Reflections on the Proposal to Censor the Internet

By Wang Xiaobo

My computer is still not online, and I've considered getting connected to the Internet. But I've heard there's a lot of pornography on the Net, as well as some reactionary political stuff. That scares me stiff. Recently some people were saying we should limit the use of the Net. I couldn't agree more. Surely, we can't permit the free flow of information, can we? But if I understand the situation at all, then it would seem to me that, other than just cutting it all off clean, there's really no way to put limits on it. That stuff is just so fast, so amazing. With the information explosion, it's just too difficult to monitor it all — banning it outright would be a lot easier. Of course, if I were in business, or doing scientific or technological work, I couldn't very well get along without the Internet. But then why should I worry about businessmen, scientists and engineers? There is indeed a vast ocean of information flowing out there on the information superhighway. But for someone like me who writes for a living, I can get along without it. So I say: cut off the Internet completely so that I don't have to be bothered with it.

The Internet is just a tool for transmitting information. There are also tools for processing information, namely, the various personal computers. Just think, if there were no personal computers, even if the Internet still existed, there'd be no way to connect to it. Besides, the sale of pornography can still go on with floppy disks and CDs. We have to ban personal computers if we want to get to the root of the problem.

In addition to computers, you have TV and movies, which also propagate unhealthy information. I'm very clear on this matter: I am in favor of strict control. First of all, foreign films and television programmes are simply not appropriate to conditions in China; they should all be prohibited without exception. Secondly, movie makers and television producers in China are not always the finest individuals, and there is a lot of junk that gets produced. I'm a fiction writer, I don't have anything to do with movies or TV, and I don't make much money. Wang Shuo, Feng Xiaogang and all those movie stars — none of them has the academic credentials I do and what they produce is not up to my standard, yet they do make big bucks. There should be a strict monitoring of all this. But when you think about it, monitoring every page on the Net before approving it for distribution would be impossible. Nor would it be an easy task to watch a 120-episode TV series from start to finish. We might as well just ban it all. During the ten years of the Cultural Revolution we only had the eight "model operas" and we managed alright, didn't we? I'm not like today's young people who simply must have a CD, a VCD, a TV and a VCR. Just give me a book to read and I'm happy. Having said all this, I overlooked pop music. That filthy racket should be the first thing we ban. If young people don't have anything to occupy themselves, they can do more physical exercise to develop their bodies along with their character ...

If we continue to ban things like this, eventually it's going to come around to me. There may be no unhealthy content in my novels, but if you ask me to go through them line-by-line and demonstrate that it's all good-quality information, then I wouldn't be up to it. And anyway, at that point I'd be too terrified to defend myself. If movies and TV can be banned, why not novels? We may like to read, but there are also plenty of illiterates, and they would certainly have no problem banning all books. Okay, so I'll quit writing. I'll get a job as a porter at the railway station. I'm in pretty good shape, I could do the work of a porter. Yet not every writer could lift heavy bags like I could...

(Translated by David Moser)

