Michael Anti: Behind the Great Firewall of China

Translator: Thu-Huong Ha Reviewer: Jenny Zurawell

翻译人员: 建松 刘 校对人员: Yuguo Zhang

In the past several days, I heard people talking about China.

在过去几天，我听到一些人在谈论中国

And also, I talked to friends about China and Chinese Internet.

我也和朋友谈到过中国和中国的互联网

Something is very challenging to me.

我遇到了一些很具有挑战性的问题

I want to make my friends understand:

我想让我的朋友理解

China is complicated.

中国很复杂

So I always want to tell the story, like,

所以， 我一直想讲这样一个故事

one hand it is that, the other hand is that.

它从这面看是这样的， 从另一个方面看却是那样的

You can't just tell a one sided story.

你不能只讲故事的一面

I'll give an example. China is a BRIC country.

举个例子来说， 中国是一个金砖国家

BRIC country means Brazil, Russia, India and China.

BRIC代表着巴西 俄罗斯 印度 和中国

This emerging economy really is helping the revival of the world economy.

中国作为一个新兴经济体确实在为世界经济的复苏做着贡献

But at the same time, on the other hand,

但是与此同时，在另一方面

China is a SICK country,

中国也是一个“有病”的国家

the terminology coined by Facebook IPO papers -- file.

这一词源于一篇关于Facebook的IPO的文章

He said the SICK country means Syria, Iran, China and North Korea.

文章里提到的SICK国家代表着叙利亚 伊朗 中国和朝鲜

The four countries have no access to Facebook.

在这些国家人们是不能登入Facebook的

So basically, China is a SICK BRIC country.

所以，基本上，中国是一个有病的金砖国家

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Another project was built up

这里有另一个计划

to watch China and Chinese Internet.

来观察中国和中国的网络

And now, today I want to tell you my personal

现在，我想告诉大家我个人

observation in the past several years, from that wall.

这几年在那堵“墙”内所观察的结果

So, if you are a fan of the Game of Thrones,

如果你是一个“权利的游戏”的爱好者

you definitely know how important a big wall is for an old kingdom.

你一定知道一堵墙对一个王国有多么的重要

It prevents weird things from the north.

它会把所有奇怪的东西统统拦在北方

Same was true for China.

中国也是这样

In the north, there was a great wall, Chang Cheng.

在中国的北方，有长城

It protected China from invaders for 2,000 years.

它保护中国不受侵袭长达2000多年

But China also has a great firewall.

但是中国同样也有一个火墙

That's the biggest digital boundary in the whole world.

它是当今世界上最大的数字屏障

It's not only to defend the Chinese regime from overseas,

它不仅保护着中国政府不受海外

from the universal values, but also to prevent

普世价值的侵扰， 它也阻止

China's own citizens to access the global free Internet,

中国的网民接入国际互联网

and even separate themselves into blocks, not united.

甚至将网民们分散，而不是将其联合

So, basically the "Internet" has two Internets.

所以，其实现在有两个互联网

One is the Internet, the other is the Chinanet.

一个是真正的互联网，而另一个是中国的互联网

But if you think the Chinanet is something

但是如果你将中国的互联网想象成

like a deadland, wasteland, I think it's wrong.

类似于死亡地带或是荒芜地带的话， 那你就大错特错了

But we also use a very simple metaphor, the cat and the mouse game,

我们可以用猫鼠游戏这样简单的词汇来比喻

to describe in the past 15 years

中国在这过去的15年里

the continuing fight between Chinese

作为“猫”的角色的中国政府的审查制度

censorship, government censorship, the cat,

和作为“老鼠”角色的中国网民

and the Chinese Internet users. That means us, the mouse.

之间的斗争

But sometimes this kind of a metaphor is too simple.

但是有些时候这样的比喻又过于简单了

So today I want to upgrade it to 2.0 version.

所以今天我要把它升级为一个2.0的版本

In China, we have 500 million Internet users.

在中国，有大约5亿的网民

That's the biggest population of Netizens, Internet users, in the whole world.

