正文
信源：紐約時報｜編輯：2008-08-27
觀看過北京奧運壯觀的奧運會，感受到數以百計的中國鼓手帶來的震蕩，我很容易得出兩個總結：“天啊，這個國家的活力是無可匹敵的。”還有：“開始教孩子們中文吧。”
然而，多年的經驗告訴我，不要過度詮釋任何為期兩周的事件。奧運沒有改變曆史。它僅僅是快照----一個國家擺出最好的姿勢讓全世界看。不過，誠如快照所示，透過奧運呈現的中國真的非常強大----而且美國人需要在這個選舉季節反省。
耗資430億美元的宏偉的奧運基礎設施，無與倫比的開幕與閉幕式，這些不是由於那種突然發現石油的偶然運氣。不是那樣的，而是七年的國家投資、計劃、集中國力、全國動員以及努力工作的高潮。
七年……七年……哦，沒錯。中國在2001年7月13日獲得奧運主辦權----剛好在911恐怖襲擊發生的兩個月前。
當我坐在鳥巢的座位上，看著數以千計的中國舞者、鼓手、歌者以及特技演員在表演閉幕式的魔術，我不禁思考中國和美國如何度過過去的七年：中國在為奧運準備；我們在為基地組織準備。他們在建造更好的體育館、地鐵、機場、道路和公園。我們在建造更好的金屬探測儀、裝甲車和無人駕駛飛機。
差異開始顯現。抵達紐約市La Guardia機場笨拙的航站樓，驅車走過曼哈頓搖搖欲墜的基礎設施，再和抵達上海時髦的機場，乘坐時速220英裏的磁懸浮列車的體驗比較一下。然後自問：到底是誰生活在第三世界國家？
沒錯，如果你從北京往外走，驅車一個小時就會看到中國廣闊的、非常貧窮的第三世界。但新意在於：中國的富裕部分，北京或上海或大連的現代部分，如今比富裕的美國要先進。建築更為有趣，無限網絡更為先進，道路和火車更為有效，更加好。我再說一遍，他們做到這一切並非因為發現石油。他們是通過挖掘自身來達到的。
我意識到了差異：我們遭遇911襲擊；他們沒有。我們有真正的敵人；他們的敵人並不龐大，而且主要是國內的。我們不得不回應911，至少要鏟除基地組織在阿富汗的基地，並加強國土安全。他們可以回避外國糾纏。然而，試圖在伊拉克建立民主是一場選擇之戰，而且不大可能產生與其代價相等的東西。
當你看到中國自2001年以來在奧運的標語下建造多少現代基礎設施，當你看到美國自2001年以來在反恐戰爭的標語下推遲多少基礎設施建設，你就會明白未來的七年必須投入美國的國家建設。
我們需要盡快完成我們在伊拉克和阿富汗的事務，當伊拉克議會去度假而13萬美軍卻在站崗，那是很滑稽的。在伊拉克人在爭論是否要搞他們的國家建設的時候，我們再也不能推遲我們的國家建設。
奧巴馬之所以能走到今天，是因為很多選民期望他是帶領美國複興的領導。他們知道我們現在需要搞國家建設----不是在伊拉克，不是在阿富汗，不是在格魯吉亞，而是在美國。奧巴馬不要錯過這個主旋律。
作者：THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
英文原文：A Biblical Seven Years
After attending the spectacular closing ceremony at the Beijing Olympics and feeling the vibrations from hundreds of Chinese drummers pulsating in my own chest, I was tempted to conclude two things: “Holy mackerel, the energy coming out of this country is unrivaled.” And, two: “We are so cooked. Start teaching your kids Mandarin.”
However, I’ve learned over the years not to over-interpret any two-week event. Olympics don’t change history. They are mere snapshots — a country posing in its Sunday bests for all the world too see. But, as snapshots go, the one China presented through the Olympics was enormously powerful — and it’s one that Americans need to reflect upon this election season.
China did not build the magnificent $43 billion infrastructure for these games, or put on the unparalleled opening and closing ceremonies, simply by the dumb luck of discovering oil. No, it was the culmination of seven years of national investment, planning, concentrated state power, national mobilization and hard work.
Seven years ... Seven years ... Oh, that’s right. China was awarded these Olympic Games on July 13, 2001 — just two months before 9/11.
As I sat in my seat at the Bird’s Nest, watching thousands of Chinese dancers, drummers, singers and acrobats on stilts perform their magic at the closing ceremony, I couldn’t help but reflect on how China and America have spent the last seven years: China has been preparing for the Olympics; we’ve been preparing for Al Qaeda. They’ve been building better stadiums, subways, airports, roads and parks. And we’ve been building better metal detectors, armored Humvees and pilotless drones.
