不久前，美國(guó)國(guó)民正嚴(yán)肅看著民 主黨代表大會(huì)(DNC)召開(kāi)的同時(shí)，筆者人在深圳，不過(guò)還是可以透過(guò)iPad知道大會(huì)的一些討論；而我并不預(yù)期DNC會(huì)在中國(guó)成為民眾茶余飯后閑聊的話題。但當(dāng)我與中國(guó)朋友約在深圳繁忙市中心的一家咖啡店時(shí)，幾乎才剛坐下，她就問(wèn) 我有關(guān)于美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬夫人蜜雪兒(Michele Obama)的問(wèn)題。 我這位朋友是透過(guò)網(wǎng)絡(luò)看了美國(guó)第一夫人的演講，并總結(jié)其重點(diǎn)是將“家庭”與“信念”視為人生中最重要的東西；她完全無(wú)法想象中國(guó)有任何一位政治領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人會(huì)表達(dá)如此的情緒。她說(shuō)，中國(guó)人如果被問(wèn)到自己的“信念”是什么，通常會(huì)不知所措；如果有的話，中國(guó)人生活中的優(yōu)先項(xiàng)目，應(yīng)該是努力工作與賺錢(qián)。 當(dāng)然，我告訴她，美國(guó)人也是一樣相信需要努力工作賺錢(qián)，因?yàn)槟菢硬拍苤?yīng)生活所需；把“家庭”與“信念”擺在前面是理想化的目標(biāo)，有些美國(guó)人會(huì)真的把那些理想放在前面，但其它人不會(huì)。不同的可能是美國(guó)人認(rèn)為說(shuō)出來(lái)很重要，并會(huì)與同伴相互提醒彼此擁有共通的價(jià)值觀；這種價(jià)值觀對(duì)話特別會(huì)在總統(tǒng)大選期間被放大。 所謂的“美國(guó)夢(mèng)” 是一個(gè)偉大神話(myth)，不過(guò)這個(gè)神話存在于美國(guó)，因?yàn)樗呀?jīng)在民族精神中根深蒂固；美國(guó)民 主黨前任領(lǐng)袖Robert Strauss曾幽默地形容，最完美的美國(guó)總統(tǒng)候選人，最好是出生在他自己親手蓋的小木屋里。當(dāng)我談起“美國(guó)夢(mèng)”時(shí)，我的中國(guó)朋友很疑惑地看著我；我解釋說(shuō)，當(dāng)然啦，要當(dāng)美國(guó)總統(tǒng)、或是美國(guó)最有錢(qián)的人，“美國(guó)夢(mèng)”并非必要的，這個(gè)夢(mèng)強(qiáng)調(diào)機(jī)會(huì)平等，所以每個(gè)人都可能成功。 然后我問(wèn)她，“中國(guó)夢(mèng)”是什么？ 幾年前，《大西洋月刊(Atlantic Monthly)》記者James Fallows也曾經(jīng)丟出這個(gè)問(wèn)題，他并在新書(shū)《空降中國(guó)(China Airborne)》以及一篇月刊特別報(bào)導(dǎo)中，進(jìn)一步表達(dá)了他的想法。這是一個(gè)很大的問(wèn)題，而且一直縈繞在我的腦海；數(shù)月前，一個(gè)住在北京的朋友提醒我： “順子，在中國(guó)有個(gè)電視節(jié)目就叫‘中國(guó)夢(mèng)想’，非常受歡迎，中國(guó)確實(shí)有“中國(guó)夢(mèng)”！” “中國(guó)夢(mèng)想秀”是一個(gè)真人實(shí)境節(jié)目，邀請(qǐng)有不凡夢(mèng)想的中國(guó)人上節(jié)目；每一集里，觀眾可參與決定當(dāng)周的參賽者能否實(shí)現(xiàn)他們的夢(mèng)想。當(dāng)然，那個(gè)節(jié)目的焦點(diǎn)是個(gè)人的夢(mèng)想，并不會(huì)有意識(shí)地體現(xiàn)任何一種 與民族精神相關(guān)的“中國(guó)夢(mèng)”；如同F(xiàn)allows最近在紐約“亞洲交流協(xié)會(huì)(Asia Society)”發(fā)表的演說(shuō)指出：“目前的“中國(guó)夢(mèng)”只是個(gè)人夢(mèng)想的累積?！? 確實(shí)，所有被我問(wèn)到“中國(guó)夢(mèng)”的中國(guó)朋友，都很難回答這個(gè)問(wèn)題；而且就算我改問(wèn)，是什么信仰、信念構(gòu)成了中國(guó)，也沒(méi)什么幫助；說(shuō)到底，中國(guó)與美國(guó)一樣，是個(gè)聚集了數(shù)十種居住在不同區(qū)域、擁有不同語(yǔ)言文化之民族的大陸。 有個(gè)中國(guó)朋友告訴我，中國(guó)的“黏合劑”是“調(diào)控”──來(lái)自中央的力量讓國(guó)家團(tuán)結(jié)，他認(rèn)為，“調(diào)控”是讓國(guó)家和平的必要手段：“至少這對(duì)現(xiàn)階段的中國(guó)很重要?！边€有另外一個(gè)答案是“金錢(qián)”；一個(gè)住北京的熟人表示，對(duì)金錢(qián)的渴望推動(dòng)了中國(guó)走向繁榮的夢(mèng)想，當(dāng)人們理所當(dāng)然地認(rèn)為正義是遙不可及，至少金錢(qián)是每個(gè)人都能握在手中的。 對(duì)很多中國(guó)人來(lái)說(shuō)，某人如何致富、或者是國(guó)家將如何確保每個(gè)人取得的致富機(jī)會(huì)是公平的，并不是很重要；更精確地說(shuō)，“公正(fairness)”、“不擇手段的正義(the means justifying the ends)”等詞匯，不會(huì)成為公共論述(public discourse)的內(nèi)容。 從日常生活中觀察，中國(guó)人之間的共通情感，應(yīng)該是：“我有我自己的，你也靠你自己?！被蛘呤窍馞allows在他的書(shū)里引述中國(guó)朋友所言：“一切都是為了我的家人和朋友，沒(méi)有為了別人的?！暴ぉひ虼宋覒岩桑以摬粫?huì)是唯一覺(jué)得中國(guó)在很多共同價(jià)值、 哲學(xué)上都跟美國(guó)的共和黨很像的人吧？ 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Judith Cheng 參考英文原文：Yoshida in China: What is the Chinese Dream?，by Junko Yoshida

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{pagination} Yoshida in China: What is the Chinese Dream? Junko Yoshida SHANGHAI, China – Last week, while serious citizens in the United States were watching the Democratic National Convention unfold, I was in Shenzhen. But I was able to catch up with a few convention speeches on my iPad. The last thing I expected, however, was for the DNC to be a topic of water cooler conversation in China. I had barely sat down with my Chinese girlfriend at a Starbucks in busy downtown Shenzhen before she asked me about Michele Obama. The Chinese woman, who saw the First Lady’s speech on the Internet, summarized its essence as putting “family” and “faith” foremost in life. My friend can’t imagine any political leader in her country uttering such sentiments. Ordinary Chinese would be at a loss if asked what “faith” he or she professes, she added. If anything, life’s priorities in China are to work hard and earn money. Of course, I replied that Americans, too, believe in