1
联网: online有connected to or controlled by a central computer的意思 (见OALD和Longman)。
也想过: 这里的“想”是‘考虑’consider的意思。
和Internet联上: 这里的“联上”可以译为get connected to ...。
据说: 这篇文章比较口语化，因此I've heard比It is said that好。
黄毒泛滥: 只要说出‘有许多黄色的东西’there's a lot of pornography 即可，英文里pornography和poison不搭 配。
有些反动的东西: 最好点明是‘政治上反动的东西’ reactionary political stuff。
在传播: 说“网上有些反动的东西”，这些东西自然就在传播，因此不 用把这三个字译出来。
这些说法: 实际就是“这”，不过由于讲的是过去的事，英文倾向于用 that。
把我吓住了: 意思是‘吓得我没有去联网’，英文可以说 scares me stiff。
前些时候: Not long ago或Recently。
建议: 就是‘说应该......’are saying that we should...；这种译法比 propose更口语化。
对网络加以限制: 即‘限制对网络的使用’limit the use of the Net。
我很赞成: 也就是‘我太赞成了’I couldn't agree more.
说实在的: Surely或honestly。
哪能容许信息自由地传播: 原句无主语，可以译成被动句，但那样听起 来比较正式，不如补出主语we，译成 we can't permit the free flow of information/ allow information to flow freely, can we?或 how can we permit the free flow of information/ allow information to flow freely?
对这件事还有点了解: 这里的“点”是‘任何’的意思，即 understand the situation at all或know anything about the Internet.
我要说: 可以理解为‘我看’it would seem to me that...。
除了：中国学生一看见“除了”，就会想到用except，这里用 other than 更好。
一剪子剪掉: 就是‘全部干净地剪掉’cutting it all off clean，当然，不 加后面的clean 也可以。
没有什么限制的方法: 也就是‘没有什么方法限制它’ There's really no way to put limits on it，用really传达“什么”的意思。
太快: 这里的“太”不是‘过于’的意思，因此不应译为too，而应 译为so。
太邪门: 各种汉英词典给的对应词没有一个合适，这里的意思其实是 ‘不可思议’amazing, incredible。
现代社会信息爆炸: 这里的意思是‘由于信息爆炸’With information explosion，不必说“现代社会”。
审查: 这里是‘监控’monitor的意思。
不如禁止方便: 意思是‘干脆把它取缔倒容易得多’banning it outright would be a lot easier，也可理解为‘干脆把它取缔算了’better to just ban it outright。
假如我作生意: If I were in business或If I were a businessman。
搞科技: doing scientific or technological work或a scientist or engineer。
会有些困难: couldn't very well get along，也可以说I would have some difficulty doing my job.
为商人、工程师们操心: worry about businessmen, scientists and engineers，这里最好补出‘科学家’，因为前面说的是“科技”。
信息高速网:即‘信息高速公路’information superhighway。
海量的信息: a vast ocean/ sea of information。
但是我: 这里的“我”代表不同于商人、科学家、工程师的另一类人， 因此最好说 But for someone like me。
爬格子: 即‘以写作谋生’writes for a living。
也能行: 这里的“能行”与上面的“有些困难”相对，可以说can get along。
省得我听了心烦: so that I don't have to be bothered with it. 也可以理解 为‘关于这方面的事，我已经听 腻了’I'm sick of hearing about it.
2
就是: ‘那就是’namely/ that is。
你想想看: Just think. 汉语表示请求、命令的句子，经常加第二人称代 词作为主语，英语通常不加。
没有电脑: 这里是假设句，英文要通过时态后移(即通常用现在时的地方 改为用过去时，通常用过去时的地方改为用过去完成时)表示假设。
有网也接不上: 意思是‘即使互联网仍然存在，也没有办法跟它接上’ even if the Internet still existed, there'd be no way to connect to it.
磁盘、光盘也足以贩黄: 可以理解为‘黄色作品的贩卖/交易仍可以凭 借磁盘和光盘进行’the sale of/ trade in pornography can still go on with floppy disks and CDs； 或‘黄色作品仍可以通过磁盘和光 盘传播’ pornography can still spread through floppy disks and CDs。
必须......这才是: 意思是‘要想......必须’We must...if we want to...。
治本: 汉语的本原义是‘根’，治本就是‘从根本上解决 问题’get to the root of the problem。
3
散布: propagate/ spread/ disseminate。
不良信息:即‘不健康的信息’unhealthy information。
在这方面: 即‘在这个问题上’on this matter。
我的态度是坚定的:可以说I'm resolute，也可以说I'm clear，“态度” 不必译。
赞成: 这里最好用in favor of。
严加管理: 这里的意思是‘严格控制’strict control。
影视作品: 即‘电影和电视节目’films and television programs。
与国情不符: 即‘不适合中国国情’not appropriate to the conditions/ situation in China。其实所谓“国情”，在这里就是‘中国人的 生活方式’Chinese way of life。
通通: 即‘无一例外’with no exception。
国内的: 这里的国内的其实就是‘中国的’ in China。
影视从业人员: 即‘制作电影和电视的人’movie makers and television producers
良莠不齐: 说得婉转一点就是‘并不总是最优秀的人’ not always the finest individuals，说得直一点就是‘品位参差不齐’of mixed quality。
做出的作品也多有不好的: 即‘出了许多不好或无价值的东西’There is a lot of junk that gets produced.
与影视无缘: 即don't have anything/ have nothing to do with the movies or TV。
大批的影星们: 可以理解为‘那些影星们’all those movie stars。
学历都不如我: 即‘他们谁也没有我所拥有的学历’none of them has the academic credentials I do；也可译为none of them has had as much education as I have。
搞出的东西: what they produce。
我也看不入眼: 可以理解为‘达不到我的标准’is not up to my standard 或doesn't do much for me。
发大财: 这句话较俗，所以译为do make big bucks，也可以说make big money；文雅一点的译文是 make a fortune。
话又说回来: 可以理解为‘可是仔细想一想’But when you think about it或‘另一方面’On the other hand。
把Internet上的通讯逐页看过: 这里的“通讯”可以不译，monitoring/ going over every page on the Net。
放行: approving it for distribution或letting it pass。
办不到的: 即‘不可能’impossible或‘不实际’impractical。
集: 电视连续剧的“集”是episode，电影或小说的“上、下集”是 part。
连续剧: TV series。
从头看到尾: from start to finish或 from begining to end，注意不加冠词。
倒不如通通禁掉算了: Might as well just ban it all.
文化大革命十年: during the ten years of the Cultural Revolution或during the ten-year Cultural Revolution
样板戏: Model Operas，其实其中有的并不是‘戏’operas，不过当时人 们习惯于这样叫。
不也活过来了嘛: we got by okay, right? we came through all the same, didn't we?
声、光、电、影一样都少不了: they simply must have a CD, a VCD, a TV, and a VCR; 或 a CD, a VCD, a TV, and a VCR are simply indispensable to them. “影”很可能指‘电影’，但为了与前面 缩写代表的新玩意儿配合，所以译为VCR。
我有本书看看就行了: 意思是‘给我本书看我就满意了’Just give me a book to read and I'm happy.
说来说去: 意思是‘说了这么多’But having said all this。
漏掉: overlooked或forgot to mention，“漏掉”之前最好加上realize，以 表示‘发现’、 ‘意识到’的意思
这种乌七八糟的东西: That filthy racket，注意中英使用不同的指示代 词。
年轻人没有事: 即‘假如年轻人没有事干’If young people don't have anything to occupy themselves。
既陶冶了性情，又锻炼了身体: “陶冶”和“锻炼”可以用一个英文词 译，to develop their character along with their bodies。4
这样禁来禁去: 可以理解为‘假如我们这样不停地禁下去’If we continue to ban things like this。
禁到我身上: come around to me。
我的小说内容健康: 直译是The content of my novels is healthy，但译为 There may be no unhealthy content in my novels‘我的小说里或 许没有不健康的内容’似乎更好。
让我逐行说明: If you ask me to go through them line by line and demonstrate that...。
每一句都是良好的信息: it's all good-quality information或every sentence is nothing but good-quality information。
我也做不到: I wouldn't be up to it.
再说: And anyway/ besides。
我已经吓傻了，哪有精神给自己辩护: I'd be too terrified to defend myself，‘哪有精神’的意思已经隐含在too ... to 结构里了。
不识字的人: illiterates/ illiterate people。
赞成禁书: have no problem/ be in favor of banning books。
我不写作了: I'll quit/ stop writing.
到车站上: 这里不能用与“上”对应的on，而要说at the railway station。
去扛大包: 即‘当搬运工’get a job as a porter。
我的身体很好: I'm in pretty good shape或 I'm in good health。
别的作家: 意思是‘并不是所有的作家……’not every writer。
扛得动大包: could lift heavy bags。注意这里说的情况是假设的，所以 要用 could。