口译时事：中美峰会揭示北京政权的大国抱负

　　The California summit this week between presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping reflects the surprising speed with which China's new leader has asserted his authority at home and laid out his vision to establish his country as a 'great power' on a par with the U.S.

　　美国总统奥巴马(Barack Obama)和中国国家主席习近平本周在加州举行的峰会反映出，中国新领导人以出人意料的速度在国内确立了威信，并提出将中国打造成与美国比肩的“大国”的愿景。

　　The two-day 'shirtsleeves summit' was hastily arranged and unusual for China in that it is largely unscripted─highlighting the extent to which Mr. Xi, the son of a revolutionary hero, has established himself as an authoritative and confident leader willing to negotiate directly with Mr. Obama.

　　为期两天的“非正式峰会”匆匆安排而成，从一定程度上看对中国不同寻常，因为峰会很大程度上没有“剧本”可依。这凸显出习近平已经确立了权威、自信的领导人的地位，愿意与奥巴马直接对话。习近平的父亲是位革命英雄。

　　U.S. officials hope the retreat at the Sunnylands estate starting Friday will allow the two leaders to develop a personal rapport and to discuss at length─without the protocol of a state visit─the most contentious issues between them, particularly North Korea, cybersecurity and maritime disputes in Asia.

　　美国官员希望此次峰会可以让两位领导人建立起友好的个人关系，在不必拘泥于国事访问的礼仪的情况下，深入讨论两国间最有争议的问题，尤其是朝鲜问题、网络安全和亚洲的海上争端。峰会将于周五在加州安纳伯格庄园拉开帷幕。

　　For China, however, the priority is to present an image of a strong leader negotiating on an equal footing with Mr. Obama in their first meeting since Mr. Xi took power in November and outlined a 'Chinese dream' to rejuvenate the nation as an economic and military power.

　　但对中国而言，峰会的首要任务是，展示一个与奥巴马在平等地位上进行对话的强势领导人的形象。此次会晤是自习近平去年11月就任中共中央总书记并勾勒出将中国复兴为一个经济军事大国的“中国梦”以来首次与奥巴马会晤。

　　Party insiders say Mr. Xi is deliberately setting himself apart from his predecessor, Hu Jintao, who never attempted such an informal meeting, appeared stiff and awkward in public and is viewed by many in China as a weak leader who failed to implement badly needed reforms during his decade in power.

　　中共党内人士说，习近平故意显示出自己与前任胡锦涛的不同。胡锦涛从未尝试过进行这样的非正式会晤，他在公开场合显得生硬而拘谨，中国很多人认为他是一位软弱的领导人，在他担任领导人的10年中，没有实施中国急需的改革。

　　Mr. Xi's initiative puts Mr. Obama in a difficult position, as he seeks to establish a better working relationship with his Chinese counterpart, who will be in office for a decade, while reassuring Asian allies concerned about China's growing economic and military muscle.

　　习近平的想法令奥巴马处境很为难，因为他一方面寻求与将在任10年的习近平建立更好的工作关系，同时又要让那些对中国日益增强的经济和军事力量感到不安的亚洲盟友们放心。

　　People familiar with the preparations said that Chinese officials had been pushing for a meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Obama since around December to reinforce the new Chinese leader's signature foreign policy initiative, which is to forge a 'new-type great power relationship' with the U.S.

　　了解峰会筹备工作的人士说，自去年12月前后以来，中国官员一直在力推习近平与奥巴马举行会晤，以便巩固习近平标志性的外交政策主张，那就是与美国建立“新型大国关系”。

　　Chinese officials and experts say the concept is designed to avert the military conflict that has often arisen throughout history when a rising power challenges an established one.

　　中国官员和专家说，“新型大国关系”这一概念意在避免军事冲突。历史上，当一个崛起的大国挑战一个老牌大国时，常常会爆发军事冲突。

　　U.S. officials were initially lukewarm on the idea of a meeting partly because Mr. Xi was already scheduled to meet Mr. Obama twice in the autumn, at the G-20 and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, and partly because the Chinese weren't offering much in return.

