张建敏总领事在“飞虎队青少年领袖计划”启动仪式上的致辞
Speech by Consul General Zhang Jianmin at the Launching Ceremony of the Flying Tigers Youth Leadership Programs
2022年9月4日
4 September 2022
尊敬的卡瓦佐斯委员，
尊敬的内普校长，
尊敬的格林会长，
同学们，老师们，朋友们：
Dear Trustee Cavazos,
Dear Principal Knepp,
Dear Chairman Greene,
Boys and girls, faculty and friends,
回到学校的感觉真好。刚才我和同学们一起观看了纪念飞虎队英雄的短片，大家的欢呼令我深受感动。飞虎队这样的英雄不能被遗忘。历史是引领未来的指南。正是因为飞虎队和许许多多其他英雄们的牺牲，我们才能享有今天的一切。我希望不一定非得战火纷飞，才能让人们认识到中美两国友好合作的重要价值。
It’s good to be back in school. After seeing how you cheered when we watched the film in honor of Flying Tigers together, I was so touched. The Flying Tigers and other heroes should not be forgotten. History serves as a useful guide to the future. And it is because of the sacrifice made by the Flying Tigers and many others that we today have the luxury to enjoy what we have. I hope it doesn’t have to take a world war for people to recognize the value of friendship and cooperation between our two countries.
很荣幸与大家共同缅怀飞虎队英雄杰克·伦德·斯科菲尔德博士，见证飞虎队友谊学校和“飞虎队青少年领袖计划”正式启动。在斯科菲尔德中学这所用飞虎队英雄命名的学校举办本次活动很有意义。活动的时机也很好，因为明天就是美国“太平洋战争胜利日”,中国和许多其他国家也将共同庆祝世界反法西斯战争胜利纪念日。在此，我谨代表中国驻旧金山总领馆向美中航空遗产基金会、斯科菲尔德中学以及支持本次活动的朋友们表示衷心感谢。
It is my great honor to join all of you today to honor the memory of Dr. Jack Lund Schofield and to witness the official launch of the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools and the Flying Tigers Youth Leadership Programs. It is most befitting that we are celebrating the memory at this school, which is named after one of the Flying Tiger heroes. The timing is also perfect, because tomorrow is the Victory in the Pacific Day. The anniversary of the world’s victory against Fascism is also commemorated in China and many other countries around the world. On behalf of the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in San Francisco, I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, the Schofield Middle School and all others whose efforts have made today’s event possible.
飞虎队的故事展现了中美人民友好合作的强大力量。80多年前，陈纳德将军率领飞虎队和中国人民一同浴血奋战，为抗击日本侵略者付出巨大牺牲，约2193名战士献出生命，损失飞机达568架。失事飞机残骸甚至在“驼峰航线”上形成了一道“铝谷”。
The story of the Flying Tigers testifies to the power of friendship and cooperation between the Chinese and American peoples.
More than eighty years ago, the Flying Tigers, under the command of General Chennault, fought together with the Chinese people against the Japanese aggressors. They made huge sacrifices. Two thousand one hundred and ninety-three American airmen gave their lives. Five hundred and sixty-eight airplanes were lost, whose wreckage along the treacherous Hump air route formed what came to be known as the Aluminum Trail.
中国人民也不惜冒着生命危险营救美军飞行员。约200多名遇险飞行员得到救护，数千中国军民在救援行动中献出生命。为营救参加杜立特尔空袭行动的美军飞行员，中国民众惨遭日寇报复。许多村庄因为被怀疑掩护过美军飞行员而遭轰炸、屠戮，超过25万军民罹难。但这种野蛮行径阻止不了中国人民竭尽全力营救、保护尽可能多的美国朋友。
The Chinese people also risked their lives to rescue and protect the downed American pilots. More than 200 American airmen were thus saved. Thousands of Chinese people sacrificed their lives in the rescue operations. In another case of the American Doolittle Raiders, who were also fighting the Japanese Fascists, a total of two hundred and fifty thousand Chinese people lost their lives when the Japanese military bombed and wiped out entire villages suspected of having sheltered American pilots. Nevertheless, such barbarism cannot stop the Chinese people from doing everything they could to protect and save as many American friends as possible.
中美两国人民在反法西斯斗争中一同浴血奋战，双方对在此过程中建立的友谊和合作倍加珍惜。得益于“飞虎队友谊学校”项目，同学们将有更多机会访问中国并和友谊学校同学见面。欢迎大家到飞虎队战斗过的地方去走一走、看一看。你们会发现那里有许多纪念这些英雄的历史遗址和纪念馆。
Indeed, the Chinese and American people shed their blood together in the fight against Fascism. Friendship and cooperation thus forged are deeply cherished by people in both countries. With the Friendship Schools Program, you will have more opportunities to visit China and your Friendship School friends. If you come to China, you are most welcome to visit the places where the Flying Tigers once fought. There you will find many historical sites and museums set up in honor of the Flying Tiger heroes.
