原作者：
来源Defying Critics, China’s Science Ministry Defends Research Culture
译者youngjohn
In a 3 September editorial in Science, two prominent Chinese scientists alleged that China’s mega-science funding system is corrupt and antithetical to innovation. The Chinese scientific establishment has at last issued a public response. On Monday, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) issued a sharp rebuttal that claims the editorial’s assertions “are contrary to facts” and highlights a slew of recent Chinese-born S&T advances.
施一公（左）和饶毅（右）分别是清华大学和北京大学的生命科学学院院长。
在9月3日《科学》杂志的一篇社论中，两名杰出的中国科学家指出，中国的大型科学基金分配体制腐败并压抑创新。中国科学机构最终做出了公开回应。周一，科技部发布了尖锐的反驳，声称社论文章的观点“与事实不相符合”，并且列举了一系列近年来中国取得的科技成就。
In the editorial, Shi Yigong, dean of the School of Life Sciences at Tsinghua University in Beijing, and Rao Yi, dean of the School of Life Sciences at Peking University in Beijing, singled out for criticism the funding mechanism for mega science projects in China, alleging that to procure grants, “it’s an open secret that doing good research is not as important as schmoozing with powerful bureaucrats and their favorite experts.” They said a societal dependence on interpersonal connections instead of rules for conducting business is partly to blame and called for the creation of a “healthy research culture” such that “new funds are distributed based on merit.”
施一公和饶毅分别是清华大学和北京大学的生命科学学院院长。他们在社论文章中批评中国的大型科学工程的基金分配体制，表示要想获得基金，“一个公开的秘密是：作好的研究不如与官员和他们赏识的专家拉关系重要。”他们说这部分归结于基金分配体制对人际关系的依赖，并呼吁创造一个健康的科研环境，使科研基金根据学术优劣来分配。
The editorial caused a big stir in China and even came to the attention of Premier Wen Jiabao, who, according to sources, asked relevant ministries to come up with specific suggestions for reforming the funding system. Rank-and-file researchers, as well as some scientific leaders, also voiced support. Earlier this month, at the annual meeting of the Chinese Association of Science and Technology in Fuzhou, CAST President Han Qide quoted from the editorial and said that the country should “solve some of the problems by systemic reform.”
社论文章在中国激起了激烈的讨论并引起了温家宝总理的关注，他指示相关部门提出有关基金分配体制改革的建议。众多普通学者和一线科学家都表示支持。本月早些时候，在福州举行的中国科技协会年会上，科协主席韩启德引用社论文章说中国应该“努力从体制机制的改革着手，实实在在地解决一些问题”。
MOST’s statement echoes a speech reported in Chinese media today that science minister Wan Gang had given over the weekend at an innovation forum in Shanghai. Wan said “to seize upon isolated problems and say our country’s science and technology system is rotten is something with which I do not agree. To say so is unfair to the struggles and efforts of our sci-tech workers.” The speech and statement both rattled off achievements in agriculture, information technology, materials, energy, population and health, resources, and the environment as evidence that the ministry’s basic science program, according to the statement, “has solved a host of major sci-tech problems and provided important sci-tech support for economic and social development.”
科技部的回应和科技部长万钢本周末在上海创新论坛上的讲话相呼应。万钢说：“如果抓住几个创新环节中的缺陷和个别的问题，就说我国的科技体制是腐朽的、文化是没落的，这一点我不同意。如果这么说的话，就是对我们科技人员共同奋斗和努力的不公平。” 万钢的讲话和科技部的声明都列举了中国在农业，信息技术，材料，能源，人口和健康，资源和环境方面取得的成就，从而表明科技部的科学项目“解决了一批重大科学技术问题，为经济社会发展提供了重要的科技支撑”。
Rao says he was surprised by MOST’s response, which he says appears aimed to counter him and Shi personally rather than to address systemic problems recognized by most Chinese scientists. “We did not reveal anything new in our article but restated publicly what is commonly known in China,” says Rao, adding that MOST’s rebuttal did not point out any errors in their editorial. Reactions in the Chinese blogosphere to the ministry’s statement are largely critical. Close to 98% of those who answered a survey on ScienceNet.cn regarding research funding mechanism voted for “urgent need for reform,” while 2% voted for “no need for reform.”
饶毅对科技部的回应感到意外，称申明看起来是针对他和施一公个人，而非为了解决大部分中国科学家公认的体制问题。饶毅说道：“我们并未揭露任何新的问题，只是公开重申了一个众所周知的问题”，并表示科技部的回应并未指出社论中任何错误。中国博客圈对科技部的回应的反响强烈。在科学网发起的投票中，有98%的读者认为中国科研经费分配体制“亟需改革”，而只有2%的人认为“无需改革”。
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