这个数字在全世界的网民数量当中也是最大的

So even though China's is a totally censored Internet,

所以即使中国的网络时刻处于被审查当中

but still, Chinese Internet society is really booming.

但是中国的网络社会却是蕴含着生机

How to make it? It's simple.

怎么做到的这一点呢？其实很简单

You have Google, we have Baidu.

你们有谷歌 我们就有百度

You have Twitter, we have Weibo.

你们有推特 我们就有微博

You have Facebook, we have Renren.

你们有脸谱 我们就有人人

You have YouTube, we have Youku and Tudou.

你们有youtube 我们就有优酷和土豆

The Chinese government blocked every

中国政府会屏蔽所有

single international Web 2.0 service,

国际2.0版本网络服务

and we Chinese copycat every one.

而我们中国人就复制一切

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So, that's the kind of the thing I call smart censorship.

所以，这是一种在我看来很聪明的审查制度

That's not only to censor you.

它不只是审查你这么简单

Sometimes this Chinese national Internet policy is very simple:

有时候中国对国际网络的政策很简单

Block and clone.

屏蔽加复制

On the one hand, he wants to satisfy people's need of a social network,

另一方面，政府也会考虑到满足民众对于使用社交网络的强烈要求

which is very important; people really love social networking.

这一点很重要 因为人们对社交网络有着相当的热情

But on the other hand, they want to keep the server

但是另一方面，政府又想把服务器放在北京

in Beijing so they can access the data any time they want.

这样他们就能随时监测到这些网络数据

That's also the reason Google was pulled out from China,

而这也恰恰是谷歌被逐出中国大陆的原因

because they can't accept the fact

因为谷歌无法接受

that Chinese government wants to keep the server.

服务器被中国政府监控的事实

Sometimes the Arab dictators didn't understand these two hands.

有的时候阿拉伯的独裁者们不理解这两个方面

For example, Mubarak, he shut down the Internet.

比如，穆巴拉克，他关闭了所有的网络服务

He wanted to prevent the Netizens [from criticizing] him.

因为他想要阻止民众在网上对他的指责

But once Netizens can't go online, they go in the street.

但是一旦网民无法上网的话 他们就会走上街头

And now the result is very simple.

而现在 结果很简单

We all know Mubarak is technically dead.

我们都知道穆巴拉克因此而丧了命

But also, Ben Ali, Tunisian president,

突尼斯总统 本 阿里

didn't follow the second rule.

没有遵循第二条原则

That means keep the server in your hands.

即把服务器掌握在自己的手中

He allowed Facebook, a U.S.-based service,

他允许facebook这样一个服务器在美国的网络服务商

to continue to stay on inside of Tunisia.

继续留在突尼斯

So he can't prevent it, his own citizens to post

所以他没法阻止网民把有关他腐败的视频

critical videos against his corruption.

上传到网上

The same thing happend. He was the first

所以相同的事情发生了 他成了在阿拉伯之春运动中

to topple during the Arab Spring.

第一个倒台的总统

But those two very smart international censorship policies

但是这两个很聪明的审查制度并没有阻止

didn't prevent Chinese social media [from] becoming a really public sphere,

中国的社交媒体变成一个表达民意的公共平台

a pathway of public opinion and the nightmare of Chinese officials.

最终成为政府官员噩梦之地的脚步

Because we have 300 million microbloggers in China.

因为我们有3亿的微博用户

It's the entire population of the United States.

相当于美国的整个美国的人口

So when these 300 million people, microbloggers,

所以当这3亿微博用户汇集起来

even they block the tweet in our censored platform.

即使他们的微博内容要受到审查

But itself -- the Chinanet -- but itself can create

但是仅仅是这些中国网民

very powerful energy, which has never happened

就可以创造出一股很强的力量

in the Chinese history.

而这是在中国历史上从未有过的现象

2011, in July, two [unclear] trains crashed,

在2011年的7月份 两辆中国高铁列车

in Wenzhou, a southern city.

在中国南方的一个城市——温州相撞

Right after the train crash,

在这次相撞事故发生后

authorities literally wanted to cover up the train, bury the train.

当局想要就此埋掉列车残骸 借此掩盖真相

So it angered the Chinese Netizens.

