While Yomiuri’s unique public effort is not a government initiative, it comes as close as Japan will probably ever get to conducting an acceptable “official” inquiry and offering an adequate apology. Its style is almost scientific – factual, staccato-like, and unemotional – and it goes a long way toward meeting China’s demand for a convincing investigation and act of contrition that might allow the bitter and still poisonous past to be overcome.
尽管《读卖新闻》独特的公众努力并不是出于政府的倡议，但是可以把它看作是日本所可能进行的一次可以接受的“官方”调查并且作出了适当的道歉。其风格几乎是科学性质的，即实际的态度、前后不连贯并且不带有情感，它与中国所要求的进行一次令人信服的调查，并且有悔悟的举动从而也许能忘却这段苦痛和依然残害着人们心灵的过去已经作出了很大进展。