驻英国大使刘晓明在苏格兰中小学孔子学院成立5周年庆典上的讲话：

《传承合作与友谊，深化交流与互鉴》

（2017年9月19日，苏格兰思克莱德大学）

Remarks by H.E Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the Fifth Anniversary Celebration of the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools: Seeds of Friendship and Fruits of Cooperation

19 September 2017, University of Strathclyde

尊敬的苏格兰教育和科技部长萨莫维尔女士，

尊敬的思克莱德大学校长麦克唐纳德爵士，
老师们、同学们、朋友们：

Minister Somervill,

Sir Jim McDonald,

Teachers, Students and Friends:

非常高兴出席今天的庆典。首先，我谨对苏格兰中小学孔子学院成立5周年、获得“示范孔子学院”称号表示衷心祝贺。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂

It is a great pleasure to be back in Scotland and join you for today's celebration.

To begin with, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools (CISS) on your fifth anniversary. I also want to give you a big hand on becoming a Model Confucius Institute.

这是我第二次访问格拉斯哥市，上一次是在6年前满目苍翠的盛夏，苏格兰人民对中国人民的美好情谊给我留下深刻印象。此次则恰逢金秋时节。如果说第一次访问是一次“开启友谊之旅”，我的这次访问就是一次“深化合作之旅”，目的就是为了传承友谊、深化合作。

This is my second visit to Glasgow. Last time I came in the height of summer. The warm feeling of the Scottish people for the Chinese people deeply impressed me. This time, I came in the golden autumn. If my first visit was a trip to "forge friendship", this time I call it a trip to "deepen cooperation". I have come to renew our friendship and strengthen cooperative ties.

我记得苏格兰著名作家托马斯·卡莱尔曾经说过，“一颗爱心是一切知识的泉源。”这句话让我想起苏格兰著名运动员埃里克·里德尔与中国的故事。他出生在中国天津市，毕业于爱丁堡大学，是一位天才运动员，曾获得奥运会400米冠军。上世纪20年代，他从苏格兰回到出生地中国，在天津一所中学教书近20年，深受中国学生喜爱。抗日战争期间，他被日本侵略军押送到潍坊集中营。在囚禁生活期间，他始终保持乐观，给集中营里的孩子们编写课本、补习功课，让他们在艰难困苦中感受到爱与阳光，孩子们称他为“飞毛腿叔叔”。里德尔用自己年轻的生命，书写了中苏友谊的颂歌，谱写了双方教育交流的一段佳话。

Scottish writer Thomas Carlyle has a saying:

"A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge."

His words remind me of Eric Liddell, the famous Scottish athlete, and his story with China.

Born in the Chinese city of Tianjin and a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Eric Liddell was a genius runner. He won an Olympic gold medal in 400 metres. In the 1920s, he returned to his birthplace in China and became a middle school teacher. He spent 20 years there and was loved dearly by his students.  After the Japanese invasion of China, he was detained by the Japanese aggressors and sent to the concentration camp in Weifang. Despite the ill fate, his spirit was strong. He wrote textbooks and continued to teach the children at the camp. In those harsh times, he brought love and sunshine to the hearts of the children and was lovingly known as "Uncle Eric".

His life was short, but what he did is an ode to China-Scotland friendship and educational exchange. His name and story have lived on.

这个感人的故事只是中英、中苏教育交流长河中的一朵浪花。70多年过去了，双方教育交流日益紧密、合作成果日益丰硕，特别是在英孔子学院发展喜人，已经成为中英人文交流的生动诠释。目前，英国拥有29所孔子学院和145所孔子课堂，注册学员超过13万，位居欧洲榜首。苏格兰地区已经拥有5所孔子学院，按人口计算是全球孔子学院分布最密集的地区，每百万人就拥有一所孔子学院，这从一个侧面反映出苏格兰人民对中国文化的喜爱。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂

This touching story is one of the many examples of the educational exchanges between China and the UK, particularly between China and Scotland.

70 years after Eric Liddell's story, China-UK educational ties have grown closer and educational cooperation has delivered many outcomes.

· The Confucius Institute in the UK is growing fast. It has become a vivid example of cultural exchanges between our two countries.

· At present, there are 29 Confucius Institutes and 145 Confucius Classrooms across this country. The number of registered students has exceeded 130,000, more than that of any European country.

· Scotland is home to five Confucius Institutes. That means there is one Confucius Institute for every one million people in Scotland. Therefore, in terms of Confucius Institutes per head, Scotland has a higher ratio than any other place in the world.

