Children’s magazine writer cum publisher Zheng Yuanjie is currently in the hot seat for his weibo (China’s version of microblogging) message:
I suggest that the Shanghai World Expo urgently construct a Yushu memorial hall to grieve the victims of the Yushu earthquake incident. This will also show that the Chinese people are indomitable in the face of natural disasters. After all, the time of the World Expo and the Yushu earthquake incident is not far from each other, just less than a month. The World Expo can not ignore this incident. If you agree, please pass. – Zheng Yuanjie, 10:09am
The many pavillions in the Shanghai World Expo will be torn down once the event is over. Regarding the time for house reconstruction of the victims’ homes and because the Expo will run until the start of next winter, I propose that the demolition be suspended for the meantime and to prioritize the moving and settling down of the victims. First do the rebuilding so as to send the victimes to their new homes. Afterwards, deal with the dismantling. The World Expo will therefore be known as the World Expo for Love. If you agree, please pass. – Zheng Yuanjie, 10:22am
After the first weibo was posted, within 4 hours, more than 640 fans have forwarded it to more than 300 users. For his second post made on 10:22am, it was observed that by 13:50, it was forwarded to 1952 people already thus producing 819 comments and giving him a total of more than 3000 weibo fans.
Some of the netizens responses were not that positive:
When during the construction there will be no water, what will you, Zheng Yuanjie, do? Why not just let the victims live in your place?
Is that Zheng person not thinking well? I think there are many insincere people taking advantage of this situation. The earthquake victims do not need a memorial hall. What they need is real help.
Zheng Yuanjie, you’re better off writing fairy tales. Regarding this, who do you think you are? You’re just useless.
I’m a fan of his fairy tales when I was a kid. But right now, looking at him taking advantage of this news interest, it’s all very unrealistic–just some ego-boosting idea that’s looking for trouble.
Better spend the money in areas that are more in need.
Zheng Yuanjie, are you making an exhibition out of yourself in this World Expo?
There are some rich people who will use their money to help solve a problem. But there are others who just use it so that peope will notice them.
Don’t you need money to build that memorial hall??? Better use it in other areas that are truly in need.
He has written too many fairy tales already.
This man just wants to be famous!
Can this memorial hall save people?
Only idiots with brain problems can think up of this proposal. This type of people will just bring more economic problems to the country.
The completion of the Qinghai Pavilion showing the 3 great rivers of China is not affected. As of press time, the project will still push though.
From the official 2010 Shanghai World Expo site–
Qinghai Pavilion demonstrates how the Yantze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River originating from Qinghai have nurtured riverfront cities and civilization, and reveals the supportive and restrictive role of the ecological conditions at the source of the three great rivers in urban development.
What do you think of Zheng Yuanjie’s proposal?
郑渊洁是家喻户晓的儿童文学作家，他的童话大王对80年代出生的中国人来说可谓家喻户晓，写作风格以想象力丰富和文笔诙谐但由不失思想深度著称，比如《舒克贝塔历险记》，《魔方大厦》，《邋遢大王历险记》和《五个苹果折腾地球》等，早期还有一些科幻作品比如《紫薇岛的暴动》和《爆炸前的坦白》。我当时很喜欢他的《童话大王》杂志，每期必看，不过后期他的作品趋向于成人风格，我就很少看了。
但他的这两个微博文却比较过分。我很同意你翻译的一些网友的看法，他把想象力和戏谑的风格用在童话和科幻是可以的，但拿地震灾区的事情来半开玩笑，而且有些以此进行炫耀的目的，这就让人无法接受了。公众人物应当注意讲话的方式，大众会追捧明星，但不代表民众就会因为喜欢明星的某些特长而容忍其它方面的出言不逊。
Wang Er, thanks for sharing the additional info on Zheng Yuanjie! Let me translate your comment for everyone’s FYI here–
Zheng Yuanjie is a children’s author who is already a household name in China. His “King of Fairy Tales” [children's magazine] is famous to those Chinese born in the 80s. His writing style is imaginative and witty without losing the depthness of his stories’ message. Like 《舒克贝塔历险记》，《魔方大厦》，《邋遢大王历险记》, and 《五个苹果折腾地球》 etc. Before, he wrote some science fiction like 《紫薇岛的暴动》 and 《爆炸前的坦白》. I really like his “King of Fairy Tales”. But lately, I haven’t read them anymore; because they tend to be more mature in level now.
But his two weibos are really something. I very much agree with what the netizens think. He can mix imagination and jokes in his fairy tales and science fiction. But he made light of the earthquake incident which is like showing off. This is what the people didn’t accept. Public figures should take note of how they speak. People like celebrities, but this doesn’t mean the people will like or tolerate the star’s insensitivities.
Thanks for the translation Baoru!
Everyone, I just opened a new website to translate English blog/news to Chinese. Posts to translate will be selected from blogs I read so I may try one or two articles from CNReviews. Stay tuned!
Sorry I forgot to leave the URL of the website. Click on my name.