：译言网Contagiousculture凤凰传奇和鸟叔---感染力文化翻译类型：英文翻译—欢迎广大翻译爱好者交流！翻译人员：张小Lee2012-11-21英文原文AviralhitfromSouthKoreaisarudewake-upcalltoaspiringChineseartistsandentertainersthatculturalproductsneedspontaneityanddiversity.TheimmensepopularityofGangnamStyleispuzzlingtomanyChinese,especiallythosewhosearchforsocialsignificanceinminutiae.AsIcountmyselfasoneofthegroup,hereismytwocentsaboutthestrangephenomenonofaSouthKoreanrapperwhoisneithermatineeidol,norPavarottiorNureyevreincarnate,butwhosenumberhastakentheworldbystorm.GangnamStyleisnohighart.Yes,ithasacatchytuneanddancemovessochildisheveryonecanimitate.Haditusedthreeoctavesandpolishedchoreographyonlytraineddancerscanpulloff,itwouldneverhavegainedsuchawideaudience.Now,Chinaproducesitsownequivalentsofsurprisehitsthatcanbeexplainedonlybytheirsheersimplicityinmelodyorabsurdityinstyle.Inthelate1990s,therewasMyHeartIsTooSoft;thenewcenturysawMiceLoveRice,andmostrecentlyitwasdanceversionsoffolk-stylesongsbytheduoPhoenixLegend.Theyarenotcriticaldarlings,buttheyinvariablyclickwiththebroadpublicfortheirendlesshummability.Asamatteroffact,itisfairlydifficultforacritictosaytheyareafadandwillvanishbeforeyouknowit.Suchistheirpenetrationintothesocietythateveryonewantstojumponthebandwagon,includingpoliticianswhowanttobeseenasmembersofthepeople.Populismdictatesthatifyoudon'tgoalongwiththemassandwhattheyenjoy,youareisolatingyourselfintoanenclaveofcynicsandeliteswhobelievethemselvestobebetterthantherestofus.TheWesternworldcertainlyhasitsshareofgoofysongsaccompaniedbyequallygoofydancesteps.In1994,theUSwassweptbyaSpanishdancesongcalledMacarena.LikeGangnamStyle,itwasaidedbythemusicvideo,whichfeaturedverysimplehandmovements.Allofasudden,everyoneonTVwasdoingthesamemoveandhummingthesametune.Thefunnythingis,theforeignlanguagesinthelyricsdonotinanywayhampertheirprairie-firedisseminationinEnglish-speakingcountries.Rather,theyformpartofthecharm.FromwhereIcansee,mostpeoplesimplytookitasgibberishandneverbotheredtofindoutwhatthesongswereabout.Themusicandthevideowereenoughforthemtorelatetoandpartakeinwhatturnedouttobecollectivefunrides.Chineseartistsandentertainersarecertainlycapableofcreatingsuchpieces.Whattheylackisasenseofspontaneousfun.Thosetrainedinacademiatendtotakethecreativeprocessasoneofdissociatingfromthelightersideoflifeandfocusingonthegravereality.Otherswithaneyeforthemarketandprofitsaresoeagertopandertotheirpotentialaudiencethattheycomeupwithworkstotallyderivativeandcalculatedtheyarestrippedofanysincerity.Ofcourse,youcancreategreatworksbyexploringpersonalanxietiesandsocietalagonies.MoYan'sbooksarenotfuntoread,buttheyconveysomethingvaluableabouttheChinesepsyche.Forlightentertainmenttowork,funcouldbethekeyword.InGangnamStyle,itissoinfectiousitdoesnotneedtranslationwhatsoever.HadthehitbeenmadeinChina,I'msuretherewouldbeanarmyofpunditswho'dpilloryitfordenigratingthenationalimage."DoesitrepresentthegreatstridesChinahasmadeinthepastfewdecades?"they'llask."Sure,thesingerlooksrichandwell-coiffed,butshouldn'thespendhismoneyonmoreworthwhilethings-likecharity?"So,tospruceuptheimage,theout-of-shapesingerwouldbereplacedbyonephysicallyfitandtechnicallyadroitsothehorse-ridingdancewouldbemorefluidand"professional".Later,hewouldgivewaytoaninnocentlookingyoungwomanfullydeckedoutinfolkattiresothatforeignerswouldfindthevideomo...