导读:上海迪士尼公园今日正式开始营业,作为中国大陆第一家迪士尼主题公园,上海迪士尼能否取得成功呢?
Disney’s Chief Executive, Bob Iger, has described the project as the "biggest step" the company has ever taken. But there has been criticism in the Chinese media about the price visitors will have to pay.
据迪士尼CEO鲍勃·艾格称,上海迪士尼项目是该公司有史以来“最大的一步”。但是迪士尼公园也招致了一些批评,一些中国媒体批评游客所需要支付的价格太高。
It looks like a Disney park, with a huge "enchanted castle" anchored at the centre. It sounds like Disney, with a wave and a smiling hello - in English - from every staff member. And it feels like Disney - an escape from the real world. But park number six is different. this time Mickey Mouse - Me Low Shoe as he’s known here - is Communist Party approved.
它看起来很迪士尼,在公园的中心矗立着一座巨大的“魔法城堡”;它听起来很迪士尼,每一个工作人员都挥手示意,并微笑着用英语和你说“你好”;它感觉起来也很迪士尼,就好像一个远离现实的梦幻世界。但是上海“六号”公园不同。在上海迪士尼公园里,米老鼠是被中国共产党批准了的。
Mr Iger first came to the site 17 years ago, when it was wasteland on the outskirts of Shanghai. Last month he had the latest of several meetings with China’s President Xi Jinping. Afterwards, Mr Iger revealed that the Communist Party general secretary has already been to three Disney parks.
艾格17年前第一次来到这个地方,当时它还是上海郊区的一块荒地。上个月,艾格和习近平主席多次会晤。后来艾格透露说,习近平总书记曾去过三个迪士尼乐园。
It’s taken years of painstaking negotiation and $5.5bn, but now Mr Iger has his China park - his legacy to the company he was supposed to have departed by now.
上海迪士尼历经了长时间的谈判,耗费了多达55亿美元的资金,但是现在艾格终于在中国大陆建设了迪士尼公园--在他离开迪士尼,这个公园将成为他的公司遗产。
"From the moment they enter, everything they see and experience, the attractions, the food, the entertainment, down to the smallest level of detail, is instantly recognisable not only as authentically Disney but as distinctly Chinese," he told journalists at an opening day event.
在开幕式的活动上,艾格告诉记者们说:“当游客们进入迪士尼乐园,他们会立刻发现在这里所看所感的一切,包括这些景点、食物、娱乐设项目、甚至是最细微的细节,不仅仅是正宗的迪士尼风味,还带有明显的中国特色。”
Those last few words are the mantra - the phrase he conceived to explain why and how this Disney is different.
最后的一句话好像咒语一样--艾格自己想出了这句话,以此来阐释为什么上海迪士尼乐园和以往的迪士尼主题公园不同。
But it comes at a price, which he wouldn’t discuss with the BBC. Disney repeatedly refused our request for a sit-down interview. When I asked Mr Iger, as he left the opening event, if this Disney was only for China’s wealthy he refused to answer the question.
但是这一切都是有代价的,而艾格并不会和BBC谈论这些。迪士尼方面再一次拒绝了我们的专访要求。在艾格离开开幕式现场时,我向他提问上海迪士尼是否只是为中国富人而建,但是他拒绝回答这个问题。
When I asked if he was confident that the park was built without any corrupt practices he said nothing, and a security guard stopped me from going any further.
当我提问上海迪士尼乐园建设过程中是否有腐败行为时,艾格什么也没有说,后来一名保安拦着我,不让我继续提问。
For some of the 10,000 staff behind the scenes on the 960 acre park, a day at Disney - without their uniform on - is beyond their reach. The cost for a couple with a child would likely be more than the average monthly disposable income in mainland China.
