At West Lake, a foreign woman jumped in the water to rescue a person from an apparent suicide attempt, and then left the scene without revealing her identity. According to bystanders, the rescuer is an American tourist, though no one has yet confirmed her identity. After dramatic photos of the rescue were posted online, the incident generated thousands of comments. A selected few have been translated below (CDT thanks the translator who wishes to remain anonymous):
Many of the comments praise the action by the rescuer:
发表日期：2011/10/14 07:55凤凰网广东省佛山市顺德区网友：菅曲人
是美国游客救起轻生女子，我想知道当时有没有中国人在场？应该有吧？昨天看了奥巴马在酒吧与失业建筑工人一起畅饮黑啤，今天又看见美国游客在中国杭州西湖落水救人，我终于明白了为什么美国能如此强大，终于明白了为什么美国能强盛不衰。
This story about the American tourists saving the Chinese girl, I wonder if there were any Chinese on the scene? There must have been. Yesterday Obama had a beer with out of work construction workers, today I see a story about an American tourist jumping into the water to save someone. I finally realized why America is such a strong country and why it will continue to be one. [this comment was recommended by 13,000 people so far]发表日期：2011/10/14 07:57凤凰网湖南省长沙市网友：cnnap
美国人还是好啊，真想不通怎么那么多人骂美国，美国实在就没做什么对不起中国的事情
Americans are good people. I don’t know why so many people are always cursing American. America hasn’t done anything to hurt China.发表日期：2011/10/14 07:59凤凰网湖北省网友：phm012
这个美国人才是朋友,感谢你朋友!
That American is a friend. Thank you, friend!发表日期：2011/10/14 07:58凤凰网山东省枣庄市网友：弈剑听雨
做好事不留名，在美国是正常之举，好样的，赞一个！
Doing a good thing but not leaving your name, that is common in America. A good thing, something to be praised.发表日期：2011/10/14 07:59凤凰网北京市网友：china-jianhua
向这位美国救人女英雄学习致敬！（不知身边还有中国人没有？否则，让人感到难受！）
We should learn from that heroic American woman hero! (I don’t know if there were any Chinese on the scene, if there were, that would be hard to accept)发表日期：2011/10/14 08:13凤凰网湖北省武汉市网友：ysxy2010
她是用毛泽东思想武装起来的吗？
Was she armed with Chairman Mao’s thought?发表日期：2011/10/14 07:50凤凰网广东省深圳市网友：深圳潮汕佬
生命是父母生，是珍贵的，不要轻易放手，活时间太短这样遭粕生命，不值得！这个美国的妇女不错，这是人性的美，任何不要无知结束宝贵的生命，因为一旦死去的不止是万年这久哟~！
Life is given to us by own parents, we should treasure it, and not let is easily slip away, disaster could easily have cut short this young life. That American girl is great, she has a beautiful character. No one should out of ignorance let go of their life, once we die it is forever.
Other comments focused on problems they see within Chinese society and the tendency for bystanders to not take action in similar circumstances out of fear of being cheated or accused:
她跑得太快。不然，抓到她一定判她全部责任！ 按中国法律规定判断，如果不是她推这女子入水的，她为什么会去救？ 这不符合常理。 如果不是她的责任她为什么急忙离开现场？ 这更不符合常理！ 怎么也要等到拿一点酬劳吧。国家救人都要收费，难道她比国家还高尚？ 不是她的责任是谁的？！ 严查！请大家以后遇到类似情况，一定要把这种人扣住。以便追究其责任！
She took off too fast. Otherwise she would have been arrested and judged to have full responsibility for the incident. According to Chinese laws and regulations, if she hadn’t pushed the girl into the water, why ever would she save her? That does not agree with common sense. If it was not her responsibility, then why would she leave so quickly? That accords even less with common sense! She could have gotten some kind of reward. In China, official rescue services need to collect a fee. So is she presenting herself as being more noble than the State? This must be thoroughly investigated. Everyone should know that if something like this should happen again, this sort of person should be prevented from leaving. That will make it easier to prosecute her!其实，中国人也很善良勇敢，只是这个环境已经不是活雷锋能“活”的时代了。外国人可以做，是因为有“外交豁免权”国内人做，说不定就落入一个陷阱里了。 Actually, Chinese people are very good and brave too. The problem is that in this environment a Lei Feng couldn’t survive. Foreigners can do it because they have “diplomatic immunity”, or else they could fall into a trap.
这位游客太冲动了，不知道在中国好心救人往往最后被诬为刻意害人吗，下次扶被车撞倒的可要注意了
That tourist was too impulsive, she didn’t know that in China kind people who save others are often accused of being the perpetrator. The next time you run into someone who was hit by a car, you need to be careful.