working hard and making money, because after all that’s what pays the bills and we all need to live. Putting “family” and “faith” first is an aspirational goal. Some Americans actually do put these ideals first; others don’t. The difference might be the American conviction that it’s important to spell out and remind one another that we are held together by common values. The values conversation gets amplified during a presidential election year. The so-called American Dream is a grand myth. But the myth lives on in the United States, because it’s ingrained in the national ethos. Former Democratic leader Robert Strauss expressed it humorously by saying that the perfect presidential candidate is a man who was born in a log cabin that he built himself. My Chinese friend looked puzzled when I started talking about the American Dream. I had to explain that, of course, the American Dream isn’t necessarily about becoming the President of the United States, or becoming the richest man in the country. The dream is to ensuring equal opportunity, so that everyone has a chance to succeed. My question to her was: What’s the Chinese Dream? Journalist James Fallows popped that question in the Atlantic Monthly a few years ago. He further articulated it in his latest book "China Airborne" and in a special report in the magazine. It’s a great question, and it sticks in my mind. A few months ago, a friend living in Beijing reminded me, “Junko, there is even a TV show in China called ‘Chinese Dream.’ It’s very popular. Of course, China has a Chinese Dream!” Control? Money? “Chinese Dream” is a reality show featuring various Chinese people with extraordinary dreams. In each show, the audience participates in deciding whether that week’s contestants will be granted their dream. Of course, the show is really focused individual dreams. It doesn’t consciously embody any sort of national ethos about THE Chinese Dream. As Fallows said in a recent speech at the Asia Society in New York: “For the moment, the only Chinese dream that mattered was the accumulation of individual dreams.” Indeed, Chinese people I talked to do struggle to answer my Chinese Dream question. It doesn’t help when I ask what faith, and what beliefs hold China together. China, after all — like the United States — is a huge continent composed of dozens of ethnic groups living in different regions with different cultures and languages. One answer offered by a Chinese friend is that China’s “glue” is “control.” Control by the government holds the nation together. She views ‘control’ as a necessary to keep the nation at peace. “At least at this stage of China’s history, it’s important,” she added. Another obvious answer was “money.” A Beijing acquaintance said that the desire for money drives the Chinese toward a dream of prosperity. When the people assume that justice is out of reach, he explained, money is at least something everyone can hang onto. Among many Chinese, how one gets rich, or how the country ensures that everyone has a fair shot at getting rich, are issues that don’t seem to matter very much. More accurately, terms like “fairness” and “the means justifying the ends” tend not to pop up in public discourse. In a nation without national elections, perhaps it’s silly, or at least premature, to ponder abstractions like the Chinese Dream or “the faith of our (Chinese) fathers.” Certainly, such notions are not something requiring lip service from politicians here. Clearly, the common sentiment among the Chinese, observed in everyday life, comes down to this: “I’ve got mine. You are on your own.” Or, as Fallows said in his book, quoting a Chinese friend: “Everything for my family and friends; nothing for anyone else.” So, I wonder. Am I alone in thinking that China — supposedly the last great stronghold of Communism — seems to have an awful lot in common, philosophically, with the Republican Party?