From "people first" and "heroes in harm's way" to "involution", Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang shared popular buzzwords to explain to people in the US the profound changes in China as he encouraged them to visit the country once the pandemic is over. Speaking online during the "US-China Regional Dialogue Series: Hospitality, Tourism and Cultural Exchange", Qin said that tourism, hospitality and cultural exchanges between China and the US are the foundations of mutual understanding and help people from the two countries correctly perceive each other.
而对于每个热词,秦刚均分别作了详细解释: 人民至上,生命至上People first, life first 这组词产生于抗疫,但在中国却有着悠久历史和深沉的人文情怀。2000多年前,孔子提出“民惟邦本”思想,强调人是国家的根本。中国共产党成立百年来奋斗的初心和使命就是为人民谋幸福。坚持以人民为中心,是中国共产党的执政理念和中国特色社会主义核心价值观之一。 疫情肆虐时,我们前所未有调集全国资源、举国同心开展最严格、最全面、最彻底的大规模科学防控和救治,不放弃每一个角落,不放弃每一个生的希望,从出生仅30个小时的婴儿到100多岁的老人,不计代价,全力免费救治。目前,疫情在中国全境得到有效控制,局部地区出现散发病例或聚集性疫情,都能迅速得到遏制。
The phrase, "people first, life first" came from China's fight against the pandemic, a massive nationwide effort that meant no place was left behind and no life was given up on. "From a 30-hour-old baby to senior citizens over 100 years old, no cost was spared to save a life, and all the treatment was free," the envoy said. "Now the pandemic has been put under effective control in China, and sporadic or cluster cases in a few regions were all curbed very quickly."
逆行者Heroes in harm's way 是指在抗疫过程中那些不惧风险、迎难而上、无私奉献的人物群体。他们中有从全国各地奔赴疫情一线、与时间赛跑、跟病毒搏击、抢救生命的医护工作者、解放军、消防员;有通宵奋战仅用10余天时间建成战地医院的建筑工人;有把私家车当出租车免费接送病患和医务工作者的普通市民;有日夜值守的公安干警,抢运物资的卡车司机,坚守岗位的快递小哥、保安、环卫工人;还有在社区执行管理检测、为居民订菜送饭倒垃圾的志愿者。
Also made popular during China's efforts to control the pandemic was the saying ni xing zhe, or "heroes in harm's way", which refers to everyday heroes such as medical professionals, military personnel and firefighters who put their duty before their lives and made sacrifices to fight the pandemic.
Another buzzword, tang ping, or "lie flat", describes Chinese youngsters who have little ambition and do the bare minimum to get by. It turns out that the "lie-flatters" are from well-off families, born with a silver spoon in their mouths, or believe that whatever happens to them, they have basic medical insurance, pension and unemployment subsidies to fall back on, Qin said. "This is totally different from previous generations, who didn't have the luxury to 'lie flat', because they had to tighten their belts and work hard to earn a living," he said, adding that younger people are facing greater pressure than older generations when it comes to employment. Qin said more people don't approve of the "lie-flatters", who they believe are self-centered, and have greater respect for the "heroes in harm's way".
"Versailles," originally from the "Palace of Versailles" in French, was borrowed to describe the self-claimed aristocratic spirit. On social media, it is used to label humble-braggers, he said.
The ambassador told a personal story to illustrate why the government unveiled a policy to address nei juan, or "involution", a buzzword meaning irrational or involuntary competition, which makes people feel burned out. "I still remember over 10 years ago, my weekends were spent rushing my kid from one training school to another, and the courses he took ranged from math to physics," he said. After a whole day of classes, a tutor came to the family home in the evening. When the tutoring session finished, Qin had to help his son with his composition homework.
That's why most parents felt a burden had been lifted when education authorities rolled out shuang jian, or double reduction. The policy reduced the excessive homework load and after-school tutoring hours for students, giving them more time for sports, play and hobbies.
饭圈Celebrity fan clubs 指娱乐业粉丝组成的圈子。一些明星为追求流量,通过互联网平台、商业炒作,误导粉丝疯狂追星模仿,导致粉丝中模糊身份认同者有之,散尽家财者有之。在种种混乱畸形的背后,是互联网平台及其幕后资本主导的一条利益链。饭圈文化是娱乐圈过度商业化、资本化的扭曲反映。政府正在整治引导。
The last buzzword, "Celebrity Fan Clubs," refers to the phenomenon that some celebrities use internet to hype up themselves and cause their fans to admire them in an irrational manner, while such abnormalities stem from a chain of interests dominated by online platforms and the capital that supports them, he said.
The ambassador said the buzzwords "reflect the changing and unchanging elements in our values" as China experiences rapid economic growth and profound social transformation. "We need to keep fine traditional values, uphold fairness and justice and not get lost in a market economy," he said.