2020年1月15日，由新航道国际教育集团与中国教育电视台主办，21世纪英文报、爱奇艺、中国银行、万事达卡协办，面向全国大中小学生的“用英语讲中国故事”活动在京正式启动。

中国政府“友谊奖”获得者、厦门大学外籍专家、“用英语讲中国故事”活动形象大使潘维廉教授现身启动仪式，现场讲述他与“中国故事”的不解之缘。潘教授在现场致辞中勉励中国青少年要学好英语，“学会用英语讲中国故事”，因为它既是一种学习英语的方式，也为中外交流提供了绝佳的范本，学会用得体、准确、优雅的语言向外国人介绍中国的历史、文化和现代成就，增进中国与世界的理解、交流。

潘维廉（Dr. William N.Brown）“感动中国2019年度人物”候选人、厦门大学管理学院教授，曾荣获中国政府授予的“国家友谊奖”、福建省荣誉公民等称号。潘维廉教授是《用英语讲中国故事》丛书的主编之一，并在2019年11月担任新航道“用英语讲中国故事”形象大使，与中国故事研究院携手讲述中国故事，让世界更了解中国。

潘维廉：让我们走向世界，也让世界走向中国

自1988年以来，我一直在用英语讲中国故事，因此，有此机会表达我的一些想法，我感到十分高兴，也倍感荣幸。

I am honored and delighted to speak a few words today--especially because I have been telling China’s story in English since I moved to Mainland China in September, 1988! 

01 亲眼见证中国梦

到厦门的第一天，我就发现中国根本就不是大多西方媒体所描述的那个国家。不久，我就被中国人民的热情、好客所感染。正如世界上其他国家的人们，他们也都怀揣着为下一代创造和平繁荣的生活的梦想。在随即给亲友写的信中，我希望通过我的讲述，帮他们认识一个真实的中国。但在1988年时，我还从未曾想到这个世界上人口最多的国家最终会实现它的中国梦。

From my first day in Xiamen, I realized that China was not at all like the country depicted by most Western media. I quickly found that Chinese were warm, hospitable people, and that they shared the same dream as people the world over—a peaceful, prosperous life for their children. So I immediately began writing letters to family and friends to help them see the real China, but in 1988 I would have never imagined that the world’s most populous nation would actually achieve their China Dream!

△潘教授一家刚到厦门时在当地游玩

1993年中国收到了“世界粮食奖”，当时的世界银行行长罗伯特·麦克纳马拉称赞中国的农业成就是“一项奇迹，一项被大多数西方国家忽视但推动了全人类发展的奇迹”。

In 1993, when China received the World Food Prize, former World Bank president Robert McNamara praised China’s agricultural gains as “something of a miracle, a human development miracle that has gone largely unnoticed in the West.”

西方世界对此也许并未重视，但我却恰恰相反。1994年，我和家人驱车4万公里环游中国，甚至途经内蒙和西藏，去亲眼一睹中国的变化。当时这片土地上的人们，为消除贫困所做的努力深深震撼着我。但即使如此，在2013年听到国家领导人提到“中国将在2020年全面消除贫困人口”时，我仍有所怀疑。于是，2019年7月，我再次驾车环游中国，去看看这个目标在2020年是否能够实现。无论是在中国北部的内蒙，还是途经宁夏向西直抵西藏，在每一个角落我都看到了中国梦。

The West may have ignored it but I did not. In 1994, my family and I drove 40,000 km around China, even into Inner Mongolia and Tibet, to see China’s changes first hand, and we were astonished at how China was fighting poverty in every corner of the country. But even so, I was skeptical when, in 2013, Xi Jinping said China could end poverty by 2020! So in July, 2019, I again drove around China to see if such a goal was feasible by 2020. I was amazed to find that every corner of the country, from Inner Mongolia in the North to Ningxia and Tibet in the West, was sharing in the China Dream!

