精神永续，友谊长存
Uphold the Imperishable Spirit of Dr. Kotnis and Foster the Ever-lasting Friendship
中国驻印度大使孙卫东在参观柯棣华故居纪念馆时的致辞
Speech of the Chinese Ambassador to India H.E. Sun Weidong During the Visit of Dr. Kotnis Memorial Hall
2022年9月1日
1 September 2022
索拉普尔市政专员希瓦桑卡尔先生，
柯棣华纪念委员会主席贾达夫先生，
柯棣华纪念委员会各位委员，
女士们、先生们、朋友们：
Mr.P.Sivasankar, Municipal Commissioner of Solapur,
Mr.Rajendra Jadhav, Chairman of Dr. Kotnis Memorial Committee,
Members of Dr. Kotnis Memorial Committee,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,
下午好！
Namaste and good afternoon!
很荣幸今天来到柯棣华大夫的故乡索拉普尔，参观柯棣华故居纪念馆。这是我第一次来索拉普尔，但感觉像是和一位老朋友重逢，在场各位和这里的一草一木都让我倍感亲切。柯棣华大夫的名字在中国家喻户晓，今天来到这里，实现了我多年的心愿。
It is my great honor and pleasure to visit Solapur, the hometown of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis, and pay rich tribute to Dr.Kotnis Memorial Hall.
This is my first visit to Solapur, but it feels like I’m reunited with an old friend, and I’m feeling so familiar with everyone present here and every tree and blade of grass here.
Dr. Kotnis is well known in so many households in China. Being here today, I have fulfilled my wishes for years.
女士们、先生们、朋友们，
Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends,
中华民族是一个铭记历史、珍视友谊的民族。2020年9月3日，习近平主席在纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利75周年座谈会上发表重要讲话指出，加拿大医生白求恩、印度医生柯棣华不远万里来华救死扶伤，他们的感人事迹和崇高品格永远铭记在中国人民心中！
The Chinese nation is a nation that remembers history and cherishes friendship.
On 3 September, 2020, at a symposium to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, President Xi Jinping said in his important speech that, Canadian doctor Norman Bethune and Indian doctor Kotnis came to China from thousands of miles away to save lives. Their touching stories and noble character will always be remembered in the hearts of the Chinese people!
记得十多年前，我曾到孟买拜访柯棣华大夫的三妹马诺拉玛·科特尼斯女士，共同瞻仰毛泽东主席为柯棣华大夫亲笔书写的悼词，追忆柯棣华大夫的生平，回顾两国友好交往的历史，畅谈中印友谊的未来。刚才，我参观纪念馆，重温柯棣华大夫的生平和事迹，看到毛泽东主席的悼词完好地保存在这里，内心十分感动。在此，我要感谢索拉普尔市政府和柯棣华故居纪念馆，你们精心维护这个纪念馆的藏品和柯棣华大夫的遗物，为我们缅怀柯棣华大夫、传承中印传统友谊提供了一个宝贵场所。我要感谢柯棣华纪念委员会主席贾达夫先生、柯棣华纪念委员会各位委员、柯棣华大夫亲属及索拉普尔市的各位朋友，你们多年来始终致力于推动两国民间交流，为中印友好事业作出了重要贡献。我谨代表中国驻印使领馆和所有中国朋友向各位表示诚挚的谢意！
I still remember, over ten years ago in Mumbai I visited Ms. Manorama Kotnis, the third sister of Dr. Kotnis. Together we paid our respects to the eulogy written by Chairman Mao Zedong for Dr. Kotnis, recalled the life of Dr. Kotnis, reviewed the history of friendly exchanges between our two countries, and talked about the future of China-India friendship.
Just now, I visited the memorial hall to review the life and deeds of Dr. Kotnis. I was very much touched to see that Chairman Mao’s eulogy is well preserved here.
Here, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Solapur Municipal Corporation and Kotnis Memorial Hall for carefully maintaining the collections and Dr. Kotnis’s relics of this memorial hall and providing us with this valuable venue to commemorate Dr. Kotnis and carry forward the traditional friendship between China and India.
