领导上镜问题
The Bosses’ Screen Time
戴 希
Dai Xi
调进县新闻中心的第二天，县委宣传部邓部长就安排小米报道县委、县政府的访贫问苦活动。小米兴高采烈地去了。回来，小米摄制的新闻镜头很快出现在当晚的电视报道中。小米自我感觉良好。正沾沾自喜，家里的电话响了。
The day following his transfer to the county news centre, it was arranged by Publicity Department Head Deng of the County Committee that Little Rice should follow the county committee and government to report on their enquiry into the lives of the poor. Little Rice went there in high spirits and the scenes he shot appeared on TV that very night after he came back. Thinking that he had done a good job, he was rather pleased with himself and then the telephone at home rang.
“小米呀，苏书记给贫困居民送红包的镜头拍得不错，可是，为什么没拍王县长呢?”邓部长心平气和地问。
“Little Rice, the close-ups taken when Secretary Su handed the red envelopes enclosed with money to the poor citizens were nice, but why couldn’t County Head Wang be seen?” Department Head Deng asked in a pleasant voice.
“王县长没给贫困居民送红包呀。”小米小心翼翼地回答。
“Because he didn’t do that.” Little Rice picked his words gingerly.
“这是讲不过去的，”邓部长陡地提高了嗓门，“王县长乃一县之长，他既然去了，能拍不到他的镜头?”
“That is no excuse.” Department Head Deng suddenly raised his voice. “County Head Wang is the head of the county. Since he did go there, how could your video camera never turn once to showhim?”
“这——”“不要申述了，你这是‘漏镜’!小米同志。”邓部长当地一声放下了话筒。
“This …” “Screw this. This is ‘a missed shot!’ Comrade Little Rice.” The receiver clicked back into place.
第二次报道义务植树活动，是在大河洲上种植欧美杨。坑早挖好了，树苗也早已植入坑中，余下的事情就是挥锹填土。县里苏书记、王县长等主要领导都参加了活动。
The second time Little Rice was dispatched to report on the volunteer tree-planting mission on an islet in the big river. The holes had already been dug and the Canadian poplar saplings had been put into place. The leaders only needed to swish the shovels to refill the earth. Secretary Su, County Head Wang and the other major leaders of the county all participated in the activity.
小米汲取上次报道的教训，把所有县级领导都一溜儿摄入了镜头。心想不会出岔子了吧，晚上也就安心地睡了一觉。
Having learned a lesson from his last failure, Little Rice turned the video camera on all the county leaders. Thinking that nothing would go wrong this time, he slept soundly that night.
哪知第二天，新闻中心的胡主任就通知他进邓部长办公室了。
He had never expected that the next day, Director Hu of the News Centre would inform him to go to Department Head Deng’s office.
“小米呀，这次苏书记上了5次镜头，王县长是4次。还有，龙副书记2次，张副书记3次，马副县长3次，朱副县长2次……你说怎么回事?”没等小米坐下，邓部长劈头就问。
“Little Rice, this time Secretary Su appeared on TV five times, County Head Wang four times. Also, Deputy Secretary Long twice, Deputy Secretary Zhang thrice, Deputy County Head Ma also thrice, Deputy County Head Zhu twice … Tell me why?” Department Head Deng fired a question headlong before Little Rice took a seat.
小米努力镇定了一下，然后认真解释说：“苏书记是一把手，王县长是二把手，所以……”
Little Rice tried to compose himself. “Secretary Su is the biggest boss and County Head Wang is the second biggest. Therefore, …” he explained prudently.
“就当你这个理成立，可是小米呀，龙副书记、张副书记、马副县长、朱副县长他们呢?他们上镜头的次数是按职位高低敲定的吗?‘歪镜’，典型的歪镜呵!”邓部长气得要拍桌子了。
“OK, let’s say that goes. But Little Rice, what about Deputy Secretary Long, Deputy Secretary Zhang, Deputy County Head Ma and Deputy County Head Zhu? Shouldn’t the length of their exposure on TV be decided by their respective official posts? This is ‘a distorted shot!’ A typical one!” Department Head Deng was so angered that he almost slapped the desk.
