Academy’s apology for racial insensitivity adds fuel to flame

LOS ANGELES — Another day in Hollywood, another awkward response to complaints of racial insensitivity by the academy.

洛杉矶——对于外界指其缺乏种族敏感的抗议，好莱坞的这个学院再度做出笨拙的回应。

On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences came under attack from about two dozen Asian members — including Ang Lee, Sandra Oh and George Takei — who demanded an apology for what they called slurs at the Oscars ceremony. The telecast's host, Chris Rock, and a presenter, Sacha Baron Cohen, made jokes at the expense of Asians that hinged on child labor and small genitalia.

周二，美国电影艺术与科学学院(Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)遭到二十多位亚裔成员的指责，其中包括李安(Ang Lee)、吴珊卓(Sandra Oh)和武井穗乡(George Takei)。他们要求学院为今年奥斯卡颁奖礼上出现的被他们称为诋毁的行为进行道歉。当时，直播主持人克里斯·洛克(Chris Rock)和颁奖人萨夏·巴伦·科恩(Sacha Baron Cohen)，拿亚洲人调侃，讲了几个影射童工和生殖器小的玩笑。

"We'd like to know how such tasteless and offensive skits could have happened and what process you have in place to preclude such unconscious or outright bias and racism toward any group in future Oscars telecasts," read a letter that was sent to the academy's embattled chief executive, Dawn Hudson, and released publicly.

"我们想知道为什么会出现这么没有品位和无礼的讥讽之语，也想知道你们都设置了什么样的程序，以避免在今后的奥斯卡颁奖直播中出现此类针对任何种族的无意识或公然的歧视，"他们在一封致该院四面受敌的CEO道恩·哈德逊(Dawn Hudson)的公开信中表示。

Ms. Hudson's reply, sent by email on Tuesday afternoon, did not land well, with some describing it as resembling "a form letter."

哈德逊周二下午通过邮件进行了回应，但得到的反馈并不好。有一些人表示，它读起来就像"例行公事"。

"Academy Apology Letter for Lack of Sensitivity to Asians Fans More Flames," read the headline on Deadline, a Hollywood trade news site. E! Online wrote on Twitter, "And the Oscar for best sorta apology after making Asian jokes goes to … The Academy."

好莱坞行业新闻网站Deadline的文章标题指出，"学院为自己对亚裔问题不敏感致歉，结果引发更多愤怒。"娱乐网站E! Online则在Twitter上发文，"奥斯卡最佳‘好像在为开亚洲人玩笑而道歉奖'获得者——美国电影艺术与科学学院。"

Mr. Takei, speaking by phone late Tuesday, said Ms. Hudson's note was "patronizing" and infuriating. "It was a bland, corporate response," he said. "The obliviousness was actually shocking. Doesn't anyone over there have any sense?"

武井穗乡在周二晚间通过电话接受采访时表示，哈德逊的信"语气傲慢"，让人愤怒。"是一种乏味的官方回应，"他说。"这种无知无觉实际上让人很震惊。他们难道没一个人有感知吗？"

The academy had no immediate response to Mr. Takei's criticism. (Ms. Hudson at least served up the A-word in her email to the letter signers, writing, "I apologize for any hurt the skits caused.")

对武井穗乡的指责，学院没有马上做出回应。（在写给联署人的回复邮件中，哈德逊至少表示了歉意，她写道，"我为这些笑话所造成的伤害致歉。"）

In a statement to the news media about the initial letter from the Asian members, the academy said: "The Academy appreciates the concerns stated, and regrets that any aspect of the Oscar telecast was offensive. We are committed to doing our best to ensure that material in future shows be more culturally sensitive."

学院在给新闻媒体提供的回应亚洲成员最初那封公开信的声明中表示，"学院很重视所述关切，并对奥斯卡颁奖礼的任何冒犯之处表示遗憾。我们决心在未来的直播中尽力做到对文化问题更加敏感。"

The latest back-and-forth came as the academy's 51-member board met in a marathon meeting on Tuesday to figure out how to address the issues raised by another group of angry members. In late January, responding to outrage over the Oscars' all-white roster of acting nominees for a second year running, the academy's board made deep changes to the organization's membership and core mechanisms.

最近这轮交锋发生之时，恰逢学院董事会51位成员在周二召开一场马拉松会议，商讨如何应对由另一群愤怒的成员提出的议题。1月末，针对各界对奥斯卡最佳演员提名连续两年是清一色白人所表达的愤怒，学院董事会对该组织的会员资格与核心机制做出深层调整。

But the secrecy and speed of the board's action at the time dismayed many members; others were infuriated by plans to purge the voting rolls of older, inactive members. Some of the changes violated the academy's own bylaws.

但董事会对这项行动的遮遮掩掩和它的执行速度，让很多成员不满。其他一些人则因其中剥夺老年人和不活跃成员投票权的计划倍感愤怒。有些改变违反了这个学院自身的规章。

Roughly seven hours after Tuesday's meeting concluded, the academy finally divulged its activities. The board reaffirmed its January resolution to take away voting privileges for inactive members, although the organization's various branches will have some limited flexibility to determine the criteria for establishing what constitutes activity.

大约在周二的会议结束七个小时后，学院最终对外披露了这一行动。董事会重申今年1月的决议，即取消不活跃成员的投票权，不过在界定什么样算是活跃方面，该机构各个分支将有一定的自由空间。

An appeals process for members who lose voting rights will be created.

学院将建立上诉机制，方便失去投票权的成员提出申诉。

The academy also decided to go forward with a plan to add three board seats earmarked for women and minorities. They will go to Reginald Hudlin, a producer of the most recent Oscars telecast; the screenwriter and director Gregory Nava, known for "Selena" and "El Norte"; and Jennifer Yuh Nelson, who directed "Kung Fu Panda 3."

学院还决定推进另一项计划，即在董事会增加三个席位，提供给女性和少数族裔。这三名董事会新成员分别是，最近这次奥斯卡颁奖礼的制作人之一雷希纳尔德·胡德林(Reginald Hudlin)；剧作家、导演格雷戈里·纳瓦(Gregory Nava)——知名作品包括《哭泣的玫瑰》(Selena)和《北方》(El Norte)；动画片《功夫熊猫3》的导演余仁英(Jennifer Yuh Nelson)。

The academy also appointed more women and minorities to each of its six board committees.

此外，在学院的六个董事会委员会中，也各增加了一些女性和少数族裔成员。