我的博客天天更新，赶上周末就转载媒体上有关中国的文章，配上英语原文，也可以练练英语。这几年下来，贴出的文章大部分是西方媒体特别是英、美媒体的文章。今天破一个例，转载东非肯尼亚The Standard报5月19日发表的一篇文章，题目是Forget about China, India is the place to be，作者XN Iraki是内罗毕大学商学院的讲师。文章摘要如下（英语原文附后） ：

印度和中国都是有核大国，人口都超过10亿。经济学家会因此很快指出，这两国市场巨大，只有经济上无知的国家才无视它们。 

　　在我国（肯尼亚）的话语和规划当中，印度一直只字未提，条条大路通往的是中国。然而，印度人在肯尼亚百年有余，跨越印度洋的贸易自古就很繁荣。为何我们把目标放在中国身上：它离我们更远，还是个新来的？不是说贸易中的万有引力定律表明国家越近贸易越多吗？为什么我们无视印度：它离我们更近，市场也不小？难道情况恰恰相反：是印度忽略了我们？ 

　　试想一下，内罗毕大学里教授的语言是汉语而不是印地语。这两个大国与肯尼亚的交往方式各不相同。对印度来说，途径似乎是商贸。一些观察人士认为，中国所采取的途径新颖，他们深受肯尼亚大众的欢迎，因为百姓每天都要走路。其他人大胆表示，修路需要大笔资金，这些大项目的决定权在政府领导层，这让中国战略专家有机会打动政府的心，且不引起任何惊讶。印度电影和舞蹈最近很受肯尼亚人的欢迎。印度是否最终意识到，赢得肯尼亚人的时候到了。和英美相比，中国和印度渗透肯尼亚和非洲的战略从总体上说有些胆怯。英美知道，经济的成功就是影响人们的思维方式（通过教育或者宗教）。中国和印度没有抓住这一简单事实，尽管两国都鼓励肯尼亚人去它们那里学习。 

　　为什么印度没有施展经济影响力？为什么这里没有印度电视或者广播节目？或许他们认为肯尼亚市场太小。或者问题在我们，太专注于西方，看不到脚下的机会。印度在科学和技术上领先。我们常常谈及亚洲虎，而忘记了亚洲象。其他国家甚至没有看到印度的潜力。美国甚至和印度签订核能合作协议，这表明印度不能再被忽略。 

　　印度的经济增长因改革而诞生奇迹。我们也学习到自食其力的好处。印度在灾难时没有接受国外援助。有趣的是，印度和中国都对肯尼亚兴趣颇大，但是很少评论肯尼亚政治，他们更喜欢无声外交。经济和政治战略专家已经表明，中国主导的“太平洋世纪”不会存在太久，下一场经济活动的舞台将在印度洋。同印度更紧密接触会让我们在这个舞台上抢得先机。印度才是我们的目标。如果抢先一步，我们会获得竞争优势。

Forget about China, India is the place to be
By XN Iraki
India and China are both nuclear powers each with a population of more than 1 billion. Economists will quickly point out that these are huge markets, only ignored by the economically naÔve.
But in our discourse and plans, India has been ignored, all roads lead to China. Yet, Indians have been here for more than a century, and trade across the Indian Ocean flourished from ancient times.
Why have we focused all our attention on China, which is further and newer? Doesn't the gravity theory in trade show closer countries are likely to trade more?
Why have we ignored India, nearer home and with a big market? Could it be the other way round that India has ignored us?
Think of it, Chinese, not Hindi is being taught at the University of Nairobi. The two huge nations seem to have their own ways of engaging with Kenya.
For India, it seems to be through commerce and trade. There seems to have been no concerted efforts to extend the Indian influence to the rest of Kenya, the way Britons came with their religion, legal system, language and culture.
Have you met any Black Kenyan converted into Hinduism? How many cross marriages are there between Africans and Indians?
While we look for the slightest opportunity to boast of how we schooled in UK or US universities, not to the Indian Universities though unknowingly some Indians go to Ivy League universities only after failing to get admission to top Indian Universities such as India Institute of Technology.
Lately, India has shifted gears investing big through firms such as Tata and Essar. But few Indian firms have made impressions in Kenya that can rival Microsoft, IBM or Coca Cola.
Our image of India is still dominated by small scale traders, dukawalla. China on the contrary is investing big through roads.
Some observers think Chinese approach is novel; they are endearing themselves to the masses, who use roads every day.
mega projects
Others boldly suggest roads need big money and decisions on such mega projects are decided at the highest level of government, giving Chinese strategists a chance to get into the heart of the government without raising any eyebrows.
Lately, India seems to have adopted the British Model, of going beyond the economics into some culture.
Indian movies have lately gained popularity and so are their dances. Has India finally realised it is time to reach into the heart and soul of Kenyans?
The Chinese and Indian Strategies to penetrate Kenya and Africa in general appear timid compared with UK or USA. Is it accidental that British Missionaries came before settlers?
When Cold War ended, waves of US missionaries landed in former Soviet Republics, while many students from these countries flew in the opposite direction, to study.
USA and UK seem to realise that economic success is about influencing the way people think, either through education or religion. Both India and China seems to have failed to grasp that simple fact, though both countries are encouraging Kenyans to study there.
While we can argue that Chinese are later arrivals and give them the benefit of doubt, not for the Indians who have been here for a long time. Why are Indians unmotivated to expand their economic influence? Why are there no Indian TV or radio Channels like CNN or Aljazeera? Perhaps they see the Kenyan market as too small.
Or maybe we are the problem, too tied to the West that we cannot see opportunities at our door steps.
We fail to see the Indian market that is three times the US market or 20 times the UK market. We have failed to learn from Indians who are nearer home. Yet, there is so much we can learn from our giant neighbour, in addition being a market for our goods and services.
science and technology
India is a leader in science and technology. Ever met an Indian historian? Interestingly, I was taught maths, physics and chemistry by Indian teachers just the other day — I narrowly missed 8-4-4.
Indians are now reaping the fruits of their investment in science and technology. It boasts a number of Nobel Prize winners in sciences including Venkata Raman (1930), Subramaniam Chandrasekar (1983) both in physics, and Hargobind Khorana(1968) in medicine. Add Amartya Sen (1998) in Economic and Rabindranath Tagore (1913) in literature.
Indian scientists drive Silicon Valley while medicine has been turned into tourism India is a superpower in computer science, one of the few countries with supercomputers.
May be our deeply ingrained view of Indians as traders have failed us in seeing the potential of India as partner in progress.
We talk of Asian tigers’ but forget the Asian elephant, India. Other countries have not failed to see the Indian potential; USA even signed a nuclear co-operation pact with India, a clear indication that India can no longer be ignored.
Indian economy
India’s economic growth driven by reforms has worked miracles; yet Indian economy was once as controlled as Kanu’s Kenya.
We also can learn about self-reliance; India does not accept foreign aid in case of a disaster. Interestingly, both India and China despite having vast interests in Kenya rarely comment on Kenyan politics, they probably prefer quiet diplomacy unlike European Union (EU) and the USA.
May be unlike Kenyans they long realised that politics without a strong economic base will not take you far.
Economic and political strategists have boldly suggested that the Pacific Century dominated by China, will not last indefinitely; the next theater of economic activity will be the Indian Ocean.
Engaging more closely with India will give us a head start in this theater. Truthfully, India is the place to be, we could gain a huge competitive advantage if we moved there before the rest-now.
The writer is a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, School of Business. xniraki@aol.com