国际艺术品拍卖巨头佳士得公司于2009年2月23日至25日在法国巴黎大皇宫举办“伊夫圣罗兰与皮埃尔贝杰珍藏”专场拍卖，拍品中包括1860年英法联军自圆明园掠走、流失海外辗转多年的鼠首和兔首铜像，两件拍品拍卖估价均为800万至1000万欧元，总价高达人民币2亿元。夏门民间收藏家蔡铭超以3149万欧元一举中标，事后声称，他不能付款。网上有人指责法国佳士得公司此次拍卖兽首铜像的行为是不道德的，也是不合法的，这是相当专业的问题，我没有能力评说。网上有人说，蔡铭超有爱国之心，却没有爱国之力，也有人说，蔡铭超是个无赖，不讲信用，丢中国人的脸；还有人说，这是蔡铭超与某些人在一起炒作，别有用心。是非曲直一时难以明断，我也不好评说。我只想说：“兽首拍卖，应唤醒国人什么？”
Christie's, an international art auction giant, held a special auction of "Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger collection" at the Grand Palace of Paris, France, from February 23 to 25, 2009. The auction includes the copper statues of mouse head and rabbit head stolen by the British and French allied forces from the old summer Palace and lost overseas for many years in 1860. The two auctions are valued at 8-10 million euros, with a total price of 200 million yuan 。 Cai Mingchao, a private collector in Xiamen, won the bid for 31.49 million euros and later claimed that he could not pay. Some people on the Internet have accused Christie's of immorality and illegality in this auction. This is quite a professional problem. I have no ability to comment. Some people on the Internet say that CAI Mingchao has patriotism, but he has no patriotism. Some people say that CAI Mingchao is a rascal, dishonest and loses the face of Chinese people. Others say that CAI Mingchao and some people hype it with ulterior motives. It's hard to judge right and wrong for a while, and I can't comment. I just want to say, "what should we wake up when we auction the animal heads?"
这次拍卖的铜兽首是十二只铜兽首中的二只，这十二只铜兽首对应于中国古老传说十二生肖的动物，是中国古老文化的象征，它标志着古代中国人民的聪明才智和非凡的创造力。在十九世纪末，世界八大列强国家的军队侵入北京，一把火烧掉了世界建筑奇迹——圆明园，随后，安放在圆明园中的这十二只铜兽首也流散到世界各地。现在，它们中的两只被拿出来拍卖，揭开了中国人的伤疤，揭示了100多年前我们中国惨遭八国联军欺凌和掠夺的历史事实。为什么那时的中国会被欺凌和掠夺呢？因为，我们这个曾经拥有辉煌文明和强大国力的国家，在封建统治者实行闭关锁国、夜朗自大、不思进取的治国政策下，实行愚民弱国封建科举教育体制，相对于西方科学文化技术的掘起，我们国家落后了、孤立了，落后了就要挨打，孤立了就没有地位，这是人类历史的必然。
The copper beast heads in this auction are two of the twelve. These twelve correspond to the animals of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals in the ancient Chinese legend. They are the symbols of the ancient Chinese culture, and they mark the intelligence and extraordinary creativity of the ancient Chinese people. At the end of the 19th century, the army of the eight great powers of the world invaded Beijing and burned down the world's architectural miracle, the Yuanmingyuan. Later, the twelve copper animal heads in the Yuanmingyuan also spread all over the world. Now, two of them have been put up for auction, revealing the scars of the Chinese people and the historical fact that we were bullied and plundered by the eight power coalition forces more than 100 years ago. Why was China bullied and plundered at that time? Because our country, which once had brilliant civilization and strong national strength, carried out the feudal imperial examination education system for the weak and the foolish under the policy of closed door, arrogant and unremitting of the feudal rulers. Compared with the rise of Western science and technology, our country is backward and isolated. If we are backward, we will be beaten. If we are isolated, we will have no status. This is human beings The inevitability of history.