这件事引起了中国网民的高度关注

The first five days after the train crash,

就在事故发生后的五天里

there were 10 million criticisms of the posting

社交网站上就有大约1000万条的微博批评政府的做法

on social media, which never happened in Chinese history.

这是在中国历史上从未发生过的事

And later this year, the rail minister

就在今年 中国的铁道部长

was sacked and sentenced to jail for 10 years.

遭到了撤职并且被判入狱10年

And also, recently, very funny debate between

最近 ， 一个很有趣的争执发生在

the Beijing Environment Ministry

北京环保局和

and the American Embassy in Beijing

美国驻中国大使馆之间

because the Ministry blamed

起因是北京环保局指责

the American Embassy for intervening in

美国大使馆借助发布北京空气质量指数的方式

Chinese internal politics by disclosing

来插手

the air quality data of Beijing.

中国的内部事务

So, the up is the Embassy data, the PM 2.5.

美国大使馆发布的关于PM2.5的指数是

He showed 148, they showed it's dangerous for the sensitive group.

148，这个数字刺激了民众敏感的神经

So a suggestion, it's not good to go outside.

它表明北京的空气质量并不适合出行

But that is the Ministry's data. He shows 50.

但是北京环保局的数据是50

He says it's good. It's good to go outside.

这个指数表明北京的空气质量是适宜出行的

But 99 percent of Chinese microbloggers

但是有99%的中国微博用户这次

stand firmly on the Embassy's side.

都坚定地站到了美国大使馆这一边

I live in Beijing. Every day, I just watch

我也生活在北京 每天我就是

the American Embassy's data to decide whether I should open my window.

根据美国大使馆的数据来决定今天我是否要打开自己家的窗户

Why is Chinese social networking, even within the censorship,

为什么中国的社交网络即使在严格的监管下

so booming? Part of the reason is Chinese languages.

仍然拥有强大的力量呢？部分原因是汉语自身的特点造成的

You know, Twitter and Twitter clones have a kind of

大家知道，推特和它的克隆版本都有

a limitation of 140 characters.

140字的字数限制

But in English it's 20 words or a sentence with a short link.

但是如果是英语的话，它仅仅是20个单词或者是短短的一行

Maybe in Germany, in German language, it may be just "Aha!"

或许对于德语来说，它仅仅是简单的“Aha"

(Laughter)

(笑声）

But in Chinese language, it's really about 140 characters,

但是对于汉语来说，那就是真正的140字

means a paragraph, a story.

那代表着一段话，一个故事

You can almost have all the journalistic elements there.

你可以将所有的新闻要素都包括在这140字里

For example, this is Hamlet, of Shakespeare.

比如，这是莎士比亚笔下哈姆雷特里的一段话

It's the same content. One, you can see exactly

同样的内容 但是你可以看到

one Chinese tweet is equal to 3.5 English tweets.

一条用汉语发出的微博相当于3.5条用英语发出的微博内容

Chinese is always cheating, right?

中国人永远在造假，是吧？

So because of this, the Chinese really regard this

也正是因为这个原因 中国的网民是把微博当作

microblogging as a media, not only a headline to media.

真正的新闻媒介 而不仅仅是新闻的标题

And also, the clone, Sina company is

中国的推特克隆者 也就是新浪公司

the guy who cloned Twitter.

完全复制了推特的模式

It even has its own name, with Weibo.

它甚至有自己的名字——微博

"Weibo" is the Chinese translation for "microblog".

微博是”microblog"的中文译名

It has its own innovation.

它也有自己的创新之处

At the commenting area, [it makes] the Chinese Weibo

在发表评论的板块， 它更像是脸谱

more like Facebook, rather than the original Twitter.

而不是推特

So these innovations and clones, as the Weibo and microblogging,

所以正是因为有了这样的独创性和模仿，当中国的微博和博客

when it came to China in 2009,

在2009年首次出现时

it immediately became a media platform itself.

立刻成为了一个媒介

It became the media platform of 300 million readers.

它成为了中国3亿微博用户的平台

It became the media.

