媒体从业人员，因此我选择了外表平实内在犀利的风格，试图激发更浓的回味。（换个说法，看起来是大好人，实际上是大灰狼。有位读者评论说：貌似谦虚，其实霸道。）

我的某些专栏文章被视为具有颠覆性，比如我是第一个从理论上全面反对外语片配音的影评人，因此得罪了一大批配音爱好者；我在全国上下对《英雄》进行“大批判”时，写了一篇很长的影评，认为该片从艺术层面堪称杰作；我曾详细分析美国主流影片宣扬的“美国价值”，以此证明国内专家的人云亦云其实缺乏内涵；我在没人听说过《撞车》一片时，盛赞它是当年度最伟大的影片，这让很多人觉得莫名其妙。去年我在一时找不到合适题目时，甚至发表了一个系列的回忆录，详述当年从操场看露天电影到后来在好莱坞鬼混的隐私。从网络上的读者反应来看，这些文章有很多人追捧，也有不少人反感。

我把这些都看成是正面反馈，读者看了我的文章喜欢也好，讨厌也好，都表明文章言之有物。如果读者看了跟没看一样，那才是白写了。写一篇好的专栏文章，找合适题目是最难的环节。可供谈论的话题固然很多，但重复他人的观点便会减低建设性。曾经一度，我在黔驴技穷时，会打电话找熟悉的影迷朋友进行“脑力激荡”，试图从讨论中寻找灵感，有时还会请求编辑暂停专栏，但每次都能鬼使神差在最后一刻发掘好题目，其戏剧性跟商业大片似的。

我时常希望彻底改向，从电影转到其他方面，但又觉得人在江湖身不由己，而且一旦收到读者真诚的来信，那种患得患失的想法便暂时烟消云散了。

“李煜在唱：载不动，许多愁，恰似一江春水向东流”；

“年轻的警察与歹徒搏斗，身中十几颗铅弹，其中三十九颗射中他的头部”；

“倘若不是蒙哥马利将军从失败中做出反省继续努力，又怎能在滑铁卢战役中大败拿破仑呢？”；

“岳飞选择精忠报国，死而后已。他一生征战无数，以至于匈奴兵对他闻风丧胆”；

“战国时期的曹操，在赵文姬的帮助下一步一步走上历史政治舞台……最后终于和赵文卓结为夫妻”；

“宋江拜把子兄弟张飞把他从狱中救了出来，然后一起亡命天涯”；

“东坡在北海放羊十九年；霍金曾经是美丽的女孩，年轻的时候很可爱，后来瞎了眼睛，写了《假如给我三天光明》”；

“记得鲁迅先生曾说过这样一句话：走自己的路，让别人去说吧”；

“宝钗吟道：你是风儿，我是沙”；

“孔子从小读书勤奋刻苦，四书五经不知道背得有多熟，有一次进京赶考，工夫不负有心人，终于考上了”。

鲁迅在‘四人帮’攻击他的时候，拿起手里的笔反抗，最后坚强地牺牲了。”

上面是网络上流传的学生作业错误汇编。其实，这些错误谁都可能会犯。在西方，有一位历史老师把他学生作业中的荒谬错误整合起来，编了一篇“欧洲简史”，从中世纪一直叙述到现今。所有句子来自北美两所大学一年级学生的作业。

（注：里面有大量拼写和用词错误，有些我注明了正确的说法，有些属于无法翻译的范畴，有些则故意把错误直译出来。为了方便查证，我保留了原文。）

在嘲笑别人之前，我先嘲笑一下自己。其实，学生出错没什么大不了。我读小学时，曾以为“春秋时期”只有春秋两个季节，跟下面的“中世纪全是中年人”有异曲同工之妙。

欧洲简史

 A BRIEF HISTORY OF EUROPE

我们所知的历史永远是带有偏见的，因为研究人类的是别的人类，而不是另一个具有独立观察能力的物种。

History, as we know, is always bias because human beings have to be studied by other human beings not by independent observers of another species.

在中世纪的时候，所有人都是中年人。教会和国家互相合作，中世纪社会由僧人、贵族和农奴组成。

During the Middle Ages, everybody was middle-aged. Church and state were co-operatic. Middle Evil society was made up of monks, lords and surfs.

在商业慢慢渗透进欧洲后，商人出现了。他们从一个镇游荡到另一个镇，暴露自己，并在乡村组织大型集会。中世纪的人很凶暴，杀人算不了什么，每个人都杀过人。

After a revival of infantile commerce slowly creeped into Europe merchants appeared. They roamed from town to town exposing
themselves and organizing big fairies in the countryside. Mideval people were violent. Murder during this period was nothing.
Everybody killed someone.

英国为了争地，在法国打了很多仗，结果有赢有输。十字军是一系列由基督徒组织的军事征战，目的是从伊斯兰教徒那里将圣地（也就是基督的老家）解放出来。

England fought numerously for land in France and ended up winning and losing. The Crusades were a series of military expaditions made by Christians seeking to free the holy land (the "Home Town" of Christ) from the Islams.

