外交部长秦刚在《华盛顿邮报》发表署名文章

2023年1月4日，外交部长秦刚大使在美国《华盛顿邮报》发表题为《稳定的中美关系攸关我们星球的前途命运》的署名文章。

🤔️小作业：

无注释原文：

Qin Gang: The planet’s future depends on a stable China-U.S. relationship

From: The Washington Post

“The end,” wrote the poet T.S. Eliot, “is where we start from.” As I leave the United States this week to start a new journey, memorable scenes from my time in this country keep flashing back in my mind.

I visited 22 states and discovered a country different from what I know in Washington, D.C. In the spring, I visited the Kimberley Farm in Iowa, which President Xi Jinping visited in 2012. I tried my hand at driving a John Deere tractor and tasted the local produce. In the fall, I visited a corn and soybean farm in Missouri and was deeply moved by my hosts’ sincerity and hospitality.

I saw with my own eyes how Chinese-American agricultural cooperation benefited both countries and contributed to both the global food supply and the fight against climate change. In Minneapolis, I taught a class to kids in a Chinese language immersion school, and one of the students there just won the Chinese Bridge language competition. I visited Chinese-owned factories in Ohio and California, as American workers explained that Chinese investments helped to put food on their tables. At the ports of Boston and Long Beach, I saw huge stacks of containers shipped from and to China, a testament to the high degree of economic interdependence between our two countries — and a reminder that decoupling serves no one’s interest.

At Busch Stadium in St. Louis, I threw out the first pitch at a Cardinals game to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Nanjing-St. Louis sister-city relations, our two countries’ oldest such pairing. I celebrated, together with American friends, the 50th anniversary of the giant pandas’ arrival in the United States.

These are, for me, important memories about this country, and I will hold them in my heart. My posting in the United States will provide unfailing strength for me as a diplomat. Going forward, the development of China-U.S. relations will remain an important mission of mine in my new position.

I became ambassador to the United States at a complex and difficult time for China-U.S. relations. Almost all of the dialogue and exchange mechanisms were suspended. Chinese enterprises were unfairly sanctioned. Compounded by the pandemic, people-to-people exchanges were severely impacted. China was often described as America’s “most serious competitor.”

As ambassador, I took it as my mission to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and work for the stability, improvement and development of China-U.S. relations. Improving relations takes work by both sides. I had candid dialogue and built sound working relations with U.S. government officials to properly handle thorny issues, such as the Taiwan question, and to advance cooperation in important areas.

I met with more than 80 members of Congress, including some well-known China hawks, to explain China’s positions and concerns, while lending an ear to theirs as well. I explored with think tanks on how to rebuild a stable, predictable and constructive framework for bilateral relations. I was encouraged by the business community’s confidence in the Chinese market and its strong desire for continued cooperation. I visited many American universities, and helped U.S. students who were kept from going to China because of the pandemic return to their Chinese campuses. I did many interviews with American media. Though we did not always see eye to eye, I appreciated their readiness to listen to the Chinese perspective.

I leave the United States more convinced that the door to China-U.S. relations will remain open and cannot be closed. I am also more convinced that Americans, just like the Chinese people, are broad-minded, friendly and hard-working. The future of both our peoples — indeed, the future of the entire planet — depends on a healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship.

My time here also reminds me that China-U.S. relations should not be a zero-sum game in which one side out-competes the other or one nation thrives at the expense of the other. The world is wide enough for China and the United States to both develop and prosper. The successes of our two countries are shared opportunities, not winner-take-all challenges. We must not allow prejudice or misperception to ignite confrontation or conflict between two great peoples. We should follow the strategic guidance of our presidents and find the right way to get along for the well-being of the world.

This will not be, as Americans sometimes say, a “walk in the park.” It requires the persistent efforts of everyone. However, history will prove that what we have begun is essential and worthwhile.

I will take all these memories with me when I go back. The poet Eliot also wrote, “To make an end is to make a beginning.” I believe that the relations between our countries will follow that path.