I also want to thank Mr. Rajendra Jadhav, Chairman of Kotnis Memorial Committee, all the members of Kotnis Memorial Committee, relatives of Dr. Kotnis and friends from Solapur.
Over the years, you have been committed to promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and made important contributions to the cause of China-India friendship.
On behalf of the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in India and all the Chinese friends, I thank you!
女士们、先生们、朋友们，
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
柯棣华大夫是中国人民的伟大朋友。
Dr. Kotnis is a great friend of the Chinese people.
他对中国人民极端热忱，和所有人打成一片，同吃同住，同甘共苦，还学会了流利的汉语。他不怕疲劳，日以继夜，每天工作近20个小时，用自己的热情鼓励和感染身边每一个人，受到中国军民的衷心爱戴。
He was so much cordial to the Chinese people and fully involved with everyone. He lived together with them, sharing joys and sorrows, and learning to speak fluent Chinese.
He was not afraid of fatigue. From day to night, he worked nearly 20 hours a day. He encouraged and affected everyone around him with his enthusiasm, and had won the genuine reverence of the Chinese people and army.
柯棣华大夫是印度人民的伟大儿子。
Dr. Kotnis is a great son of the people of India.
他对工作极端负责，在条件极为艰苦、药品极为短缺的情况下，冒着枪林弹雨，在4年时间里完成900多台手术。他的医术十分精湛，不仅亲手挽救了大批生命，还担任白求恩国际和平医院首任院长，为中国培养了一大批业务精湛的医护人员。
He was completely dedicated to his work. Under the circumstances of extreme hardship and severe shortage of medicines, and facing the fires and bullets from the battlefield, he had completed over 900 surgeries in four years.
With excellent medical skills, he not only saved a large number of lives with his own hands, but also served as the first director of Bethune International Peace Hospital and trained a large group of skilled medical staffs for China.
柯棣华大夫更是伟大的国际主义战士。
Dr. Kotnis is a great internationalism warrior.
他不畏艰险，放弃家乡的优渥生活，主动请缨，毅然投入世界反法西斯战争，支援中国人民抗击日本侵略者的正义事业。他不怕牺牲，多次穿越日军封锁线，把医院设置在离前线最近的地方，在战火硝烟中实施手术。1942年12月，柯棣华大夫因积劳成疾，在河北省唐县不幸逝世，献出了年轻的生命。
Dr. Kotnis was fearless of difficulties and dangers. He gave up a comfortable life in his hometown, and volunteered to join the World Anti-Fascist War to support the just cause of the Chinese people in fighting against Japanese militarist aggression.
Dr. Kotnis was fearless of sacrifice. He repeatedly crossed the blockade, set up the hospital closest to the front line, and performed surgery under storms of fires and bullets.
In December 1942, Dr. Kotnis became seriously ill after a long period of hard work and passed away in Tang county, Hebei Province, sacrificing his young life in China.
女士们、先生们、朋友们，
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
今年是柯棣华大夫逝世80周年，柯棣华故居纪念馆落成10周年。柯棣华大夫安葬在河北省石家庄市的华北军区烈士陵园，长眠在这片他曾经战斗过的土地。在来索拉普尔前，中国驻印度使馆的同事们专门联系了河北省人民政府和柯棣华大夫生前工作过的白求恩国际和平医院，他们特意拍摄了柯棣华墓的照片，在柯棣华墓前仍然摆放着人们敬献的鲜花。今天，我把这些照片赠予柯棣华故居纪念馆。
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the passing of Dr. Kotnis and the 10th anniversary of the completion of Dr. Kotnis Memorial Hall in his hometown.
Dr. Kotnis was buried at Martyr Cemetery of North China Military Region in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, resting in the land where he once battled.
Before coming to Solapur, my colleagues in the Chinese Embassy in India specially contacted the People’s Government of Hebei Province and Bethune International Peace Hospital where Dr. Kotnis had worked. They took pictures of Kotnis’ tomb. Chinese people still laid flowers in front of his tomb.
Today, I will gift Kotnis Memorial Hall with these pictures.
This is the picture of the full-length statue of Dr. Kotnis erected in front of the tomb.
