8-13 学会和中国和睦相处——一个美国名人给孙儿们的信

Learn to Get Along with China

--A Prominent1 American’s Letter to His Grandchildren

The writer, a Harvard law professor, comes from a prominent American family. His great-grandfather John Hay had served twice as Secretary of State. His father had been a Senator and Secretary of the Air Force and his younger brother a former congressman 1. Finding China's phenomenal progress awesome 2 after a recent trip there, he wrote a letter to his grandchildren on the importance to get along with China, which he said may become the most powerful country in the world.

November 17, 2001

Dear Grandchildren,

This is a letter from your grandfather to all of his grandchildren. The ones who are old enough to read are getting it direct. I'm sending it to the parents of the ones who are not old enough to read.

The purpose of this letter is to encourage all of you to study as much as you can about China. The reason is that we live in an increasingly internationalised world. The tragic 3 attacks of September 11 show that the oceans no longer protect us from our enemies. We need all the friends abroad we can get. To that end2 we should study how to get along with China, the most populous 4 country in the world. Based on your grandmother's and my recent trip to China, it may also become the most powerful country in the world during your lifetime. Another reason for getting along with China, whether you like to get along or not!

There are many ways to learn about a foreign country. At a minimum, I urge you to pay special attention to the history of China, its geography, geology3, political and economic system, ecology4, culture, ethnicity5 (different ethnic 5 groups -- what we call “minorities” ), religious groups and beliefs, architecture and archeology6.

There are 1.25 billion people in China. That makes China's population about five times ours. So a very small percentage of the Chinese population can be a lot of people by our standards -- scientists, athletes, businessmen, customers, philosophers, poets and friends. On the other hand, what may seem a lot of people to us may be just a tiny minority to the Chinese. We might think a crowd of 10 or 20 thousand people a big number, but by Chinese standards it would not be big at all.

One way to learn about a country is to collect its stamps. They tell you a lot about what is going on in the country.

When your grandmother and I asked our granddaughter Janey what kind of college she was interested in, she had a one-word reply：“Diversity.” I agree with her 100％. I think that tolerance 6 of diversity will be the key to the survival of the United States in the 21st century.

Beyond the basics of special attention to China in your school course, and any electives7 you have an opportunity to take in college, I encourage you to try to get to know Chinese people in the United States, and to travel to China if you get the chance, to see for yourselves what is going on there.

What is going on there can be described in one word. Awesome! Your grandmother and I were very impressed by the energy of the Chinese people, their work ethic 7, their pride in their country and culture, their practicality8, and the rapid development of the Chinese economy. We flew all over China, in planes that were all new, made by Boeing in a Chinese plant.

Beyond study, stamps, acquaintanceship9 and travel lies still another way to learn about China. That is by studying the Chinese language. It is difficult, but it is fascinating. Selective schools and colleges already offer Mandarin 810, the principal dialect11. The way to learn is by immersion 912 -- to talk it all the time in class, and spend a term, a year or a long summer vacation in the country.

I feel comfortable about bringing the subject of the Chinese language to your attention, because our family is apparently 10 genetically 11 programmed to speak foreign languages. Use the skills you have. Already, Janey and Stuartie are working on being tri-lingual, and their parents have achieved this.

We have another family connection with China that you should know about. About one hundred years ago, your great, great, great grandfather, John Hay, was the United State's Secretary of State. He initiated13 what was called the Open Door policy, which at the time we thought was a good thing for both China and the United States. I think that the Chinese did not agree, then or now, that it was good for China. But that is the true history of the past involvement of our family with China.

Please take this letter as an effort by your loving grandfather to peer ahead into a world that will not be as easy for you as we expected it would be before September 11. You all live far away and I do not often get the chance to talk with you. Please do not consider this letter as a demand. I wanted to tell you my thoughts, the product of a two-week trip to China, a place I never imagined I would have the opportunity to see.

If any of you want to talk about this subject some more, please write or e-mail me your thoughts, or we can talk about your ideas when you are here this Christmas.

Much love to you all,

Your Grandfather,

Stuart Symington, Jr.

