I make these somewhat critical observations about China not with any sense of moral superiority or a wish to relieve myself of the responsibility to level the same critique at my own country’s recent failures. As most of the world knows, America’s quest to maintain its claim to the title of “greatness,” has, of late, also been elusive.
我对中国做出这些有点批评的评论并非是我感到在道德上高人一等或者希望推卸自己的评说自己国家近年来失策的责任。正如世界上大多数人所知，美国维持其“伟大”国家称号的行为近年来也是差强人意。