中国同性情侣圣诞树下勇敢示爱

Christmas is a time for stealing kisses under the mistletoe. In Shanghai this weekend, the city's increasingly visible gay and lesbian community seized the festive season to use their lips to make their own holiday statement.

　　站在槲寄生下亲密热吻是圣诞节的传统。而周末在上海，这座城市的同性恋社群抓住了这个机遇，在节日里用唇间热吻向世人传达着自己的爱情宣言。

　　More than one hundred supporters of China's fledgling gay and lesbian community braved the cold to cheer on young Chinese gay men and women as they stole kisses under a Christmas tree Saturday night.

　　上周六晚，一对对年轻的男女同性恋者在一棵圣诞树下亲吻爱人，一百多位支持者不畏严寒，在台下为他们热烈喝彩。

　　'I think it's good we can gather together like this,' said Otto Zhu, 22 years old, a participant at the event at fashionable pedestrian shopping and dining area Xintiandi. 'It makes us feel we have the power to do whatever we want.'

　　活动举办地点位于潮流汇聚的上海新天地，此处是一个集购物、餐饮于一体的综合步行商业区。22岁的Otto Zhu参与了此次活动，他说，我觉得能有机会让大家这样聚在一起挺好的，这让我们感觉自己有力量去做想做的事情。

　　While attitudes are slowly changing, many Chinese still take a conservative view of homosexuality. Even many among the younger generation feel compelled to keep their sexual orientation secret. The pressure to remain in the closet, marry and have a family can be enormous.

　　尽管中国社会对于同性恋的态度正缓慢地发生着改变，但许多中国人对此仍持十分保守的观点。甚至在年轻一代中，仍有许多人被迫隐瞒自己的性取向。他们往往承受着巨大的压力，不得不深藏“柜”中，结婚成家。

　　Yet few of the revelers dwelled on this Saturday as the mainly young crowd of onlookers shouted encouragement to couples gay and straight to kiss under the mistletoe. Part of the Kiss lighting installation by British artist Paul Cocksedge, couples step up on a stage to hold on to the leaves of a mistletoe that hangs from an 18-meter tall Christmas tree decorated with golden lights. When they kiss, their lips complete an electric circuit that transforms the tree into a sea of red lights.

　　不过，周六这场活动的参与者没有顾虑这么多。围观群众多为年轻人，每当有情侣走到槲寄生下献出热吻，无论其“直弯”，台下都会爆发出热烈的欢呼声。该活动使用了英国艺术家考克斯基(Paul Cocksedge)设计的接吻灯光装置。情侣走上台，手中握住一棵18米高、金光闪闪的圣诞树上垂下的槲寄生叶子，当他们接吻时，他们的嘴唇会连起一个电子环路，使圣诞树闪亮起璀璨的红色光芒。

　　Each lip lock generates a 100 yuan (around $16) donation to the Smile Angel Foundation, a Beijing-based charity for Chinese children with cleft palates founded by singer Faye Wong and her former husband, retired actor Li Yapeng.

　　每有一对情侣上台，活动组办方就会拿出人民币100元(约合16美元)捐赠给嫣然天使基金(Smile Angel Foundation)。这家总部位于北京的基金会由歌手王菲及其前夫、演员李亚鹏共同创立，致力于帮助患有口裂的儿童。

　　Juju Xu, 19, who came with her girlfriend to support the event, said acceptance levels of gay people in China varied depending on age groups.

　　19岁的Juju Xu与她的女朋友一同前来支持这项活动，她说中国社会不同年龄层对同性恋群体有着不同的接受度。

　　'Older generations may not discriminate but they cannot accept if their own children are gay,' said Ms. Xu, adding that more events like Kissmas could help build awareness.

　　她说，老一代人也许不会歧视同性恋，但是他们不能接受自己的孩子是同性恋。她补充说，多举办一些像Kissmas这样的活动能够增进人们对这一群体的认识。

　　It wasn't clear whether everyone in the crowd-that included families with children -was fully aware of what was going on. Some straight couples on pre-Christmas dates who stumbled on the event looked on confused. Some laughed awkwardly when they realized what was taking place. Others took photos on their smartphones before wandering off.