The difference is starting to show. Just compare arriving at La Guardia’s dumpy terminal in New York City and driving through the crumbling infrastructure into Manhattan with arriving at Shanghai’s sleek airport and taking the 220-mile-per-hour magnetic levitation train, which uses electromagnetic propulsion instead of steel wheels and tracks, to get to town in a blink.
Then ask yourself: Who is living in the third world country?
Yes, if you drive an hour out of Beijing, you meet the vast dirt-poor third world of China. But here’s what’s new: The rich parts of China, the modern parts of Beijing or Shanghai or Dalian, are now more state of the art than rich America. The buildings are architecturally more interesting, the wireless networks more sophisticated, the roads and trains more efficient and nicer. And, I repeat, they did not get all this by discovering oil. They got it by digging inside themselves.
I realize the differences: We were attacked on 9/11; they were not. We have real enemies; theirs are small and mostly domestic. We had to respond to 9/11 at least by eliminating the Al Qaeda base in Afghanistan and investing in tighter homeland security. They could avoid foreign entanglements. Trying to build democracy in Iraq, though, which I supported, was a war of choice and is unlikely to ever produce anything equal to its huge price tag.
But the first rule of holes is that when you’re in one, stop digging. When you see how much modern infrastructure has been built in China since 2001, under the banner of the Olympics, and you see how much infrastructure has been postponed in America since 2001, under the banner of the war on terrorism, it’s clear that the next seven years need to be devoted to nation-building in America.
We need to finish our business in Iraq and Afghanistan as quickly as possible, which is why it is a travesty that the Iraqi Parliament has gone on vacation while 130,000 U.S. troops are standing guard. We can no longer afford to postpone our nation-building while Iraqis squabble over whether to do theirs.
A lot of people are now advising Barack Obama to get dirty with John McCain. Sure, fight fire with fire. That’s necessary, but it is not sufficient.
Obama got this far because many voters projected onto him that he could be the leader of an American renewal. They know we need nation-building at home now — not in Iraq, not in Afghanistan, not in Georgia, but in America. Obama cannot lose that theme.
He cannot let Republicans make this election about who is tough enough to stand up to Russia or bin Laden. It has to be about who is strong enough, focused enough, creative enough and unifying enough to get Americans to rebuild America. The next president can have all the foreign affairs experience in the world, but it will be useless, utterly useless, if we, as a country, are weak.
Obama is more right than he knows when he proclaims that this is “our” moment, this is “our” time. But it is our time to get back to work on the only home we have, our time for nation-building in America. I never want to tell my girls — and I’m sure Obama feels the same about his — that they have to go to China to see the future.
觀看過北京奧運壯觀的奧運會，感受到數以百計的中國鼓手帶來的震蕩，我很容易得出兩個總結：“天啊，這個國家的活力是無可匹敵的。”還有：“開始教孩子們中文吧。”
然而，多年的經驗告訴我，不要過度詮釋任何為期兩周的事件。奧運沒有改變曆史。它僅僅是快照----一個國家擺出最好的姿勢讓全世界看。不過，誠如快照所示，透過奧運呈現的中國真的非常強大----而且美國人需要在這個選舉季節反省。
耗資430億美元的宏偉的奧運基礎設施，無與倫比的開幕與閉幕式，這些不是由於那種突然發現石油的偶然運氣。不是那樣的，而是七年的國家投資、計劃、集中國力、全國動員以及努力工作的高潮。
七年……七年……哦，沒錯。中國在2001年7月13日獲得奧運主辦權----剛好在911恐怖襲擊發生的兩個月前。
當我坐在鳥巢的座位上，看著數以千計的中國舞者、鼓手、歌者以及特技演員在表演閉幕式的魔術，我不禁思考中國和美國如何度過過去的七年：中國在為奧運準備；我們在為基地組織準備。他們在建造更好的體育館、地鐵、機場、道路和公園。我們在建造更好的金屬探測儀、裝甲車和無人駕駛飛機。
差異開始顯現。抵達紐約市La Guardia機場笨拙的航站樓，驅車走過曼哈頓搖搖欲墜的基礎設施，再和抵達上海時髦的機場，乘坐時速220英裏的磁懸浮列車的體驗比較一下。然後自問：到底是誰生活在第三世界國家？
沒錯，如果你從北京往外走，驅車一個小時就會看到中國廣闊的、非常貧窮的第三世界。但新意在於：中國的富裕部分，北京或上海或大連的現代部分，如今比富裕的美國要先進。建築更為有趣，無限網絡更為先進，道路和火車更為有效，更加好。我再說一遍，他們做到這一切並非因為發現石油。他們是通過挖掘自身來達到的。
我意識到了差異：我們遭遇911襲擊；他們沒有。我們有真正的敵人；他們的敵人並不龐大，而且主要是國內的。我們不得不回應911，至少要鏟除基地組織在阿富汗的基地，並加強國土安全。他們可以回避外國糾纏。然而，試圖在伊拉克建立民主是一場選擇之戰，而且不大可能產生與其代價相等的東西。
當你看到中國自2001年以來在奧運的標語下建造多少現代基礎設施，當你看到美國自2001年以來在反恐戰爭的標語下推遲多少基礎設施建設，你就會明白未來的七年必須投入美國的國家建設。
我們需要盡快完成我們在伊拉克和阿富汗的事務，當伊拉克議會去度假而13萬美軍卻在站崗，那是很滑稽的。在伊拉克人在爭論是否要搞他們的國家建設的時候，我們再也不能推遲我們的國家建設。
奧巴馬之所以能走到今天，是因為很多選民期望他是帶領美國複興的領導。他們知道我們現在需要搞國家建設----不是在伊拉克，不是在阿富汗，不是在格魯吉亞，而是在美國。奧巴馬不要錯過這個主旋律。
作者：THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
英文原文：A Biblical Seven Years
After attending the spectacular closing ceremony at the Beijing Olympics and feeling the vibrations from hundreds of Chinese drummers pulsating in my own chest, I was tempted to conclude two things: “Holy mackerel, the energy coming out of this country is unrivaled.” And, two: “We are so cooked. Start teaching your kids Mandarin.”
