薛蠻子迴歸微博 向粉絲道歉

One of the most influential users of China's top micro-blogging platform appears to have returned to the site seeking forgiveness, after having been detained on charges of soliciting a prostitute in an arrest that signaled the start of what is widely seen as a government offensive to reassert its control online.

中國最大微博平臺最有影響力的用戶之一似乎已經迴歸微博，尋求人們的諒解。之前他因涉嫌嫖娼被拘捕。人們普遍認爲這起事件標誌着政府在互聯網管控戰役中吹響了新的號角。

Messages posted on Saturday were the first in nearly eight months from the account of Charles Xue, an American venture capitalist whose remarks on Weibo were once a must-read for millions of Chinese social media users. They came three days after Mr. Xue was released on bail for unspecified health reasons. Mr. Xue is a U.S. citizen who was born and works in China.

美國風險資本家薛蠻子(Charles Xue)的微博賬戶上週六發布了近八個月以來的首批信息。他在微博上的言論曾經是中國數百萬社交媒體用戶必讀的內容。三天前，薛蠻子因爲未詳細說明的健康原因獲得保釋。薛蠻子是美國公民，出生於中國並在中國工作。

'Through my lack of self-discipline and mistakes, I've brought irreparable harm to my family, and for this I apologize sincerely to my wife and family members,' said the first of a series of messages on Saturday afternoon from the account of Mr. Xue, whose legal name is Xue Biqun. He uses the handle Xue Manzi online. 'At the same time, I bow earnestly and sincerely in the direction of my followers. I'm sorry. The old man disappointed you,' said another.

薛蠻子上週六下午發佈了多條信息，其中的第一條中說，“因爲我的不自律和過錯，給我的家人帶來了無可彌補的創傷，在此我真心向妻子家人道歉。”另一條信息說，“同時我也誠心誠意給我的粉絲盆友們鞠個躬，說一聲對不起，老漢辜負你們了。”薛蠻子真名薛必羣。

The posts capped an extended period of Beijing's public humiliation of Mr. Xue. Since shortly after being detained, the investor was branded as morally degenerate by state media and shown handcuffed on national television confessing to being reckless online, in what some Weibo watchers described as a 21 century version of a Cultural-Revolution struggle session.

這些博文是北京公開羞辱薛蠻子的延續。在薛蠻子被捕後不久，中國官方媒體給他打上道德腐化的標籤。在政府公佈的視頻中，薛蠻子戴着手銬，承認自己在網絡上草率地轉發評論。一些微博觀察人士稱，這形同“文革遊街示衆”21世紀版。

Mr. Xue couldn't be reached for comment. His family and friends have declined to comment or disclose his current contact information.

記者未能立即聯絡到薛蠻子置評。他的家人和朋友不願發表評論，也不願披露薛蠻子目前的聯繫方式。

The white-bearded investor was among the biggest of Weibo's so-called Big Vs--influential users with verified accounts--who at one point boasted more than 12 million followers. He currently has 11.5 million. Politically liberal, he was sometimes critical of the government. And thanks to his following, Mr. Xue was capable of drawing massive attention to stories that cast authorities in an unfavorable light.

鬍鬚斑白的薛蠻子是新浪微博“大V”（擁有衆多粉絲、影響較大的認證微博賬戶）之一。他的微博賬戶一度擁有逾1,200萬粉絲，目前擁有約1,150萬粉絲。薛蠻子是自由派人士，他有時會在微博上批評政府。由於粉絲衆多，薛蠻子在微博上的評論使那些對政府形象造成負面影響的報道受到了廣泛的關注。

It isn't clear whether Mr. Xue has stood trial on the solicitation charges or whether he might face trial on those or other charges in the future. Typically, people released on bail are given freedom on the condition that they continue to behave in ways the authorities find acceptable.

尚不清楚薛蠻子是否已經因被控尋 滋事受審，也不清楚未來他是否可能因涉嫌這一罪名或其他罪名受審。一般來說，取保候審的犯罪嫌疑人被暫時解除羈押，前提是保證隨傳隨到。

On Thursday, the People's Daily published a 'confession' under Mr. Xue's name in which the 61-year-old apologized for spreading unverified rumors.

上週四，《人民日報》發表了署名薛蠻子的悔過書，61歲的薛蠻子就散佈未經證實的謠言進行道歉。

'As a Big V when I reposted items about China's tap water being contaminated with contraceptives, mercury in the fish in Zhoushan, etc., it caused serious damage to society,' the People's Daily confession said, urging other verified Weibo users to think of their social responsibility before every post. 'For me to be punished by the law I think is entirely appropriate.'

《人民日報》刊登的薛蠻子悔過書稱：“作爲一個網絡大V，我當年轉發了關於自來水含避孕藥、舟山漁場含汞等微博，造成了很嚴重的社會危害。”他還敦促其他微博認證用戶每發一條微博，都要考慮肩負的社會責任。他說：“我受到法律的懲罰，我認爲這是完全應當的。”

Pleading for clemency, he also reportedly apologized for his offline behavior. 'Group sex and soliciting prostitutes and are both repulsive things, and for me they're also a little difficult to talk about,' the article cited him as writing. 'For this ugliness, I've already paid an enormous price.'

薛蠻子還對線下的行爲表示歉意，並懇請得到從寬處理。他在悔過書中稱：“不管是聚衆淫亂，還是賣淫嫖娼，都是件非常醜惡的事情，對我來說也是一個說起來有些難以啓齒的事情，我爲這個罪惡已經付出了很大的代價。”

In the last of the messages posted to his Weibo account on Saturday, Mr. Xue was quoted as telling his followers that he intended to pursue constructive activities, including helping China's youth realize 'the dream of entrepreneurship, the China dream.' The message also said he planned to nurse himself back to health; the People's Daily piece alluded to heart problems. The message concluded with: 'Do you support me?'

在上週六發布的最新微博中，薛蠻子告訴粉絲，他將繼續從事建設性活動，包括幫助青年人實現他們的創業夢、中國夢。這條微博還說，他會好好養病（《人民日報》刊文中提到他有心臟病）。在微博結尾，他說：“你們支持嗎？”

Though some people exulted in his humiliation, most users pledged their support. Still others dismissed the messages as forced.

儘管有些人感到幸災樂禍，但大部份微博用戶表示了支持。不過也有一些人認爲上述信息是薛蠻子被迫發出的。

'I want to know what you really think. Really,' wrote one such user.

一位用戶寫到：“我想知道你究竟是怎麼想的，真的。”