1994年，因为糟糕的路况我曾在一条国道上被困3天，当时这条路刚经历了一次暴雨的冲刷。而今天，中国享有世界上最广阔的高速公路和高速铁路网络，即使在最偏远的山区，也依山傍壑铺上了“到门到户”的蜿蜒水泥马路，通向由政府为当地农民修建的新家。记得在上世纪90年代，我买一台电话机需要450美金和3年时间，而今天，即使新疆和宁夏等内陆西北省份的农民都能通过微信进行快捷地支付，他们享有的交易便利与身处大城市的我们并无二致。

In 1994, I was stranded 3 days even on a national highway after rains washed it out. Today, China has the world’s most extensive highway and high-speed train systems. Even in the remotest areas, farmers have concrete roads snaking through deep valleys to the very doorsteps of new homes the government helped them build. In the 90s, it cost me 450 USD and I waited 3 years for a telephone. Today, farmers in Tibet and Ningxia use cell phones for WeChat and to buy and sell online just like we do in the biggest cities. 

△潘教授1994年第一次环游中国之旅

无论现代中国还是古代中国，它的伟大不仅源自富有远见的上层领导，还源自民众的创新精神和坚韧决心。在内蒙，我曾遇到一位母亲。她靠贩卖传统小吃赚到了女儿的大学学费，供她去厦门大学深造！那就是中国梦！但世界上许多其他国家的人们还并未意识到。这也正是我们需要用英语讲中国故事的原因。

I found that modern China, like ancient China, is great because it has both top-down farsighted leadership as well as bottom-up innovation and determination. In Inner Mongolia, for example, I met a mother who earned enough from making traditional Mongolian snacks to send her daughter to my own Xiamen University! That is the China dream! Unfortunately, the rest of the world still does not understand that dream—which is why we need to tell China’s stories in English. 

02书写自己的中国故事

2001年，尚在福建任职的国家领导人鼓励我写更多向世界讲述中国故事的书籍；此后，我写书10余本，讲述中国的故事。2019年1月，我给国家领导人寄去了我的新书《我不见外》，这是用从我写给亲友的几千封信中所挑选的40几封汇聚而成。能收到日理万机的国家领导人的回复，真是令人喜出望外。

In 2001, when Xi Jinping was governor of Fujian, he asked me to write more books to tell China’s story to the world, so I’ve now written a dozen books. In January, 2019, I sent Xi Jinping my newest book, “Off the Wall” (我不见外), which includes over 40 of my thousands of letters to friends and family. I never imagined that President Xi would write a letter in response! 

他在信中说道：“我相信，你将会见证一个更加繁荣进步，幸福美好的中国，一个更多造福世界和人类的中国，你笔下的中国故事也一定会更精彩。”

He said, “I believe you will witness even more flourishing progress, a happier and more beautiful China, a China that will make even greater contributions to the world and humanity, and your pen’s China stories will certainly be even more wonderful.” 

我也相信我将会写出更多精彩的故事，但并非我的文笔精彩，而是中国故事本就精彩！但我讲述的故事还是十分有限。要让世界更好地了解中国，诸位年轻的朋友，你们也将是重要的力量，也源自于此，我和新航道国际教育集团“用英语讲中国故事”系列产生了强烈共鸣！

I am also confident I will write more wonderful stories—but not because I’m a good writer, only because China’s story is wonderful! But my stories aren’t enough. For the world to understand China, you too must help tell China’s Story—which is why I’m so excited about New Channel’s “Retelling Chinese Stories in English” series!

03与用英语讲中国故事结缘

记得3年前，新航道国际教育集团董事长胡敏教授邀我加入“用英语讲中国故事”丛书的编辑团队，当时我十分激动，也深觉荣幸。随后，我就领悟到这个新系列的重要性。我认为至少可以从以下3个方面去理解：

I was excited and honored when, three years ago, New Channel’s CEO, Professor Hu Min, invited me to be one of the editors for his “Stories of China Retold in English” project. I immediately saw that this new series is very important for at least three reasons. 

