西方的中国叙事需有一场革命（中英双语）

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编者按：中国在教训中成长，在经验中积累，同样也在进步。中国人民大学重阳金融研究院执行院长王文在环球时报英文版第50篇“变局”专栏中表示，中国人越来越追求更美好的生活状态，而一些西方媒体与政客对中国人权发展的诟病，实在太偏颇。西方惯用的中国叙事恐怕确实需要一场革命式的变化。本期人大重阳君为您推荐英文版、中文译文。

本文英文版在环球时报的版面截图

　　我一度以为自己再也不能跑步与登山了。过去三年连续跑完多个马拉松、攀登多座洲际最高峰后，我的脚踝旧伤复发，无法剧烈运动，身体发福。我为激进的运动方式付出了惨重的代价。幸运的是，经过几个月的治疗与调整，近几周我开始恢复跑步。不再炫耀，不再走极端，就是为了追求健康的生活方式。

　　环顾中国，像我这样中年人的运动经历似乎越来越多。以马拉松为例，2015年，中国马拉松规模赛事数量仅134场。2019年就跃升到了1828场次，参赛人数超过1000万人次，5年间增长了13.6倍。马拉松赛约一半的参赛者年龄都是35-50岁之间。

　　这个年龄段是社会的中坚层，对运动偏好的提升，是中国人在物质生活富足后、追求新颖体验与健康生活方式的缩影。

　　当然，中国人追求更美好的生活状态，肯定不是一帆风顺，也并非无懈可击。近些年，诟病马拉松赛事的声音越来越多。每年中国的马拉松赛事都会发生猝死事件，像我这样激进型运动受伤的现象更是不少。

　　这使得体育医疗康复产业在中国的发展变得迅猛，各类体育培训、健身俱乐部、运动APP一些新兴产业也蓬勃发展。马拉松带动的各类产业链的年度经济产值已超过1000亿美元。

　　在教训中成长，在经验中积累，中国在进步。1949年新中国刚成立时，中国人平均预期寿命仅36岁，2010年已上升至74.9岁，2018年又提升了到了77岁，接近于美国水平（78岁）。从这个角度看，一些西方媒体与政客对中国人权发展的诟病，实在太偏颇。

　　换句话说，中国社会近年来一个重要的变化，被热衷政治化的西方媒体所忽视了。普通中国人对高质量生活的追求，不只是使这个国家的国民身体变得更健康、生活变得更快捷，也产生新的经济业态，推动持续的民族复兴。

　　再举一个典型例子，据估计，14亿中国人有约10亿还没有坐过飞机。在中国，许多数百万、千万级人口的著名城市，如苏州（约1000万人）、东莞（约800万）、莆田（约300万）等这些比芝加哥、亚特兰大人口更多的城市，竟都没有机场，只能飞到附近城市再坐车过去。

　　截止2019年底，中国一共有530个机场。美国拥有13513个机场，巴西拥有4093个机场、墨西哥1714个机场。而国土面积仅为35.7万平方公里的德国，拥有539座机场，也多于中国。这样的差距使一些中国城市对机场建设非常踊跃。

　　这正是党的十九大报告中提到的，中国特色社会主义进入新时代。中国社会主要矛盾已经转化为人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾。在这个新时代，矛盾的不断化解，自然而然就会带动民众的生活提升、社会的稳定繁荣、国家的持久进步。

　　很可惜，美国政客们常常用意识形态的价值观念来看待中国发展，动辄把中国人权描述得很差，要么就把中国共产党视为民众的对立面来看待。如果这不是美国政客们对华打压的战略阴谋的话，至少应该算是战略误解。

　　其实，14亿人的衣、食、住、行稍有所改善，中国经济就会被提升一大截，同样也可拉动世界经济的发展。2020年全球受疫情影响，中国是唯一正增长的主要经济体，预期对世界经济拉动超过50%。