　　美国官员开始时对举行会晤的想法并不热心，原因之一是按计划习近平今年秋季将与奥巴马会晤两次，一次是20国集团峰会，一次是亚太经济合作组织(Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation)峰会；还有一个原因是中国方面没有提出太多的回报。

　　The Obama administration was also waiting for the Chinese leadership to develop its domestic agenda, and provide details of what it meant by the 'new-type great power relationship'─which some U.S. and Asian officials thought implied that the U.S. should not interfere in China's strategic backyard.

　　奥巴马政府也在等待中国领导层制定国内日程，提供有关“新型大国关系”的细节。一些美国和亚洲官员认为，“新型大国关系”暗指美国不应干预具有战略意义的中国国内及周边问题。

　　But after visits to China by Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior administration officials, it became clear that Mr. Xi had moved more rapidly than anticipated to establish his authority and define policy priorities, said U.S. officials. In recent weeks, pressure on the Obama administration also mounted from China specialists and business leaders in the U.S. many of whom felt September was too late for a meeting with Mr. Xi, said people familiar with preparations for the meeting.

　　但美国官员说，美国国务卿克里(John Kerry)等美国高层政府官员访华后，可以清楚地看到，习近平在确立自己的权威、定义政策重心方面比预期行动得更快。了解峰会筹备工作的人士说，近几周，中国问题专家和美国企业领袖对奥巴马政府施加的压力也有所增大，其中很多人认为9月与习近平举行会晤太晚了。

　　Another factor, those people said, was that Mr. Xi chose to visit Russia and Africa on his first overseas visit as president in March, while Li Keqiang, the new Chinese Premier, went to India, Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany in May on his first foreign trip in that post.

　　上述那些人士说，导致两人举行此次峰会的另一个因素是，今年3月以中国国家主席身份首次出访海外的习近平选择访问俄罗斯和非洲国家，而中国新任总理李克强今年5月首次出访海外时则选择访问印度、巴基斯坦、瑞士和德国。

　　'China's basically been saying: we're changing our modus operandi; we're going to behave like a great power; we have options,' said Christopher Johnson, a former CIA China analyst now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

　　前美国中央情报局(CIA)中国问题分析人士约翰逊(Christopher Johnson)说，中国这是在向外界表明：我们正在改变做法，我们要像一个大国那样行事，我们是有选择的。约翰逊目前就职于华盛顿的战略与国际问题研究中心(Center for Strategic and International Studies)。

　　Mr. Obama finally proposed an informal meeting tagged on to the end of Mr. Xi's official visits to Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Mexico between May 31 and June 6, according to a senior U.S. official.

　　据一位美国高级官员透露，奥巴马最终提议在习近平此次定于5月31日至6月6日的访问行程末期追加一场非正式会晤。习近平此次正式出访特立尼达和多巴哥、哥斯达黎加和墨西哥三国。

　　The idea was to move beyond the rigid agenda of bilateral meetings and state visits, which typically involve little more than opening statements and presentations of talking points, the official said.

　　这位官员说，这一想法是为了避免双边会晤和国事访问中一成不变的会议议程。一般正式会晤包括的议程无非就是双方各做开场发言，陈述谈话要点。

　　'This is not a typical diplomatic summit in the sense of dark suits and neckties and dozens of officials at the table reading from prepared scripts,' the U.S. official said. The official emphasized that it was not an emergency summit. Rather, with so many important issues on the agenda, 'the sooner we got started, the better.'

　　美国官员说，由于双方都不必穿深色西装，不用打领带，也没有数十位官员围坐在桌子两旁宣读事先准备好的材料。因此从这一意义上说，这不是一场典型的外交峰会。这位官员还强调，这不是一场紧急峰会。相反，由于议事日程上列满了诸多重要问题，我们越早开始，效果越好。

　　Mr. Obama is expected to press Mr. Xi to use China's economic leverage to persuade North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons program and refrain from further threats to attack South Korea and the U.S.

