驻英国大使刘晓明在上海世博会图片英国巡回展利物浦站酒会上的讲话03108.doc

驻英国大使刘晓明在上海世博会图片英国巡回展利物浦站酒会上的讲话2010年9月21日，利物浦市圣乔治礼堂Speech by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at EXPO NOW in Liverpool21 September 2010, St. Georges Hall, Liverpool尊敬的利物浦市市长威廉姆斯女士，尊敬的利物浦市议长安德森先生，倪坚总领事，女士们，先生们，Councillor Hazel Williams, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool,Councillor Joe Anderson, Leader of the Liverpool Council,Consul-General Ni Jian,Ladies and Gentlemen,感谢大家光临上海世博会图片英国巡回展利物浦站。Thank you for joining us at the “EXPO NOW” Photo Exhibition here in Liverpool.这是四个多月来我第四次就上海世博会发表讲话，第三次出席世博会图片英国巡回展活动。今天与以往既不同，又相同。不同的是以下三点：This is the fourth time I have spoken about the Shanghai World Expo and the third such event I have attended since the end of April when the Expo was officially opened. During this time, my feelings and views about the Expo have intensified in a number of ways:首先，世博会对我已不再是一种抽象的认识。俗话说，“耳听为虚，眼见为实”。我在夏天回国述职休假的时候亲眼目睹了上海世博会的盛况，直接体验了“中国馆”的雄伟和“英国馆”的创意。而且，今天的来宾中，有许多同我一样已身临其境。First, I was lucky enough to have visited the Expo during my recent home leave in China. After the visit I must say that the Expo is much more than what one reads in newspapers or watches on the TV. I was most struck by the magnificence of the China Pavilion and the creativity of the UK Pavilion alike. Chinese internet users have given the UK pavilion a Chinese name: Pu-gong-ying - the dandelion, which I believe many of you have visited.第二，英国与上海世博会的关系又加深了一层。就在本月8日，英国国家馆日上演了华彩篇章。约克公爵作为英国首席嘉宾出席了英国国家馆日仪式，英国国家芭蕾舞团和上海芭蕾舞团合作的爱有多重在世博园举行了全球首演，130名来自中英两国艺术院校的学生则共同出演了芭蕾舞剧天鹅之旅。通过精彩纷呈的英国馆日活动，中国民众更加感受到了英国对世博会的热情参与，英国也更好地向中国民众展现了自己的特色和优势。The spectacular UK National Pavilion Day on the 8th of September, which was attended by His Royal Highness the Duke of York and other British dignitaries, brought Britain and the Expo even closer together. The event featured the world premiere of The Weight of Love, a ballet performed by dancers from both the English National Ballet and the Shanghai Ballet, and Swanning Around, a dance performance by 130 Chinese and British art students. These events have impressed upon the Chinese audience Britains enthusiasm for the World Expo and many of its unique qualities and strengths.第三，利物浦与上海世博会有着不解之缘。利物浦是英国第二大港口城市，与中国的海上贸易有一百多年历史。利物浦是华人最早移民欧洲的落脚点，建有欧洲最早的中国城和华人社团。利物浦的两大品牌甲壳虫乐队和英超“红军”利物浦队，中国民众耳熟能详。利物浦与上海缔结友城已有11年，两市一直保持着密切的经济、贸易和文化交往。利物浦又是英国唯一单独建馆参加本届世博会的城市，坐落于世博会最佳城市实践区的利物浦馆充分表现了利物浦丰富的历史遗迹和宏大的城市复兴。今天来到利物浦，出席上海世博会图片英国巡回展，令我倍感亲切。我也知道，10月16日是上海世博会“利物浦馆日”，届时威廉姆斯市长和安德森议长将率领利物浦市代表团莅临现场，我预祝“利物浦馆日”活动取得圆满成功，预祝代表团访问上海之行顺利愉快！Liverpool enjoys a unique bond with the Shanghai World Expo. As the second largest port city of Britain, Liverpool started trade with Shanghai as early as more than a century ago. It received the first Chinese settlers to Europe and has the oldest Chinatown and Chinese community in Europe. The Beatles and the Liverpool Football Club, two symbols of Liverpool, are household names in China. Since Liverpool and Shanghai became sister cities 11 years ago, the economic, trade and cultural ties between them have flourished. Not to say that Liverpool is the only UK city with its own pavilion in the Expo. Housed in the Urban Best Practice Area, the Liverpool pavilion not only shows the rich historical heritage of Liverpool, but also a great city revitalised. So it is very special for me to attend a photo exhibition on the Shanghai world expo, here in Liverpool. I was also glad to learn that the Lord Mayor and the Leader of the Liverpool Council will go to the Shanghai World Expo for the “Liverpool Day” on 16th October. I wish the Liverpool Day a complete success and the delegation from Liverpool a pleasant stay in Shanghai.尽管感受和情况有所不同，但我对世博会的认识和看法更加坚定和强烈：Apart from these new discoveries, there are some things I have always believed about the Expo:第一，上海世博会确实是人类最新科技和发展理念的一次集中展示。上海世博会探索人与自然的和谐相处，描绘未来城市发展前景，传播低碳和绿色理念，展现人类最新科技创新成果，生动、有效地演绎了“城市，让生活更美好”这一主题。Firstly, the Shanghai World Expo is a great display of the latest technologies and development ideas. It seeks to explore ways for us to live in harmony with nature by setting a direction for future urban development, through a green, low-carbon way of life. It also displays the latest scientific achievements under the theme of “better city, better life”.第二，上海世博会确实是世界文化多样性的一次集中展示。246个国家和国际组织共同参与的上海世博会是人类史上规模空前的大聚会。2万多场文化活动的上演不仅是一场视觉和听觉盛宴，而且是不同文化的交流与交融；是荟萃人类文明成果的盛会，也是世界各国人民共享欢迎和友谊的聚会。Secondly, the Shanghai World Expo is a unique showcase of cultural diversity in our world, bringing together 246 countries and international organisations and offering over 20 thousand cultural events. It not only provides an opportunity to understand what mankind has achieved, but also helps the friendship and understanding among people all over the world.第三，上海世博会确实是中国的一次对外集中展示。继北京奥运会，时间跨度长达6个月的上海世博会给世界又一次近距离了解中国的机会。每个人从世博会归来后都有自己不同的感受，但我想有一点或许是一致的，那就是中国更加开放，人民更加幸福，中国与世界的关系更加密切。Thirdly, the Shanghai World Expo is another close encounter between China and the world since the Beijing Olympics, this time through a 6-month long event. People will have many different feelings and thoughts about the Expo. But I hope that they have all seen a more open and happy China, closer to the rest of the world.截至昨天，上海世博会开园143天，累计参观者已突破5300万人次。整个上海世博会期间的观众，很有可能超过6400万人次的世博会纪录。上海世博会是上海的成功，是中国的成功，也是世界的成功。By yesterday, the 143rd day of the Expo, it has attracted more than 53 million visitors. It may well exceed the record of 64 million visitors. The success of the World Expo is a success for Shanghai, for China and for the world.我愿借此机会，衷心地感谢英国奥雅纳集团（ARUP）和上海联谊会的大力协助，感谢中国银行（英国）公司和中国交通银行为巡回展提