注：中文文本为外交部官网译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Qin Gang: The planet’s future depends on a stable China-U.S. relationship

稳定的中美关系攸关我们星球的前途命运

From: The Washington Post

“The end,” wrote the poet T.S. Eliot, “is where we start from.” As I leave the United States this week to start a new journey, memorable scenes from my time in this country keep flashing back in my mind.

美国诗人艾略特曾经写道，终点即是我们的起点。我于本周离开美国，开始人生新征程，然而时时萦绕在我脑海里的仍然是在美工作生活的幅幅画面。

表示“回忆起，回想起，记起”，英文解释为“If your mind or thoughts flash back to something that happened in the past, you suddenly remember it.”举个🌰：

Her mind flashed back to the day of their divorce. 她回忆起他们离婚那天的情景。

I visited 22 states and discovered a country different from what I know in Washington, D.C. In the spring, I visited the Kimberley Farm in Iowa, which President Xi Jinping visited in 2012. I tried my hand at driving a John Deere tractor and tasted the local produce. In the fall, I visited a corn and soybean farm in Missouri and was deeply moved by my hosts’ sincerity and hospitality.

我走访了美国22个州，发现了华盛顿之外不一样的美国。在播撒希望的春天里，我到访习近平主席2012年曾访问过的艾奥瓦州金伯利农场，试驾农业拖拉机，品尝当地农产品。在收获果实的秋天里，我又走进密苏里州大豆和玉米农场田间地头，在那里，美国农民的质朴和好客深深打动了我。

tractor /ˈtræk.tər/ 表示“拖拉机”，英文解释为“a motor vehicle with large back wheels and thick tyres, used on farms for pulling machinery”

熟词僻义，不可数名词，表示“产品，（尤指）农产品”，英文解释为“Produce is fruit and vegetables that are grown in large quantities to be sold.”举个🌰：

We manage to get most of our produce in farmers' markets. 我们设法在农贸市场弄到大部分我们需要的农产品。

表示“（待客用的）食物，饮料；招待，款待”，英文解释为“food, drink, entertainment, etc. that an organization provides for guests or business partners”如：the hospitality industry (= hotels, restaurants, etc.) 招待性行业（如旅馆、饭店等）。

I saw with my own eyes how Chinese-American agricultural cooperation benefited both countries and contributed to both the global food supply and the fight against climate change. In Minneapolis, I taught a class to kids in a Chinese language immersion school, and one of the students there just won the Chinese Bridge language competition. I visited Chinese-owned factories in Ohio and California, as American workers explained that Chinese investments helped to put food on their tables. At the ports of Boston and Long Beach, I saw huge stacks of containers shipped from and to China, a testament to the high degree of economic interdependence between our two countries — and a reminder that decoupling serves no one’s interest.

我也感受到中美农业合作不仅有利于两国，也有利于减少全球粮食供应的不稳定性和应对全球气候变化。在明尼阿波利斯市的沉浸式中文学校，我客串了一把中文老师，该校一名学生最近还获得“汉语桥”世界小学生中文秀全球总冠军。在俄亥俄和加州的工厂里，美国工人告诉我这些中国投资的企业为他们创造了就业，他们及其家人的生活有了可靠保障。在加州长滩港和马萨诸塞州波士顿港，我看到了堆积如山的往来中美的集装箱，切身体会到中美经贸高度依存，“脱钩断链”并不符合任何一方利益。

immersion /ɪˈmɜː.ʃən/ 表示“沉浸式学习（法）”，英文解释为“the process of learning a language or skill by using nothing else but that language or skill”举个🌰：

We have all learned a complex set of grammar rules simply by immersion in a language since birth. 我们从一出生就沉浸在一门语言中，因此学会了一套复杂的语法规则。

testament /ˈtes.tə.mənt/ 表示“证明；验证”，英文解释为“proof”举个🌰：

The detail of her wildlife paintings is (a) testament to (= proof of) her powers of observation. 她画野生动物十分细致，这证明她有很强的观察能力。

表示“使分开，使脱离”，英文解释为“to separate from someone or something else; to separate something from something else that it was joined to or part of”举个🌰：

The optimists thought the rest of the world would be able to decouple from the problems of the American housing market. 乐观主义者认为，世界其他地区将能够与美国房地产市场的问题脱钩。

At Busch Stadium in St. Louis, I threw out the first pitch at a Cardinals game to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Nanjing-St. Louis sister-city relations, our two countries’ oldest such pairing. I celebrated, together with American friends, the 50th anniversary of the giant pandas’ arrival in the United States.

