Alibaba’s march in the media industry is growing ambitious. OnFriday, the Chinese Internet giant announced it is to acquire themedia assets of the SCMP Group, including one of the mostinfluential English language newspapers based in Hong Kong,the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The SCMP is a dailynewspaper that shares typical Western values and perspectivesin media coverage.

　　阿里巴巴进军传媒行业的野心正在不断增加。上周五(12月11日)，中国互联网巨头阿里巴巴宣布收购SCMP集团的媒体资产，其中包括总部在香港的最具影响力的一份英文报纸：南华早报(SCMP)。南华早报是一份日报，它分享典型的西方价值观念和新闻媒体视角。

　　The acquisition raised a debate about whether Alibaba, a Chinese mainland enterprise, willjeopardize the independence and objectivity of the newspaper. Alibaba confirmed that the Chinesegovernment had no role in the deal, and Joseph Tsai, Alibaba’s executive vice chairman, said thenewspaper will continue to run "on principles," and "editors make their judgment on what topublish and not to publish."

　　这场收购引发了一场关于中国内地企业阿里巴巴，是否将会破坏南华早报的独立性和客观性的争论。阿里巴巴证实，中国政府在这宗收购中并未扮演任何角色，同时，阿里巴巴集团执行副总裁蔡崇信说，我们将持续“根据原则”运营。我们会让“编辑按照自己的判断来决定哪些该发布，哪些不该”。

　　However, Alibaba also admitted that the acquisition serves an important purpose of improvingChina’s image, considering the fact that China is always observed by Western media through abiased lens. Some of their negative, exaggerated and even groundless reports about China havebred misconceptions, which have impacted Alibaba’s interests.

　　不过，阿里巴巴也承认，考虑到西方媒体对中国的报道一直以来存在偏见的事实，收购也负有提升中国形象的一个重要目标。西方对中国的一些负面、夸张甚至毫无根据的报道，影响了人们的看法，给投资者带来了误解，从而影响了阿里巴巴的利益。

　　From a business perspective, Alibaba’s acquisition of the SCMP is no different from Amazon takingover the Washington Post. Through cooperation, Internet companies desire sustainable prosperityby using traditional media’s established leverage and channels, while traditional media hope theycould survive in its winter and reverse the downfall in a digital era.

　　从商业角度看，阿里巴巴收购南华早报和亚马逊接管华盛顿邮报并没有什么不同。通过合作，互联网公司利用传统媒体建立的杠杆和渠道，以期实现持续的繁荣;而传统媒体则希望他们能够在经济萧条的寒冬生存下来，并扭转数字时代的衰落。

　　Alibaba’s advance in the media industry is part of the trend, and it could be anticipated that moreChinese companies will step into this market.

　　阿里巴巴进军媒体行业的举措只是趋势的一部分，可以预见，将有更多的中国企业进入这个市场。

　　In the past decades, China has been requested by the Western hemisphere to be more open-minded and engaged in global competition. Now, confronted with more dynamic Chinesecompanies embracing the world in various dimensions, the West should focus on business-oriented competition, instead of conjuring up politically-driven schemes. Concerns with ulteriormotives are disrespectful to the efforts of Chinese companies.

　　在过去的几十年里，中国一直被西方国家要求以更开放的态度，积极参与全球竞争。现在，面对更具活力的中国企业在多维度与国际接轨，西方国家应重点关注商业的竞争，而不是编造出政治谣言来蛊惑人心。别有用心是对中国企业所付诸的努力的冒犯。

　　As Alibaba said, misunderstandings about China are rife in Western discourse. They can hardly beeliminated overnight. The blossoming of Chinese companies is related to China’s multifacetedmode of development, which needs to be illustrated fairly to the outside. In this process, themedia helps a lot.

　　正如阿里巴巴所说，在西方言论中对中国的误解是普遍存在的，很难在一夜之间消除。中国企业的兴旺与中国发展的多层面模式有关，这需要对外界公平地进行阐明。在这个过程中，媒体有很大的帮助。

　　It is perhaps more productive if the West could look at Alibaba’s acquisition and future operationof the SCMP from a constructive angle. Alibaba will not only reinvigorate the newspaper withoutputting its reputation and survival in peril as it pledged, but also tailor it to be a window to morebalanced and complicated portraits of what is happening in China. The rest of the world canbenefit from a true understanding of China.

　　这次收购可能更富有成效，如果西方能够从建设性的角度看待阿里巴巴的收购，以及未来南方早报的运营。阿里巴巴不仅能够重振南方早报，如阿里巴巴所许诺的那样挽救它的声誉和生存，更能把它量身打造成一个有关中国新闻的更中立，描述更细致全面的平台，从而加深世界对中国的真正理解。

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（编辑：何莹莹）