女士们、先生们、朋友们，
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
树立在墓前的柯棣华大夫全身雕像落成于1979年，至今光洁如新，寄托着中国人民对柯棣华大夫的无尽思念和无比崇敬。
This statue, which was completed in 1979, is shining bright as brand-new and represents the Chinese people’s endless yearning and immeasurable reverence for Dr. Kotnis.
柯棣华大夫的目光凝视着远方和未来。我们可以感受到他对人类的进步和解放、维护世界和平、促进中印友好的期待。
Dr Kotnis’s eyes stared into the distance and future. We can feel his expectation for the progress and freedom of mankind, the maintenance of world peace and the promotion of China-India friendship.
我们可以告慰柯棣华大夫的是，在他牺牲3年后，经过全世界正义力量浴血奋战，世界反法西斯战争和中国人民抗日战争取得伟大胜利。
What we can console Dr. Kotnis is that three years after his sacrifice, with the dauntless fight of the righteous forces of the world, the world Anti-Fascist War and the Chinese people’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression achieved great victories.
致力于维护世界和平、促进各国友好的联合国宪章宗旨和原则已成为当今国际关系的基本准则。尽管面临种种风险挑战，和平与发展仍然是当今时代的主题。
The purposes and principles of the UN Charter, to maintain international peace and to develop friendly relations among nations, have become the fundamental principles of international relations.
Despite facing various risks and challenges, peace and development still remain the theme of the time.
我们可以告慰柯棣华大夫的是，在他牺牲5年后，经过印度人民不懈斗争，印度摆脱了殖民者的压迫，实现民族独立。
What we can comfort Dr. Kotnis is that five years after his sacrifice, with the relentless struggle of the Indian people, India got rid of colonial oppression and achieved national independence.
今年，印度隆重庆祝独立75周年。在此我要向各位朋友表示祝贺，祝愿印度在独立自主和发展振兴的道路上取得更大成就。
This year, India celebrated its 75th anniversary of independence with grand ceremonies. I wish to extend my congratulations to all the Indian friends and wish India greater success on the path of independent development and revitalization.
我们可以告慰柯棣华大夫的是，在他牺牲7年后，中国共产党领导中国人民推翻帝国主义、封建主义和官僚资本主义三座大山，建立了中华人民共和国。
What we can solace Dr. Kotnis is that seven years after his sacrifice, the Chinese Communist Party led the Chinese people to overthrow the oppression of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucratic capitalism and founded the People’s Republic of China.
70多年来，中国人民坚定不移地走自己的道路，中国特色社会主义进入了新时代，将迈上新征程。
Over the past 70 years, the Chinese people unswerving explored our own path. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era and will embark on a new journey.
我们可以告慰柯棣华大夫的是，在他牺牲后，中印两国人民始终致力于世代友好，越来越多的人加入到发展中印友谊的事业中。
What we can reassure Dr. Kotnis is that after his sacrifice, the Chinese and Indian people have been committed to lasting friendship, and more and more people have joined the cause of developing China-India friendship.
中印互为重要邻国，同为文明古国、发展中大国和新兴经济体，两国人口总和占全球人口三分之一。我们愿同印方一道，增进政治互信，深化互利合作，妥善处理分歧，推动中印关系沿着正确轨道向前发展，造福两国28亿人民，促进世界和平、稳定与发展。
China and India are important neighbors to each other. Both are ancient civilizations, largest developing countries and emerging economies. China and India have a combined population of one third of humanity.
We are ready to work with India to enhance political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences, and push China-India relations forward on the right track, so as to benefit our 2.8 billion people and promote world peace, stability and development.
女士们、先生们、朋友们，
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
柯棣华大夫虽然已经离开了我们，但他的事迹光照史册，永远值得铭记。一个人的生命是有限的，但只要他的精神为后人世代传承，他就永远活在人们的心中！
Although Dr. Kotnis has left us for 80 years, his deeds will shine in history and will always be cherished and remembered.
A person’s life is limited, but as long as his spirit is inherited by the people, he will always live in our hearts!
我们要继承柯棣华大夫遗志，不断推进中印友好事业。祝中印两国人民的友谊万古长青！
We should carry on Dr. Kotnis’s legacy and continue to advance the cause of China-India friendship.
谢谢大家！
Thank you!