明明美國官員說的是「美國不對九二共識或任何特定的兩岸政策採取立場,這應該要是兩岸人民和政府,用彈性和創意決定的事情」,經過旺中的中天新聞和中時電子報,竟然可以被翻譯成「民進黨跟北京在密會」,製造業真是太厲害了。
中天記者臧國華提問:
是否可以談談美國怎麼告訴蔡英文關於兩岸關係的事情?你剛才提到九二共識並非美國可以干涉。但是中國強烈表達需要一個方案,無論是否是九二共識,來延續兩岸交流,美國是否同意此點?美國會不會支持民進黨或蔡英文提出的兩岸關係方案?
Could you comment on what the US side told her in terms of cross strait relationship. I believe you have a better perspective to say. You also said that the 92 consensus is not something the US would have a say either to the DPP or to whoever. But the Chinese government has made it clear they needed something, a formula, which may not be called 92 consensus, to actually continue the current exchange or dialogue across straits. Does the US agree with that? Will the US support the DPP or Tsai in their pursuit of cross strait relations on the basis of whatever formula that both sides or the three sides can agree to.
美國在台協會主席薄瑞光(Raymond Burghardt)回應:
首先,這不是三方……我不清楚你的三方是指什麼。美國從未強烈批判兩岸關係的任何特定方案,我們鼓勵台灣,在這你問的是民進黨,還有北京都能善用彈性和創意。我的老長官曾經說,美國人沒有聰明到足以調停華人之間的爭執,我猜馬歇爾已經證明這點。我想這在今天或在1947年都是對的。到現在(兩岸)已經發生過很多事情,而未來我們也將會看到是否有找到什麼方案。重要的是雙方都能展現彈性和創意,維持穩定和維持溝通,不要有誤判,這對我們美國也是重要的,所以我們希望任何人都能達到這個目標。
First of all, It is not… I’m not sure what your “three sides” means. The US has never blast a particular formula for cross strait relation, the furthest we have gone is to say “it’s nice that something is working.” As I said earlier, we encourage Taiwan, in this case the DPP, to also use flexibility and creativity but also Beijing, I mean it is the two sides. One of my old bosses Winston Lord often said, Americans are not smart enough to mediate between Chinese, I guess George Marshall proved that. So I think that is true today as it was in 1947. We know that a lot has been going on, and we will see whether something is found. The important thing is for each side to show flexibility and creativity. The result, maintaining stability, maintaining line of communication, and not having miscalculation, that is important and is important to us. So we hope that no one would fail in the effort to achieve that.
錄音檔來源:
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2015/07/13-taiwan-cross-strait-relations
中天新聞影片:
http://tube.chinatimes.com/20150714002755-261402
補註:
有網友在臉書專頁私訊提到,我附上的英文原文是「We know that a lot has been going on, and we will see whether something is found.」。的確,作者這段話其實是省略主詞的,所以我有把主詞用括號表現。主詞可能是單獨指台灣、可能單獨指民進黨、也可能同時指台灣和中國(也就是兩岸),甚至美國官員就是要故意省略模糊,因為美國目前對中國問題的外交原則就是「不會在公開言論上」介入兩岸關係的特定方案(就算會用其他方式介入),在外交禮儀上官員也不應該評論其他國家的特定政黨。(其實去聽錄音檔就知道,官員的語氣就是在閃這個問題,根本沒想要正面回答,怎麼可能在裡面爆大條的料)
於是主詞只能從上下文推斷。上下文是什麼?記者問的是美國對蔡英文和民進黨的兩岸政策有什麼意見,而美國官員整個回答的意思,就是「我們沒有要對特定的政黨和政策表達意見,美國的一貫原則就是兩岸要能維持穩定和溝通,期待台灣(包括民進黨)和北京都能展現彈性和創意」,而且還引了馬歇爾帶著支持特定主張介入中國國共內戰的失敗例子。是故,這邊的主詞我合理推斷成前句提過的「台灣、包括記者問的民進黨、還有中國」,也就是兩岸。
其實,就算學中天式英文,硬要解釋成主詞只單獨指民進黨跟中國之間,也根本不會是民進黨正在和北京密會協商的意思,而是要說「兩岸關係就是個一直在發生的事情,過去、現在到未來都在進行,蔡英文和民進黨的兩岸政策好或不好,我們之後就會看到。」對,就是一句外交上常見,好像有講什麼但什麼都沒講的廢話。能從這樣ㄠ成另一個意思,真的是很滿有創意的。