中國廣場舞風生水起 跳舞大媽獲商業贊助

For the legions of dancing retirees in China whose late-night public gatherings have made them the target of noise complaints and worse, one popular Beijing group may have hit on the solution: corporate sponsorship.

在中國，退休人員成羣結隊地在公衆場所大跳廣場舞直至深夜，引發人們抗議噪音擾民，對此北京的一個高人氣團體或許找到了解決辦法――商業贊助。

China's public dancers - often referred to as tiaowu dama, or 'dancing grannies,' because they tend to skew older and female - have found themselves at the center of a passionate public debate in recent months. Numbering as many as 100 million nationwide, they argue the dancing is an enjoyable form of exercise that helps reduce health care costs. But neighbors point to their boom boxes, which blast everything from saccharine Mandopop to sanitized hip-hop, as a public nuisance, saying the noise disrupts sleep and study.

中國的廣場舞舞者（常被稱作“跳舞大媽”，因通常是年齡較大的女性）近月來成爲了公衆熱議的焦點。有人估計全國的“跳舞大媽”達到1億之衆。跳舞大媽們認爲，跳舞是一種愉悅的鍛鍊方式，有助於減少看病費用。然而社區居民抱怨轟鳴的音箱十分擾民，干擾了居民的睡眠和學習。大媽們的廣場舞音樂包羅萬象，從甜膩的國語流行音樂到“和諧版”嘻哈音樂都有。

The grannies have even managed to court controversy abroad, recently inviting police intervention in places from New York to Moscow.

大媽們還在海外引發爭議，在紐約、莫斯科等地大跳廣場舞，引發當地警方出面制止。

One group of Beijing dancers, the Nanguan Art Troupe, has managed to buck the trend, winning fame and fans (as well as extensive media coverage from foreign and domestic news outlets) despite playing their music at volumes that would be unfathomable for other groups.

一個名爲“南館藝術團”的北京廣場舞舞團則力挽狂瀾，儘管高聲播放樂曲（其他廣場舞團體這樣做會飽受詬病），卻仍贏得了聲譽和粉絲，並受到國內外媒體的大力報道。

The Nanguan Art Troupe is named for the park in southern Beijing where its members met before 2011, when they grew too numerous and noisy and were forced to move. Over the past year, it has become famous for its unusually elaborate set-up: a sound system comprised of multiple speakers, microphones, a drum kit, saxophone and other instruments, plus an impressive array of costumes and props.

南館藝術團取名自北京南部的一處公園，2011年以前舞團成員在那裏會合，但後來人數太多且太吵，只得被迫離開。過去一年該舞團憑藉其不同尋常的豪華裝備而日漸成名：多臺音箱、麥克風、一套架子鼓，還有薩克斯和其他樂器，以及一系列令人印象深刻的舞服和道具。

Its theatrical performances, and the appreciative crowds they draw, are likely a major reason the group hasn't been chased from its new home outside the Raffles City mall in central Beijing.

戲劇化的表演及其吸引來的圍觀人羣，可能是該藝術團沒有被趕出位於北京中央城區的來福士廣場這個新大本營的一個重要原因。

On a recent Tuesday night, around 20 members of the troupe marched to the Mao-era patriotic song 'Tunnel War' wearing identical striped shirts and red berets. A thick cordon of spectators and a handful of journalists watched as they took up toy guns and danced around a man dressed as a Japanese solider, their movements acting out the familiar lyrics: 'Plows in one hand, guns in the other, everyone is a solider...'

在最近一個週二的晚上，該藝術團大約20位成員穿着統一的條紋襯衫和紅色貝雷帽，伴隨着毛澤東時代的愛國歌曲《地道戰》的節奏行進。裏三層外三層的圍觀人羣和幾個記者在旁邊觀看他們拿起玩具槍，圍着一個打扮成了日本兵的男人跳舞，舞蹈動作是按照人們熟悉的歌詞“一手拿鋤頭，一手拿槍桿，全民皆兵”編排的。

The head of the troupe, who asked to be identified only by her surname, Dai, told China Real Time that the equipment cost them more than 20,000 yuan ($3,225). She said they raised the funds by soliciting donations from group members - and by striking a sponsorship deal with a branch of the state-run China Citic Bank located in the nearby mall.