它具有了媒体的作用

Anything not mentioned in Weibo,

微博上几乎涵盖了

it does not appear to exist for the Chinese public.

中国社会里的各种话题

But also, Chinese social media is

同时，中国的社交媒体

really changing Chinese mindsets and Chinese life.

正在悄然改变所有中国人的心态和生活

For example, they give the voiceless people

比如，它给以前无法发出自己声音的人

a channel to make your voice heard.

提供了一个发表自己意见的平台

We had a petition system. It's a remedy outside the judicial system,

中国曾经有一个上访制度 它是对中国的司法制度的一个补充

because the Chinese central government wants to keep a myth:

因为中国的中央政权想要克服这种缺陷

The emperor is good. The old local officials are thugs.

中央当权者是好的 但是地方政府却都是恶霸

So that's why the petitioner, the victims, the peasants,

这也是为什么那些乡下的受害者，请愿者

want to take the train to Beijing to petition to the central government,

想要搭乘火车去北京向中央政府反映的原因

they want the emperor to settle the problem.

他们想要中央的当权者来解决这些问题

But when more and more people go to Beijing,

但是当越来越多的人去北京上访的时候

they also cause the risk of a revolution.

他们也增加了发生革命事件的风险

So they send them back in recent years.

所以这几年他们往往是被遣送回老家

And even some of them were put into black jails.

他们当中的有些人甚至会因此被送进大牢

But now we have Weibo, so I call it the Weibo petition.

但是现在我们有了微博这种工具 我把它称之为微博上访

People just use their cell phones to tweet.

人人只要用手机发出微博

So your sad stories, by some chance your story

你的心声就有机会

will be picked up by reporters, professors or celebrities.

被一些记者、专家或者是名人选中

One of them is Yao Chen,

有一个人的名字不得不提，她就是姚晨

she is the most popular microblogger in China,

她是目前中国最有人气的微博用户

who has about 21 million followers.

她有将近2100万的粉丝

They're almost like a national TV station.

这就像一家国营电视台

If you -- so a sad story will be picked up by her.

你的微博是有机会被她选中而成为公众关注的焦点的

So this Weibo social media, even in the censorship,

所以这种微博社交媒体即使是在审查制度下

still gave the Chinese a real chance for 300 million people

也仍然给了3亿中国人

every day chatting together, talking together.

每天网上交流的机会

It's like a big TED, right?

它就像一个大的TED大会，对吧？

But also, it is like the first time a public sphere

还有一点 微博似乎已经成为中国历史上

happened in China.

第一个公共舆论平台

Chinese people start to learn how to negotiate

中国人开始试着学习

and talk to people.

如何与人沟通交流

But also, the cat, the censorship, is not sleeping.

但是另一方面，扮演者猫的角色的审查制度也并没有就此放手

It's so hard to post some sensitive words on the Chinese Weibo.

在中国的微博上 你是很难发布一些带有敏感词的内容的

For example, you can't post the name of the president,

比如，你不能把胡锦涛主席的名字发布在微博上

Hu Jintao, and also you can't post the city of Chongqing, the name,

你也不能在微博上提及“重庆”这个词

and until recently, you can't search the surname of top leaders.

直到现在 你也不能在网上搜索到中国领导人的名字

So, the Chinese are very good at these puns

所以，（在这样的环境下）中国网民还是很擅长使用

and alternative wording and even memes.

一些双关语和替代词汇来逃避审查的

They even name themselves -- you know,

他们甚至使用一些 嗯

use the name of this world-changing

一些这样的词汇

battle between the grass-mud horse and the river crab.

例如“草泥马”和“河蟹”

The grass-mud horse is caoníma,

“草泥马”用中文读作“cao ni ma"

is the phonogram for motherfucker,

就是”操你妈“的意思

the Netizens call themselves.

中国网民

River crab is héxiè, is the phonogram for

用”河蟹“来替代”和谐“ 也就是

harmonization, for censorship.

被审查机制屏蔽的意思

So that's kind of a caoníma versus the héxiè, that's very good.

这就是”草泥马“和”河蟹“的真正用意 确实是很聪明的做法

So, when some very political, exciting moments happened,

所以，每当一些十分具有政治意味，引人关注的事件发生时

you can see on Weibo, you see a lot of very weird stories happened.

你可以在微博上找到这个事件对应的十分离奇的版本

Weird phrases and words, even if you have a PhD

对于这些奇奇怪怪的单词和短语 即使你拥有

of Chinese language, you can't understand them.

汉语的博士学位 你也是没法完全理解它们的

But you can't even expand more, no, because

但是微博能做到的也仅仅是这些

Chinese Sina Weibo, when it was founded

因为当中国的微博开始出现的时候

was exactly one month after the official blocking of Twitter.com.

正是推特在中国被正式屏蔽的时候

That means from the very beginning,

这意味着从一开始

Weibo has already convinced the Chinese government,

微博的创建者就已经说服了中国政府

we will not become the stage for

它不会成为

any kind of a threat to the regime.

对当权者任何形式的威胁

For example, anything you want to post,

比如， 任何你想发布的诸如

like "get together" or "meet up" or "walk,"

”一起行动“ ”聚会“ ”游行“这样的敏感词

it is automatically recorded and data mined

都会被微博的系统自动识别并被屏蔽掉

and reported to a poll for further political analyzing.

并且微博系统会将此类信息上报 做进一步的政治审查

Even if you want to have some gathering,

即使你想组织或参加一些公共聚会活动

before you go there, the police are already waiting for you.

在你去之前 警察就已经在那里等着你了

Why? Because they have the data.

为什么？ 因为他们掌握着数据

They have everything in their hands.

他们掌握着一切的信息

So they can use the 1984 scenario data mining of the dissident.

他们能够用这1984个场景数据系统挖出那些持有不同政见的人

So the crackdown is very serious.

而对他们的打压是非常严重的

But I want you to notice a very funny thing

但是也请大家注意这样一件很有意思的事情

during the process of the cat-and-mouse.

在这场猫与鼠的较量中

The cat is the censorship, but Chinese is not only one cat,

猫代表着审查制度 但是在中国不止有一只猫

but also has local cats. Central cat and local cats.

我们会有本地猫 也就是有来自中央的猫和本地的猫的区别

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You know, the server is in the [central] cats' hands,

你知道，服务器并不在“本地猫”的手里

so even that -- when the Netizens criticize the local government,

所以即使网民责骂了当地政府

the local government has not any access to the data in Beijing.

当地政府也是无法接触到这些数据的

Without bribing the central cats,

如果当地政府不去贿赂中央政府的话

he can do nothing, only apologize.

他们就什么都不能做，只能道歉

So these three years, in the past three years,

所以在过去的3年里

social movements about microblogging

微博里的社会运动

really changed local government,

真真正正地改变了地方政府

became more and more transparent,

让他们变得越来越透明化

because they can't access the data.

因为他们无法接触到这些网络数据

The server is in Beijing.

服务器在北京

The story about the train crash,

而对于这次动车事故来说

maybe the question is not about why 10 million

也许问题并不在于为什么在短短的5天里就有1000万条责备的声音

criticisms in five days, but why the Chinese central government

在微博里被发出 而是在于为什么中央政府

allowed the five days of freedom of speech online.

允许了这5天的网络言论自由

It's never happened before.

而这是以前从没有发生过的

And so it's very simple, because even the top leaders

其实原因很简单 因为即使是中国的高层领导

were fed up with this guy, this independent kingdom.

也被这个家伙，这个“独立的国王” 激怒了

So they want an excuse --

所以他们要找到一个借口

public opinion is a very good excuse to punish him.

而公众的谴责恰恰是一个很好的惩罚他的借口

But also, the Bo Xilai case recently, very big news,

最近的薄熙来事件也是一个大新闻

he's a princeling.

他是一个“太子党”派

But from February to April this year,

从今年的2月份到4月份

Weibo really became a marketplace of rumors.

微博成为了“谣言”的温床

You can almost joke everything about these princelings,

你可以随意的拿这些“太子党”开玩笑

everything! It's almost like you're living in the United States.

任何事情都行！这简直就像生活在美国一样

But if you dare to retweet or mention any fake coup

但是 如果你胆敢转发或提及任何涉及北京方面的政变的话

about Beijing, you definitely will be arrested.

你是一定会被捕入狱的

So this kind of freedom is a targeted and precise window.

所以这种自由是有目的的自由 它打开了一扇精准的窗户

So Chinese in China, censorship is normal.

所以对于生活在中国的中国人来说 审查制度便是家常便饭

Something you find is, freedom is weird.

你会发现这种“自由”常常让人难以捉摸

Something will happen behind it.

因为往往一些事情会发生在它的后面

Because he was a very popular Leftist leader,

因为薄熙来是一个很有名的左派领导人

so the central government wanted to purge him,

所以中央政府想要将他清除出党

and he was very cute, he convinced all the Chinese people,

中央政府很聪明，它成功说服了全体中国人

why he is so bad.

薄熙来是一个彻彻底底的坏人

So Weibo, the 300 million public sphere,

所以，微博，这个拥有3亿用户的公共平台

became a very good, convenient tool for a political fight.

就变成了一个很方便的用于政治斗争的工具

But this technology is very new,

这种技术很新颖

but technically is very old.

但是手段上却很陈旧

It was made famous by Chairman Mao, Mao Zedong,

早在毛泽东时期 这种手段就曾被应用过

because he mobilized millions of Chinese people

因为他曾经发动了上百万的人民

in the Cultural Revolution to destroy every local government.

在那场文化大革命当中摧毁了地方政府

It's very simple, because Chinese central government

这很简单 因为中国的中央政府

doesn't need to even lead the public opinion.

甚至都不需要引领公众意见

They just give them a target window to not censor people.

它只需要给大众一个无需审查的窗口

Not censoring in China has become a political tool.

无审查现在已经成为了中国的一个政治工具

So that's the update about this game, cat-and-mouse.

这就是关于猫和老鼠的故事的整个剧情了

Social media changed Chinese mindset.

社交媒体改变了中国人的心态

More and more Chinese intend to embrace freedom of speech

越来越多的人开始渴望言论自由和人权自由

and human rights as their birthright,

他们把这些看作是自己生来的权利

not some imported American privilege.

而不是从美国进口的特权

But also, it gave the Chinese a national public sphere

而且，（微博的出现）也给了中国人一个公共平台

for people to, it's like a training of their citizenship,

就像一列火车

preparing for future democracy.

载着全体中国人驶向民主

But it didn't change the Chinese political system,

但是它却没有改变中国的政治制度

and also the Chinese central government utilized this

而且中央政府正是利用了

centralized server structure to strengthen its power

集中化了的结构加强了自己的统治力量

to counter the local government and the different factions.

来应对地方政府和反对势力

So, what's the future?

那么未来是怎样的呢？

After all, we are the mouse.

毕竟我们还是老鼠

Whatever the future is, we should fight against the [cat].

不管未来怎样，我们都应该和猫继续做斗争

There is not only in China, but also in the United States

不仅仅在中国 也在美国

there are some very small, cute but bad cats.

都会有一些很小 很可爱但却很坏的猫

(Laughter)

（笑声）

SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, TPP and ITU.

SOPA PIPA ACTA TPP 和ITU

And also, like Facebook and Google, they claim they are friends of the mouse,

一些网络公司像Facebook和Google, 他们宣称自己是老鼠的朋友

but sometimes we see them dating the cats.

但是我们有时也会发现他们正在和猫约会

So my conclusion is very simple.

所以我想说的其实很简单

We Chinese fight for our freedom,

当我们中国人为了自由而奋斗的时候

you just watch your bad cats.

也请你们管好自己的“坏猫”

Don't let them hook [up] with the Chinese cats.

不要让它们与中国的这些“猫“相互勾结

Only in this way, in the future,

只有这样，在不久的将来

we will achieve the dreams of the mouse:

我们会实现”老鼠“的梦想：

that we can tweet anytime, anywhere, without fear.

那就是我们可以随时 随地 没有任何约束地发微博

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Thank you.

谢谢大家！

(Applause)

（鼓掌）