飞虎队的精神揭示了我们对两国和世界人民的美好未来所肩负的共同责任。我们不能将和平与安全视作理所当然。当今世界仍面临气候变化、新冠疫情、经济复苏、地缘政治紧张等诸多全球性挑战。如何为后代创造一个和平繁荣的世界仍是中美两国的共同使命。而飞虎队精神可以带给我们有益启示：过去，中美友好合作曾造福两国人民。今天，中美两国能否延续友谊、加强合作，也将深刻影响我们共同的未来。那么，我们应当如何行动?
The spirit of the Flying Tigers makes clear our shared responsibility for a better future for the people of our two countries and the world at large.
Peace and security are not to be taken for granted. The world we live in today is still confronted with many global challenges: climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recovery, and geopolitical tension, to name just a few. How to create for the future generations a peaceful and prosperous world remains a common task for both nations. Useful inspiration can be drawn from the Flying Tiger story. Friendship and cooperation between the Chinese and the American people served both nations well in history. Whether or not we continue to enhance friendship and cooperation will have a major impact on our shared future. So how should we proceed?
正如斯科菲尔德中学校训所说:“今天的选择成就明天的我们。”当前中美关系正处在关键节点，我们更要秉持飞虎队精神，本着相互尊重原则发展中美关系。中美两国完全可以和平共处、合作共赢。
I really couldn’t say it better than the motto of this school: We choose today what we become tomorrow. At this critical juncture of the China-US relationship, it is all the more important to embrace the spirit of the Flying Tigers and approach our bilateral ties with mutual respect. China and the United States have every reason to coexist peacefully and engage in win-win cooperation.
习近平主席在和拜登总统通话时指出，国际社会和各国人民都期待中美两国发挥引领作用，维护世界和平安全，促进全球发展繁荣。这是中美两个大国的共同责任。当务之急是要落实好两国元首达成的重要共识，推动中美关系改善并向前发展。否则，我们就会辜负两国人民特别是飞虎队为反法西斯战争胜利付出的牺牲。
As Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Joe Biden in their recent telephone conversation, China and the United States, both major countries, are expected by the people of our two countries and the world to take the lead in upholding world peace and security and ensuring global development and prosperity. This is our shared responsibility. The pressing task now is to implement the consensus reached by the two presidents to improve and grow this important relationship. Anything short of that will be unworthy of the sacrifices made by our two peoples in the war against Fascism, especially the sacrifice made by Flying Tigers.
同学们,
So, boys and girls,
飞虎队将士也许会随着时间老去，他们当中的许多人已离开我们。但飞虎队精神却历久弥新，始终与我们同在。我衷心希望两国青年肩负起历史使命，弘扬飞虎队精神，加强沟通交流，增进相互了解，携手解决全球性问题。只要两国人民共同努力，增进友谊，加强合作，我们就有更大把握让世界变得更加美好。
Flying Tigers may get old with the passage of time, many actually are no longer around, but the spirit of the Flying Tigers stays strong and is always with us. It is my sincere hope that the young people of our two countries will take up their historic responsibility and carry forward the Flying Tiger spirit. Through dialogue and exchanges, our young people will have better mutual understanding of each other and work together to find solutions to global problems. We will have better chance of success in bringing about a better world if our two peoples work together to enhance friendship and cooperation.
最后，请允许我引用陈纳德将军回忆录《战士之路》中的一句话:“我最美好的愿望是飞虎队的旗帜能够高高飘扬，并被太平洋两岸的人民所铭记，因为它是两个伟大民族无论在战争还是和平时期都能够向共同目标迈进的象征。”
To conclude, please allow me to quote General Chennault. The words are from his memoirs, “Way of a Fighter”. I quote: “It is my fondest hope that the sign of the Flying Tiger remains aloft just as long as it is needed and that it will always be remembered on both shores of the Pacific as the symbol of two great peoples working toward a common goal in war and peace.”
祝愿飞虎队友谊学校项目和飞虎队青少年领袖计划圆满成功!愿飞虎队精神发扬光大!愿中美两国人民友谊更加牢固!
May the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools and the Flying Tigers Youth Leadership Programs every success!
May the spirit of the Flying Tigers spread far and wide!
May the friendship between our two peoples grow in strength!
在此，我很荣幸地向斯科菲尔德中学颁发荣誉状，以纪念飞虎队成员杰克·伦德·斯科菲尔德博士，并表彰学校为传承飞虎队精神、培养青少年领袖、促进中美两个伟大国家友谊与合作所作出的贡献。
Now it is my great honor to present to the Schofield Middle School the letter of commendation in memory of Dr. Jack Lund Schofield for his service as a Flying Tiger hero and in recognition of the school’s commitment to carry forward the legacy of the Flying Tigers, cultivate Flying Tigers youth leaders and enhance friendship and cooperation between our two great nations.
谢谢大家！
Thank you.