On the eve of International Children's Day, Chinese state television's main evening news broadcast Tuesday carried extensive coverage of Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to a Beijing elementary school, where the 68-year-old joined in a game of hoops with students.
國際兒童節(jié)前夕,中央電視臺周二晚間的新聞聯(lián)播節(jié)目大篇幅報道了溫家寶視察北京一所小學校的過程。視察期間,68歲的溫家寶和同學們一起打了一場籃球賽。
Clad in a white sleeveless basketball jersey, matching shorts, and black socks and sneakersâ 'remarkably casual attire for a top Chinese leader to wear in publicâ 'Mr. Wen appeared impressively fit for a near-septuagenarian, not to mention surprisingly proficient with a basketball.
溫家寶身上穿的是白色無袖籃球衫、配套的短褲,以及黑色襪子和運動鞋,對于一位中國高級領(lǐng)導人在公開場合的穿著來說,這算得上是相當休閑的打扮了。作為一位年近七旬的人,他顯得十分健康,打籃球的熟練程度更是讓人驚訝。
The China Central Television footage makes it clear that Mr. Wen's no Yao Ming. The premier isn't much taller than the youngsters he played against (mostly sixth-graders), and they were using junior hoops that were clearly lower than the standard 10 feet for adult roundball. Nor does he actually appear to be a real match for President Obama, who has also tested his skills against studentsâ 'albeit tall high schoolersâ 'and whose on-court skills have inspired more than one video tribute. And Mr. Wen's opponents were clearly playing soft defenseâ 'no sign of the sort of sharp elbows that required Mr. Obama to get 12 stitches on his upper lip after a game with friends and family in November.
從中央電視臺畫面可以明顯看到,溫家寶畢竟不是姚明。比起那些和他一起打球的年輕人(其中多為六年級學生),他高不了多少,而且他們使用的是兒童籃球架,明顯低于成年籃球架的10英尺標高(約合3米)。實際上看起來,他也無法真正與美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬抗衡。奧巴馬也曾在跟在校學生一起打球的過程中檢驗了他的籃球技能,但對方是人高馬大的高中生,其球場技術(shù)還引得一些人為他做了多個視頻集錦。而溫家寶對手們的防守明顯是留有余地,奧巴馬去年11月跟親友打球時導致他上唇縫12針的那種肘擊動作,在這里是完全看不到的。
But then, Mr. Wen is nearly two decades older than the U.S. president, and until Tuesday not many people knew that he could even dribble a basketballâ 'let alone dribble it between his legs, as he does with a disarming showiness in the CCTV footage. Three years ago, a photo appeared in state media showing Mr. Wen in midair under the basket, taking a shot on a visit with China's Olympic basketball team. But the extent of his skills wasn't clear.
但是,溫家寶比奧巴馬大了將近20歲,而且在周二之前,很多人不知道他居然還會運球,更不用說胯下運球──央視畫面上他就用這種動作炫耀了一把,讓人覺得他和藹可親。三年前,官方媒體發(fā)表一張照片,顯示溫家寶在籃球架下騰空而起。那是他在視察中國奧運籃球隊時嘗試投球。但當時不清楚他的球技有多高。
A Xinhua report on Tuesday's visit said Mr. Wen learned 'how to dribble and control the ball' from one of the teachers at the school, but the premier looks like an old hand. The video shows him dribblingâ 'he's clearly left handed, at least at hoopsâ 'down the court and driving several times to the basket in a half-court game of three-on-three. 'One, two, threeâ ¦With every score, waves of warm applause erupted. Wen Jiabao scored six successive shots, sweat visible on his forehead,' says the CCTV voiceover. The report does show him missing one layupâ 'but then he grabs a rebound and sinks it on a second try. The premier also notches up at least one steal.
新華社對溫家寶本周二視察小學校的報道說,他在從這所學校的老師那里學會怎樣運球和控球的,但他看起來更像是一位老手。電視畫面顯示溫家寶在一場三對三半場賽中多次運球上籃,明顯是慣用左手,至少在投籃的時候是的。央視旁白說:“一個、兩個、三個……伴隨著一個個進球,全球響起一陣陣熱烈的掌聲。溫家寶連續(xù)投進了六個球,額頭上冒出了汗。”畫面也顯示他有一個單手投籃沒有投中,但接著他抓住了一個反彈球,第二次投籃投中。溫家寶至少還有一次截球成功。
As he plays, Beijing Communist Party Secretary Liu Qi and State Councilor Liu Yandongâ 'the only woman on China's 25-member Politburoâ 'are shown sitting at courtside, clapping.
電視畫面顯示,溫家寶打球的時候,北京市委書記劉淇和國務(wù)委員劉延東(中央政治局25人中唯一的女性)坐在球場邊,鼓掌加油。
Images of Chinese leaders mixing it up with the common folk in casual settings are standard fare for China's propaganda mill, intended partly to soften their image. Tuesday's newscast also showed footage of President Hu Jintao visiting a school, hugging toddlers and crafting a flower out of red paper.
播出中國領(lǐng)導人在自然隨意的環(huán)境中與民同樂的鏡頭,是中國宣傳機器的慣用手法,其部分目的在于樹立領(lǐng)導人的親民形象。周二的報道也顯示了國家主席胡錦濤參觀一所幼兒園、擁抱小朋友、用紅紙扎花的畫面。
Demonstrations of the leaders' athletic prowess and vigor constitute a prominent subset of such coverageâ 'especially in the run-up to Beijing's hosting of the Summer Olympics in August 2008. Mr. Wen played baseball on a visit to Japan in early 2007, then again with his visiting Japanese counterpart in December 2007 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Mr. Hu was showcased the following May defeating Japanese ping pong star Ai Fukuhara in a game on a visit to Tokyo. Vice President Xi Jinping, Mr. Hu's heir apparent, was shown two months later kicking a soccer ball during an inspection of the Olympics soccer facilities.
對領(lǐng)導人體育技能和活力的展示,是這類報道的一個重要組成部分,特別是在北京2008年主辦夏季奧運會之前。2007年年初,溫家寶訪問日本時打了一場棒球賽,然后在2007年12月,又在北京的釣魚臺國賓館同到訪的日本首相打棒球。第二年5月的報道又顯示,胡錦濤訪問日本時跟日本乒壇名將福原愛打了一場乒乓球,并擊敗了對方。兩個月后,國家副主席習近平,在視察北京奧林匹克足球場時踢了一下足球。
Mr. Wen, a.k.a. 'Grandpa Wen,' has cultivated a populist aura, and has boasted in the past about his love of exercise. His visit Tuesday was meant to highlight the need for physical activity among young people. In addition to hoops, he joined the students for a short run, practices some gymnastics moves, and autographed a basketball. 'When it was finally time to leave, the children gathered around Premier Wen, hollering,' CCTV said. 'They hated to have to go.'
被稱為“溫爺爺”的溫家寶身上具有一種親民氣質(zhì),過去他也曾宣稱自己非常喜歡運動。周二的視察是為強調(diào)年輕人需要多參加體育活動。除了籃球,他還跟同學們一起繞著操場跑步,做了一些廣播操動作,并在一只籃球上簽名。中央電視臺說:“告別的時候到了,孩子們呼喊著,圍在溫總理身邊,舍不得離開。”