『老外看中国』巨龙还是猪仔，自我分裂的中国自定位

Beijing’s Mildy Schizophrenic Self-Image
北京自我分裂的定位
Posted ByChristina Larson

News that China has overtaken Japan to become theworld’s second largest economy certainly raised eyebrows in Washington and around the world. But in Beijing?
有消息称，中国已经超过日本，成为世界第二大经济体。这当然引起了华盛顿和世界各地的注意。但在北京又是怎样呢？
Xinhua, the state-owned wire service, played the aw-shucks card today, with an article reminding international readers just how poor much of China remains, “China Still Behind Japan Economically” (” … according to the International Monetary Fund, China’s GDP per capita in 2009 was only $3,566, significantly lower than that of Japan ($39,573). China onlyranked 99th worldwide in terms of per capita GDP.”)
作为国有通讯社的新华社却仍在打尴尬的可怜牌，其发表文章提醒国际读者中国是多么的可怜，“中国经济仍落后于日本”（“根据国际货币基金组织的数据，中国的GDP在2009年只有3566美元，明显低于日本（39573美元）。中国的GDP仅排在全球第99位。”）
This is true, and worth pointing out: Most of China does not shop at Shanghai’s new shopping malls.
这是真的，而且值得指出的是：大多数中国人并没有在上海新的购物商场里购物。
Meanwhile, the editorial decision to run such an article now is also evidence of what I call the Two Chinas phenomenon. On the one hand, Beijing loves luxuriating in its growing global clout: wagging fingers at Western economists when the United Statesturned out to be more mired in the Great Recession than the Middle Kingdom; becoming increasingly assertive with regards to claims made in theSouth China Sea; etc.
同时，编辑决定发表这样的文章也恰恰证明我所说的两种中国现象。一方面，北京政府喜爱其不断增长的全球影响力的奢华：在美国被证明是比中国更深陷大衰退泥潭之中时，对西方经济学家摇摇手指，不屑一顾；在南中国海问题上愈发坚定与自信等等。
On the other hand, for purposes of receiving support from international organizations likethe Global Fund, or pledging commitments on international treaties like Copenhagen, Beijing happily reminds us that China really is a poor country after all — so please keep that assistance flowing, and don’t expect too much from us.
另一方面，为了接收来自国际组织如全球基金等的捐助和支持，或是许诺承担国际条约的义务例如哥本哈根会议，北京很高兴地提醒我们，中国终究还是一个真正贫穷的国家 – 所以请记住，多多援助，但是不要指望从我们这里获得太多。
There is truth in both these views of China — the emerging superpower and the weakling, the Dragon and the Piglet. But the alternation can be confusing. Of course, there is method in Beijing’s madness. When it’s in China’s interest to act humble, it will. Where it feels it has little left to gain from the international status quo, it won’t.
目前对中国的这两种观点所包含的真理是 – 新兴的超级大国和懦夫，巨龙和仔猪。但是，这种交替是难以理解的。当然，北京政府对于这样的疯狂有它的办法。当符合中国的利益时，它会表现得谦虚；而当它认为不会从国际现状中获得多少利益时，它则不会