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Such is the pressure on Chinese scientists to make breakthroughs that some put ends before means. Last year He Jiankui, an academic from Shenzhen, edited the genomes of embryos without proper regard for their post-partum welfare—or that of any children they might go on to have. Chinese artificial-intelligence (AI) researchers are thought to train their algorithms on data harvested from Chinese citizens with little oversight.
这些都是中国科学家取得成就的压力，以至于有些科学家相对于方法更注重结果。去年，深圳学者贺建奎编辑胚胎基因组时未适当考虑其产后福利，亦或是之后可能会有的孩子。很多人认为人工智能研究人员在缺乏监管的情况下，从公民那里获取数据来训练算法。
The looming prospect of a dominant, rule-breaking, high-tech China alarms Western politicians, and not just because of the new weaponry it will develop. China already deploys AI techniques like facial recognition to monitor its population in real time. The outside world might find a China dabbling in genetic enhancement, autonomous AIs or geoengineering extremely frightening.
主导、不循规蹈矩、高科技的中国正在出现，这样的前景让西方政客紧张起来，不仅害怕将会发展新武器。中国已经部署了人脸识别等人工智能技术来实时监测人口。其他国家可能会发现，一个涉足基因增强、自主人工智能或地球工程的中国极具威慑力。
These fears are justified. A scientific superpower wrapped up in a one-party dictatorship is indeed intimidating. But the effects of China’s growing scientific clout do not all point one way.
这些担忧是合理的。这个科技超级大国的确令人生畏。但中国日益增长的科学影响力并不都指向一个方向。
For a start, Chinese science is about much more than weapons and oppression. From better batteries and new treatments for disease to fundamental discoveries about, say, dark matter, the world has much to gain from China’s efforts.
首先，中国的科学不仅用于武器和压迫。从更优电池和新医疗手段，到诸如暗物质之类的基本发现，世界都能从中国的进步中获益良多。
Moreover, it is unclear whether Mr Xi is right. If Chinese research really is to lead the field, then science may end up changing China in ways he is not expecting.
此外，目前还不清楚习是否正确。如果中国研究真的要引领科学界，那么科学可能会以他意想不到的方式改变中国。
Mr Xi talks of science and technology as a national project. However, in most scientific research, chauvinism is a handicap. Expertise, good ideas and creativity do not respect national frontiers. Research takes place in teams, which may involve dozens of scientists. Published papers get you only so far: conferences and face-to-face encounters are essential to grasp the subtleties of what everyone else is up to. There is competition, to be sure; military and commercial research must remain secret. But pure science thrives on collaboration and exchange.
谈到科学技术是一个国家项目。然而，在大多数科学研究中，沙文主义是一个障碍。研究是在团队中进行的，可能涉及几十名科学家。发表的论文只能止步于此：而想要了解其他人在做什么，会议和面对面的接触至关重要。当然，竞争是存在的；军事和商业研究必须保密。但是，纯科学的繁荣依赖于合作和交流。
译文由可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载。
