529 Denis Jen: ‘Men without Women takes on unique Chinese Characteristics”（雙語）
‘Men without Women takes on unique Chinese Characteristics” by Keith Zhai
‘沒有女人的男人在中國有了獨特的特色'
From: Denis Jen May 29, 2012
Dear Andrew,
Thank you. The translation is excellent and I will send to my old friends in China.
U can also post to ur website to share with ur friends and Linmark's alumni.
The information u provided also match with the article. Well done!
Denis
‘Men without Women takes on unique Chinese Characteristics” by Keith Zhai
‘沒有女人的男人在中國有了獨特的特色' What Mainland Media Say – Keith Zhai 中國媒體談些甚麼 South China Morning Post, May 27, 2012 南華早報
Nation’s leaders are worried about the gap between rich and poor;
Imagine army of poor and frustrated bachelors.
國家領導人關心貧富差距的問題;
想像那些貧苦又沮喪的獨身男人大軍。
In 1927, American author Ernest Hemingway published in his “Men without Women” a series of short stories about men doing manly things because they don’t want to – or can’t –settle down.
在1927年， 美國作家海明威出版了一本書 ”沒有女人的男人”，報導一系列粗曠男人的短篇故事。 因為他們不願或無法安定下來。
Today, that work may have unexpected relevance on the mainland, where thanks largely to the one-child policy, nearly 120 boys are born for every 100 girls. Mix in a widening wealth gap and a growing emphasis on material wealth and you get a gender gap of truly astounding proportions.
今天， 該著作在大陸也許有了預料不到的關聯。這主要歸功於”一胎化政策”
造成每100個女嬰就有120個男嬰出生。加上越來越大的貧富差距與越來越注重物質財富，造成男女人口比例的驚人差距。
Take for instance the wife hunting competition widely reported by the mainland media last week, in which 11 unwed tycoons drew applications from some 2,800 potential brides. That’s nearly 255 would-be wives per bachelor.
舉例來說，上星期大陸媒體廣泛報導的”選妻競賽”活動中，11個未婚富豪吸引了約2800個未來新娘報名。也就是每個單身漢都有將近255位可以選擇的太太。
These discerning tycoons have been culling the candidate pool by scrutinizing everything from age and measurements to education and family pedigree. The richest of the bunch even offered 5 million yuan (HK$6.1 million) if organizers could find him a virgin.
這些精明的富豪一直針對這些參賽者精挑細選， 包括: 年齡， 教育程度與家世背景。 最有錢的一位竟然要提供五百萬人民幣(六百一十萬港幣)的獎賞， 如果主辦單位能為他找到一位處女。
“Our clients are looking for true love,” one organizer assured the Beijing News.
“我們的客戶在尋找真愛” 一位主辦者肯定的告訴北京新聞報。
Contestants have had to undergo a battery of tests, including such questions as “Do you mind if your husband cheats on you?” according to Yangcheng Evening News. One woman told the paper that the tests made even the civil-service exam look easy, widely thought to be the mainland’s toughest.
根據羊城晚報報導， 參賽者必須進行一系列的競賽， 包括回答問題， 如 ”你介意老公欺騙你嗎?” 一位婦人告訴記者，這些考題甚至讓大陸公認最困難的公務人員考試顯得相對容易。
Most mainland media outlets were skeptical about this kind of matchmaking competition.
大多數大陸媒體管道對於這類的婚姻配對競賽， 抱持懷疑的態度。
“True love is tested through time,” said China Radio International Online. “This kind of wife-hunting contest does not respect women and cannot find true love.”
“真愛是經由時間考驗得來的，” 中國國際廣播電台說: “這類獵妻競賽活動不尊重女性， 是無法找到真愛的。”。
Others drew contrasts with the surprise home wedding ceremony between Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg- now potentially the world’s 29th-richest man – and his long-time Chinese-American girlfriend Priscilla Chan.
其他人則拿目前可能是全世界第29名的富翁， Facebook創辦人 Mark Zuckerberg 與他交往多年的華裔女友 Priscilla Chan令人訝異的簡單家庭婚禮與他們做比較。
“Those billionaires should be ashamed when compared to Zuckerberg,” said the Qilu Eveneing News of Shandong. “They should realize Zuckerberg is much wealthier than them.”
