评论 | 抗击疫情，速度与效率至关重要
（来源：CGTN 2020-02-26）
Speed and efficiency vital in the fight against COVID-19
Editor's note: John Gong is a research fellow at the Charhar Institute and professor at the University of International Business and Economics. The article reflects the author's views, and not necessarily those of CGTN.
编者按：龚炯（John Gong）是对外经济贸易大学教授、察哈尔学会研究员。本文仅代表作者观点，不代表本台观点。
During press conference held by the China-WHO (World Health Organization) joint expert team on Monday, Bruce Aylward, an epidemiologist who led an advance team from the WHO, emphasized several times that one of the big lessons learned so far is that speed is really of the essence, as the world is facing an entirely new and very complicated virus. The government needs to act quickly and resolutely in its response to the rapid spread of this vicious virus.
在本周一中国与世界卫生组织新冠肺炎联合专家考察组的发布会上，来自加拿大的考察组外方组长布鲁斯·艾尔沃德多次强调，到目前为止，我们学到的一个关键经验就是，面对一种未知的新型复杂病毒，速度就是一切。面对这种恶性病毒的迅速传播，政府需要采取坚决果断的行动。
Dr. Aylward spoke highly of, among other things, the lockdown measures implemented in the city of Wuhan and several other surrounding cities in Hubei Province, to the extent of recommending it in a near-mandatory way in other countries that are also dealing with a sprawling outbreak. Indeed, Italy and South Korea are doing exactly the same. Now remember there have been some doubts as well as criticisms of the Chinese government's initial handling of the matter including describing the lockdown and other corresponding measures as "draconian." But Dr. Aylward 's reference to speed summarizes it all – we are racing to save people's life and nothing can stand in the way.
艾尔沃德博士高度评价湖北省武汉市及其他周边城市采取的检疫隔离措施，甚至推荐其他受疫情影响的国家采取类似的举措。事实上，意大利和韩国也正在如此操作。想必大家还记得，当初中国政府采取“封城”等措施时，有些人一直表示质疑和批评，他们认为这项措施过于“苛刻”。但艾尔沃德博士对此措施能迅速执行的评价是最有力的回应——我们正在克服万难，争分夺秒地抢救生命。
In this regard, China's unique political system and institutions that enable massive mobilization of all needed resources in a whole-of-nation approach do exhibit some advantages. For example, building something on the lines of Wuhan's Huoshenshan Hospital, which was constructed in a matter of ten days, is probably impossible in many other countries. There is some truth about the Chinese speed and how this country has accumulated plenty of experiences in infrastructure build-out. But what is also important is that we can't ignore the critical role some key contractors have played in bringing these facilities into existence. These contractors are state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that rushed to the scene with all they can offer without any consideration of costs and expenses, and yes, many of their executives and employees who have made this possible are members of the Communist Party of China. It is a fact – perhaps an inconvenient fact to some in the West – that we cannot be blind to nevertheless.
鉴于此，中国独特的政治体制机制能够举国之力大规模动员所需的资源，这在应对疫情方面具有明显优势。例如，中国在十天内就建成火神山医院，别的国家根本不可能做到。诚然，这要归功于中国速度及其丰富的基建经验，但同等重要的是，主要施工方在医院设施建设方面发挥了关键作用。这些施工方都是国有企业，他们在不考虑成本和费用的情况下，第一时间奔赴现场，竭尽所能提供服务，而且这些企业的诸多高管和员工都是中国共产党员。这是就是事实，一些西方人不愿接受的事实，但是我们不能对此视而不见。
China's unique political system and institutions also afford a centralized response that can be flexible, expedient and devoid of the procedural bureaucracies typical in some established democracies. The country was indeed caught off guard when the coronavirus was first brought to the national attention in late January. But as we began to strike back, the speed and efficiency at which orders get implemented and things get done are second to none. Triumph is just a matter of time, not if. The fates of the two cruise ships caught up in the COVID-19 breakout provide a good illustration.
中国独特的政治体制机制也意味着全国的疫情响应能够统筹协调、灵活适度、快速简洁，不像一些西方国家往往受制于繁杂的流程。当1月下旬冠状病毒首次引起全国关注时的确有些措手不及，但随着我们展开反击——执行命令和落实工作的速度与效率举世无双——赢得胜利只是时间问题。在疫情发酵期间两艘游轮大相径庭的命运更是对中国疫情响应的有力阐释。
The Diamond Princess nightmare is now well known to the world by this time. After the 14-day quarantine period, there were over 600 infections on the ship, which has raised doubt about how competent the authorities were in handling the situation.
现在，“钻石公主”号邮轮的噩梦已经为世人所熟知。在为期14天的隔离期结束之后，船上共有600多人感染，这不禁使人质疑有关政府在处理疫情方面的能力。
About the same time, there was another cruise ship story that has not been well publicized. On January 20, Costa Serena sailed away from the port of Tianjin with 3700 passengers and 1100 crew members on board, including 146 people from Hubei. By the time it sailed back to the same port six days later, 17 people had a fever.
大约在同一时间段，另一艘游轮的疫情处置却很少有媒体报道。1月20日，歌诗达塞琳娜号（Costa Serena）从天津港启航，船上有3700名乘客和1100名船员，其中包括来自湖北的146人。六天后，当它驶回同一港口时，有17人出现发热症状。
The ship anchored briefly outside of the port, and the local port authority sent a small crew to the ship to collect screening samples on a helicopter early in the morning. By 3 p.m., the test results of 17 people on board with a fever came back negative. Disembarking started at 8 p.m. that night. Most people were directly taken to train stations and airports, with some further quarantined at local hotels for medical observation. The whole process took less than 24 hours. We know by this time that not a single person on Costa Serena has been infected.
该船短暂停泊在港口外，凌晨时分，天津港管理局用直升机派遣一小批检疫人员到船上收集测试样本。到下午3点，船上发烧的17个人的测试结果均为阴性。当晚8点，乘客纷纷开始下船。多数乘客被直接送至火车站和机场，还有部分人员在当地旅馆接受隔离和医学观察。整个过程不到24小时。歌诗达塞琳娜号上无一人感染。
This is a great story that typifies how things are done here in China. Again we do things in order to save people's lives, and we do that at all costs and at the fastest speed. To those who continue to criticize China for adopting measures that are "draconian", I respond by quoting Patrick Henry – with a slight twist though, "Give me liberty, or give me life!"
这是一个了不起的案例，反映了中国应对疫情的方式。我们不惜一切代价、争分夺秒地挽救生命。对于那些继续批评中国的措施过于“苛刻”的人，我转义借用帕特里克·亨利的名言句式来回应：“不自由，毋宁生！"
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