09-14-06

美國會投票通過授予達賴喇嘛國會金質獎章 (US Congress Votes to Give Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal)

美國國會眾議院批准一項議案，授予西藏流亡精神領袖達賴喇嘛美國最高的平民榮譽。超過三分之二的眾議員星期三投票支援向達賴喇嘛頒發國會金質獎章的議案，表彰他為提倡宗教和諧、非暴力和人權做出的貢獻。

達賴喇嘛上個星期訪問溫哥華期間，加拿大向他授予榮譽公民。這項決定引發中國政府的正式抗議。

達賴喇嘛要求給予西藏更大的自治權，北京一直指責達賴喇嘛是破壞國家團結的敵人。中國說，中國強烈反對任何國家向這位佛教領袖提供從事他們所認為的分裂活動的舞臺。

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to award Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, with the United States' highest civilian honor. More than two-thirds of House members supported Wednesday's bill to award the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his advocacy of religious harmony, non-violence and human rights.

Last week, Canada granted the Dalai Lama honorary Canadian citizenship during his visit to Vancouver. The decision drew a formal complaint from China.

Beijing has long condemned the Dalai Lama as an enemy of Chinese national unity because of his demands for greater autonomy for Tibet. China says it strongly opposes any country's offer to give the Buddhist leader a stage for what it considers his separatist activities.

中國漫畫家畫胡錦濤被停職 (Chinese Cartoonist Suspended Following Depiction of Hu)

媒體報導說，中國的報紙漫畫家鄺飆因畫中國國家主席胡錦濤哭泣的漫畫而被停職。但是，美聯社援引鄺飆的話說，他沒有被停職。他說，他只是用一個月的時間進行自我反省，並表示在將來工作中會更加注意。

鄺飆對美聯社說，廣州新快報刊登了他的漫畫後，他受到讀者的指責。漫畫中，胡錦濤在回復因過度工作而去世的一位大學教授的女兒來信時流淚。

中國媒體幾乎從來不用負面的或是可能帶來尷尬的形式塑造領導人，漫畫家幾乎從來不畫領導人的漫畫。

Media reports say Chinese newspaper artist Kuang Biao has been suspended from his job for his cartoon of Chinese President Hu Jintao weeping. But the Associated Press quotes Kuang Biao as saying he has not been suspended. He says simply that he will spend a month of what he calls self-reflection and that he will pay more attention in the future.

Kuang told the Associated Press that he came under fire from readers after the Guangzhou-based New Express newspaper ran his cartoon. It depicts President Hu weeping while replying to a letter from the daughter of a university professor who died from overwork.

Chinese media almost never depict leaders in a negative or potentially embarrassing light, and cartoonists rarely depict leaders at all.