红会呼吁民众忘记郭美美 全力救灾

As thousands in southwest China struggle in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, the country's main charity has a plea: forget rumors and scandals of the past and open your wallet now.

在中国西南地区成千上万的民众奋力抗击一场毁灭性的地震灾害之际，中国的主要慈善机构向公众发出了这样的请求：忘记过去的种种谣言和丑闻，为抗震救灾慷慨解囊。

In the early hours Monday morning, the Chinese Red Cross Foundation urged Chinese citizens to forget Guo Meimei, a woman who has caused damage to the organization's reputation since 2011, when she claimed to work for the Red Cross and stirred considerable anger after bragging about her flashy, high-end lifestyle.

周一凌晨，中国红十字基金会(Chinese Red Cross Foundation, 简称：红十字会)呼吁国内民众忘记郭美美。郭美美曾在2011年声称自己为红十字会工作，并因炫耀其浮华的高档生活方式而引发了民众的巨大愤怒。自此之后，郭美美事件给红十字会的声誉造成了严重伤害。

'Numerous people have been fighting through the night for the rescue operation, as now time really is life. Is there anything more important, more urgent, more worthy of the investment of our hearts and souls?' the foundation said on its official microblogging site.

红十字会在其官方微博上称：“无数人正在为救援行动彻夜奋战，这个时候，时间真的就是生命。难道还有什么比这件事更重要、更揪心、更值得我们全身心投入的吗？”

Ms. Guo had incensed Chinese in 2011 after showing off her opulent lifestyle by posting photos of luxury cars and expensive accessories, while unconfirmed rumors linked her with a high-ranking official at the Red Cross Society, prompting many Chinese to believe that the Red Cross funds were used to fund her luxuries.

2011年，郭美美在网上发布了豪华跑车和昂贵饰品的照片，以此来炫耀自己奢侈的生活。此举引发了国内民众的愤怒，因为有未经证实的谣言将其与红十字会的一位高层官员联系到了一起，促使许多民众相信红十字会的钱已被用来维持郭美美的豪华生活。

The Red Cross denies any connection to Ms. Guo. Officials announced on Sunday that Ms. Guo has been in no way connected to the Red Cross, according to China's official Xinhua News Agency.

红十字会否认与郭美美有任何关系。据新华社报道，公安机关周日宣布郭美美与中国红十字会毫无关系。

'So from this moment, forget about her, and put the limited energy and resources into this disaster, ' the foundation said Monday. The people hit by the earthquake will need supplies immediately, the Red Cross notes on its microblog.

红十字会周日称，所以，从这一刻起，请忘记她，把有限的精力和资源全部转向灾区。红十字会的微博称，灾区民众急需救灾物资。

The plea comes as rescuers are rushing to reach southwest China, where a 6.1 earthquake that struck Sunday in the city of Zhaotong has killed 381 people and injured 1,800 others. The impact could be greater, as the epicenter was in Ludian county, home to more than 265,900 people, according to Xinhua.

红十字会这一表态正值救援人员火速赶往中国西南地区救灾之际。云南昭通周日发生6.1级地震，已经造成381人死亡，1,800人受伤。新华社称，由于震中心在人口超过265,900人的鲁甸，地震造成的伤亡可能会更大。

While the government has been quick to react, the destruction of the earthquake is vast, with rescue efforts complicated by inclement weather. Houses have toppled, crushing lives and the livelihoods that many have built for themselves. Xinhua quoted a Ludian resident as saying the streets were like 'a battlefield after bombardment.'

中国政府迅速采取了行动，但地震造成的破坏非常严重，恶劣的天气也使得救援行动遭遇困难。地震导致房屋坍塌，夺去了许多人的生命以及他们努力创造的生活。新华社援引一位鲁甸居民的话报道称，街道像被炮轰之后的战场。

Chinese citizens have struggled to trust charitable organizations in China, where a number of scandals over the years has left people questioning if their donations are truly going to people who need them most.

然而在中国，民众对慈善组织缺乏信任，过去几年来一系列的丑闻令人们质疑他们的捐赠是否真正到了那些最需要它们的人手中。

The 2011 Guo Meimei scandal was made worse by persistent questions over the whereabouts of billions of yuan in donations for victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, a significant chunk of which was managed by the Chinese Red Cross, and did lasting damage to charity fund-raising efforts in a country already short on trust. Unlike most Red Cross organizations around the world, China's is tightly linked to the state, something that has further deepened mistrust of the charity among many Chinese.

外界对为2008年四川地震受害者捐赠的数十亿人民币去向的质疑从来没有停息过，这也令2011年郭美美丑闻造成的影响加重。这些捐赠大部分都为红十字会管理。这些也给这个原本就缺乏信任的国家的慈善筹款带来了持久的影响。此外，不像全球大部分红会组织，中国红十字会与政府部门联系紧密，进一步加剧了许多中国人对这个组织的不信任。

Ms. Guo could not be reached for comment.

记者未能联系到郭美美置评。

The Red Cross has made many attempts to move beyond rumors and problems in the past. And now, as it faces thousands of people who need help in some of China's hard-to-reach areas, it will attempt to do so again.

过去红十字会多次努力消除传言的影响。现在它面对的是中国交通最不便利地区成千上万名急需帮助的民众，红十字会将再一次作出努力。

'Yes, relentless action is our only option to wash away the sewage, to overcome the rumors and overcome ourselves,' the Red Cross said on its microblog.

红十字会在其微博上写道，是的，只有不懈的行动才是我们唯一的选择，能涤出污水，战胜谣言，也战胜自己。