最终，欧洲得了黑死病。这种淋巴腺鼠疫是一种社会疾病，因为它通过性交及其他方式来传播，由带菌的老鼠从一个港口传到另一个港口。这场瘟疫还催生了英语，使之成为英国、法国和意大利的官方语言。

Finally, Europe caught the Black Death. The bubonic plague is a social disease in the sense that it can be transmitted by
intercourse and other etceteras. It was spread from port to port by inflected rats. The plague also helped the emergance of the
English language as the national language of England, France and Italy.

中世纪戛然而止，文艺复兴如晴天霹雳而降。生活充满了欢乐，意大利茁壮成长，更多的人感受到他们人类的价值。

The Middle Ages slimpared to a halt. The renasence bolted in from the blue. Life reeked with joy. Italy became robust, and more
individuals felt the value of their human being.

人下决心使自己和他的兄弟们文明起来，即便那意味着人头落地！受教育变得时髦，欧洲建满了令人难以置信的教堂，伟大艺术从那里喷薄而出，文艺复兴的商人非常美丽，而且很像是人。

Man was determined to civilise himself and his brothers, even if heads had to roll! It became sheik to be educated. Europe was
full of incredable churches with great art bulging out their doors. Renaissance merchants were beautiful and almost lifelike.

当德国贵族反感头衔全归于法国教会以及教皇，从而养肥了天主教，改革运动由此兴起。怒火中烧的马丁·路德把95个神学人员钉到教堂门上。在神学方面，路德从事转向变异。加尔文主义是自古以来最方便的宗教。

The Reformation happened when German nobles resented the idea that tithes were going to Papal France or the Pope thus enriching Catholic coiffures. An angry Martin Luther nailed 95 theocrats to a church door. Theologically, Luthar was into reorientation mutation. Calvinism was the most convenient religion since the days of the ancients.

当然，教皇依然是天主教。僧人把自己看成蠕虫。最后一个耶稣会会士死于19世纪。

The Popes, of course, were usually Catholic. Monks went right on seeing themselves as worms. The last Jesuit priest died in the
19th century.

改革运动后，国内外的战争风起云涌。路易十四成为太阳国王，他把食物和弹药给予人民。如果他不喜欢谁，他便把那人一辈子送上绞架。

After the refirmation were wars both foreign and infernal. Louis XIV became King of the Sun. He gave the people food and
artillery. If he didn't like someone, he sent them to the gallows to row for the rest of their lives.

启蒙运动是一个理性的时期。伏尔泰写了一本叫做《糖果》（注：即《老实人》Candide）的书，费德里克大帝给他找了很多麻烦。哲学家还默默无闻，最关键的问题是宗教的容忍稍稍跟失败主义混淆了。

The enlightenment was a reasonable time. Voltaire wrote a book called Candy that got him into trouble with Frederick the Great.
Philosophers were unknown yet and the fundamental stake was one of religious toleration slightly confused with defeatism.

法国革命在发生前就已经完成了，革命经历了君主、共和、专制等阶段，直到一举进到拿破仑。

The French revolution was accomplished before it happened. The revolution evolved through monarchial, republican and tolarian
phases until it catapulted into Napolean.

英国、美国及其他欧洲国家有民主倾向，中产阶级很疲倦，需要休息。旧秩序能看到，被压制的新思想在沸腾。宪章运动的目标是全民选举和屁股国会，选举一定要用选票来进行。

Great Brittian, the USA and other European countrys had demicratic leanings. The middle class was tired and needed a
rest. The old order could see the lid holding down new ideas beginning to shake. Among the goals of the chartists were
universal suferage and an anal parliament. Voting was to be done by ballad.

一个全新的全国统一时区拔地而起。民族主义帮助了意大利，因为它是军队的发展。这里还有新的德国，很大声、很大胆、很粗俗，充满现实。

A new time zone of national unification roared over the horizon. Nationalism aided Itally because nationalism is the growth of an
army. Here, too, was the new Germany; Loud, bold, vulgar and full of reality.

文化在欧洲不断上升。瓦格纳是音乐大师，人民没有忘记他们自己的艺术家。法国产生了契柯夫。

Culture fomented from Europe's tip to its top. Wagner was master of music and people did not forget their own artists. France had
Chekov.

第一次世界大战爆发于1912－1914年，德国在法国的一面，俄国在另一面。战争中，人民被杀戮，然后就没有剩下人了，只有朋友。凡尔赛宣布和平，英国首相乔治·洛德参加了仪式。威尔逊总统和14条猎犬同时驾到。

World War I broke out around 1912-1914. German was on one side of France and Russia was on the other. At war people get killed and then they aren't people anymore but friends. Peace was proclaimed at Versigh, which was attended by George Loid, Primal Minister of England. President Wilson arrived with 14 pointers.