“那些億萬富豪們如果與Zuckerberg 比較，應該感到慚愧。他們該知道Zuckerberg 比他們要更有錢多了。” 山東齊魯晚報如此說。
The online version of People’s Daily took an even harsher tone, comparing the wife-hunting contest to a female slave market in ancient Rome. The highest bidder takes the best-looking girl home.
人民日報網路版用了更嚴厲的語氣， 把選妻競賽比喻是古羅馬時代的女奴市場。出價最高者就可把最美麗的女人帶回家。
The Youth Times, based in Zhejiang, drew a historical comparison that hit closer at home, saying in an editorial Tuesday that the contest was reminiscent of a time when “ancient emperors were looking for the concubines.”
浙江省青年時報在星期二的社論，做了一個更貼近國情的歷史比較: 選妻競賽猶如古代帝王選妃活動的復辟。
Still some media outlets dared to defend the contest’s billionaire bachelors. “It’s their civil right to find pretty girls this way,” said the Guangdong-based Zhongshan Daily
“The clients made a serious list of requirements for their future wife, which shows their respect to women. Who doesn’t like pretty girls?” it mused. Whether the paper intended to deliver the message or not, the readers understood. If you want to marry rich, ladies, you had better look good.
然而還是一些媒體為這些億萬富豪說話。 廣東的中山日報就說，”用這種方式挑選美女， 是他們的公民權利。這些客戶針對他們未來的太太列出了一系列的認真要求，這說明了他們對女性的尊重。誰不喜歡美女?” 它慎重地說。不論這報導是否說明， 讀者都了解。 如果你想嫁有錢人， 女士們， 你最好長得漂亮一點。
But there may be bigger things at stake here, as pointed out by the government-run Jiangsu Online, which said the contest revealed the spiritual crisis afflicting the nation after decades of economic growth.
政府經營的江蘇網路報指出，這裡面可能存在著更大的問題。這個競賽顯示出，經歷了幾十年的經濟成長，一直困擾著國家的心靈危機。
“Our society is sick for its mad money worship,” it said. “These women contestants are the products of the covetous and the inordinately materialistic.”
“我們的社會因為瘋狂拜金主義生病了。 這些女參賽者是貪婪與極度物質主義的產物。” 它這麼說。
Furthermore, it noted that as many as 24 million male mainlanders could be perpetual bachelors by 2020, citing research released two years ago by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Most of them are poor, unable to attract one potential bride, let alone 2,800.
它更進一步指出， 根據兩年前國家科學院的報導，到了2020年， 大陸將有兩千四百萬的男性將成為終生的單身漢。他們大多貧窮， 無法吸引半個新娘， 更別說2800位了。
Imagine an army of 24 million unmarried young males, enough to fill three entire cities the size of Hong Kong. That might be a scary prospect to anyone concerned about domestic stability.
想像一下兩千四百萬的年輕單身大軍，足以添滿整整三個香港。對於關心國內穩定的任何人， 這都是一個恐怖的景象。
Which brings us back to Hemingway’s Men without Women. In his famous understated style, he illustrates the lives of gangsters, soldiers and killers. Most of the stories are about violence.
這把我們帶回到海明威的”沒有女人的男人”。 他用出名的簡練文筆， 敘述著流氓、軍人與殺人犯的生活。 大部分是暴力的故事。
Chinese leaders have been talking a lot about the widening gap between rich and poor, considered a potential threat to social stability. Now that problem has a new dimension: tens of millions of poor leftover men looking to vent some frustration. Maybe the leadership could encourage some billionaires to share their superfluous suitors with the rest of the country. Keith.zhai@scmp.com
中國領導人經常在討論越來越嚴重的貧富差距，威脅社會安定。現在那個問題有了新領域: 好幾千萬貧苦孤獨的男人正在尋找宣洩他們的沮喪的門路。也許領導人可以鼓勵一些億萬富豪將他們過剩的求婚者與其他國人分享。Keith.zhai@scmp.com
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