Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Chinese Disasters, Politics, and Propaganda

Xinhua published an article showing photos from natural disasters that struck China in 2010. In the intro, there are several "interesting" paragraphs. Who writes this crap?

Xinhua
2010年,华夏大地经历了“冰火两重天”的考验。

春季,我国云南、广西、贵州、四川等西南省区遭受百年一遇的特大旱灾。持续的干旱使农作物大面积绝收,近千座小型水库、近万座小池塘干涸,2088万人饮水告急……

然而,人们没有想到的是,大旱之后还紧随着奔袭而来的暴雨和洪水,转眼间山村变“孤岛”,满眼尽是“泽国”。从珠江到长江,自淮河至辽河,全国共437条河流发生超警以上洪水。此次洪灾覆盖范围之广、持续时间之长、灾害损失之重、人员伤亡之多、社会影响之大均为1998年以来之最。

面对严重的自然灾害,在党和政府的有力领导下,全国人民紧急动员、风雨同舟,以惊人的勇气和力量,夺取了一次次防汛抗旱斗争的重大胜利,谱写了一曲曲感天动地的英雄壮歌。

专家指出,我国可能正在进入一个自然灾害频发的时期。一系列的自然灾害启示我们,必须坚持科学发展,保护我们赖以生存的环境,才能实现人与自然的和谐相处。

Fauna from chinaSMACK translates the last two paragraphs as:
Facing severe natural disasters, under the Party and the government’s strong leadership, the entire country’s citizens urgently mobilized, sticking together through thick and thin, with amazing courage and strength, and seized major victories again and again in the fight against floods and droughts, composing song after song of earth-moving heroic songs.

Experts point out that our country may be entering a period where natural disasters will frequently occur. A string of natural disasters teaches us that we must uphold scientific development and protect the environment from which we depend upon for our survival in order to achieve harmony between man and nature.

Really? I want to hear some of these "heroic" songs. Maybe they have them in the KTV bars already.

No comments: