One of the less glamorous [1] side-effects of censorship, the impact the 17th Communist Party National Congress [2] had on Chinese media made a faked photograph [3] of a rare tiger the top story [4] throughout the Chinese blogsphere for the entire past month [5]. The whole affair ended this weekend when an obscure blogger in Sichuan [6] province found that the tiger in question was not rare at all but actually came from a poster [7], copies of which were snatched up all across the country and are now on sale for jacked-up prices online [8] [zh].
And yet, the discovery of the poster made this just the latest [9] [zh] scandal this year [10] to bring bloggers recognition [11] as a fact-finding force officials across the country should not fear butcould easily benefit from [12] [zh].
Meanwhile, part one [14] of China's decade-long moon plan [15] the lunar probe Chang'e I [16] was sent up into space late last month, inspiring bloggers to post pictures of water bottle replicas [17], chart the probe's movements down to the second [18], and even jump [19] the gun on images Chang'e isn't expected to send back until the recently-revised date of November 26 [20].
On November 11, overseas Chinese websites began posting a rumor [21] [zh] that something had gone wrong with the probe, citing moves taken by top aerospace officials to investigate the possibility Chang'e 1 having been given a scrap oil drum smuggled in from the US, among others. On November 12, an official report [22] was released announcing a 45-minute down in communication with the probe planned for the same day. On Nov. 18, a short communique suddenly appeared [23] announcing the probe to be in perfect condition and working normally; the hundreds of readers who left comments on it [24] generally appeared suspicious.
So in lack of any solid evidence that Chang'e [25] has flown off somewhere, just the precedent from last year in which authorities covered up a similarly high-profile project failure [26] for over a month, do the South China Tiger (华南虎/周老虎) truth-diggers have a new task on hand? Less enthusiastic [27] [zh] and plausible [28] [zh] attempts have been made to suggest that the probe is par for the orbit, but the question [29] [zh] remains open; Cat898 blogger Extraterrestrial Senior Citizen mulls it over in a Nov. 18 post [30], ‘from the climate at Chang'e 1 to that on the internet‘:
中国人习惯于用科学来说明政治,用艺术来阐述政治,嫦娥一号,在十七大之后发射升天,被许多人看做是政治政治伟大,盛世来临的象征,所以是不能冒泡泡的.但科学来不得一点儿虚假,就如同眼睛里容不得丁点儿沙子一样.
但从开始,科学家们就给了我们许多的希望,比如什么时候发躲,什么时候变轨,什么时候绕月,把原本一次十分严肃的科学探索,硬要变成了许多人关注的全民精神教育活动.除了给自已的人民一些什么喑示,对于这次科学探索,好象没有多大意义.
科学家们说,嫦娥一号绕月成功之后,在11月18号左右,能传回月球的写真照片, 还有媒体用略带遗憾的口味告诉咱老百姓,照片是黑白的。所以全体民众是伸长了脖子等在11月18号看嫦娥的黑白美人照。可还没有等到18号,也只是在14 号到15号左右,就有消息传出,就咱们家嫦娥出事儿,可能跑了。相信当时许多看到这测消息的网友,与笔者有样,怀疑传播这测消息的人,是别有用心的。但到 11月17日终于国家有关专家们坐不住了,站出来“避谣”,说我们的嫦娥一号一切正常,偶而与地面失去联系,也科学家们掌控之中。并且特别是指出了凯迪网站这传言的源头。但到11月18日时,科学家们终于肯说了点实话。说嫦娥一号要等到本月26日,才能传回嫦娥的美人照。并并且对网友质疑“体检”时间为何会持续十余天之说,朱毅麟专家说:“即使一颗绕地的卫星,设备检测也要花上一个星期,对于绕月的卫星,多花几天时间不足为奇,也是为了卫星更安全、更保险。”
这话是在网友质疑之后说的,并且嫦娥一号真的没有能于18日发回嫦娥的美人照片。所以网友们传的至少不全部是谣言。到目前为止的嫦娥事件说明,持怀疑态度的网友们,取得小胜利。这个小胜利让网络,有点象整风之前的延安。(可能是笔者想远了)领袖们好不容易有空,到学校去讲点话什么的,但老是有人质疑,(领袖那点三国、水浒里的帝王将相,那能与学者专家什么斯基,什么斯基们比?)最后搞得领袖们,领导们都不敢往学校跑。后来就整治了一下。
当网络压倒喉舌们,当网友让许多代言人都没法讲话时,笔者开始但心,“嫦娥事件”,“华南虎”之后,可有得我们走着瞧了。
And using politics to interpret reality is Cat898 blogger Wild Mountain Flower with a post from later the same day [33], ‘Questioning Chang'e 1 is the spine of the country and the people‘:
我是中华人民共和国公民,我有权对政府干的事说三道四(虽然不那么管用)。我是国家的主人翁,主人有权对公仆们指手画脚(在网上)。说嫦娥一号这样那样的问题,正是对国家关心的态度。试问一下,嫦娥上天这么久了,网友们一直不当回事,这才是最可怕的事。国不知有民,民也不知有国呀。当年的清兵和英军打仗,老百姓在一边看热闹。 假若嫦娥真的出问题,我们不关心,不问,“那是他们的事,爱咋地咋地”。麻木不忍,把自己排除在公民之外,不关心国家大事, 试想,这样的国家还有什么希望?
回想当年的大跃进,瞎指挥,反对的人少吗?彭大将军更是直接上书毛泽东。
不准人对政府干的事直疑,一有反对意见就扣帽子,打成反革命。这样的现像一去不复返了。奴才们三呼万岁的时代结束了。我不反对我国发展空间技术,相反,我极力支持。我只是问一声,什么时间让我看一下照片? 嫦娥真的有事也别瞒着,苏美等国不是失败多次才取行功的吗?何况他们还死了好多人。
取于说真话,取于怀疑,这才是中国的脊梁,民族的脊梁。 那些万岁不离口的奴才们是不会理解的。
Thinking back to my youth and the Great Leap Forward [34], and the confused instructions [35], did many people object then? Marshall Peng [36]‘s closest superior was Mao Zedong.
No one was allowed to call the government on the things it did; the slightest opposition and you got a label: anti-revolutionary. The days of flunkies cheering are gone.
So. I'm not opposed to our national scientific development; on the contrary, I super-support it. I just want to ask a question: when do we get to see the photos? If Chang'e really is in trouble, don't cover it up; didn't the USSR and USA and others fail multiple times in their tries? Never mind how many of their people died.
To make a habit of speaking the truth, of doubting, this is what will be China's backbone, the backbone of the nation; those flunkies who can't get “long live!” out of their mouths wouldn't understand this.