　　很难说当天的围观人群(其中有些是带着孩子的家长)是否都能完全意识到这一活动的内涵。一些前来此地约会的异性恋情侣撞见这一活动，一脸茫然地看着台上。当他们意识到发生了什么后，有些人露出尴尬的笑容，有些人在走开前用智能手机拍下照片。

　　Such public events are rare in China. Gay couples kissed on the streets of Beijing in to celebrate qixi, or Chinese Valentine's Day, in August, according to state media reports.

　　此类公开活动在中国十分罕见。据官方媒体报道，今年8月份一群同志情侣在北京街头热吻，以庆祝中国情人节七夕的到来。

　　Similarly, in April 2012, same-sex couples embraced on the streets of Guangzhou in what the Nanfang Insider website described as performance art designed to raise awareness of gay rights.

　　类似地，2012年4月一群同志情侣在广州街头紧紧相拥。《Nanfang Insider》网站将此形容为一场行为艺术表演，其意在增强公众对同性恋权利的意识。

　　Shanghai is considered the gay capital of China and city prides itself on being China's most open and cosmopolitan. Even so, the handful of bars and nightclubs catering to the gay community pales in comparison in terms of numbers to other mainly ethnic Chinese cities in Asia including Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore.

　　上海被认为是中国的“同志之都”，这座城市亦以其在中国最为开放、最都会化而感到自豪。然而尽管上海有一些服务于同志群体的酒吧和夜店，其数量与台北、香港和新加坡等亚洲其他华人都市相比还是太稀少。

　　Finance company worker Kelvin Li, 31, who looked on at the kissing couples with his young son perched on his shoulders, said homosexuality was a 'hot topic' all over the world. 'I think it's fine. But I would prefer my son or daughter to be straight. It's just a gut feeling,' he said.

　　31岁的金融公司员工Kelvin Li与坐在他肩上的儿子一起围观了这次情侣接吻活动，他说，同性恋是全世界的“热点话题”。我认为这没什么不好，但我还是希望我儿子或者女儿是异性恋，这是一份出自本能的情绪。

　　Mr. Zhu, the student, was there to kiss his boyfriend of six months, Harry, also 22. He said a friend invited him to support the event. 'I think it should be ok for gay people to kiss anywhere, not just on stage,' he said.

　　还是学生的Otto Zhu与他同为22岁的男友Harry参加了接吻活动。他说，他在一位朋友的邀请下前来助阵。他说，我觉得同志应该在任何场合都可以接吻，而不仅仅在台上。

　　Four Shanghai organizations helped promote Saturday's event mainly through social media and word of mouth. One volunteer, an American who goes by the name Sean Chen, 29, said around 10 same-sex couples kissed on stage during the two-hour 'window' the event organizers secured from mall management. Seven of the couples were female and three male.

　　上海的四家组织一同帮助推广了这项活动，其方式主要是通过社交媒体及口口相传。29岁的美国人Sean Chen是此次活动的志愿者之一，他说活动组织者确保了两个小时的“窗口期”，使活动免受商场管理方的干涉，在此期间共有10对同性情侣上台接吻。其中七对是女生，三对是男生。

　　Mr. Chen said he encountered one negative reaction from a man who told his child to return a rainbow flag to Mr. Chen on learning of its significance. Mr. Chen said the event was not just about gay and lesbian issues. 'We want to show we're happy to live among everyone else, that we can be happy together.'

　　Sean Chen说，他遭遇了一个男子的消极回应，该名男子在了解了彩虹旗的含义后，让自己的孩子把手中的彩虹旗还给了他。Sean Chen说，这次活动不光是为了让人们了解同志群体的问题。他说，我们要让人们知道我们乐于生活在他人中间，我们可以和谐共处。

　　Gay people have been kissing under the tree since Kissmas kicked off Nov. 21. But Saturday marked the first time there was such a concentration of same-sex couples.

　　自11月21日该活动开展以来，不断有同志情侣上台热吻。但上周六是头一次有如此多的同性爱侣一同参加。

　　Variations of the Kiss installation were displayed in Milan in 2009 and London in 2010.

　　2009年的米兰、2010年的伦敦也曾展示过不同的接吻装置。

　　Artist Mr. Cocksedge told China Real Time that he was not aware of Saturday night's gay-themed event. 'But it's a wonderful thing,' he said by phone from London. 'A kiss is something beautiful to capture.'

　　艺术家考克斯基告诉《中国实时报》(China Real Time)说，他先前并不知道于上周六举行的这场同志主题活动。不过他在电话中表示，这是件美好的事;一个吻是一个值得捕捉的美丽瞬间。