中國同性情侶聖誕樹下勇敢示愛

Christmas is a time for stealing kisses under the mistletoe. In Shanghai this weekend, the city's increasingly visible gay and lesbian community seized the festive season to use their lips to make their own holiday statement.

站在槲寄生下親密熱吻是聖誕節的傳統。而週末在上海，這座城市的同性戀社羣抓住了這個機遇，在節日裏用脣間熱吻向世人傳達着自己的愛情宣言。

More than one hundred supporters of China's fledgling gay and lesbian community braved the cold to cheer on young Chinese gay men and women as they stole kisses under a Christmas tree Saturday night.

上週六晚，一對對年輕的男女同性戀者在一棵聖誕樹下親吻愛人，一百多位支持者不畏嚴寒，在臺下爲他們熱烈喝彩。

'I think it's good we can gather together like this,' said Otto Zhu, 22 years old, a participant at the event at fashionable pedestrian shopping and dining area Xintiandi. 'It makes us feel we have the power to do whatever we want.'

活動舉辦地點位於潮流匯聚的上海新天地，此處是一個集購物、餐飲於一體的綜合步行商業區。22歲的Otto Zhu參與了此次活動，他說，我覺得能有機會讓大家這樣聚在一起挺好的，這讓我們感覺自己有力量去做想做的事情。

While attitudes are slowly changing, many Chinese still take a conservative view of homosexuality. Even many among the younger generation feel compelled to keep their sexual orientation secret. The pressure to remain in the closet, marry and have a family can be enormous.

儘管中國社會對於同性戀的態度正緩慢地發生着改變，但許多中國人對此仍持十分保守的觀點。甚至在年輕一代中，仍有許多人被迫隱瞞自己的性取向。他們往往承受着巨大的壓力，不得不深藏“櫃”中，結婚成家。

Yet few of the revelers dwelled on this Saturday as the mainly young crowd of onlookers shouted encouragement to couples gay and straight to kiss under the mistletoe. Part of the Kiss lighting installation by British artist Paul Cocksedge, couples step up on a stage to hold on to the leaves of a mistletoe that hangs from an 18-meter tall Christmas tree decorated with golden lights. When they kiss, their lips complete an electric circuit that transforms the tree into a sea of red lights.

不過，週六這場活動的參與者沒有顧慮這麼多。圍觀羣衆多爲年輕人，每當有情侶走到槲寄生下獻出熱吻，無論其“直彎”，臺下都會爆發出熱烈的歡呼聲。該活動使用了英國藝術家考克斯基(Paul Cocksedge)設計的接吻燈光裝置。情侶走上臺，手中握住一棵18米高、金光閃閃的聖誕樹上垂下的槲寄生葉子，當他們接吻時，他們的嘴脣會連起一個電子環路，使聖誕樹閃亮起璀璨的紅色光芒。

Each lip lock generates a 100 yuan (around $16) donation to the Smile Angel Foundation, a Beijing-based charity for Chinese children with cleft palates founded by singer Faye Wong and her former husband, retired actor Li Yapeng.

每有一對情侶上臺，活動組辦方就會拿出人民幣100元(約合16美元)捐贈給嫣然天使基金(Smile Angel Foundation)。這家總部位於北京的基金會由歌手王菲及其前夫、演員李亞鵬共同創立，致力於幫助患有口裂的兒童。

Juju Xu, 19, who came with her girlfriend to support the event, said acceptance levels of gay people in China varied depending on age groups.

19歲的Juju Xu與她的女朋友一同前來支持這項活動，她說中國社會不同年齡層對同性戀羣體有着不同的接受度。

'Older generations may not discriminate but they cannot accept if their own children are gay,' said Ms. Xu, adding that more events like Kissmas could help build awareness.

她說，老一代人也許不會歧視同性戀，但是他們不能接受自己的孩子是同性戀。她補充說，多舉辦一些像Kissmas這樣的活動能夠增進人們對這一羣體的認識。

It wasn't clear whether everyone in the crowd-that included families with children -was fully aware of what was going on. Some straight couples on pre-Christmas dates who stumbled on the event looked on confused. Some laughed awkwardly when they realized what was taking place. Others took photos on their smartphones before wandering off.