首先，它不仅包括许多经典传统故事，也不乏现代中国飞速发展的奇迹，用全新的视角展示了让生机勃勃的古老中国至今还屹立在世界舞台之上的隽永精神和永恒价值。

This series’ retells both classic and modern stories in a fresh light to reveal the ageless spirit and values of China that make it a vibrant and positive influence upon the world to this day. 

从孔夫子登临泰山的故事，我们读到了中国梦背后坚忍不拔的意志；从1400多年前修建赵州桥的故事和21世纪修建港珠澳大桥的壮举，我们读到了中华民族古已有之的创新精神和不竭才智；从苏武风雪19载深处苍凉北海之滨牧羊的故事，我们读到了中华民族生生不息的爱国情怀；从杂交水稻的故事，我们读到了中华民族战胜贫困、解决世界1/5人口吃饭问题的伟大奇迹。

Confucius’ ascent of Mount Tai, for example, exemplifies the unflagging determination that has made the China Dream possible. The story of the 1400 year old Zhaozhou Bridge and the saga of the Hong Kong-Macao-Zhuhai Bridge reflect China’s age-old creativity and resourcefulness. Su Wu’s 19 years of tending sheep exemplifies Chinese’ age-old patriotism. The story of hybrid rice sheds light on how China has defeated poverty for 1/5 of the world’s population.

它们不只是一个个开拓进取的故事，更是一扇扇向世界展示中国精神的窗口，也是一段段和外国友人展开的生动对话。

Each story is not only an adventure but also a window upon the soul of China—and a fresh conversation to have with foreigners! 

第二，还有什么比用英语向外国人讲中国故事更能提高英语水平的方法呢？作为一名老外，我必须承认，对于别人仅将我作为练习英语的对象，我有时也深感烦恼。尽管我很乐意提供帮助，但对于诸如“你好，你过得怎么样，你从哪里来”这类无限循环的问题，也真心有些疲倦了。

What better way to improve English than sharing China’s story in English with foreigners? I must confess that, as a foreigner myself, I sometimes get tired of Chinese using me as a target for English practice. I’m happy to help, but I get tired of the endless loop of identical questions. “Hello!” “How are you?” “Where are you from?” “Where do you work?” “How much do you earn?”

记得上世纪90年代初，我为此深感懊恼，于是，对所有前来闪烁着明亮眼神、全神贯注盯着我的英语学习者，我都分发自制小卡片用作回复。卡片上面写着：“你好，我叫比尔·布朗，来自美国。我在厦门大学执教，薪水足够支付税收，但还没多到要去逃税。很高兴能跟你说话。”

In the early 90s, it so frustrated me that I finally started handing out cards to any bright-eyed English learner that zeroed in on me. The card read, “Hello, I’m Bill Brown. I’m from the U.S. I teach at Xiamen University. I earn enough money to pay taxes but not enough money to avoid taxes. Nice talking to you!”

事实上，包括我在内的，所有呆在中国的外国人，都非常乐意分享我们对这个伟大国家的历史、文化和现代生活的看法。没有人会对这样的话题感到厌烦！

But there is no doubt that any foreigner in China, including me, would be delighted to talk with Chinese who can share insights on this great nation’s history, culture and modern life! Who could ever tire of such a conversation?

第三，双语系列不仅有助于中国人学习英语，对外国人学习汉语也大有帮助。像我本人对《论语》《孙子兵法》这类双语经典就非常感兴趣。这些经典阐释得当，呈现形式结合自然。除了采用中英双语，经典原文还配有带声调的拼音，这对致力精进汉语学习的外国人来说可谓十分有益，当然这也包括对我的汉语学习有着明显的益处。学习汉语是我来中国的初衷，我仍希望在某天能熟练地掌握运用它。也许那时我已经不再担任教学工作，但我希望能一直为“讲中国故事”贡献自己的力量。

Finally, this series is not only helpful for Chinese learning English but also for foreigners learning Chinese! I am especially excited about the newer, bilingual classics such as Confucius’ Analects and Sunzi’s Art of War. Beautifully illustrated and bound, they not only have Chinese and English but also pinyin with tones, which I’ve found invaluable for foreigners seeking to master Chinese—like me! Learning Chinese, after all, was my initial goal in coming to China, and I still hope to master it someday—perhaps after I retire from teaching, though I hope to never retire from telling China’s Story.

