老鹰乐队1976年的单曲《加州旅馆》
40多年前的歌最近被提起,竟然是用来形容中美贸易纠纷的。现在很多美国人用'加州旅馆'代指中国"肉包子打狗有去无回"的投资环境,不知道这首歌的中国人被揶揄了可能还跟着傻笑,真挺佩服他们骂人不吐脏字的本事的。比起新闻联播外交部那种,撸起袖子口中'恶棍搅shi棍'横飞的场景,高下立现。其实中国老百姓利用幽默感骂人不吐脏字的本事也不小,讽刺奚落了你还能让你有苦说不出,语带双关点到为止,既达到目的还维持住幽雅形象,这些原都是中国人擅长的呀,不知道现在的官方对外形象为何成为这样。
《加州旅馆》整个歌词完整地讲述了一个故事——你开着车迷茫行使在公路上,无意中被吸引来到了加州旅馆,经历了纸醉金迷,看到了各式各样人们,当你准备离开的时候,却发现自己已经无法脱身了。利益至上,人无坦诚,腐败肮脏的社会,想要逃离时却惊愕发现已被囚禁无处可逃的那种痛苦和绝望。
这个充满毒品,乱性,金钱荼毒的环境,本是词作者精确描述70年代美国的,现在被用在中国上,并且极为贴切。美国的投资者、老板们,过去20年纷纷往中国这块"纸醉金迷"的大地上跑,带着资金、技术、产业链。。。等发现这里的环境越来越凶险想要撤资的时候,才惊愕发现已被囚禁,不让你离开。他们现在所面对的,就是歌词中的最后这两句话:
We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!
"等我想离开旅馆的时候,那守夜人对我说,我们只有迎客计划。你可以随时结帐把钱留下来,你的人永远别想离开!"
10月份中国宣布对外开放金融业之前,9月曾经宣布取消境外机构投资者对中国股票、债券的投资限制,但这则9月的消息并未在华尔街引起中国期待的反响。《华尔街日报》9月12日刊登了一篇文章解释说,中国市场不再是海外投资者的“梦想之地”(Field of Dreams),而是能进不能出的《加州旅馆》(Hotel California)。显然华尔街的人已经看出北京对外开放金融业的目的,是想从外国投资者那里圈钱,而被中国圈进去的钱能否幸运地安全撤出,会不会困在能进不能出的“加州旅馆”里,是个大大的担忧。
割外国人的韭菜,补充迅速下滑的外汇储备,计划很完美。可既然已经让人看出来了,对外开放金融业这招,也就不好使了。
Hotel California 歌词。很多地方都是一语双关,甚至三关。
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night.
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself
'This could be heaven or this could be Hell'
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face.
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (any time of year) you can find it here
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
'Please bring me my wine'
He said, 'we haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty-nine'
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say"
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face.
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise), bring your alibis
The pink champagne on ice
And she said, 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
'Relax' said the night man,
'We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!'