田薇“两会”手记: 平视这个世界 盛开在新长的枝桠

我特别喜欢幼苗倔强冲出土壤的样子，用镜头去放大看，简直顶天立地，激情满满，过目难忘。“两会”大都在春天，对我来说，报道两会的过程，每次都有点像幼苗冲出土壤，来到一个崭新天地般神奇，重新升级－－认识世界、认识中国，认识自己。 

I particularly like to watch seedlings break out of the soil. What strength and determination a new life carries when making its way through the ground. It must be fascinating being a young plant. But as a journalist in China, one’s experience could be even more exhilarating, like when you are covering the country’s annual political season.

飞速变化中的中国，新闻现场里，那种能量和鲜活，是会让人上瘾的。一年一度的外长记者会就是那样一个巨大的能量场。走进去，有心人会接收到各种直接或间接的信息。无数的中外同行希望参加外长记者会。而我有幸连续多年都报上了名，甚至还得到了几次珍贵的提问机会（此处感谢总台，感谢CGTN）。 

To begin with, it is addictive to cover China on the ground. This rapidly changing country is a goldmine for journalists, and a seat at Chinese foreign minister’s annual press conference is especially sought after by both Chinese reporters and foreign correspondents. Held on the sidelines of National People's Congress sessions, the event has proven to be a rich source of information for those who know where to look. Over the years, I have even got to ask the minister questions directly a few times.

今年的外长会上，我提问了。问到关于新中国恢复联合国合法席位50周年的事，也问到中国对联合国改革这个曾经相当敏感话题的看法。

国务委员兼外长王毅先生的回答，总是让人印象深刻。不仅是他讲的内容，描述五十年前那个重要的历史时刻，表达中国对联合国的信心，表明中国代表发展中国家的决心；还有他语言之外的声音表情的细微变化。

在现场，坐在几百名中外记者堆里，我能真实感觉到回答者的在乎，以及倾听者的各种细微反应。所有这一切，聚合在一起，到底是什么？ 

This year I asked Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi about a topic that was once considered sensitive: the reform of the United Nations. It has been 50 years since the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China was restored in the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Wang spoke with his signature conviction and gravitas. He looked back at that historical moment half a century ago, expressing China’s confidence in the United Nations and reiterated China's determination to represent the developing countries. 

Along with the hundreds of reporters gathered in the room, we watched carefully each subtle change in the state councillor’s voice and body language.

外长会后，在多家媒体报道中，我发现了这样一段描述：两会期间，中国国家领导人在一次和代表委员沟通的时候说，现在的中国人可以“平视”这个世界了。这让我有些恍然大悟。其实，今年外长记者会上，最大的感受，不就是中国人在平视这个世界吗？更自信，也更有同理心，更包容，于是可以更自如，更具有建设性。不会局限于仅仅回应或者反驳他人的观点和质疑，而是清楚分享出自己的想法，摆明为国际社会做贡献已经付诸的努力和未来的具体计划。其实，中国的飞速发展，和世界对中国惊人成绩的另眼相看，这些在世界历史上都没有先例。所以现在中国的每一步行动，每一句沟通，都要综合各方的信息，自己分析、琢磨、打磨，自己得出结论。 

There was something about that moment that i could not pin down then. But later became clear. I noticed one sentence, reported by the press, said by a Chinese leader during a meeting with representatives: Chinese people can now look to the rest of the world as their equals. In fact, this sentiment is exactly my takeaway from of this year's foreign minister's press conference. It is about a China that is more confident, more empathetic, more inclusive, so that it gets to be more at ease and more constructive than it has ever been. Its voice in the world is no longer constrained to responding to skepticisms, but is willing to share what China thinks, what it has done for the international community, and what it plans to contribute in the future. No country in history has developed as fast as China has done in the last decades. Therefore there is no reference for how China should communicate its rise with the rest of the world. Every step of the way requires the country to tread its own path.

能在外长记者会上，众多的中外记者竞争中，有机会提问，这是难逢的机会。因为我一直喜欢提问，一直希望自己总能够还有机会提问。苏格拉底说，人类最高级的智慧就是向自己或向别人提问。我们倒是大可不必这么夸张。但是如果每一个提问，都是一个处理信息后和思考，水到渠成的自然推进，那却是一件愉悦的事儿。

当然，在外长记者会上提问，性质很不同，它所赋予提问的那种仪式感，会让所有人对提问这件事，更加充满敬意。这特别好。曾几何时，提问是记者的责任。但是在媒体业态变化的过程中，一个深思熟虑的问题，也许并不能抵得上一个可爱的小视频抓眼球。别误会，我也喜爱抓眼球的可爱小视频，但是我更珍惜有浓度的提问与回答。 

Socrates once said the highest form of human excellence is to question oneself and others. That’s philosophically beautiful, isn’t it? There’s a lot of truth in it. Asking questions based on facts and analysis, is a noble cause of journalists. Yet these days a profound question seems to be get lost when competing with a cute TikTok video. Don’t get me wrong. I like delightful 10-second clips as much as the next person, but I love more of meaningful conversations.

记者会结束，为了安全起见，我们所有上会记者再次坐大巴，直接回闭环酒店，赶发稿。一路上有点堵车，不过我没怎么注意到，因为自娱自乐默默哼歌，“送你一朵小红花，开在你昨天新长的枝桠。奖励你有勇气，主动来和我说话…” 

别误会，写这个，不是因为小学作文都这么写，结尾要用歌词什么的。写这个，是因为，确实一路上默默哼了歌儿，看着车窗外昨天新长的枝桠。

After the press conference, all reporters got on the bus and went back to our enclosed hotels to meet filing deadlines. On the road, we were stuck in a traffic jam, but I hardly noticed while humming my way while the bus passed through alleys, along which new life was budding on the trees.

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