原始出處：

http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20040330-090537-9897r.htm

Taiwans democracy
台灣的民主

Taiwans election a week ago was a mess. Hundreds of thousands of protesters hit the streets to dispute the outcome. There are still questions about a bizarre assassination attempt. Charges about spoiled ballots have undermined acceptance of the vote by some, and a court challenge by the defeated opposition sought to invalidate the election and schedule a new one. On the surface, Taiwans democracy appears to be in serious trouble. But this conventional wisdom is wrong. Taiwan still serves as a thriving example of democracy for the rest of Asia — especially for the rest of China.

台灣的選舉在一週前是一團糟。數十萬的抗議者走上街頭來質疑（選舉）結果。（到現在，一些人）對於一場異乎尋常的暗殺攻擊仍有疑問。對於某些人來說，關於廢票的指控使他們無法對選舉結果認同。挫敗的反對派向法院群求選舉無效，並要求重新選舉。從表面上看起來，台灣的民主制度似乎有嚴重的麻煩。但是，這種普遍的看法是錯誤的。台灣仍然是其他亞洲國家的成功民主範例—特別是對中國其他地方而言。

A more accurate reading of the political troubles in Taiwan suggests that the nations system is healthy. After decades of military-backed one-party rule, a society can expect a few growing pains during the transformation to a multiparty system based on popular suffrage. Given the close vote, it can be no surprise that there are volatile controversies surrounding the outcome. Out of 13 million ballots cast, President Chen Shui-bian was re-elected by only 30,000 votes — less than 0.2 percent of the electorate.

一個對台灣政治上紛爭的更正確的解讀是：這個國家（譯：請注意，這裡是用國家來稱呼台灣唷！）的機制是很健康的。在數十年被一個政黨以軍事力量回後盾來控制的社會而言，（我們）可以預見當這個社會轉型成多黨系統時會經歷過一些成長的疼痛。（特別是，）當票數很接近時，有這些對於結果的短暫爭議是一點也不讓人意外的。在一千三百萬的選票中，陳水扁總統因三萬張選票而獲得連任（少於全體選民的百分之0.2）。

The 2000 presidential election in the United States proved that a contested election in and of itself does not harm the stability of a democracy so long as the solution to the controversy is based on the rule of law. In Taipei on Thursday, the High Court rejected the oppositions lawsuit. In doing so, the justices also rejected the idea that one party can attempt to undo an election when the results do not suit their interests. On Friday, the Election Commission certified Mr. Chen as the winner. Now the country will move toward a recount, but the legitimacy of the original polls has been given an imprimatur by the judiciary. This is how a nation of laws is supposed to work.

兩千年美國總統大選證實了：只要爭議問題的解答是根據法律（而決定的），一場有爭議性的選舉並不會傷害民主制度的穩定性。星期四，台北高等法院拒絕受理反對派的訴訟。藉著這個動作，司法也同時拒絕讓一個政黨來因為結果不合其喜好而企圖推翻選舉結果。在禮拜五，中選會公告陳先生為當選人。現在，這個國家將朝向重新計票的路前進，但是，原始結果的合法性已經被法律認可。這就是一個國家的法律該如何運作（的證據）。

The situation in Taiwan does not look nearly so grim when the stability of the island democracy is compared to the worsening political climate in Hong Kong. On Friday, the Chinese Communist Party announced that final interpretation of Hong Kongs Basic Law was the prerogative of Beijing. When the British handed their colony over to the Communists in 1997, Beijing promised that Hong Kong would be allowed to govern itself under an arrangement known as One Country/Two Systems — meaning it was part of greater China but not subject to the laws of the Communist mainland. The Basic Law, which is Hong Kongs mini-constitution, protected Hong Kongers political and civil rights and defended traditional freedoms. Beijings announcement that the Communist Party is the ultimate arbiter of Hong Kong law is the end of the One Country/Two Systems framework and marks the beginning of the political subjugation of the people there.

和香港日益敗壞的政治風氣比較起來，台灣的情況（特別是針對這個島上的民主穩定度而言）並沒有看起來那麼糟糕。在禮拜五，中國共產黨宣布北京擁有特權來對香港基本法做最後的解釋。當英國在一九九七年對共產黨交出他們的殖民地時，北京承諾香港可以在一國兩制的系統下自治。一國兩制代表香港是大中國的一部份，但是共產黨在大陸的法律並不伋於香港。基本法是香港的迷體憲法，它能保護香港人的政治和公民權力，並可以保證他們因襲的自由。北京對於共產黨是香港法律的最後仲裁者的這番宣告（正式）終結「一國兩制」的架構，並且開啟了對於（香港）人民的政治征服。

The Communist clampdown in Hong Kong is proof that Taiwan cannot reunify with mainland China under Beijings terms without sacrificing its democracy and its freedom. Taiwans democratic institutions have been tested, but they successfully withstood the challenge. Hong Kongers can only wish they had elections like Taiwan.

但是，以往都是說說
而且以往都是綠軍在呼籲
很少經由國外大報的社論呈現

該給那些正藍的人士看的...

特派記者賴錦宏╱北京報導
2004/04/03

針對台北媒體報導，華盛頓郵報駐北京記者潘公凱已向總統府「道歉」，潘公凱昨天在北京表示，陳水扁的訪問全文已忠實刊出，他不想再評論這件事。

潘公凱強調，他的立場共有三點：一、華盛頓郵報對陳水扁總統訪問的全文，已刊在報紙上，讀者自己可以閱讀分析；二、對於某些媒體和讀者刻意「解讀錯誤」，他表示遺憾；三、不再做任何評論。

潘公凱表示，有媒體處理這篇文章，解讀成「雖然會導致兩岸戰爭，陳水扁還是要建立獨立國家」，他認為這不是原文的意思。對陳水扁總統的訪問稿，全文都刊在報上，沒有任何修改，訪問內容全是事實。

潘公凱表示，台北傳出「導言為個人解讀，華郵記者致歉」文章時，根本沒有向他本人查證。他也在昨天致電總統府副秘書長黃芳彥，黃向他說，自己也不知道這個「總統府官員」是誰，為何會說華郵記者「道歉」？

【華盛頓記者張宗智╱華府─北京二日電】媒體報導總統府官員指日前訪問陳水扁總統的華盛頓郵報記者潘公凱曾就報導內容向總統府道歉，潘公凱向本報表示，他的報導和分析沒有問題，對外界的誤解表示遺憾。

華盛頓郵報駐北京分社主任潘公凱日前在台北專訪陳總統，後來在報導導言中提到，陳水扁表示已贏得選民託付，將繼續朝建立台灣為「獨立的主權國家」邁進，「即使面臨和中共的戰爭風險亦然。」

總統府後來表示，陳總統在訪問中並未提到「即使面臨和中共戰爭的風險亦然」，郵報記者解讀錯誤。後來也有媒體報導，撰稿者之一潘公凱已向總統府道歉。