小米察颜观色，赶紧缩头乌龟似的退出了邓部长的办公室。
Knowing what he should do in front of such a fiery face, Little Rice hurriedly stepped back out like a turtle with its head buried in its shell.
不久，县里又组织县领导深入偏僻乡村，帮助农民抢插早稻，积极开展支农活动。
Soon afterwards, the county arranged for the leaders to go deep into a certain remote village to fight the clock and help the peasants transplant rice seedlings.
春暖花开。那天参加支农活动的各位领导也兴致盎然。他们的裤腿和衣袖都卷得老高，一下稻田就你追我赶地开展抢插竞赛。稻田里人声鼎沸、好不热闹。
It was spring and flowers had come out. That day, all the leaders who joined the peasant-aiding activity were in high spirits. With their sleeves and trousers legs rolled high, each of them started the race as soon as they stepped into the rice paddies. A cacophonous melee ensued instantly.
依然是小米负责新闻报道。这次，他深刻反思了前两次失误的沉重教训。每位县级领导一律只上一次镜头，而且确保万无一失。报道之后，立即有人打来电话，盛赞此次支农活动高潮迭起、壮观感人。小米的心里好不快哉，他激动得要跳起来了。
Again it was Little Rice who took charge of reporting this. Meditating upon the last two bitter lessons, he gave each county leader one and only one close-up this time. After the news report appeared on TV, someone gave him a buzz immediately, heaping praises upon him that the peasant-aiding activity had been captured in such a splendid moving scene with repeated climaxes. How heart-lifting! Little Rice almost leapt into mid-air.
万万想不到的是，邓部长竟会把他叫去，十分严厉地批评他。“怎么搞的!”邓部长脸色铁青，“苏书记竟然排在王县长之后，这是导向错误，‘倒镜’!”邓部长把桌子拍得山响。
He had never expected that Department Head Deng would again summon him to his office and criticise him very sternly. “What have you done!” Department Head Deng’s face was ghastly livid. “Secretary Su actually fell behind County Head Wang. This is a misleading report. ‘A reversed shot!’” The desk was slapped to give an ear-deafening sound.
宛如五雷轰顶。但小米还是畏畏缩缩地解释说：“那天的确是王县长插得最快，苏书记怎么也赶不上呵!”
Little Rice, who seemed as if his head has been struck by the Five Thunderbolts, nonetheless, explained chicken-heartedly. “But on that day County Head Wang really did the transplanting workfaster and Secretary Su couldn’t catch him up!”
“你个小米，还要不要讲政治，啊?”邓部长牙齿咬得格格响，“怎么就不对镜头作些处理?”
“Little Rice, do you know what politics is, huh?” Department Head Deng gnashed his teeth. “Can’t you do something to your shots?”
“邓部长，是苏书记提到了这事吗?”小米深知罪不可恕，只想弄清事情的原委。
“Department Head Deng, is this mentioned by Secretary Su?” Knowing that he had committed an unpardonable sin, Little Rice now only wanted to make certain who his tormentor was.
“小米同志!”邓部长如坐针毡了，“新闻报道无小事，新闻镜头关系到领导们的荣誉、荣誉呵!因为你的3次闪失，我被批评了3次，3次了你知道吗?”
“Comrade Little Rice!” Department Head Deng was sitting on a carpet of needles. “Nothing is small in a news report. The bosses’ honour is at stake. Honour! You slipped up three times and I took the rap three times. Three times, don’t you know?”
如同吞咽下一枚酸枣，伤心的泪、痛悔的泪很快从小米的眼角滚滚而出，一滴滴，晶莹透亮。
Little Rice looked like he had swallowed a sour date. Heart-broken, repentant, crystal clear tears immediately began to roll down from the corners of his eyes drop by drop.