1937年，列宁在俄国造反。共产主义在农民中激荡，内战的“球队颜色”是红色和白色。

In 1937 Lenin revolted Russia. Communism raged among the peasants and the civil war "team colors" were red and white.

一战后德国被取代。这导致了希特勒的兴起。德国病态地兴奋，并失去平衡。柏林成为颓废之都，形形色色的性变态行为都在发生。一个巨大的反犹太运动出现了。

Germany was displaced after WWI. This gave rise to Hitler. Germany was morbidly overexcited and unbalanced. Berlin became
the decadent capital, where all sorts of sexual deprivations were practised. A huge anti-Semantic movement arose.

德国侵占了波兰，法国侵占了比利时，俄国侵占了所有人。 当一颗核子爆炸在广岛后，战争猝然中止。 一代人被消灭…… 他们凄惨的家庭只得重新拾起和平（是pieces的误写）。

Germany invaded Poland, France invaded Belgium and Russia invaded everybody. War screeched to an end when a nukuleer explosion was dropped on Heroshima. A whole generation had been wipe out...and their forlorne families were left to pick up the peaces.

根据弗罗姆的观点，个人历史始于中世纪，那是一个孩童的时代。进入青少年后，经验越来越多。最后一个阶段就是我们。

According to Fromm. individuation began historically in medieval times. This was a period of small childhood. There is increasing
experience as adolesecence experiences its life development. The last stage is us.

下次我还会给大家介绍一篇同样在西方广为流传的、也是由学生作业组合而成的“世界历史”。

给老年人以及其他有需要的人让一个座位难道真的那么困难。我所看到的都是乐意让座的事例，但文章刊登后，我也收到了不少来信，列举了反面例子。

Netizen's arguments do not sit well with real life people
By Raymond Zhou 

Offering your bus seat (rang zuo) to someone in need seems to be the right thing to do regardless of geography, culture or economic status. A recent backlash proves that not everyone takes it as such.

Earlier this year, Zhengzhou in central China installed an incentive scheme for rang zuo. That set off an online debate.

"Why should I give my seat to an elderly person? It's the young who need it more because they take off in the early morning while not fully awake and drag themselves home after a day of exhausting work," wrote one blogger.

The author further noted that senior citizens already enjoy benefits such as free rides. This treatment should be suspended during the rush hours to relieve bus congestion, he suggested.

I thought I was blas about outrageous opinions in the cyberspace, but this really jolted me. What's more frightening is that the author enjoyed wide support from about 60 per cent of the online population who participated in the debate on who's more worthy of a bus seat, according to one analyst.

What is wrong with these people? Aren't they going to get old someday and what will they think when a youth sitting in a bus seat turns a blind eye to them standing nearby?

Obviously it is too early for them to conjure up this scenario.

Most buses in Chinese cities are plastered with signs that read: "Please rang zuo to the elderly, the handicapped, the pregnant and women with young children." There are usually a few seats marked for this purpose.

The online outpouring of dissension is perplexing because it contradicts what I've observed in the real world of human interaction. In Beijing and Guangzhou, where I take the bus frequently, I've rarely seen a case of the four types of "needy" passengers getting the cold treatment.

On the contrary, when a person who looks older than 60 steps in, someone nearby will immediate vacate his or her seat. Occasionally the ticket seller will yell: "Who will rang zuo to this grandma?"

It is part of the social etiquette. People do it as if by intuition. There is no whiff of "doing something good so that I can write about it for my school assignment," which was sometimes apparent in the 1980s. Well, every kid in China is supposed to do essays on a "meaningful small thing."

It is a small gesture of altruism at the expense of a little discomfort to oneself.

I don't like the way that some teachers instil the notion in youngsters that it is some kind of moral grandstanding. It just seems to be natural. (By the way, we do not have the lady-first tradition of rang zuo to young women. That would imply they are weaker).

But to quibble who is more in need of a seat just seems misguided. It is not a sign of being rational, but rather, of being mean. Sure, there are young people who may need the seat more than an elderly, and I don't think anybody is legally or morally obligated to rang zuo. But if there's not a single person on a whole bus who would perform this random act of kindness, there would be something upsettingly wrong with our society.

But what shall I make out of the online opinion? I have often been warned not to interpret online voices as representative of the real world. If I talk to people on the street or even in the hinterland, I would get mostly balanced feedback that reflects common sense. But if I sample the netizens, it's usually the most virulent that stands out.

Sometimes I even doubt whether they accurately reflect the online demographic, which tends to be young and educated. Some from this group once told me that they had to be very opinionated in order to be heard and noticed in the vociferous cyberworld.

Wang Xiaofeng, a renowned blogger, does not hide his contempt for this group. He thinks they are just extremely selfish.

It would be interesting if some pollster would conduct an in-depth survey about the attitude of the young, say, those born after 1980. Just start with rang zuo. I still believe that most would not hesitate to offer their bus seats to people commonly believed to be more in need of them.

What if the result comes out more in tandem with the online majority? I dare not think about it. It sends shivers down my spine.

(China Daily 08/12/2006 page4)