针对这次两兽首的拍卖，从网上广大网民留言可以看出，我们的国民表现得群情激愤，强烈要求两兽首回家，回到祖国的怀抱。通过关注两兽首的拍卖过程，让我们再次去审视过去那段耻辱的历史，以及这100多年来中国人民不屈不挠、勇于奋斗解放的历史，1949年10月1日，中华人民共和国成立了，共产党毛主席领导中国人民从此又站立起来，两弹一星科学技术实验的成功，我国成为联合国五大常任理事国之一，等等事件，确定了我们中国在世界事务中举足轻重的国际地位。改革开放三十年来，我们的综合国力又得到了进一步的加强。我们要牢记，闭关锁国就会落后挨打，改革开放才能谋求发展；愚民教育会被欺凌亡国，发展科学教育才能真正增强国力。十年树木，百年树人，优先发展科学教育，进行政治、经济体制改革，我们一定要持续下去。
In view of the auction of the two beast heads, we can see from the comments of the Internet users that our citizens expressed great indignation and urged them to go home and return to the embrace of the motherland. By focusing on the auction process of the two animal heads, let's review once again the past humiliating history and the history of the Chinese people's indomitable and courageous struggle for liberation. On October 1, 1949, the people's Republic of China was founded, and Chairman Mao of the Communist Party of China led the Chinese people to stand up again. With the success of the two bombs and one star scientific and technological experiment, China became the fifth United Nations One of the permanent members and other events have determined China's important international position in world affairs. In the past 30 years of reform and opening up, our comprehensive national strength has been further strengthened. We should bear in mind that only when we close our doors to the outside world, can we fall behind and suffer attacks, and only when we reform and open up can we seek development; only when we develop science education can we truly strengthen our national strength. We must continue to give priority to the development of science and education and the reform of the political and economic systems.
迄今三十年的改革开放政策，使我国人民的生活水平得到了很大的提高，取得了不小的经济成就，可是，有的人就得意洋洋起来，追求物质享受，追求高消费，不少人忘记了历史，忘记了我们曾经的苦难和屈辱，贪污腐化、祸国殃民，时有耳闻。死于安乐，生于忧患，这是历史的警钟，我们一定要警钟常鸣！
Thirty years of reform and opening-up policy have greatly improved the living standards of our people and made considerable economic achievements. However, some people are elated, pursuing material enjoyment and high consumption. Many people forget the history, the sufferings and humiliations we have suffered, corruption, national calamities and people's misfortunes, and have heard from time to time. To die in peace and suffering is the alarm of history. We must keep on ringing!
兽首拍卖，我们虽然没能使得兽首以合理合法的途径回归祖国，但是，在将来，中华民族振兴、国力非常强大的那一天，我们不但能迎回散落在世界各地的珍宝，我们还能创造出更多的奇珍异宝，并能永远守卫好它们。兽首拍卖，定能唤醒我们：前事不忘，后事之师。前人遭受的苦难和屈辱，决不能在我们后人身上重演。举全国全民之力，发展科学教育、增强综合国力是历史交付我们今人责无旁贷的历史使命！中华民族必将永远屹立在世界民族之林，为全人类发展、为我们可爱的地球谱写出新的篇章！
Although we failed to make the beast head return to the motherland in a reasonable and legal way, in the future, when the Chinese nation is revitalized and the national strength is very strong, we can not only welcome back the scattered treasures around the world, but also create more rare treasures and guard them forever. The beast head auction will surely wake us up: the teacher of the past and the future. The sufferings and humiliations of our forefathers must not be repeated in our posterity. It is the historical mission that history entrusts us with today's responsibility to develop scientific education and enhance the comprehensive national strength with the strength of the whole nation! The Chinese nation will always stand in the world's national forest, for the development of all mankind, for our lovely earth to write a new chapter!
写于2009年6月7日星期日
Written on Sunday, June 7, 2009