Let the Internet Archive be my witness that I scooped the Olympic Security English story 2 years ago. Let it also be my witness that I’ve had this book on my shelf for two years and was too dumb to shop a story on it for a quick buck. I would like to point out that the book was published in 2002, and is by no means a recent addition to the Olympic campaign, nor a particularly good English textbook. Also, no one has gotten the REAL scoop: ordering the 2 audiotapes that apparently accompany the book and transferring some of these to MP3. Who doesn’t want to hear PSB officers reciting things like “I’m Enzaji Leer. I’m an Indian cook and I make pan cake here.”
Chapter One: Everyday English
第一章 日常用语
Lesson 3: Warnings
第3课 劝告
Dialogue 4: How to Stop Illegal News Coverage
会话4 制止非法采访
P: Excuse me, sir. Stop, please.
警：对不起, 先生, 请停下来.
F: Why?
外：为什么？
P: Are you gathering news here?
警：你是在采访吧？
F: Yes.
外：是的。
P: About what?
警：在采访什么问题？
F: About F*lung*ng.
外： 关于***的事情。
P: Show me your press card and reporter’s permit.
警：请出示记者证和采访许可证。
F: Here you are.
外：请看，在这儿。
P: What news are you permitted to cover?
警：你的采访范围是什么？
F: The Olympic Games.
外：奥运会比赛。
P: But F*lung*ng has nothing to do with the games.
警：但***与奥运会比赛无关。
F: What does that matter?
外：这有什么关系？
P: It’s beyond the permit.
警：这超出了采访范围。
F: What permit?
外：什么范围？
P: You’re a sports reporter. You should only cover the games.
警：你是体育新闻记者， 采访范围是奥运会比赛。
F: But I’m interested in F*lung*ng.
外：但是我对***很感兴趣。
P: It’s beyond the limit of your coverage and illegal. As a foreign reporter in China, you should obey China law and do nothing against your status.
警：可是这与你的采访范围不符，属于非法采访。请你遵守我国法律， 不得从事与身份不符的活动。
F: Oh, I see. May I go now?
外：知道了。我可以走了吗？
P: No. Come with us (to the Administration Division of Entry and Exit of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau).
警：不能。请跟我们（到北京市公安局出人境管理处）走一趟.
F: What for?
外：去干什么？
P: To clear up this matter.
警：把事情弄清楚。
FIN
This has been a selection from Olympic Security English, by Wang Sheng An (王生安), Associate Professor at the People’s University of Public Security
Interview with Wang Shengan on his research of Athens 2004 Olympic security (Chinese)
“If our existing regulations and practice conflict with Olympic norms and our promise, we will make changes to conform with International Olympic Committee’s requirements and Games norms,” Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice president of the Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee (BOCOG), said at a press conference. Jiang said that the commitment applied to journalists accredited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to cover the Games and those without accreditation as well.
“But all the reporters will have to abide by China’s laws,” he said. China Daily, August 8, 2006
Foreign journalists and their Chinese assistants repeatedly end up at the police station when they report on delicate topics such as pollution, AIDS or farmers’ protests. Often they’re forced to state the names of their sources, in addition to handing over their notes and photographs… Beijing justifies itself by reference to articles 14 and 15 of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s rulebook for foreign correspondents, which prohibit journalists from researching an issue without registering with the appropriate authority and getting permission. Such a rule contradicts the norms expected from countries that host the Olympic games, according to the FCCC. Der Spiegel, August 9, 2006
Just wondering if Beijing’s PSB also distributed an Olympic Security Cantonese textbook (and audiotapes) for conversing with Hong Kong reporters?
http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20080726_1.htm
Well, underneath what appears to be the copyright date is 印次. And now looking closer, the date is 2007年1月第3次. I might actually have a third edition. If there are any editorial changes, they still decided to keep the two lessons on “Frighting.”
@ChinaMatt: A second edition? Interesting. I wonder if there were any editorial changes.
There was an audio tape for this damn book? Why didn’t the training center I worked for give me that? Instead I had to teach the police why the lessons were so bad and then modify them so they were semi-useful.
Also, it looks like mine isn’t a first edition: I have two dates on the copyright page. Second one has Jan. 3, 2007.
“Such a rule contradicts the norms expected from countries that host the Olympic games, according to the FCCC.” That sounds like the FCCC is claiming authority on defining the “expected norm” by themselves.
Why should Chinese police speak English? Learning to say hello and thank you is good, but did anyone see an American/European cop speaking Chinese to Chinese visitors there?
Harper’s published excerpts from this way back in September 2003. It was in the Readings sections, natch, and featured “How to Stop Illegal News Coverage”, “Highway Robbery”, “The Suspect of Burglary”, “Handling Unexpected Incidents”, and “Pattern Drills”. Link if you’re a subscriber: http://harpers.org/archive/2003/09/page/0020
P: You’re a sports reporter. You should only cover the games.
警：你是体育新闻记者， 采访范围是奥运会比赛。
I pity the poor sports reporter who asks an Indian pancake cook in Beijing to help him gather news about 飞饼功!