· This in a sense reflects the Scottish people's enthusiasm for the Chinese culture.

5年前，在中国天津市教委、苏格兰国家语言中心、思克莱德大学三方鼎力合作下，全英首个政府间主导的孔子学院—苏格兰中小学孔子学院正式成立。5年来，苏格兰中小学孔子学院充分借助双方教育部门的优势资源，积极融入当地社会，在语言学习和文化交流中，成功探索出一条独具特色的发展之路。苏格兰中小学孔子学院的英文缩写是“CISS”，

Five years ago, the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools was officially established. CISS is the first inter-governmental Confucius Institute. This achievement is accredited to the joint efforts of Tianjin Municipal Educational Commission, Scotland's National Centre for Languages and the University of Strathclyde.

Over the past five years, CISS has made good use of the educational resources of both China and Scotland and worked vigorously to adapt to the local needs. You have found a unique way in language teaching and cultural exchanges. I would like to summarize the progress and success of CISS with your own acronym, C-I-S-S.

我想对这四个字母做进一步的解读：

第一个字母“C”代表合作（Collaboration）。自创建以来，苏格兰中小学孔院依托思克莱德大学，始终秉承合作发展理念，紧密结合当地教育发展实际需求，不断创新工作内涵，拓宽合作领域逐步发展壮大。目前，孔院的合作伙伴已包括苏格兰歌剧院、苏格兰学校足球教育协会、苏格兰皇家音乐学院、苏格兰皇家动物协会等诸多专业机构。苏格兰中小学孔院的发展不仅增进了苏格兰各界人士对孔院的认识与理解，也大大促进了苏格兰在教育、文化、体育、商业等领域对华合作。

The first letter C is for Collaboration.

Since establishment, CISS has worked closely with the University of Strathclyde and always heeded to the local need in education.

Your creative endeavours have helped expand its cooperation to wider fields.

Now, CISS has partnered with many professional institutions such as the Scottish Opera, the Scottish Schools' Football Association, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

With active and engaging efforts, CISS has not only won many Scottish friends for the Confucius Institute. You have also significantly promoted Scotland's cooperation with China in education, culture, sports, business, etc.

第二个字母“I”代表启迪（Inspiration）。作为苏格兰地区唯一以中小学为基础的孔子学院，苏格兰中小学孔子学院用智慧与汗水启迪青少年学生们的心灵与梦想，造就了一批中国语言与文化的爱好者和中英友谊的小使者。这些青少年学生用自己的从学经历启迪了更多同龄人，使友谊的种子在双方民众之间生根发芽、开花结果。尤其值得一提的是，在天津市政府和苏格兰政府大力资助下，孔院为家庭有困难的孩子实现互访提供了资金支持，进一步激发了孩子们学习和了解对方语言文化的梦想。苏格兰中小学孔子学院已日益成为苏格兰人民认识中国、增进与中国友谊的重要窗口。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂

The second letter I is for Inspiration.

CISS is the only Confucius Institute in Scotland devoted to middle and elementary school education.

·  You kindle the fire in the hearts of young people to pursue their dreams.

· You build a platform for those who love the Chinese language and culture.

· And you help bring up a generation of young ambassadors who promote China-UK friendship.

· In turn, these young people inspire more people to pursue their dreams. They will sow the seeds of friendship, which will grow to bear fruits.

Here I wish to once again thank the governments of Tianjin and Scotland. Thanks to their joint efforts, financial support by Confucius Institute for pupil exchange is now made available where needed. This further facilitates our children to study and learn each other's language.

And I want to commend CISS for being an important window on China and for helping the Scottish people learn more about China and build closer friendship with China.

第三个字母“S”代表支持（Support）。苏格兰政府高度重视国际化和语言学习，推出了语言“1+2”政策，旨在确保每个孩子有机会学习包括汉语在内的第二门外语。苏格兰中小学孔子学院正是这一政策的积极倡导者和重要推动者，汉语教学覆盖了苏格兰地区400余所学校，其中已有86所小学和37所中学将汉语作为正式第二外语，选择汉语的学生数已超越盖尔语和意大利语。孔子学院通过“商业早餐”项目，积极推行政府“发展青年劳动力”政策，这将助力苏格兰政府实现“提高成绩、缩小差距”的教育目标。

The third letter S is for Support.

Scottish Government pays top attention to international education and language learning. It has opted for a 1+2 approach to language learning. This makes sure that every child in Scotland has access to learning a second foreign language including Chinese.

