Learn Mandarin: 'Telling the truth directly'

BIZCHINA / Ding Lei

'Telling the truth directly'
(CDT)
Updated: 2005-12-29 10:58

At the end of the year, Netease, one of the top three portals in China,
has posted a special feature "Telling the Truth Directly" which quotes
the official line on various issues and events from 2005, followed by a
sarcastic interpretation of the comments.

Commercial portals like Netease are not permitted to do their own
independent news reporting, but this kind of commentary is their effort
to create their own media content.

The title of the feature could be interpreted as playing off the CCTV
talk show of the same name, yet here they use quotation marks around the
title to show these official statements represent the so-called "truth."
Following are translations of three examples, from Netease's list of
eight:

1) "There is almost no monopoly in the industries of oil,
telecommunications and electrical power... One of the important reasons
for such a great situation is competition. You can also say in these
industries, there is no one monopoly. Actually, in the oil,
telecommunications and electrical power industries, we already have a
competitive structure. Moreover, the main resources of these industries
all exist within the publicly-listed companies. More precisely, the
ownership has already been diversified and socially distributed. The
state-owned enterprises after all belong to the state and to the people.
Therefore, the profits are all for the people's interests."

-December 22, Li Rongrong, Director of the National Resources Committee
at a press conference of the State Council Information Office.

Interpretation: "There is no monopoly in the oil, telecommunications and
electrical power industries. They are all serving the people. They
introduce competition, and upgrade their technology. Those state-owned
enterprises are taking a great leap forward, unloading the baggage on
others, attracting foreign investment, increasing profits, defeating the
private-owned enterprises. The price of oil went crazy, electricity bills
shot up, and the benefit of the employees of these industries improved
markedly. They are leading the way for the Chinese people to become a
well-off society. They have truly implemented the guiding policy of 'let
some people get rich first.'"

2) "One important reason for the phenomenon of collusion between police
and criminals is that the pay for police is too low."

-Fu Xiaohua, deputy director of the police station at the Chengdu train
station

[Report]: The Chengdu train station police station is a sub-unit of the
Chengdu Railway Public Security Bureau, and every day they confront large
numbers of travelers coming and going. It is a heavy task. The normal
monthly salary is about 2000 yuan. The assets of some of the members of
this police force are above one million yuan. And the main source of
their income is a monthly contribution from thieves.

Interpretation: "Do you know what kind of place a train station is? So
much traffic, all kinds of people. We police have to stay for long
periods in this place with dirty air, under the hot sun, with no oxygen.
No nutritious foods can compensate for this. We have elders and children
to look after. Every so often we need a massage and sauna. How could the
monthly salary really be enough?"

3) "Migrants coming to Beijing should abide by the system and gain
permission, we cannot let 1.3 billion people flee to Beijing... The
quality of these people (migrants) is relatively low. After being out of
work for long periods, they engage in risky behavior, and bring unstable
factors to the public security situation.

Beijing's development doesn't have much use for these people. In fact,
many of the places in Beijing where the management is chaotic is caused
by these people (migrants). For example, in garbage collection areas,
they beg for money with bad intentions. Their existence damages the lives
of Beijing residents."

-January 13, Beijing Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference
member Zhang Weiying as a guest on "The Window to the Capital."

Interpretation"Wouldn't it be cleaner to learn from Hitler and throw
the low quality people into the gas chambers? The development of Beijing
does not need those low quality people, stop all of them at the gate. We
will collect trash ourselves, we will clean the streets ourselves, we
will construct new buildings ourselves. Our city's environment will be
number one in the country, and our educational level will surpass Britain
and America.

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Wednesday, 21 November 2007

'Telling the truth directly'

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