英语翻译指导：温家宝总理在英国剑桥大学发表演讲
See China in the Light of Her DevelopmentSpeech at the University of Cambridge
Wen Jiabao
Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
Vice Chancellor Alison Richard, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to come to Cambridge, a world-renowned
university that I have long wanted to visit. Cambridge has produced many great
scientists and thinkers Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Francis Bacon, to name
but a few, and made important contribution to the progress of human
civilization. This year marks the 800th anniversary of the university. Please
accept my warm congratulations.
This is my fourth visit to your country. Despite the great distance between
China and Britain, the friendly exchanges between our peoples have been on the
rise. The successful resolution of the question of Hong Kong and fruitful
cooperation between our two countries in areas such as economy, trade, culture,
education, science and technology have cemented the foundation of our
comprehensive strategic partnership. Here, I wish to pay high tribute to all
those who have been working tirelessly to promote friendly ties between our two
countries.
The title of my speech today is "See China in the Light of Her
Development".
My beloved motherland is a country both old and young.
She is old, because she is a big Oriental country with a civilization
stretching back several thousand years. With diligence and wisdom, the Chinese
nation created a splendid civilization and made significant contributions to the
progress of humanity.
She is young, because the People's Republic is just 60 years old, and the
country began reform and opening-up only 30 years ago. The Chinese people
established the New China after unremitting struggles and ultimately found a
development path suited to China's national conditions through painstaking
efforts. This is the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Following
this path, our ancient civilization has been rejuvenated.
The key element of China's reform and opening-up is to free people's mind
and the most fundamental and significant component is institutional innovation.
Through economic reform, we have built a socialist market economy, where the
market plays a primary role in allocating resources under government
macro-regulation. We have carried out political reform, promoted democracy and
improved the legal system. People are the masters of the country. We run the
country according to law and endeavor to build a socialist country under the
rule of law.
The essence of China's reform and opening-up is to put people first and
meet their ever growing material and cultural needs through releasing and
developing productive forces. It aims to give everyone equal opportunities for
all-round development. It aims to protect the democratic rights of the people
and promote stability, harmony and prosperity across the land. And it aims to
safeguard the dignity and freedom of everyone so that he or she may pursue
happiness with ingenuity and hard work.
Over the past three decades, more than 200 million Chinese have been lifted
out of poverty, the average life expectancy has increased by 5 years, and the 83
million people with disabilities in China have received special care from the
government and the society. All this points to the tremendous efforts China has
made to protect human rights. We have introduced free nine-year compulsory
education throughout the country, established the cooperative medical system in
the rural areas and improved the social safety net. The age-old dream of the
Chinese nation is being turned into reality a dream to see the young educated,
the sick treated and the old cared for.
I want to quote from a Tang Dynasty poem to describe what is happening in
China, "From shore to shore it is wide at high tide, and before fair wind a sail
is lifting." The Chinese people are working hard to modernize their country.
This is a great practice in a large developing country both ancient and new. The
Chinese people, with destiny in their own hands, are full of confidence in their
future.
My beloved motherland is a country that stood numerous vicissitudes but
never gave up.
Earlier in my career, I worked in northwest China for many years. There, in
the boundless desert, grows a rare variety of tree called euphrates poplar.
Rooted over 50 meters down the ground, they thrive in hostile environments,
defying droughts, sandstorms and salinization. They are known as the "hero
tree", because a euphrates poplar can live for a thousand years. Even after it
dies, it stands upright for a thousand years, and even after it falls, it stays
intact for another thousand years. I like euphrates poplar because they
symbolize the resilience of the Chinese nation.
Over the millennia, the Chinese nation has weathered numerous disasters,
both natural and man-made, surmounted all kinds of difficulties and challenges,
and made her way to where she proudly stands today. The long sufferings have
only made her a nation of fortitude and perseverance. The experience of the
Chinese nation attests to a truth: what a nation loses in times of disaster will
be made up for by her progress.
I am reminded of the experience that I had in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province
after the devastating earthquake there last May. That earthquake shocked the
whole world. It flattened Beichuan Middle School and claimed many young lives.
But only 10 days after the earthquake, when I went there for the second time, I
had before my eyes new classrooms built on debris by local villagers with
planks. Once again, the campus echoed with the sound of students reading aloud.
I wrote down 4 Chinese characters on the blackboard, meaning "A country will
emerge stronger from adversities." I have been to Wenchuan seven times since the
earthquake and witnessed countless touching scenes like this. I am deeply moved
by the unyielding spirit of my people. This great national spirit is the source
of strength which has enabled the Chinese nation to emerge from all the
hardships stronger than before.
With hard work over the past half century and more, China has achieved
great progress. Its total economic output is now one of the largest in the
world. However, we remain a developing country and we are keenly aware of the
big gap that we have with the developed countries. There has been no fundamental
change in our basic national condition: a big population, weak economic
foundation and uneven development. China's per capita GDP ranks behind 100
countries in the world and is only about 1/18 that of Britain. Those of you who
have been to China as tourists must have seen the modern cities, but our rural
areas are still quite backward.
To basically achieve modernization by the middle of this century, we must
accomplish three major tasks: first, achieve industrialization, which Europe has
long completed, while keeping abreast of the latest trends of the scientific and
technological revolution; second, promote economic growth while ensuring social
equity and justice; and third, pursue sustainable development at home while
accepting our share of international responsibilities. The journey ahead will be
long and arduous, but no amount of difficulty will stop the Chinese people from
marching forward. Through persistent efforts, we will reach our goal.
My beloved motherland is a country that values her traditions while opening
her arms to the outside world.
The traditional Chinese culture is rich, extensive and profound. Harmony,
the supreme value cherished in ancient China, lies at the heart of the Chinese
culture. The Book of History, an ancient classic in China for example, advocates
amity among people and friendly exchanges among nations.
The Chinese cultural tradition values peace as the most precious. This has
nurtured the broad mind of the Chinese nation. The Chinese nation is generous
and tolerant, just as Mother Earth cares for all living things. She is in
constant pursuit of justice, just as the eternal movement of the Universe.
In the 15th century, the famous Chinese navigator Zheng He led seven
maritime expeditions to the Western Seas and reached over 30countries. He took
with him Chinese tea, silk and porcelain and helped local people fight pirates
as he sailed along. He was truly a messenger of love and friendship.
The argument that a big power is bound to seek hegemony does not apply to
China. Seeking hegemony goes against China's cultural tradition as well as the
will of the Chinese people. China's development harms no one and threatens no
one. We shall be a peace-loving country, a country that is eager to learn from
and cooperate with others. We are committed to building a harmonious world.
Different countries and nations need to respect, tolerate and learn from
each other's culture. Today, 300 million Chinese are learning English and over
one million of our young people are studying abroad. The cultures and arts of
various parts of the world are featured daily on China's television, radio and
print media. Had we not learned from others through exchanges and enriched
ourselves by drawing on others' experience, we would not have enjoyed today's
prosperity and progress.
In the 21st century, economic globalization and the information network
have linked us all together. Different cultures live together and influence each
other. No culture can flourish in isolation. How much a country or a nation
contributes to the culture of humanity is increasingly determined by her ability
to absorb foreign cultures and renew herself. That is why China will remain open
and receptive, value her own traditions while drawing on others' successful
experience, and achieve economic prosperity and social progress in a civilized
and harmonious way.
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