比起应邀参加这套新颖丛书的编写工作时的兴奋，此次应邀成为“用英语讲中国故事形象大使”，更感震撼和荣幸！听胡敏教授讲述新航道对该系列的开发计划，无论是音频书籍的制作，互动网站的搭建，论坛、博客的运营，还是动画视频的设计和才艺秀的推广，以及和像中国教育电视台这样一流的媒体的合作，都令人十分的激动。

Although I was delighted to be asked to help edit this unique series, I was even more surprised, and honored, when I was asked to be the “Stories of China Retold in English” Ambassador! Professor Hu Min has shared New Channel’s exciting plans for expanding this series, including new books with audio, interactive websites, forums, blogs, animated videos, contests and talent shows, and even cooperation with China Education Television.

希望诸位青年朋友在向世界讲述中国故事的同时，也能提升自身的英语水平。在我看来，这不仅是一次令人深感荣幸的机会，更是一份催人奋进的责任。

I encourage you all to take advantage of these great opportunities to improve your English while at the same time sharing China’s Story to the world. In my eyes, this is not only an opportunity and privilege but also a responsibility for all of us.

在2019年的两会上，国家领导人说到他和福建的缘分，他在那里曾生活工作了17年半。事实上，你我和中国也都有着无法割舍的缘分！我们无法选择出生的时间和地点，但我认为我正生活在一个最好的时代。在这里，我见证了历史上最大规模的贫困人口得以消除，也见证了“一带一路”倡议让沿线数十个国家的建设获得帮助。能够亲历这些历史时刻，是多么荣耀的事情呀！

At the annual congress of 2019, Xi Jinping said he had fate yuanfen with Fujian, where he lived and worked for 17 ½ years. But in fact, you and I also have Yuanfen with China! None of us chose where to be born, or when, and I could not imagine being alive in a more exciting period. What a privilege to witness China lift more people from poverty than any other nation in history—and through the Belt and Road Initiative, to help dozens of other nations. 

然而，世界上大多数国家仍未真正了解中国。打开世界的眼睛，不仅需要政府和媒体的力量，更需要我们每一个人尽力讲好中国的故事。对于担任“用英语讲中国故事形象大使”一职，我深感荣幸，但这不仅属于我，也属于诸位年轻的朋友，正是你们将向世界讲述最动人的中国故事。

Yet the fact remains that most of the world still does not really understand China. To open the world’s eyes, we can’t just rely upon the government and media. Each of us must do our part in telling China’s Story. I am honored to be the Retelling China Stories in English Ambassador, but you are also Ambassadors—Ambassadors of China to the world. 

让我们走向世界，也让世界走向中国。

So let’s go into the world, and help the world to come to China。

谢谢！

Thank you!

“用英语讲中国故事”活动，以“用双语展示中华文化，在故事里读懂中国”为宗旨，为热爱中华优秀文化、善于用英语讲述中国故事的大、中、小学生提供一个展示自我风采的舞台。

旨在为青少年提供一个弘扬中华优秀文化、与世界交流的平台。通过英语演讲激发青少年的创意与活力，向世人展现一个丰富多彩、生机盎然的中国。

如果你的孩子也有与世界分享中国故事的梦想，以及卓越的中英双语语言能力，那么赶快报名参加活动吧！

温馨提示！！！复制并打开链接，可以马上提交报名哦！https://jinshuju.net/f/RyDwsT?x_field_1=CHN