在圣路易斯市红雀队主场，我为棒球比赛开球，纪念南京和圣路易斯建立第一对中美友好城市43周年。我还与美国朋友们一起庆祝大熊猫抵美50周年。

pitch /pɪtʃ/ 1）表示“投球”，英文解释为“a throw in a baseball game”如：a good/bad pitch 质量好/差的投球

2）表示“运动场地；（尤指）足球场”，英文解释为“an area painted with lines for playing particular sports, especially football”如：a football/hockey/cricket pitch 足球/曲棍球/板球赛场。

These are, for me, important memories about this country, and I will hold them in my heart. My posting in the United States will provide unfailing strength for me as a diplomat. Going forward, the development of China-U.S. relations will remain an important mission of mine in my new position.

这样美好、生动的场景还有很多很多。驻美经历是我作为一名外交官的难忘记忆，也将是我一生的宝贵财富。在新的岗位上，推动中美关系发展仍将是我的重要使命之一。

I became ambassador to the United States at a complex and difficult time for China-U.S. relations. Almost all of the dialogue and exchange mechanisms were suspended. Chinese enterprises were unfairly sanctioned. Compounded by the pandemic, people-to-people exchanges were severely impacted. China was often described as America’s “most serious competitor.”

在我赴任中国驻美大使之时，中美关系面临复杂困难局面，两国对话交流机制几乎全部中断停摆，中国企业被无理制裁打压，加上疫情的影响，双方人文交流受到严重阻碍。中国常被视为美“最严峻竞争者”。

1）表示“（因犯错而）暂令停职；暂令停学；暂令停止参加活动”，英文解释为“If someone is suspended from work, school, etc., they are temporarily not allowed to work, go to school, or take part in an activity because of having done something wrong.”举个🌰：

He was suspended for four games after arguing with the referee. 跟裁判发生争执之后，他被停赛4场。

2）表示“暂停”，英文解释为“If you suspend something, you delay it or stop it from happening for a while or until a decision is made about it”举个🌰：

The union suspended the action this week. 工会本周暂停了这一行动。

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇讲述英国房价上涨的文章中提到：Britain has temporarily suspended stamp duty, a tax on buying houses. 英国已经暂停征收购房印花税。

3）表示“悬挂”，英文解释为“to hang”举个🌰：

The builders worked on wooden platforms, suspended by ropes from the roof of the building. 建筑工人站在用绳子从房顶上吊下来的木制平台上作业。

1）常见含义表示“制裁”，英文解释为“an official order, such as the stopping of trade, that is taken against a country in order to make it obey international law”举个🌰：

Many nations have imposed sanctions on the country. 许多国家都对其进行制裁。

2）可以作动词也可以作名词，表示“批准；认可”，英文解释为“If someone in authority sanctions an action or practice, they officially approve of it and allow it to be done.”举个🌰：

He may now be ready to sanction the use of force. 他或许现在正准备批准使用武力。

表示“使加重，使加剧，使恶化”，英文解释为“to make a problem or difficult situation worse”举个🌰：

Her terror was compounded by the feeling that she was being watched. 她有种被人监视的感觉，这加剧了她的恐惧感。

🎬电影《盗梦空间》（Inception）中的台词提到：And when you enter a dream within that dream, the effect is compounded. 当你进入梦中梦，效果会更强。

As ambassador, I took it as my mission to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and work for the stability, improvement and development of China-U.S. relations. Improving relations takes work by both sides. I had candid dialogue and built sound working relations with U.S. government officials to properly handle thorny issues, such as the Taiwan question, and to advance cooperation in important areas.