這個藝術團的領頭人物要求只透露她姓戴（音），並且告訴“中國實時報”欄目，這些行頭花了他們人民幣兩萬多元。她說，他們資金來源包括向團隊成員募集捐款以及與中國國營的中信銀行(China Citic Bank)坐落在旁邊商場裏的支行達成了贊助協議。

'They bought us two speakers and some instruments, such as harmonicas,' Ms. Dai said. In exchange, the group helps advertise for the bank with a banner hung from trees near where they dance - 'Citic Bank and Nanguan Park Art Troupe - Dancing With You for a Lifetime of Fortune' - and by occasionally touting the bank's products.

戴女士稱，中信銀行給她們買了兩個揚聲器和口琴等一些樂器。作爲交換條件，該舞蹈隊要替銀行打廣告，在她們跳舞地點附近的樹上拉起橫幅，上面寫着：“中信銀行來福士支行和南館藝術團與您共舞財富人生”，而且還時不時地宣傳一下該銀行的產品。

'During breaks, we might say, 'Go check out Citic Bank. Wealth management products give you a higher return than savings,'' one elderly male dancer said.

一名年紀較大的跳舞大媽說，在休息的時候，她們可能會說“去中信銀行看看，理財產品比存款收益高”。

Ren Shanshan, an employee of Citic's Raffles City branch, confirmed the branch has sponsored the group as a way to 'support the community,' but she declined to offer further details.

中信銀行來福士支行的僱員任珊珊（音）證實，該行的確贊助了這個藝術團以“支持社區”，但是未予透露進一步的細節信息。

The relationship has helped Citic attract at least a few new customers. Ms. Zhao, a member of the dancing group who asked to only be identified by her surname, said she had put all of her savings into a Citic wealth management product with a projected annual return of 4.5%. 'It's not that high, but it is safe. You are guaranteed to get your money back,' she said.

這種合作關係至少幫助中信銀行吸收到了一些新客戶。舞團的成員趙女士說，她把所有積蓄都投到了一款中信理財產品上，預期年化收益率爲4.5%。她說，收益並不是很高，但很安全。銀行保證能返還本金。

Another dancer, surnamed Liu, said he opted for a riskier product with a more lucrative 6% return. 'All banks belong to the state, so putting money there is like making contribution to our country,' he said. 'I'm not worried at all.'

舞團的另外一位成員劉先生選擇了高風險產品，回報率爲6%。他說，銀行都是國有的，把錢投給它們就是爲國家做貢獻。他完全不擔心。

Wealth management products have surged in popularity in recent years as an alternative to conventional bank deposits, which offer paltry returns that often fail to keep up with inflation. Banks and other financial institutions have scrambled to meet demand for the products, fueling concerns among many analysts that customers have too little understanding of the risks they're taking.

傳統的銀行存款回報率極低，常常無法跟上通貨膨脹的速度，而作爲其替代品，理財產品近年來人氣飆升。銀行和其他金融機構競相滿足客戶對這類產品的需求，而客戶對自身承擔的風險卻一無所知，這引發了許多分析人士的擔憂。

Despite support from the bank, Ms. Dai appeared eager to keep things low-key, at one point chastising a group member who told a Taiwanese journalist that the dancers developed their 'Tunnel War' routine out of hatred for Japan. 'Don't say that, we can't say that,' she said to the dancer, then turned to the reporter. 'Don't write that down. Say that it's just for fun. We grew up in the Mao era and are nostalgic about that time.'

儘管得到銀行的支持，戴女士似乎仍希望保持低調，之前一名舞團的成員告訴臺灣記者，他們編排的《地道戰》之舞是出於對日本的仇恨，而這遭到了戴女士的斥責。她對那名成員說：“不要這樣說，我們不能這樣說。”之後戴女士對記者表示：“不要把這寫下來。這是說着玩的。我們只是生在毛澤東時代，對逝去的成長經歷很懷念而已。”

'China's dancing grannies are taking over the world,' one Chinese Internet user wrote after a group of elderly dancers were shut down in Moscow's Red Square earlier this year. With financing from China's state banks and a little public-relations polish, that eventuality may not be a far-fetched as it sounds.

今年早些時候，一羣中國大媽在莫斯科紅場(Red Square)跳廣場舞引來警察干預，之後一位中國互聯網用戶寫道，中國大媽的廣場舞正在“攻陷”全世界。獲得中國國有銀行的融資，再加上一些公關“美化”，這一幕未必不會實現。