A Japanese hotel chain has come under fire for its owner's claims that a World War Two massacre in the Chinese city of Nanjing did not take place.
日本旅店連鎖店因其老板宣稱二戰期間南京大屠殺事件并未發生而遭到抨擊。
A book by Toshio Motoya, who owns APA Hotels, was found this week to be widely distributed in his outlets.
It has prompted a rebuke from the Chinese government as well as a boycott by Chinese hotel booking websites.
But the chain has refused to withdraw the book and Mr Motoya, an outspoken revisionist, has stood by his views.
The book is said to be available in every guest room and for sale in hotel gift shops.
這周,APA旅館的老板Toshio Motoya所著的書在他的店里廣泛傳布。這件事情導致了中國政府的指責及中國酒店訂購網站的抵制活動。但是連鎖店方面拒接撤回這本書,Motoya先生是一位公開的修正的社會主義者,并且堅持他的觀點。據說這本書提供給每一間客房,并且在酒店的禮品店出售。
Why is it such a big controversy?
The Nanjing massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanjing, is a hugely sensitive issue in China and a contentious subject in Japan.
In December 1937 Japanese troops invaded the eastern city of Nanjing. China says 300,000 of its civilians were massacred, but some historians have disputed this figure while some Japanese nationalists deny any killings took place.
The dispute is one reason why Beijing continues to accuse Tokyo of failing to properly apologise or atone for its wartime past.
In China, which introduced anannual state commemorationin 2014, the massacre has become a symbol of nationalism.
為什么這本書引起這么大的紛爭?
南京大屠殺,又稱為南京強奸案,在中國是一個極為敏感的事件,在日本是一個富有爭論的事件。
1937年12月,日軍侵占南京的東部。中國宣稱300,000的居民被屠殺,歷史學家認為這一數字有待確認;同時一些日本民族主義者否認屠殺的發生。
這種爭端是中國至今仍然譴責日本不能真誠道歉或者正視其戰爭歷史的過去的原因
2014年,中國為南京大屠殺設立國家公祭日,使之成為民族主義的象征。
What is in the book?
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionChina marked the Nanjing massacre anniversary in December
The book, titled "The Real History of Japan: Theoretical Modern History II", is a compilation of Mr Motoya's columns written for the hotel's newsletter.
Mr Motoya casts doubt on historical evidence of the massacre and claims it "was fabricated by the Chinese side and did not actually happen".
In another section, he also denies that Japanese soldiers forced women to become their sex slaves.
The issue of "comfort women" is another sensitive subject in China as well as South Korea, where it currently is thesubject of a row with Japan.
書中寫了什么?
這本書的標題是“真實的日本歷史:理論近代史 II”,是Motoya先生為酒店內部通訊所寫的專欄文章的集結。
Motoya先生無視大屠殺的歷史證據,宣稱是由中國方面偽造的,實際上并未發生。
另一方面,他同樣否認日本軍人強迫女人成為性奴。
慰安婦的問題是中國及韓國的另一敏感話題,最近成為與日本爭論的主題。
How has China reacted?
China's foreign ministryhas said Mr Motoya's book "once again shows that some forces in Japan are still reluctant to look squarely at history, and even try to deny and distort history".
APA, one of Japan's largest hospitality chains with more than 400 hotels, is popular with Chinese tour groups.
But Chinese and Japanese media reports said that popular Chinese hotel booking portals such as Ctrip have pulled APA's listings from their sites.
目前中國是如何回應的?
中國外交部指出Motoya的書又一次顯示日本的一些勢力仍然不能正視歷史,甚至試圖否認,歪曲歷史。
APA擁有超過400家旅店,是日本最大的服務鏈之一,在中國的旅游團體中很受歡迎。
但是中國和日本的媒體報道說中國受歡迎的旅店預定門戶網站如攜程網已經將APA旗下的旅館拉黑。
And what did APA say?
The chain saidin a statement that it would not withdraw the book even though it had received "floods of opinions" and enquiries.
The book was a "fact-based true interpretation of modern history", it said.
"Although we acknowledge that historic interpretation and education vary among nations, please clearly understand that the book is not aimed to criticize any specific state or nation."
Mr Motoya told Japanese newspaper Nikkei on Wednesday that he "wrote what I believe is the truth".
The Japanese government has said both countries should look to the future "rather than paying excessive attention to our unfortunate history".
APA的說辭?
連鎖店發表聲明,即使收到了非常多的建議和問詢,也將不會撤回這本書。
并表示,這本書是對現代歷史的基于事實的一項正確解讀。
“盡管我們認識到各國對歷史的理解和教育是不同的,但請理解本書的目的并不是批評任何特定的觀點或者國家。”
周三,Motoya先生告訴日本報紙Nikkei,“我寫下我認為的事實”
日本政府發言我們應該更多地看向未來“而不是過多地糾結在我們不幸的歷史上。”
How did the uproar happen?
It's not clear how long the book has been available in APA hotels, but its existence was highlighted in a video posted on Chinese microblog site Weibo on Sunday by a couple who call themselves KatAndSid.
The couple, an American woman and a Chinese man studying in New York University, said they had noticed the book while staying travelling in Japan and staying in an APA hotel.
這場騷動是怎么發生的?
這本書出現在APA系列旅店里多長時間并不清楚,但是自稱為KatAndSid的一對夫妻在中國的新浪微博上發布了一個視頻,視頻中強調了這本書的存在。
這對夫妻一個是美國女人,一個是中國男人,他們目前一起在紐約大學學習。他們在日本旅行期間入住了一家APA旗下的旅店,注意到了這本書。
Image copyrightWEIBO / KATANDSIDImage captionThe book was highlighted in a video posted by Weibo blogger couple KatAndSid on Sunday
They added they wanted to raise awareness of the book so that guests, including Chinese nationals, would be better informed.
Their video has been shared more than 703,000 times.
他們補充道,他們想要提高人們對這本書的意識,以便于包括中國國民在內的客人更好地了解。
他們的視頻被分享超過703000次。