作为驻美大使，我的使命就是促进中美各领域交流合作，努力推动双边关系稳定、改善和发展。推进关系需要双方共同努力。我与美联邦政府官员坦诚沟通，保持顺畅的工作关系，妥善处理包括台湾问题在内的棘手难题，推动重要领域交往合作取得进展。

表示“坦率的；坦诚的；直言不讳的”，英文解释为“saying what you think openly and honestly; not hiding your thoughts”如：a candid statement/interview 坦率的陈述/会谈。

🎬电影《白日梦想家》（The Secret Life of Walter Mitty）中的台词提到：But as we undergothis transition to LIFE online... we wanted to be candid with you... 但由于我们处于"生活"杂志网络化的过渡期...所以我们想明白告诉你们...

thorny /ˈθɔː.ni/ 表示“棘手的，麻烦的”，英文解释为“A thorny problem or subject is difficult to deal with.”如：the thorny issue of taxation 棘手的税收问题。

I met with more than 80 members of Congress, including some well-known China hawks, to explain China’s positions and concerns, while lending an ear to theirs as well. I explored with think tanks on how to rebuild a stable, predictable and constructive framework for bilateral relations. I was encouraged by the business community’s confidence in the Chinese market and its strong desire for continued cooperation. I visited many American universities, and helped U.S. students who were kept from going to China because of the pandemic return to their Chinese campuses. I did many interviews with American media. Though we did not always see eye to eye, I appreciated their readiness to listen to the Chinese perspective.

我与80多位美国会参众议员会面晤谈，相互倾听、表达各自的立场和关切，哪怕对方是知名的对华“鹰派”。我与美战略界深入交流，希望共同思考、推动重构一个稳定、可预期、建设性的中美关系框架。我广泛会见美工商界代表，深切感受到他们对中国市场的信心和对华合作的愿望。我造访美国各大学，并帮助因疫情受阻的美国学生回到中国。我多次接受美国媒体采访，虽然时有交锋，但我感谢他们愿意倾听中国大使的声音，了解中方的立场和主张。

hawk /hɔːk/ 作名词，表示“鹰”，英文解释为“a type of large bird that catches small birds and animals for food”也可以指“（主张采取强硬政治路线的）鹰派人物”，英文解释为“a person who strongly supports the use of force in political relationships rather than discussion or other more peaceful solutions”

作动词，表示“沿街兜售，叫卖”，英文解释为“to sell goods informally in public places”举个🌰：

On every street corner there were traders hawking their wares. 每个街角都有商贩在兜售商品。

表示“聆听，倾听”，英文解释为“to listen to someone with sympathy”举个🌰：

He is willing to lend a sympathetic ear if you have problems. 你有什么问题时，他总是乐于倾听。

表示“智囊团；智库”，英文解释为“a group of experts brought together, usually by a government, to develop ideas on a particular subject and to make suggestions for action”

bilateral /ˌbaɪˈlæt.ər.əl/ 表示“双边的，双方的”，英文解释为“involving two groups or countries”举个🌰：

They have signed a bilateral agreement to help prevent drug smuggling. 他们已经签署了一项双边协定以防止毒品走私。

表示“（两人）意见一致”，英文解释为“If two people see eye to eye, they agree with each other.”举个🌰：

My sisters don't see eye to eye with me about the arrangements. 在这些安排上，我的姐姐们和我意见不一致。

I leave the United States more convinced that the door to China-U.S. relations will remain open and cannot be closed. I am also more convinced that Americans, just like the Chinese people, are broad-minded, friendly and hard-working. The future of both our peoples — indeed, the future of the entire planet — depends on a healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship.

我坚信，中美关系的大门已经打开，就不会关上。我也坚信，美国人民和中国人民一样，都是心胸宽广、勤劳友善的人民，而一个健康稳定的中美关系攸关两国人民和我们星球的前途命运。

My time here also reminds me that China-U.S. relations should not be a zero-sum game in which one side out-competes the other or one nation thrives at the expense of the other. The world is wide enough for China and the United States to both develop and prosper. The successes of our two countries are shared opportunities, not winner-take-all challenges. We must not allow prejudice or misperception to ignite confrontation or conflict between two great peoples. We should follow the strategic guidance of our presidents and find the right way to get along for the well-being of the world.

