歷史沒那麼簡單

經濟學人
History is never just history
歷史沒那麼簡單
A new historical drama, mirroring today’s power struggles, is censored
一部新的歷史劇映射了如今的權力鬥爭，該影片正在正接受審查。

BEING a film-maker in China has never been easy, but 2012 is turning out to be more difficult than usual. Earlier this year Lu Chuan, a director, watched intrigued but concerned as Bo Xilai, a rising political star who was Communist Party secretary of Chongqing, was purged. Mr Lu knew such political upheaval might spell disaster for his new film, “The Last Supper”, due for release on July 5th. He was right to worry.
中國的電影制作人一向不好當，不過2012年比平時更難。今年上半年，重慶市市委書記、冉冉升起的政治新星薄熙來被撤職，這使電影導演陸川既好奇又擔心。陸川清楚這樣的政治劇變對他7月5日上映的新電影《王的盛宴》來說是一種災難。他的擔心不無道理。

On the surface there should have been no problem, since the meal in question, known as the Feast at Hong Gate, took place in 206BC. In the oft-recounted tale, a despot betrays his closest ally to grab power and establish a new dynasty. But this being China, the parallels were too close for the censorship committee—especially with a once-a-decade leadership transition looming in the autumn—and it delayed release. Mr Lu says the censors were afraid it could “affect social stability” in China.
電影表面看來似乎沒有什麼問題，影片講述的宴席名叫鴻門宴，發生於公元前206年。這個故事家喻戶曉：一位霸主背叛了他的同盟並奪權建立了新的王朝。不過這是在中國，對於廣電總局來說這個題材與現實過於接近了，更何況十年一次的領導人換屆將於今年秋季舉行。最終電影延期上映，陸川導演說審查員擔心這部電影會“影響社會穩定”。

Such conservatism continues to stunt China’s creativity. Film-makers have the freedom to gripe about censorship, even publicly, but no power to do anything about it. At the Shanghai International Film Festival in June, a group of them gathered for a panel entitled “The Road to Redemption for Chinese-Language Films”. They all had a good grumble but failed to find that road. “How can Chinese films compete when Hollywood can show aliens attacking Los Angeles?” one panellist asked. (An official list of film topics banned in China ranges from undermining the constitution to the promotion of superstition. Unofficially, there are many more.)
保守主義會繼續阻礙中國提升創新能力。電影制作人可以批評甚至公開批評審查制度，但是對它無計可施。在6月舉行的上海國際電影節上，部分電影制作人自發形成座談小組，並冠名“華語電影的救贖之路”。他們發了一大頓牢騷但沒有找到那條路。一位小組成員說，好萊塢拍的外星人襲擊洛杉磯的電影可以放映，中國電影怎麼可能有競爭力呢。（官方發布的中國電影禁播題材包括破壞社會建設和宣傳迷信，非官方的禁播題材就更多了）。

The box office tells the story. China’s film market grew to more than $2 billion in 2011 (North America’s was $10 billion). But the 81 Chinese films released in the first five months of 2012 had a market share of only around 30%, whereas the 34 foreign films took over 65%. James Cameron’s “Titanic 3D” remains China’s highest-grossing film of 2012 so far, raking in around $160m.
票房最能說明問題了。2011年中國電影票房超過20億美元（北美為10億美元）。但是2012年1至5月上映的81部中國電影只占30%左右的市場份額，而34部外國電影卻超過65%。到目前為止2012年中國票房最高的電影仍是詹姆斯•卡梅倫的3D版《泰坦尼克號》，該電影入賬1.6億美元。

Other art forms are affected, too. The censorship imposed on the publishing industry is especially heavy-handed this year, says Yan Lianke, an outspoken novelist. The latest work by Mr Yan is entitled “Four Books” and is set during the trauma of China’s Great Leap Forward, an absurd economic campaign which plunged the country into famine and caused the death of millions. He feels the book is one of his best works, but no mainland publisher will touch it.
其他的藝術形式也受到影響。直言不諱的小說作家閻連科說今年出版業的審查制度尤為嚴格。閻連科最新的作品名叫《四書》，故事發生在中國大躍進時期，這一荒唐的經濟運動使中國陷入飢荒並餓死了數百萬人。閻連科認為這本書是他最好的作品之一，但大陸的出版社都不敢出版。

Mr Lu, the director, understands the cost of controversy. His previous film, “The City of Life and Death”, about the 1937 massacre of Chinese civilians by the Japanese army in the city of Nanjing, aroused public discussion. Audiences objected to the sympathetic portrayal of a Japanese soldier, and the film was pulled from cinemas after two weeks. Mr Lu remains hopeful that “The Last Supper” will eventually be released, but not before the Communist Party leadership changes in the autumn. He knows the government fears anything that could lead to history repeating itself.
導演陸川清楚爭論的代價。他之前的電影《南京！南京！》講述了1937年日本軍隊在南京屠殺中國平民的史實，這一電影引起了觀眾的爭論。觀眾反對電影中對日本士兵的同情，電影上映兩周之後就被電影院下線了。陸川導演仍然滿懷希望，認為《王的盛宴》最終能夠上映，不過在今年秋天共產黨領導人換屆之前是不可能了。他明白政府最擔心的就是歷史重現、政局不穩。