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Popular Political Discussion App Clubhouse Blocked in China
受歡迎的政治討論應用程式Clubhouse在中國遭封鎖

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新聞英文

A social media app called Clubhouse, which became popular for political discussions in China, has been blocked within the country.


Thousands of Chinese users had recently been using the app to discuss issues that are often censored1 in China. Earlier this week, users began reporting difficulties connecting to the service.


Clubhouse was launched in March 2020 by two American businessmen. The app permits users to communicate through audio in virtual2 discussion rooms. There are many rooms covering different subjects and users can create their own room.

People who want to join the app must be approved after receiving an invitation from someone who already has it. Users seeking acceptance are required to provide their names and telephone numbers.


That requirement raised questions about the possibility the government may have listened to private discussions on Clubhouse and could try to punish users. There were no signs that such punishments had yet happened.


One user warned others: “I advise everyone not to use your real photo as your profile picture, and not to link your Clubhouse account to your Twitter.”


CNN reported that many people were using VPNs to stay on Clubhouse. One such user who spoke to the news network was Susan Liang, from Shenzhen.


“It is too rare an opportunity. Everyone has lived under the Great Firewall for so long, but on (Clubhouse), we can talk about anything,” Liang said. “It’s like someone drowning and can finally breathe in a large gulp of air3.”

While Clubhouse was still available, VOA Mandarin observed several Chinese-language rooms where users joined discussions on wide-ranging and sensitive subjects. These included Uighur rights, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan’s independence, China’s national identity and gender issues.


However, the Chinese government tightly controls online discussion within the country. Many users said they were not surprised when the app was blocked. “After seeing people discuss so many political issues here in previous days, I knew right away that Clubhouse will be walled – and so it was,” one user said.

中文翻譯

Clubhouse，在中國因為政治討論而受歡迎的社群媒體app，已經在境內被封鎖。
數以千計的中國用戶最近使用這個應用程式來討論那些經常遭審查的議題。本周稍早，用戶開始回報連上服務的困難。
Clubhouse在2020年3月由兩位美籍商人發行。這個應用程式讓用戶能夠在虛擬的討論室裡藉由語音溝通。有涵蓋不同主題的討論室，而且用戶可以自行創建自己的討論室。
想加入這個應用程式的人必須在收到其他用戶邀請後得到核准，尋求被核准的用戶需提供他們的名字與電話號碼。
那要求產生了政府可能在Clubhouse裡監聽私人討論並試著懲處用戶的疑義。但並沒有跡象顯示這樣的懲處發生過。
一位用戶警告其他人：「我建議大家不要使用你真正的照片作為個人頭像，並且不要連結你的Clubhouse帳戶到你的推特。」
CNN報導，許多人使用虛擬私人網路(VPN)以保持連線在Clubhouse上，一位來自深圳的用戶梁蘇珊告訴新聞網。
「這是一個難得的機會。每個人都活在防火城牆之下太久了，但在Clubhouse上，我們可以談論任何事情。」梁小姐說，「這就像某個溺水的人終於可以吸進
一大口的空氣一樣。」
當Clubhouse還可以使用的時候，VOA中國團隊觀察了許多中文的聊天室，用戶參與範圍廣大且敏感的主題討論。主題包括維吾爾的人權、新冠肺炎疫情的來源、台灣獨立、中國的國族認同以及性別議題。
然而，中國政府嚴密控制國家內的網路討論。許多用戶說當應用程式被封鎖的時候他們並不驚訝。「在前幾天看到大家在這裡討論這麼多政治議題之後，我立刻知道Clubhouse會被屏蔽，而且也真的發生了。」其中一個用戶說。

單字學習

英文單字詞性中文
app(n.)應用程式（application的縮寫）
block(v.)阻擋；封鎖
censor(v.)審查
virtual(adj.)虛擬的
approve (v.)批准；核准；認可
requirement(n.)要求；規定
punish(v.)懲罰
profile(n.)個人簡介
account(n.)帳戶
opportunity(n.)機會；時機
drown(v.)(使)溺水
gulp (n.)(吞嚥的)一大口
origin (n.)起源；源頭
gender (n.)性別

片語及其他用語

英文中文
social media 社群媒體
be launched in 在(某地/某時)發行
link to 連結到…
wide-ranging 範圍廣的；大範圍的
be walled 被阻擋；被屏蔽

重點解析

  1. censored 這個詞是從動詞censor來的，意思為「受審查的」，這個詞指的是政府對書、電影等當中冒犯粗劣的內容進行篩檢刪改，通常與政治相關。
    censorship 指的即是審查機制或審查制度。
  2. virtual作為形容詞有兩個意思，一個是「虛擬的」，相對於「實體的physical」，這是本文中的意思，例如：虛擬貨幣 virtual currency；另一個意思是「幾乎的；實質上的」近似practical，非常接近事實，但並不完全是。我們用一個句子來看：There is a virtual limit on how long we can remain alive, however lucky and robust we are. 無論我們多幸運或強健，我們的壽命實質上是有限度的。(句子改編自：https://tw.ichacha.net/zaoju/virtual.html)
  3. gulp of air是一個固定用法，意旨「一大口氣」，通常是憋氣過後用嘴巴吸入的一大口氣。gulp作動詞使用是大口吞/嚥的意思；做名詞用意思是吞或嚥的一大口。

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