　　预计奥巴马将向习近平施压，要求中国动用其在经济上的影响力说服朝鲜停止其核武器计划，避免进一步威胁攻击韩国和美国。

　　Another U.S. priority is to curb cyberattacks on the U.S. that the Pentagon said last month were conducted by entities linked to the Chinese government and military. The U.S. official said the American message will be that stealing proprietary information is damaging to China's own interests and to bilateral ties. The president will underscore his determination to protect U.S. companies and innovators, the official said.

　　美国关注的另一个重要问题是遏制其它国家对美国的网络攻击。五角大楼上个月表示，这些网络攻击是由与中国政府和军方存在联系的实体发起的。这位美国官员说，美国希望传达的消息是，窃取专属信息对中国自身利益和中美双边关系均有害。这位官员说，奥巴马将强调其保护美国企业和创新者的决心。

　　Mr. Obama also likely to express concern over what it perceives as a more confrontational approach by China to territorial issues in Asia, especially a dispute over uninhabited islands with Japan, the main U.S. ally in the region.

　　奥巴马也有可能就在美国看来中国处理亚洲领土问题时采取的更具对抗性的方法表示关切。尤其是同日本这一美国在该地区的主要盟友就一系列无人居住的岛屿发生的争端。

　　Both sides are playing down expectations of 'deliverable' results.

　　双方都淡化了外界关于此次会晤将产生一系列结果的预期。

　　'The biggest outcome on the upside is that each side walks out saying: I get that guy, I see where he's coming from, and I can do business with him,' said Kenneth Lieberthal, a China expert at the Brookings Institution who was senior director for Asia on the National Security Council under President Clinton. 'The downside is if each side feels: I get that guy, I see where he's coming from, and I don't trust him. So there's some risk here.'

　　布鲁金斯学会(Brookings Institution)中国问题专家李侃如(Kenneth Lieberthal)说，乐观地看，此次会晤的最大成果将是，双方在结束会晤之后能说：我了解了对方，知道他的立场，可以和他合作；而悲观地看则是双方均产生这样的感觉：我了解了对方，知道他的立场，但我不信任他；所以还是存在一些风险的。李侃如曾在克林顿政府时期任美国国家安全委员会(National Security Council)亚洲事务高级主管。

　　Chinese analysts said Beijing accepted the format because they viewed an informal meeting as more prestigious than a state visit since only one other Chinese leader had been received in the U.S. in such a way: Jiang Zemin, who was hosted by President George W. Bush at the family ranch in Texas, in 2002.

　　中国分析人士说，北京接受这样的安排是因为，中方认为非正式会晤比国事访问更受尊崇。此前只有一位中国领导人曾经接受过美方这样的款待，此人就是江泽民。2002年，时任美国总统的小布什(George W. Bush)曾在得州的家庭牧场接待过江泽民。

　　That took place shortly before Mr. Jiang retired, so for Mr. Xi to have a similar meeting so soon after taking power is a strong indication of his standing within the Party and his greater confidence in dealing with foreign leaders, according to Chinese political analysts.

　　此事发生在江泽民退休前不久。中国政治分析人士表示，习近平上台后很快便与美国总统举行这样的会晤，从这一点可以很明显地看出他在中共党内的地位以及他与外国领导人相处时更加自信。

　　'The China-U.S. relationship has been heading in the wrong direction for several years,' said Shi Yinhong, director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University in Beijing.

　　人民大学美国研究中心主任时殷弘说，有几年时间，中美关系一直朝错误的方向行进。

　　'If Xi Jinping can meet in this way with the president of a superpower so early and achieve some results, this will be quite beneficial for him domestically, and show he's really the master of Chinese foreign policy.'

　　他说，如果习近平能这么早与超级大国的总统以这种方式会晤并达成一定成果，这对于他在国内的影响是十分有益的，也会显示出他确实掌控着中国的外交政策。

　　Mr. Xi already demonstrated his self-assured leadership style during his visit last year, when he attended a reunion with a family in Muscatine, Iowa, with whom he stayed for a while on a trip there in 1985.

