尊敬的伦敦大学国王学院院长特雷纳教授，
副院长霍格特教授，
中国研究中心主任姚新中教授，
女士们，先生们：

Professor Rick Trainor,
Professor Keith Hoggart
Professor Yao Xinzhong,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

我很高兴应邀到伦敦大学国王学院访问！首先，我要对伦敦大学国王学院中国研究中心的正式成立表示热烈祝贺！

It gives me great pleasure to visit King's College London. I wish to begin by warmly congratulating you on the official launch of the China Institute.

伦敦大学国王学院历史悠久，享有极高声誉，是世界各地莘莘学子的向往之地。学院不仅为英国，也为世界培养了众多杰出的科学家、文学家、政治家以及其他各个领域的优秀人才，为人类文明的发展进步做出了重要贡献。在你们的校友录上群星闪烁，许多名字中国人耳熟能详。

The reputation of King's College has been built on your long history and academic excellence, which has resulted in you becoming a magnet for students from around the world. And you must be proud to have produced so many influential and outstanding graduates in the sciences, literature and politics, Who have made significant contributions in their respective fields, not only in Britain but across the world. With many of them becoming household names in China.

据我了解，近年来，国王学院与中国人民大学等中国高校的教育交流合作一直都很密切。有340多名中国学生现在国王学院进行本科和研究生学习。今天，国王学院中国研究中心的正式成立，标志着国王学院的中国研究上了一个新台阶，这也将对整个英国的中国研究起到积极推动作用。

I am delighted to know that King's College London has developed such close links with the Renmin University and other Chinese universities. In addition to the 340 Chinese students you have studying here for their bachelors' and masters' degrees. Today the official launch of the China Institute will raise China-related research at King's College to a new level. I hope this will also contribute to China studies in Britain as a whole.

刚才特雷纳校长在讲话中提到汉学家约翰·斯当东爵士在十九世纪四十年代在国王学院设立了第一个中国教席。18世纪末，他的祖父乔治·斯当东爵士作为英国马戛尔尼访华使团副使，回国后撰写了《英使谒见乾隆纪实》，叙述了此次访华的见闻。马戛尔尼使华尽管开启了中英之间官方交往的先河，但不能算是成功，被称为“一场聋子与瞎子的对话”，我想其中原因就是中英两国当时互不相知，文化上存在巨大鸿沟。

Professor Trainor talked about the sinologist Sir John Staunton, who established the first Professorial Chair in Chinese at King's College London in the 1840s. Back in the late 18th century Sir John's grandfather, Sir George Staunton was named Secretary to the MaCartney Mission to China and authored An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China. The MaCartney Mission was the first official contact between China and Britain. Unfortunately it was far from being a success, which was described in history books as a conversation "between the deaf and the blind". It showed a serious lack of mutual understanding and a huge cultural gap.

今天，英国有越来越多的人关注中国，研究中国，这是一件好事，因为只有相知才能相交。作为研究中国的学术机构和学者，我想固然应当从事深入的学术研究，更应走出象牙塔，让更多的普通英国民众认识和了解一个现代中国，增进两国民众间彼此的好感，加强两国关系的民意基础。我衷心希望国王学院中国研究中心今后能发挥突出的作用。

Today, more and more people in Britain are keen to learn about China, which is very encouraging. As people need to know more about each other before making friends. In my view, academic institutions and China experts in Britain should not only pursue their academic studies. But should also reach out to the general public and help them understand today's China. This will be conducive in promoting the friendship between our two peoples and strengthening popular support for the China-UK relations. I do hope the China Institute will play a leading role in this regard.

刚才，我参加了孔子铜像的揭幕典礼。看到中国两千多年前的大思想家和教育家孔子的雕像矗立在与中国万里之遥的伦敦大学国王学院的校园中，我感到很高兴，也很感慨。孔子是中国历史上伟大的思想家、政治家、教育家和儒家学派的创始人。他的许多重要思想至今仍闪耀着智慧的光芒，极富现实意义。

A short while ago, I attended the unveiling of the statue of Confucius. It was both pleasing and touching to see the statue of the great philosopher, statesman and educator standing in the campus of King's College, thousands of miles away from China. Confucius, even 2,000 years after his passing, remains a source of wisdom and inspiration.

美国诗人、哲学家爱默生说：“孔子是全世界各民族的光荣”。今天，以推广汉语、增进中外了解为目标的孔子学院已经遍布世界88个国家和地区，英国也已建立了12家孔子学院和54个孔子课堂。最新的一个孔子课堂就在昨天成立，我参加了揭牌仪式。

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American poet and philosopher once remarked that Confucius brings glory to every nation in the world. Today, Confucius Institutes have been established in 88 countries and regions to promote the Chinese language and mutual understanding. The UK alone is home to 12 Confucius Institutes and now 54 Confucius Classrooms. As I had the pleasure of attending the launch ceremony of the 54th Classroom just yesterday.

希望孔子铜像的矗立不仅成为国王学院与中国友好关系的象征，更能带动国王学院的年轻学子们研究孔子的思想，研究中国的文化，研究中国的过去，更研究中国的今天。

I hope that the statute of Confucius will not only serve as a symbol of friendship between King's College and China. But also encourages more students here to learn about Confucian thinking and Chinese culture as they get to know more about China's past and present.

孔子曰：“和为贵”。又曰：“和而不同”。国与国之间，不同文明之间，要相互尊重，求同存异，取长补短，相互促进。只有这样，我们所处的世界才能更加和平，更加和谐，更加美好。

Confucius said "peace is precious" and one should pursue "harmony without uniformity". It is important for countries, no matter how different they are and whatever civilisations they have inherited, to forge relationships based on mutual respect and understanding. Only in this way, and by drawing on each other's strong points to make up for deficiencies, can our world be a more peaceful, more harmonious and better place for all.

最后，我希望国王学院以中国研究中心成立为契机，不断加强与中国的交流与合作，为增进中英两国人民的相互了解和友谊作出更大的贡献。

In conclusion, I hope that King's College London will take today's launch as a golden opportunity to pursue closer exchanges and cooperation with China, and make greater contribution to the mutual understanding and friendship between our two peoples.

谢谢！

Thank you.