Micosoft 的MSN終於向中國政府讓步, 採取其網絡審查機制, 不允許民主, 自由, 江澤民等一千多個字眼出現. 而英文版則沒有篩選字眼.
而Micosoft在中國的顧問Robert Scoble作出如下的解釋:
"First of all, you should realize I'm a STAUNCH advocate for the first amendment (freedom of the press). It is one of those things I would die for. It's something that I would never give up. Even if it required giving up my paycheck. Or, my life."
"So, do I think Chinese citizens should have the right to publish whatever they want? Absolutely.
But, and this is a big but...I'm not Chinese. I'm American. So I have ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS forcing the Chinese into a position they don't believe in."
"I've been to China (as an employee of Winnov about seven years ago). I met with Government officials there. I met with students. I met with professors. They explained their anti-free-speech stance to me and I understand it. I don't agree with it, and I will be happy to explain to anyone the benefits of giving your citizens the right to speak freely, but it's not my place to make their laws. It certainly is not my right to force their hand with business power."
容許我作出如下的翻譯: 我是人, 我絶對相信言論與出版自由, 我甚至願意為言論自由而犠牲, 但中國人是不死狗啊! 他們不喜歡自由, 而我不能要求狗變成人.
其實我對Scoble的評論也不以為然, 不過奇怪的是, 充滿著民族尊嚴的中國人, 只會對電影的意像大做文章, 對現實生活中不死狗的故事情節卻視而不見.
RConversation的Rebecca看不過眼, 以她自己在中國的經驗走出來說中國人是人, 不是狗:
"In my experience, most Chinese, like all other human beings I've ever met, would very much like to have freedom of speech. This goes for students, professors, workers, farmers, retirees, religious practitioners, and even many government officials. Many said so to me in on-the-record interviews. Many more told me so privately, in trusted confidence over beers (or something stronger) among friends.
What they don't want is to lose their jobs and educational opportunities by pushing too hard at the restrictions their government has placed on their ability to speak. They work within the bounds of the possible, and since people in China can say a lot more now than they were allowed to say 20 years ago, most take the long-term view.
It's very true, most Chinese hate it when foreigners lecture them about how they should change. They hate being patronized. Many view the common American attitude of "we're here to save you and make you free" as condescending and hypocritical. They'd rather continue living under their extremely imperfect political situation in hopes that eventually it will change, and that this change will be accomplished by Chinese people in a Chinese way. Only then will they have ownership both of the change and of the result. Otherwise, the change will be considered foreign-imposed, and the Chinese violently detest foreign-imposed anything. Even ones who privately and quietly detest their government."
不過, Rebecca也點出民族主義的吊詭之處: 他們不喜歡外國人教他們如何改變. 問題是為什麼視外國的經驗為 "教"? 面對著Scoble的一番話, 這隻狗不願意站起來, 因為若牠站起來就代表著自己被西方"馴服"了! 反而Scoble向狗跪下來, 令到狗看上來像老虎(內地把不死狗譯成猛虎出籠), 使這隻狗沾沾自喜? 好了現在Rebecca走出來說中國人不是狗, 但又可以被理解為另一個外國人來為狗來辯護? 在民族主義的論述框架下, 大概中國人就永遠逃離不了狗的命運?
盧比桑這回真是為中國的民族主義開了一個精彩的玩笑!