　　中国经济源动力来自于每一个普通中国人对更好、更高、更优的追求。当然，这个过程仍是不容易的，会有挫折，就像过去常运动受伤的我。

　　对于每一个外国朋友来说，从“发展-矛盾-纠错-再发展”的逻辑角度看中国，就会很容易发现这个国家的魅力。诺贝尔经济学奖获得者罗伯特·希勒在其新著《叙事经济学》中说，当下高度联通的世界里，通过新闻媒体与社交网络传播的流行叙事，在影响着人们的决策，乃至改变整个经济和社会的走向。

　　由此看，西方媒体与政客们的那些惯用的中国叙事恐怕需要有一场革命式的变化。

以下为英文版

West needs to change its China narrative

By Wang Wen

I once thought that I could not run or do mountaineering anymore. My ankle sprain kept recurring after running multiple marathons and climbing multiple peaks over the past three years. I have paid a heavy price for my radical way of exercising. As I have recovered after several months of treatment and recovery, I stop showing off or going to the extremes, but rather pursue only a healthy lifestyle. 

It seems that in China, many middle-aged people like me are increasing their participation in sports. Take marathons. In 2015, there were only 134 marathon events in China. In 2019, the number jumped to 1,828, with over 7 million runners. 

About half of the participants in marathons are aged between 35 and 50 years old. This age group is the backbone of society. Their increasing interests in sports reflect the growing trend of Chinese people pursuing healthier lifestyles after enjoying material prosperity.

Indeed, the process of Chinese people's pursuit of a better life has certainly not been smooth all the way. There are critics of marathon events in China in which sudden deaths occurred and many have been injured. But marathon has led to the rapid development of the sports medicine and rehabilitation industry in China. Various related emerging industries, including sports training, fitness clubs, and sports apps, are also booming. 

China is advancing by drawing lessons from the past. Chinese people's average life expectancy stood at 77 years (close to the US' 78.7) in 2018, a sharp increase from 36 when the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. From this perspective, some Western media outlets and politicians' criticisms of China's human rights situation are awfully biased.

That is to say, one of China's significant recent changes has been overlooked by the Western media outlets that are eager to politicize anything. The pursuit of a high-quality life by ordinary Chinese not only makes them healthier and facilitates their life, but also injects dynamic to economy and boosts national rejuvenation.

Another example. By the end of 2019, there were 484 airports in China. Meanwhile, according to data of US Central Intelligence Agency, by the end of 2013, there were 13,513 airports in the US, 4,093 in Brazil, and 1,714 in Mexico. Germany, whose territory only covers over 357, 000 square kilometers, had 539 airports that same year. This gap is stimulating some Chinese cities to proactively construct airports.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the opening of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress in October 2017 that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. Xi said the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved into one "between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life." 

In this new era, repeatedly addressing contradictions will surely improve living standard, promote social stability and prosperity, and lead to constant national progress. 

Unfortunately, US politicians often view China's development through tinted ideological lenses. They frequently portray either human rights in China as extremely bad or the CPC as the antithesis of the Chinese people. This is at least US politicians' strategic misunderstanding of China.

In fact, even a slight improvement in 1.4 billion people's life would lift China's economy in a large scale, which can also boost the development of the world economy. In 2020, when the world is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, China has been the only major economy with positive growth and is expected to contribute greatly to the world economy.

China's growth has been empowered by each and every ordinary Chinese citizen's pursuit of better life . This process, of course, is not easy. There will be setbacks, like I used to get injuries when I do sports.

For every foreign friend, it is easy to perceive the charm of China from the logical pattern of "development - contradiction - correction - redevelopment." It can therefore be seen that the outdated narrative about China from Western media and politicians may need a revolutionary change.

（The author is professor and executive dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, and executive director of China-US People-to-People Exchange Research Center. His latest book is Great Power's Long March Road.）

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中国人民大学重阳金融研究院（人大重阳）成立于2013年1月19日，是重阳投资董事长裘国根先生向母校捐赠并设立教育基金运营的主要资助项目。

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