任复兴秘书长在华盛顿纪念徐继畲仪式上的讲话

The Speech of the Secretary-General Ren in the Ceremony at the Washington Monument

     It is a privilege for me to represent the Xu Jiyu Research  Societyof Shanxi, China, in this ceremony at one  of  the  world's  magnificentstructures and to pay tribute to Governor Xu Jiyu and his pioneering support for amicable relations between China and the United States.

     It was nearly 150 years ago, in 1848,  that  the  ceremony  placingthe Monument's foundation stone was held. At that same  time  in  FujianProvince, China, Governor Xu had just published his  book  of  universalgeography, the Yinghuan zhilue,  an  attempt  to  introduce  a  reliableaccount of the world beyond China to Chinese statesmen and Scholars.  Inhis book Governor Xu revealed a world with many different  cultures  andcivilizations. He was particularly impressed by the United States  as  anew  republic,   which  had   "created   a   new   political   situationunknow from ancient times down to the present." he attached great

significance to George Washington,   whom  he  regarded  as  the  West'sgreatest statesman.

     Governor Xu's book served as a guide for both Chinese and  Japanesemodernizers even though soon after its publication he was condemned  andpersecuted, a Chinese Galileo, for introducing new,   unpopular  ideas. Even while he was in disrepute, however, leaders in  the  government  ofNingbo, Zhejiang Province (with the help  of  American  missionaries  inChina), presented a granite memorial stone to  the  Washington  Monumenton which was inscribed in Chinese Xu's characterization of the  Americanhero; it is now placed on an inner  wall  of  the  Monument,   where  itserves as a milestone in  the  history  of  amicable  relations  betweenChina and the United States.

     In the 1860s Xu was brought out  of  disfavor  and  became  one  ofChina's most important leaders in introducing  new  policies  in  foregnaffairs and education, and american officials recognized him as  one  ofChina's most impressive statemen.  Indeed,   in  1867  President  AndrewJohnson,in recognition of Governor Xu's admiration of George Washington,sent him a copy of Gilbert Stuart's portrait of the American hero.

     Just as the construction of this  grand  Monument  reqired  a  verylong and hard  course,   so  too  with  the  construction  of  bilateralrelations between our two countries; many  people  of  high  ideals  andintegrity have devoted their energy, wisdom,  and  even  lives  to  thiscause. In that complicated and lengthy process, Xu Jiyu constributed  inno small way on the Chinese side, for  which  he  is  once  again  beingremembered in China. Today every senior middle school student  in  Chinareads about both George Washington and Xu Jiyu.

     In the name of xu Jiyu's native place and on behalf of the Xu  JiyuResearch  Society,   I  am  pleased  to  present  special  silver  coinscommemorating  the  200th  anniversary  of  Xu's  birth: ( #1  has  beenpresented to the History Museum of China);#2 to the Washington Monument;#11  to  the  Fairbank  Center  for  East  Asian  Research  at   HarvardUniversity in recognition of Prefessor Fairbank's  role  in  encouragingresearch on Xu Jiyu's career and influence; #15 to Professor Fred Drake,

who wrote the first book about Xu and  who  still  follows  developmentsrelating to his story. We also with to present some books and rubbings.

     It is our hope that this brief  tribute  to  Governor  Xu  and  hismemorial stone in the Washington  Monument  will  itself  serve  as  yetanother milestone in the history of Sino-American relations,   one  thatdemonstrates that amicable relations between our two  countries  have  adistant source and a long stream.

                                         Ren Fuxing, Secretary-General

                                         Xu Jiyu Research Society

                                         Xinzhou, Shanxi, China

                                         May 15, 1997

译文:

     作为中国徐继畲学术研究会的代表，在世界伟大建筑之一， 贵国华盛顿纪念塔前参加旨在纪念徐继畲巡抚在开创中美友好关系方面的先驱作用的仪式，感到非常荣幸。

     将近150年前，即1848年，当华盛顿纪念塔奠基仪式举行的时候，中国福建巡抚徐继畲也出版了《瀛环志略》，向中国政治界如实报道了世界真实状况，揭示出一个由多元文化构成的世界，赞扬贵国共和政体“创古今未有之局”，推崇贵国第一任总统乔治．华盛顿是西方最伟大的历史人物。

    由于徐巡抚的著作输入了新的、惊世骇俗的思想，他受到谴责和迫害，成了中国的伽利略。尽管如此，他的这部著作不仅成为中国而且成为日本现代化的启蒙读物。甚至在他声名狼藉之时，在美国在华传教士帮助下，浙江宁波府的官员赠送了一块花岗岩石碑，用中文刻有徐书中赞美贵国华盛顿总统的精辟见解。这块石碑至今镶嵌在该塔的内壁，成为中美早期友好关系的标志和里程碑。

　　1860年代，徐继畲走出了受冷遇的困境，变成在对外事务和教育方面推行新政策的中国的相当重要的领导者之一，美国官员认为他是中国最能给人深刻印象的国家领导人之一。1867年，安德鲁．约翰逊总统出于对徐巡抚赞美乔治．华盛顿的重视，赠送了他一件吉尔伯特．斯图尔特画的华盛顿画像的复制品。

     正如建设华盛顿纪念塔这一伟大工程经历了37年漫长艰苦的过程一样， 在缔造中美两个大国的友好关系方面，也经历了各种风雨。许多志士仁人为维护先哲们倡导的和平、平等等国际关系准则，贡献了极大力量、智慧甚至生命，使两国关系出现了今天的较好局面。现在每个中国高中学生都知道华盛顿，也知道徐继畲。

     为了表达我们的一片心意，请允许我借此机会，以徐继畲家乡人民的名义， 继向中国历史博物馆赠送第１号徐继畲诞辰200周年银质纪念章之后，向华盛顿纪念塔赠送第2号；向在费正清教授倡导下率先对徐继畲的生平和影响开展研究的哈佛大学费正清东亚研究中心赠送第11号；向青年时代用15年时间完成第一部关于徐继畲的专著，并至今致力于此的麻省大学龙夫威教授赠送第15号纪念章；并赠送有关书籍、拓片。

　　我们希望，在华盛顿纪念塔举行的称颂徐及其纪念碑的这个简短仪式本身，象其他中美关系史上的里程碑一样，成为我们两个国家之间的友好关系源远流长的一个例证。