However, I’ve learned over the years not to over-interpret any two-week event. Olympics don’t change history. They are mere snapshots — a country posing in its Sunday bests for all the world too see. But, as snapshots go, the one China presented through the Olympics was enormously powerful — and it’s one that Americans need to reflect upon this election season.
China did not build the magnificent $43 billion infrastructure for these games, or put on the unparalleled opening and closing ceremonies, simply by the dumb luck of discovering oil. No, it was the culmination of seven years of national investment, planning, concentrated state power, national mobilization and hard work.
Seven years ... Seven years ... Oh, that’s right. China was awarded these Olympic Games on July 13, 2001 — just two months before 9/11.
As I sat in my seat at the Bird’s Nest, watching thousands of Chinese dancers, drummers, singers and acrobats on stilts perform their magic at the closing ceremony, I couldn’t help but reflect on how China and America have spent the last seven years: China has been preparing for the Olympics; we’ve been preparing for Al Qaeda. They’ve been building better stadiums, subways, airports, roads and parks. And we’ve been building better metal detectors, armored Humvees and pilotless drones.
The difference is starting to show. Just compare arriving at La Guardia’s dumpy terminal in New York City and driving through the crumbling infrastructure into Manhattan with arriving at Shanghai’s sleek airport and taking the 220-mile-per-hour magnetic levitation train, which uses electromagnetic propulsion instead of steel wheels and tracks, to get to town in a blink.
Then ask yourself: Who is living in the third world country?
Yes, if you drive an hour out of Beijing, you meet the vast dirt-poor third world of China. But here’s what’s new: The rich parts of China, the modern parts of Beijing or Shanghai or Dalian, are now more state of the art than rich America. The buildings are architecturally more interesting, the wireless networks more sophisticated, the roads and trains more efficient and nicer. And, I repeat, they did not get all this by discovering oil. They got it by digging inside themselves.
I realize the differences: We were attacked on 9/11; they were not. We have real enemies; theirs are small and mostly domestic. We had to respond to 9/11 at least by eliminating the Al Qaeda base in Afghanistan and investing in tighter homeland security. They could avoid foreign entanglements. Trying to build democracy in Iraq, though, which I supported, was a war of choice and is unlikely to ever produce anything equal to its huge price tag.
But the first rule of holes is that when you’re in one, stop digging. When you see how much modern infrastructure has been built in China since 2001, under the banner of the Olympics, and you see how much infrastructure has been postponed in America since 2001, under the banner of the war on terrorism, it’s clear that the next seven years need to be devoted to nation-building in America.
We need to finish our business in Iraq and Afghanistan as quickly as possible, which is why it is a travesty that the Iraqi Parliament has gone on vacation while 130,000 U.S. troops are standing guard. We can no longer afford to postpone our nation-building while Iraqis squabble over whether to do theirs.
A lot of people are now advising Barack Obama to get dirty with John McCain. Sure, fight fire with fire. That’s necessary, but it is not sufficient.
Obama got this far because many voters projected onto him that he could be the leader of an American renewal. They know we need nation-building at home now — not in Iraq, not in Afghanistan, not in Georgia, but in America. Obama cannot lose that theme.
He cannot let Republicans make this election about who is tough enough to stand up to Russia or bin Laden. It has to be about who is strong enough, focused enough, creative enough and unifying enough to get Americans to rebuild America. The next president can have all the foreign affairs experience in the world, but it will be useless, utterly useless, if we, as a country, are weak.
Obama is more right than he knows when he proclaims that this is “our” moment, this is “our” time. But it is our time to get back to work on the only home we have, our time for nation-building in America. I never want to tell my girls — and I’m sure Obama feels the same about his — that they have to go to China to see the future.
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