上海迪士尼乐园占地960英亩,共有10000多名工作人员,然而对他们来说,以客人的身份游览迪士尼是可望不可即的。一个三口之家游览迪士尼的费用要比中国大陆的月平均可支配收入还要高。
One ticket seller called Lee told me he was happy with his pay. But he couldn’t talk about it. It wasn’t "convenient" to discuss it, he said. It was similar for other staff. When I asked a young woman by her locker what she was paid, she replied: "I can’t tell you."
一名姓李的售票员告诉我说,他对自己的薪酬很满意。但是他并没有说他的工资到底有多少,他说“不方便”谈论工资。其他工作人员也大抵是这个态度。当我询问一名储物柜管理员的工资时,这位年轻的女性回答说:“我不能告诉你。”
Disney is unapologetic about it’s "high end" food prices. It’s all part of the battle for China’s growing, richer middle class. It is a battle that the home-grown mega firm Wanda is up for. It opened a new resort town and familiar-looking theme park in the region just two weeks ago.
迪士尼对其“高端”产品价格毫无歉意。这对中国逐渐壮大的富裕中产阶级来说压力不小,同时这也是目前中国本土大公司万达所斗争的地方。两周之前,万达就在该地区开始了一家新的万达公园,这座主题公园具有极其浓厚的中国特色。
People like 40-year-old Yu Qi are a target for both. She said most of her friends had been to Disney parks abroad, "but for some reason we all believe that Disneyland in Shanghai will be the best".
迪士尼和万达所钟爱的目标客户是像雨晴(音)这样40多岁的人。雨晴表示,她大多数朋友都去过国外的迪士尼乐园,“但是因为某些原因,我们都认为上海迪士尼乐园会是最好的”。
Disney is banking on that sentiment. It hopes it will tempt people with its authentic offering. And there is lots to tempt 330 million people within a few hours’ drive. So is it the real thing, or has Disney gone too far to ensure it’s breaks China?
迪士尼正在利用这种情绪来获益。它希望能够用真正的迪士尼产品来吸引游客。上海迪士尼能够覆盖3.3亿的人群,他们只需要几个小时的车程就能够到达这里,为此迪士尼还特意提供了停车场,以希望能够吸引到这些人。那么,这么做会不会给迪士尼带来好处呢,还是说迪士尼为了确保在中国做出突破,反而做得太过?
On the surface, much is the same. There are rides that are common to Shanghai and other parks, and some that are unique to China. The food and the language are heavily influenced by Chinese tradition. But the overall feel is of the American offering. The big change is behind the scenes.
从表面上来看,很多东西都是一样的。迪士尼乐园里骑自行车项目对上海人来说并不新鲜,其他公园也有一样的娱乐项目,有些甚至是中国独有的。上海迪士尼乐园里的食物和语言都深受中国传统的影响,但是整体却给人一种美国式风格。最大的变化是在幕后。
This is a joint venture, which is unusual for Disney. Like all firms looking to enter this market, Disney has gone into business with firms ultimately owned or controlled by the Shanghai government, which gets some of the profits and a lot of influence over how things look and how they’re run.
上海迪士尼是一个合资项目,这对迪士尼来说并不寻常。就跟所有希望进入中国市场的企业一样,迪士尼和由上海政府所有或控股的公司进行了合作,从而使得上海市政府获得了部分利润,并且对上海迪士尼乐园的外观和运营施加了很大的影响。
It is, to borrow the phrase, a distinctly Chinese arrangement in an authentically Disney setting.
借用一句话来讲,这就是带有明显中国特色的正宗迪士尼风味。
Security is one thing Disney insists will not change, though. Senior executives say there will be no police presence - uniformed or in plain clothes - inside the theme park, in keeping with the tradition at their other venues. Police representatives at a media briefing last month refused to confirm if that would be the case.
不过,迪士尼坚持认为不能够在安保问题上做出改变。为延续其他迪斯尼乐园的传统,迪士尼高级管理人员表示,乐园内不会出现警察,不论是身着警服还是便装。在上个月的一场新闻发布会上,警方代表拒绝承认这一事实。