注释：

1. prominent [5prCminEnt] a.  著名的，知名的，重要的

2. to that end = to this end 为此目的

3. geology [dVi5ClEdVi] n.  地质学，(某地区或天体的)地质情况

4. ecology [i(:)5kClEdVi] n.  [生] 生态学，生态

5. ethnicity [eW5nisiti] n.  种族地位，种族特点，种族渊源

6. archeology [7B:kI5RlEdVi] n.  考古学，[总称]古代文化的遗迹

7. elective [i`lektiv] n.  选修课程

8. practicality [7prAkti5kAliti] n.  实际性，实用性

9. acquaintanceship [E5kweIntEn(s)FIp] n.  相识，交往关系，了解

10. Mandarin [5mAndErin] n.  [中国] 国语

11. dialect [5daiElekt] n.  地方话，说话方式

12. immersion [i5mE:FEn] n.  (学习外语)沉浸式强化训练

13. initiate 12 [i5niFieit] vt.  倡议，提出(措施等) 

学会和中国和睦相处

--一个美国名人给孙儿们的信

写这封信的是一位哈佛大学法律系教授，他来自一个极有声望的美国家庭。他的曾祖父约翰·海曾任两届国务卿。父亲曾是参议员和空军部长，弟弟也是前众议员。他最近到中国旅游，深感中国的快速发展令人惊叹。因此，他给孙儿们写了一封信，告诉他们和中国和睦相处的重要性，因为中国可能成为世界上最强大的国家。

亲爱的孙儿们：

　　这是你们的祖父写给他所有孙儿们的信。我将把它直接寄给那些能够独立阅读的孩子们，至于现在还不会阅读的孩子们，我则将把信寄给你们的父母。

　　写这封信的目的，是鼓励你们每个人尽可能多地学习有关中国的知识，原因是我们现在生活在一个越来越国际化的世界里。9·11的悲惨袭击告诉我们，海洋再也不足以保护我们免受敌人的攻击；我们需要海外所有能够交到的朋友。因此，我们需要研究如何同中国，这个世界上人口最多的国家和睦相处。根据你们的祖母和我最近到中国旅行的经历，我们认为中国有可能在你们的有生之年，成为世界上最强大的国家，这是另一个要和中国和睦相处的原因，不管你们喜不喜欢!

　　了解一个国家有很多途径，我劝你们最起码要特别关注中国的历史、地理、地质、政治和经济制度、生态、文化、种族特点(不同的种族--也就是我们所说的“少数民族”)、宗教团体和宗教信仰、建筑和历史遗迹。

　　中国有12.5亿人口，约是我们人口的5倍。所以，按我们的标准，中国人口中的很小一部分就是很多人--科学家、运动员、商人、顾客、哲学家、诗人和朋友。从另一角度来看，我们眼里的一大群人，对中国人来说，可能只是一小部分人。我们可能认为10000或者20000人是一大群人，但以中国的标准来说，这数目一点也不大。

　　收集一个国家的邮票，是了解这个国家的一个途径。邮票会让你知道这个国家正在发生的许多事情。

　　当你们的祖母和我问我们的孙女珍妮，她想上什么样的大学时，她的回答是“多样化”。我百分之百地同意。我认为容忍多样化将是美国在21世纪得以生存的关键。

　　在学校课程和有机会上的大学选修课中，你们要特别关注中国，这是基本原则。此外，我也鼓励你们试着认识居住在美国的中国人，如有可能去中国旅游，亲眼看看那里发生的一切。

　　那里发生的一切可以用一个词来形容--令人惊叹。中国人民的旺盛精力、他们的职业道德、对自己国家和文化的自豪、务实的精神和快速发展的经济，给你们的祖母和我留下了深刻的印象。我们飞遍了中国各地，坐的都是波音公司在一家中国工厂制造的新飞机。

　　除了学习、集邮、和中国人结交及去中国旅行外，还有一个办法认识中国，就是学习中文。这很难，但是却充满乐趣。有选修课程的学校和大学已经开普通话班。普通话是主要方言。学习方法就是沉浸式强化训练--在班上说普通话，在中国上一个学期、一年或一个长暑假的课。

　　我很高兴提醒你们注意学习中文。明显是因为基因的关系，我们的家族很善于说外语。好好利用你们的技能。珍妮和斯图尔迪已经在努力学习，要和他们的父母一样精通3门语言。

　　你们应该知道，我们和中国还有一层家族的关系。大约100年前，你们的高曾祖父约翰·海是当时的美国国务卿，他提出了门户开放政策。我们认为这对当时的中国和美国都是有利的。我想中国人并不认为对他们有利，不管是当时还是现在，但这是我们家族和中国过去发生纠葛的一段真实历史。

    请把这封信看做是深爱你们的祖父对世界的仔细观察。对你们来说，在这个世界上将不会像9·11以前我们期望的那样容易生存。你们都住得很远，我很少有机会和你们交谈。请不要把这封信看做是我对你们的要求，它是我在中国，一个我从未想到自己会有机会去访问的国家，度过两个星期后的一些感想。

　　如果你们中的任何人想更多地讨论这个问题，请写信或发电子邮件给我，或者可以在圣诞节你们来这里时谈谈你们的想法。

　　                                               深爱你们的祖父

　　                                               斯图尔特·赛明顿

二○○一年十一月十七日