銘記南京大屠殺是道義必須

The World Should Remember Nanjing Massacre for Historical Justice and Morality

鐘聲

Zhong Sheng

12月13日是第三個南京大屠殺死難者國家公祭日，中國人民同國際社會一道深切哀悼南京大屠殺死難者。讓亞洲乃至世界的集體記憶中銘刻那段黑暗歷史，是為了和平的長遠。

December 13 marks the 3rd national commemoration of the Nanjing Massacre. Through the commemoration, also known as Nanjing Ji, Chinese people hope to, together with the rest of the world, remember the estimated 300,000 Chinese massacred during a six-week period 79 years ago by the imperial Japanese Army.

The annual event aims to engrave the dark days in the memory of Asia and the rest of the world for sustained peace.

近年來，世界關于南京大屠殺的認知正在逐步加深。中國政府設立國家公祭日，南京大屠殺檔案被聯(lián)合國教科文組織列入世界記憶名錄，許多相關展覽相繼在海外舉行，這些舉措幫助越來越多的人去認識、思考作為第二次世界大戰(zhàn)“三大慘案”之一的南京大屠殺。

The world has had a deeper recognition of the Nanjing Massacre over the past few years, thanks to a series of events. Besides the National Memorial Day, the historical documents of the Nanjing Massacre have been listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, and a series of exhibitions were also held around the world.

一個多月前，法國卡昂和平紀念館館長格里馬爾迪在一場南京大屠殺相關展覽開展儀式上說，二戰(zhàn)實際上是從中國戰(zhàn)場開始的，中國人民和包括日本人民在內(nèi)的各國人民在戰(zhàn)爭中飽受非人道的痛楚。今天，類似的聲音愈加普遍，充分說明隨著南京大屠殺以及二戰(zhàn)期間中國戰(zhàn)場相關歷史為更多人所了解，世界對二戰(zhàn)的反思正在打開新維度。

“World War II, indeed, started in China. The Chinese people, like all peoples in the war, including the Japanese people, suffered terribly from this inhumanity,” Stephane Grimaldi, General Director of the Caen Memorial, said at an exhibition on the Nanjing Massacre about a month ago.

The growing number of voices like Grimaldi’s shows that after people learn more about the Nanjing Massacre and the Chinese battleground, the world sees World War II with a new perspective.

南京大屠殺發(fā)生在79年前，二戰(zhàn)結(jié)束也有71年了。然而，歷史從不會因時代變遷而改變。南京大屠殺是駭人聽聞的反人類罪行，是人類歷史上十分黑暗的一頁。任何人要否認這一事實，歷史都不會答應。今天，人們繼續(xù)銘記這段歷史，是出于捍衛(wèi)國際公理正義，出于內(nèi)心深處對和平的向往和堅守，而不是要延續(xù)仇恨。

The Nanjing Massacre was a horrendous crime against humanity and a very dark page in the history of mankind. Though 79 years have passed, history should not be altered with the passing of time, and facts not erased by crafty denials.

Today’s people commemorate the Nanjing Massacre for the purpose of upholding international justice.

不久前，有消息傳出，日本首相安倍晉三將赴珍珠港進行訪問。面對這一打著“歷史牌”的外交舉動，有日本媒體第一時間指出：安倍更應該去南京大屠殺遇難者紀念館。

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly announced days earlier that he will visit Pearl Harbor to mourn the victims of the Japanese surprise attack 75 years ago. Japanese media then suggested he also visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall in Nanjing, China.

輿論的上述反應，恐怕只有放在日本處理歷史問題的整體脈絡中，才能得到更準確理解。近年來，以安倍政府為代表的日本右翼政治力量，在歷史問題上開倒車的跡象十分明顯。參拜靖國神社、修改歷史教科書等問題密集爆發(fā)，引起亞洲鄰國和國際社會廣泛質(zhì)疑。幾個月前，日本文部科學省公布的新高中教科書審定結(jié)果，再次出現(xiàn)了粉飾戰(zhàn)爭罪行、刪減南京大屠殺相關內(nèi)容的做法。

Media’s response can be better understood after taking Japan’s acts over historic issues into consideration. In recent years, Japan’s right-wing politicians, represented by the Abe government, have been attempting to revise history and turn back the clock.

They, for instance, paid multiple visits to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine, and even distorted history books, triggering doubts from its neighbors and the international community.

A few months ago, Japan’s Education Ministry revised some junior high school history textbook passages on Japan’s war atrocities, in which it whitewashed its war crimes by deleting its maleficence in the 1937 Nanjing Massacre.

在此背景下，國際社會很難相信安倍的珍珠港之行，是真正意義上的“歷史之旅”，也難怪各方多從戰(zhàn)略層面審視該舉動——通過訪問珍珠港做出姿態(tài)，日本政府希望“減輕”日美同盟的“歷史包袱”，進而為自己的一些現(xiàn)實戰(zhàn)略考量服務。

It is difficult to comprehend Abe’s visit to Pearl Harbor as a true “historical trip.” Some said the Japanese government is using this friendly measure to relieve its historical burden from its alliance with the US, and serve its own strategic agenda.

且不說日本的戰(zhàn)略考量是否能夠拿得上臺面，其對待歷史的機會主義態(tài)度，本身就隱藏著真實危險。歷史真相不容篡改，歷史記憶不容抹去。歷史就是歷史，不想、不愿、不敢觸碰某一段歷史，并不意味著它就不存在。

Whether the strategic move succeeds or not, Abe’s opportunistic attitude to history is indeed risky. Historical facts cannot be distorted or forgotten since history is always there, even though some nations do not dare to touch it.

美國人不會忘記珍珠港被襲以及其后發(fā)生的太平洋戰(zhàn)爭；東南亞一些國家不會忘記日軍摧毀他們的家園、奴役他們的人民；中國人民同樣不會忘記日本軍國主義侵略者給國家、民族帶來的深重災難。對于日本而言，歷史認知不是可以隨意取舍的戰(zhàn)略籌碼，不是可以自由選擇的外交手段。昔日軍國主義侵略歷史是日本必須誠實對待的一段完整歷史，而不是一道選擇題——提起這一段卻丟下另一段，這不是對待歷史的應有態(tài)度。

Americans will not forget the Pearl Harbor attack and the Pacific War, Southeast Asian nations will remember the ruin caused by Japanese invaders, and Chinese people will engrave the suffering brought about by Japanese militarists in their minds as well.

Japan has to be honest about its wartime aggression, which is a complete period of history, not a few sections for it to choose from. Recognizing history can neither be Japan’s strategic card nor diplomatic move.

“昭昭前事，惕惕后人?！睍r至今日，銘記南京大屠殺的苦難，依舊是人類的道義必須。作為昔日的戰(zhàn)爭發(fā)動者、罪行實施者，日本能否真正承擔起歷史責任？這個問題，必然逃不脫世界的審視和正義的評判。

History sheds light on the future. Remembering the Nanjing Massacre is about morality and historical justice. Will Japan shoulder its historic responsibility as war instigator and criminal? The world will be the judge.