中美关系不应该是你输我赢、你兴我衰的零和博弈，宽广的地球足够容下中国和美国各自发展、共同繁荣。中美各自取得成功对彼此是机遇而非挑战。我们不能让偏见和错误的认知导致两国伟大人民之间的对抗冲突。双方应在两国元首的战略指引下，找到有利于维护世界和平繁荣的正确相处之道。

zero-sum /ˌzɪə.rəʊˈsʌm/ 表示“一方得益一方受损的；得失所系的”，英文解释为“used to refer to a situation in which any win by one person always means a loss to another person involved”举个🌰：

The stock market is now a zero-sum game, in which one party gains what the other loses. 股市现在是一种零和游戏，有人赚就有人赔。

outcompete /ˌaʊt.kəmˈpiːt/ 表示“（在竞争中）胜过，打败”，英文解释为“to be more successful than someone or something”举个🌰：

Two commodities have been able to outcompete all other goods. 有两种商品的竞争力超过了其他所有商品。

at sb's expense = at the expense of sb 表示“以...为代价；在...受损的情况下；捉弄，戏弄；拿…开心”，英文解释为“If you do one thing at the expense of another, doing the first thing harms the second thing.”举个🌰：

He had no need to protect their reputation at the expense of his own. 他没有必要为了保护他们的名誉而牺牲自己的。

Would you stop making jokes at my expense? 你别再拿我开玩笑了，好不好？

表示“赢者通吃的；（竞赛）胜者全赢的”，英文解释为“(of a competition) resulting in the entire prize going to the one competitor who wins”举个🌰：

His winner-take-all business tactics shut out would-be competitors. 他的胜者全赢的商业策略使潜在竞争对手不愿参与进来。

prejudice /ˈprɛdʒʊdɪs/ 表示“偏见；成见”，英文解释为“an unreasonable dislike of or preference for a person, group, custom, etc., especially when it is based on their race, religion, sex, etc.”如：a victim of racial prejudice 种族偏见的受害者，《傲慢与偏见》Pride and Prejudice.

misperception /ˌmɪs.pəˈsep.ʃən/ 表示“看错，误解”，英文解释为“a belief or opinion about something that is wrong or not accurate”

1）表示“激起”，英文解释为“If something or someone ignites your feelings, they cause you to have very strong feelings about something.”举个🌰：

There was one teacher who really ignited my interest in words. 曾经有一位老师真正激起了我对文字的兴趣。

2）表示“点燃；着火”，英文解释为“When you ignite something or when it ignites, it starts burning or explodes. ”举个🌰：

The bombs ignited a fire which destroyed some 60 houses. 炸弹引起了一场火灾，烧毁了大约六十间房屋。

表示“对抗；对峙；冲突”，英文解释为“a situation in which there is an angry disagreement between people or groups who have different opinions”举个🌰：

She wanted to avoid another confrontation with her father. 她想避免和父亲再次发生冲突。

This will not be, as Americans sometimes say, a “walk in the park.” It requires the persistent efforts of everyone. However, history will prove that what we have begun is essential and worthwhile.

这并非坦途，需要中美两国各界共同不懈努力，但历史将证明我们今天的努力和付出是必须而且值得的。

I will take all these memories with me when I go back. The poet Eliot also wrote, “To make an end is to make a beginning.” I believe that the relations between our countries will follow that path.

回国之际，我将珍藏在美的珍贵回忆。诗人艾略特还曾写道，抵达终点意味着新的出发。我相信，中美关系也终将回归正途并不断前行。

- 今日盘点 -

flash back、 tractor、 produce、 hospitality、 immersion、 testament、 decouple、 pitch、 suspend、 sanction、 compound、 candid、 thorny、 hawk、 lend an ear、 think tank、 bilateral、 see eye to eye、 zero-sum、 outcompete、 at the expense of sb、 winner-take-all、 prejudice、 misperception、 ignite、 confrontation、 a walk in the park

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