Tears cleanse and actions hearten us

作者：SUSAN CHYN　时间：2008-06-04　期号：757

IN the wake of the tremors emanating from Wenchuan County, there have been many stories of bravery.

The world has seen heart-wrenching images of courage in the face of danger; of resilience in the face of what seems like the endless movement of the earth. And while the toll of the disaster has yet to be completely fathomed, we can already palpably feel the outpouring of humanity.

This said, the case of Fan Meizhong, the former Chinese language teacher at the Dujiangyan Guangya School, stands out as an exception. By any standards, the actions and words of Fan failed to meet both tests–of heroism and of humanity.

From that fatal hour when the shake first hit to the ensuing days, Fan's actions–or non-actions–were rationalized by many. To the press and the Web community, Fan cited a variety of ism's to explain his behavior. Philosophies from "pan-moralism" to liberalism were invoked; homage was paid to several Russian intellectuals. I was not convinced. Why? In times of need, words pale, tears cleanse and actions hearten.

Fan, along with many in the blogosphere, suggested that heroism is not required in times of disaster. That we should not expect "everyday people" to sacrifice self-interest on behalf of others. That Lei Feng is an exception, a legend of his times. I would argue that nothing is further from the truth.

Heroic acts can–and should–be seen in the everyday world we live in. Seen on a Beijing public bus, when a 13-year-old girl gives up her seat for a 50-year-old man, even when she is dead-tired from school. Seen in Shanghai, when a white-collar businessman waits and holds a door open for a migrant worker and her young child to go in first. Seen in a Jinan dormitory, when a student gives up her Sunday afternoon to nurse a classmate who has fallen ill.

The small but instinctive gestures of unsung heroes are rooted in a common willingness to act. When people are in clear need–especially children and the elderly, we should invariably reach out without thinking about ourselves. As the British orator John Henry Newman once said, "Calculation never made a hero."

Most of us will never fight in a war, put out fires or save lives. But that doesn't let us off the hook. Like shoes and the feet that go into them, heroes come in all shapes and sizes. If we recognize, innately, we are bound by our common humanity, then the choice is simple. When we are able to help people in need, we should.

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innately 天生就有地
cleanse 纯净
legend 传奇人物
invoke 援引
ism 主义
pan- 表示"全, 总, 泛"之义
palpably 可感觉到地
wrench 猛扭
toll 伤亡人数
resilience 适应力
fathom 彻底了解

Bonus
Expressions

in the wake of之后

There're many problems to deal with in the wake of the flood.
洪水过后有很多问题需要处理。

off the hook 从困境中解脱

We found the guy who stole the money, so we know you didn't do it. You're off the hook.

我们找到了偷钱的人，所以这不是你干的，现在你没事了。

pay homage to致敬

Tomb-sweeping day is a time when people pay homage to their dead family members.
人们在清明节祭奠死去的亲人。

The problem of athlete doping

作者：SUSAN CHYN　时间：2008-08-13　期号：766

ATHLETE doping is decried by sports federations and fans worldwide. Drug testing is more aggressive than ever before. So why do athletes, in anonymous surveys, still answer “Yes” to the question: “If you could get away with it, would you take banned substances?”

Virtually one-third of Australia’s top athletes recently indicated they would use drugs if they could escape detection, according to The Australian newspaper. And a national survey conducted late last year revealed that between 27 and 58 percent of German athletes competing internationally admitted to doping. Throughout the world, the shadow of doping pervades the upper echelons of sports.

Many cheaters get caught. US runner Marion Jones was stripped of five medals in 2007 when she confessed to using steroids at the Sydney Olympic Games. More recently, seven Russian women athletes–all Olympic medal prospects, were provisionally banned from the Beijing Games. Several Indian weightlifters were barred from competing. And three top-tier Chinese athletes have tested positive this year, including the 2004 race walker Song Hongjuan.

And how can athletes ignore the health consequences of steroids and human growth hormones? Study after study has shown doping can lead to high blood pressure, strokes and mood swings. This is scary stuff. So why don’t our athletes stay clean? Is it because we pressure them to win at any cost? Is it because they think “everyone else” is doing it? Or is it because they think they can get away with it?

To the latter point, the World Anti-Doping Agency and national sports federations have been working together to increase the frequency of both in- and out-of-competition testing. About 4,500 tests are planned for the Beijing Olympics, and blood samples are now stored for eight years, so that tests can be conducted long after the athletic event is over, as new technologies evolve. In theory, this should be a powerful deterrent to athletes who are tempted to break the rules.

But I suspect the cheating will continue until spectators and the media make an unequivocal social stand. We should call for winners, but only winners willing to show they are “super clean.” By undergoing extra testing, top athletes can serve as role models and send a clear message to young competitors–who will realize it is possible to win through hard work and training, without compromising their health and their honor.

anonymous 匿名的
boycott 联合抵制
commodity 日用品
decry 谴责
deterrent 制止物
doping 服兴奋剂
echelon 等级
hormone 激素
lavish 慷慨给予
pervade 遍及
provisionally 暂时地
steroid 类固醇
tempt 诱惑
toil 苦干
traffic 买卖
transaction 交易
unequivocal 不含糊的

BONUS
Expressions
bar from
禁止做某事
She was barred from taking the rest of the exams after getting caught cheating on the first day.
在第一天被发现作弊后，她被禁止参加后面几天的考试。

get away with
违做错事不被发现或受惩罚
Do you think we could get away with using cheaper product?
你觉得我们用便宜的材料能不让人发觉吗？

top-tier
高层次的
Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are three top-tier cities in China.
北京，上海和广州是中国的三大城市。