內容簡介
內容簡介 你真的認識中國嗎?還是一切只是一場以訛傳訛的傳話遊戲?玩過傳話遊戲吧?一個人對另一個人說悄悄話,然後一個又一個傳下去,最後一個人聽到的東西,和第一個人開口說的,往往相差十萬八千里。在英文裡,這個遊戲叫做「Chinese Whisper」。而本書作者認為,很多時候外界(西方)對中國的認知,就像是這樣一場傳話遊戲,最後只剩下迷思和刻板印象,和真相差的,又豈止十萬八千里?中國是世界工廠,中國人寧要經濟發展不要政治自由,中國是世界上最大的單一民族國家,中國人對教育和成就的看法就像「虎媽」一樣。整體而言,中國不斷崛起、野心勃勃,也注定要取代西方、統治21世紀。西方從18世紀以來開始和中國有較多接觸,但對於這個充滿東方色彩的大國了解一直不夠深刻,總是投注了太多自己的夢想和夢魘。數百年後,隨著中國再次回到世界舞台,西方對於中國的態度很可能只是重蹈覆轍。本書作者Ben Chu一一審視對於中國的七大迷思,鼓勵讀者反思各種既定的印象,要呈現更真實、更複雜多元的中國。Ben Chu是《獨立報》經濟版的編輯。他出生於曼城,童年時曾在香港住過兩年,父親是中國人、母親是英國人。他在牛津獲得現代歷史學位之後,於2000年加入《獨立報》成為該報的重要寫手。THE CHINESE ARE THE MOST HARDWORKING PEOPLE ON EARTH...so why are the younger generation derided as spoiled and lazy? CHINESE PEOPLE DON'T CARE ABOUT POLITICAL FREEDOM...so why is the country's internet exploding with anti-regime dissent? CHINA WILL ONE DAY RULE THE WORLD...so why do the country's political leaders feel so insecure? Perhaps it is time to stop engaging in a centuries-old game of Chinese whispers in which the facts have become more and more distorted in the telling. Ben Chu examines the myths that have come to dominate our view of the world's most populous nation, forcing us to question everything we thought we knew about it. The result is a penetrating, surprising and provocative insight into China today.