很難說當天的圍觀人羣（其中有些是帶着孩子的家長）是否都能完全意識到這一活動的內涵。一些前來此地約會的異性戀情侶撞見這一活動，一臉茫然地看着臺上。當他們意識到發生了什麼後，有些人露出尷尬的笑容，有些人在走開前用智能手機拍下照片。

Such public events are rare in China. Gay couples kissed on the streets of Beijing in to celebrate qixi, or Chinese Valentine's Day, in August, according to state media reports.

此類公開活動在中國十分罕見。據官方媒體報道，今年8月份一羣同志情侶在北京街頭熱吻，以慶祝中國情人節七夕的到來。

Similarly, in April 2012, same-sex couples embraced on the streets of Guangzhou in what the Nanfang Insider website described as performance art designed to raise awareness of gay rights.

類似地，2012年4月一羣同志情侶在廣州街頭緊緊相擁。《Nanfang Insider》網站將此形容爲一場行爲藝術表演，其意在增強公衆對同性戀權利的意識。

Shanghai is considered the gay capital of China and city prides itself on being China's most open and cosmopolitan. Even so, the handful of bars and nightclubs catering to the gay community pales in comparison in terms of numbers to other mainly ethnic Chinese cities in Asia including Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore.

上海被認爲是中國的“同志之都”，這座城市亦以其在中國最爲開放、最都會化而感到自豪。然而儘管上海有一些服務於同志羣體的酒吧和夜店，其數量與臺北、香港和新加坡等亞洲其他華人都市相比還是太稀少。

Finance company worker Kelvin Li, 31, who looked on at the kissing couples with his young son perched on his shoulders, said homosexuality was a 'hot topic' all over the world. 'I think it's fine. But I would prefer my son or daughter to be straight. It's just a gut feeling,' he said.

31歲的金融公司員工Kelvin Li與坐在他肩上的兒子一起圍觀了這次情侶接吻活動，他說，同性戀是全世界的“熱點話題”。我認爲這沒什麼不好，但我還是希望我兒子或者女兒是異性戀，這是一份出自本能的情緒。

Mr. Zhu, the student, was there to kiss his boyfriend of six months, Harry, also 22. He said a friend invited him to support the event. 'I think it should be ok for gay people to kiss anywhere, not just on stage,' he said.

還是學生的Otto Zhu與他同爲22歲的男友Harry參加了接吻活動。他說，他在一位朋友的邀請下前來助陣。他說，我覺得同志應該在任何場合都可以接吻，而不僅僅在臺上。

Four Shanghai organizations helped promote Saturday's event mainly through social media and word of mouth. One volunteer, an American who goes by the name Sean Chen, 29, said around 10 same-sex couples kissed on stage during the two-hour 'window' the event organizers secured from mall management. Seven of the couples were female and three male.

上海的四家組織一同幫助推廣了這項活動，其方式主要是通過社交媒體及口口相傳。29歲的美國人Sean Chen是此次活動的志願者之一，他說活動組織者確保了兩個小時的“窗口期”，使活動免受商場管理方的干涉，在此期間共有10對同性情侶上臺接吻。其中七對是女生，三對是男生。

Mr. Chen said he encountered one negative reaction from a man who told his child to return a rainbow flag to Mr. Chen on learning of its significance. Mr. Chen said the event was not just about gay and lesbian issues. 'We want to show we're happy to live among everyone else, that we can be happy together.'

Sean Chen說，他遭遇了一個男子的消極迴應，該名男子在瞭解了彩虹旗的含義後，讓自己的孩子把手中的彩虹旗還給了他。Sean Chen說，這次活動不光是爲了讓人們瞭解同志羣體的問題。他說，我們要讓人們知道我們樂於生活在他人中間，我們可以和諧共處。

Gay people have been kissing under the tree since Kissmas kicked off Nov. 21. But Saturday marked the first time there was such a concentration of same-sex couples.

自11月21日該活動開展以來，不斷有同志情侶上臺熱吻。但上週六是頭一次有如此多的同性愛侶一同參加。

Variations of the Kiss installation were displayed in Milan in 2009 and London in 2010.

2009年的米蘭、2010年的倫敦也曾展示過不同的接吻裝置。

Artist Mr. Cocksedge told China Real Time that he was not aware of Saturday night's gay-themed event. 'But it's a wonderful thing,' he said by phone from London. 'A kiss is something beautiful to capture.'

藝術家考克斯基告訴《中國實時報》(China Real Time)說，他先前並不知道於上週六舉行的這場同志主題活動。不過他在電話中表示，這是件美好的事；一個吻是一個值得捕捉的美麗瞬間。