CISS has been an active advocate and played a key role in supporting this policy. At present, Chinese language courses are available in more than 400 schools across Scotland. Chinese is officially a second foreign language in 86 elementary schools and 37 middle schools.  And it has overtaken Gaelic and Italian as a popular choice of second foreign language.

The Confucius Institute has also launched the Business Brunch project. This is a strong support for Scotland's policy of Developing Young Workforce through education by "raising attainment and closing the gap."

第四个字母又是“S”，代表快速（Swiftness）。苏格兰中小学孔子学院尽管创建只有短短5年，但双方教职员工齐心协力，携手奋进，实现了跨越式发展。5年间，教师数量从最初的9人发展到目前的50人，下设孔子课堂也从最初的9间发展到现在的44间，涵盖了苏格兰最北端的设得兰群岛。5年间，苏格兰孔子学院已累计培养了约3万多学生，这个速度令人惊叹，难怪孔子学院的同行们将其比喻为“苏格兰的中国高铁”。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂

The fourth letter and another S is for Swiftness.

Although it has been only five years since CISS was established, huge progress has been achieved. This should be accredited to the joint efforts of the faculty members from both China and Scotland.

Five years ago, CISS had only nine teachers. Now, there are 50.

Five years ago, there were only 9 Confucius Classrooms. Now there are 44, including the one in as far north as Shetland.

In five years time, about 30,000 students have studied in CISS.

No wonder the colleagues from other Confucius Institutes admiringly call CISS the "Chinese high speed train in Scotland."

苏格兰中小学孔子学院取得的傲人成绩，凝聚着双方各界人士和广大教职员工的心血与付出。借此机会，我谨向在座各位代表，并通过你们向长期以来热情关心和大力支持孔子学院的各界朋友们，致以崇高的敬意和衷心的感谢！

While we are amazed by the achievements of CISS, we must never forget the commitment and contribution of the Confucius Institute staff and the support of people from all walks of life.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay my highest tribute and extend my sincerest thanks to everyone present today. Please pass on my appreciation to all the friends who have given their support to the development of CISS and other Confucius Institutes.

女士们、先生们，

Ladies and Gentlemen,

我们今天所处的时代，是一个不同文明交流融汇的时代，是一个互鉴共荣的时代。目前，全球学习汉语人数超过1亿人，孔子学院已经日益成为连结中国和各国人民心灵的纽带，传递爱与友谊的渠道，增进了解与合作的平台。

We are living in a time of vigorous and productive exchanges between diverse civilizations. We are living in a time of mutual learning for common progress.

Today, more than 100 million people across the world are learning Chinese. The Confucius Institutes are serving as a bridge to link the hearts of people around the world. They are a channel to spread love and friendship. They are a platform to build up understanding and strengthen cooperation.

2015年，中国国家主席习近平对英成功国事访问，开启了中英关系“黄金时代”。访问期间，习主席为全球第1000个孔子课堂揭牌，并寄语孔子学院“继续秉承相互尊重、友好协商、平等互利的校训，为传播文化、沟通心灵、促进世界文明多样性作出新的更大贡献。”这为孔子学院发展指明了前进方向，也提出了更高要求。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂

In 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to the UK. The visit heralded the China-UK "Golden Era". During the visit, President Xi unveiled the 1000th Confucius Classroom of the world.

At the unveiling ceremony, he said:

I hope the Confucius Institute will continue to live by its motto of "mutual respect, friendly consultation, equality and mutual benefit" to make even more contribution to the spread of cultures, heart-to-heart communication and diverse development of the human civilization.

I think President Xi has pointed out the way forward and set a grand objective.

中国有句古话：“各美其美，美人之美，美美与共，天下大同”。孔子学院源于中国，也属于世界。展望未来，我相信，在双方共同努力下，以苏格兰中小学孔子学院为代表的苏格兰地区孔子学院一定会越办越好，一定会为传承中国与苏格兰的合作与友谊，为促进东西方文明交流与互鉴，为推进中英关系“黄金时代”做出新的更大贡献！微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂

As we Chinese say,

"Appreciate the beauty of an alien culture as do one's own and let the beauty of different cultures be shared. That is when there is harmony under the sun."

The Confucius Institute is from China. The Confucius Institute belongs to the world. Looking ahead into the future, I believe that as long as we work together:

· The Confucius Institutes in Scotland, represented by CISS, will make even greater progress.

· You will carry forward China-Scotland cooperation and friendship.

· You will continue to facilitate mutual learning and exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations.

· And in this process, you will contribute to an enduring China-UK "Golden Era".

谢谢！

Thank you!