A game of Chinese whispers has been doing the rounds this autumn. In September, an economist claimed on television that Chinese investors are snapping up homes in east London. Two days later, an estate agent who misheard the programme declared that one-third of all home buyers in the British capital come from the People’s Republic of China. Another estate agent got into a muddle, saying one-in-three pupils starting school at Eton College this autumn is Chinese. The true figure is less than 3 per cent.
今年秋季,有關中國人的謠傳可謂甚囂塵上。9月份,一位經濟學家在英國電視上聲稱,中國投資者正在東倫敦搶購住房。兩天後,一位聽錯了這個節目的房地產經紀人宣稱,在英國首都,三分之一的購房者都來自中華人民共和國。另一個房地產經紀人更是離譜,聲稱伊頓公學(Eton College)今年秋季入學的新生中,有三分之一是中國人。實際上,真實的比例還不到3%。