　　去年访美，习近平与艾奥瓦州马斯卡廷(Muscatine)的一家人再聚首时就已经展示了充满自信的领袖风格。1985年他访问那里时曾接受过这家人的款待。

　　But the Sunnylands meeting will be far more challenging, as he will have to be prepared to negotiate unscripted with Mr. Obama over several hours, according to people familiar with the preparations.

　　但了解峰会准备工作的人表示，美国加州安纳伯格庄园的会晤对习近平来说将更具挑战性，因为他要做好与奥巴马展开数小时无稿谈话的准备。

　　In a typical bilateral meeting, Chinese leaders rarely deviate from a script that has been approved by other members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the top decision-making body.

　　在通常的双边会谈中，中国领导人很少会脱稿讲话，而稿子须得到中国最高决策机构中央政治局常委会其他委员的批准。

　　To avoid being accused of weakness by his peers, Mr. Xi is therefore highly unlikely to give any ground on issues relating to China's national security, according to Chinese and Western analysts.

　　因此，中国和西方分析人士表示，为避免被同事指责自己软弱，习近平很可能不会在中国国家安全问题上让步。

　　He is likely to express China's concerns about the U.S. 'pivot' toward Asia which Beijing which sees this as part of a containment strategy. He is also expected to repeat China's call for an unconditional resumption of 'six party talks' between North and South Korea, China, Japan, the U.S. and Russia to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear program. And he will likely reiterate China's long-standing position that it, too, is a victim of cyberattacks.

　　他可能会表达中国对于美国把重心转移到亚洲的担忧，北京方面认为这是美国遏制战略的一部分。此外，预计他还会提到，中国呼吁无条件重启“六方会谈”。该会谈指朝鲜、韩国、中国、日本、美国和俄罗斯共同讨论平壤核计划。他可能还会重申中国的一贯立场，即中国也是网络攻击的受害者。

　　'Xi Jinping wants to break out of a cycle under the last leadership where the U.S. would always complain about things, and the Chinese side would make concessions,' said one Chinese academic who advises the leadership on U.S.-China relations. 'He wants to be treated as an equal.'

　　为领导层就美中关系提供咨询的一位中国学者说，中国上一届政府执政期间，美国总是在抱怨，中方则会做出让步，习近平希望打破这样一个循环，他希望得到平等对待。

　　American Itineraries

　　访美行程

　　Past visits by Chinese leaders to the U.S.

　　中国领导人访美大事记

　　1979 Deng Xiaoping visits U.S. following normalization of relations and famously dons a cowboy hat at a Texas rodeo

　　1979年，邓小平在中美关系正常化后访问美国。他在得克萨斯州某竞技场上戴着宽边牛仔帽的形象广为人知。

　　1997 President Jiang Zemin visits U.S. for the first time at invitation of President Bill Clinton, formalizing a thaw in ties eight years after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown

　　1997年，在时任美国总统克林顿(Bill Clinton)的邀请下，江泽民首次访美，标志着1989年天安门事件发生八年后，中美关系正式“解冻”。

　　2002 President George W. Bush hosts President Jiang at the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas, after Beijing backs U.S.-led war on terror

　　2002年，北京对美国领导的反恐战争表示支持后，时任美国总统小布什(George W. Bush)在得克萨斯州克劳福德(Crawford)的家庭农场接待江泽民。

　　2006 Hu Jintao visits the U.S. for the first time as president but is denied full state honors and embarrassed by Falun Gong protester on White House lawn

　　2006年，胡锦涛作为中国国家主席首次访美，但却没有得到全套国事访问待遇，并且还遭遇白宫草坪上法轮功抗议的尴尬。

　　2012 President Hu pays state visit to the U.S. and is received at the White House with full honors even as tensions mount in bilateral ties.

　　2012年，中美双边关系紧张气氛加剧之际，胡锦涛对美国进行国事访问，白宫给予全套外交仪的礼遇。

　　2013 President Xi Jinping meets President Obama at Sunnylands estate in California

　　2013年，习近平将在美国加州安纳伯格庄园与奥巴马会面。


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