用发展的眼光看中国

　　Earlier in my career, I worked in northwest China for many years. There,in the boundless desert, grows a rare variety of tree called euphratespoplar. Rooted over 50 meters down the ground, they thrive in hostileenvironments, defying droughts, sandstorms and salinization. They areknown as the "hero tree", because a euphrates poplar can live for athousand years. Even after it dies, it stands upright for a thousandyears, and even after it falls, it stays intact for another thousandyears. I like euphrates poplar because they symbolize the resilience ofthe Chinese nation.

　　千百年来，中华民族一次次战胜了天灾人祸，渡过了急流险滩，昂首挺胸地走到今天。深重的灾难，铸就了她百折不挠、自强不息的品格。中华民族的历史证明了一个真理：一个民族在灾难中失去的，必将从民族的进步中得到补偿。

　　Over the millennia, the Chinese nation has weathered numerous disasters,both natural and man-made, surmounted all kinds of difficulties andchallenges, and made her way to where she proudly stands today. The longsufferings have only made her a nation of fortitude and perseverance. Theexperience of the Chinese nation attests to a truth: what a nation losesin times of disaster will be made up for by her progress.

　　此时此刻，我不禁想起在汶川地震灾区的亲身经历。去年5月，四川汶川发生震惊世界的特大地震，北川中学被夷为平地，孩子伤亡惨重。可是，时隔10天，当我第二次来到这里时，乡亲们已在废墟上搭起了板房教室，校园里又回荡着孩子们朗朗的读书声。当时我在黑板上，给同学们写下了“多难兴邦”几个字。地震发生以来，我7次到汶川灾区，碰到这样感人的事迹不胜枚举。我为我们中华民族这种愈挫愈奋的精神深深感动。这种伟大的精神，正是我们的民族饱经忧患而愈益坚强、生生不息的力量源泉。

　　I am reminded of the experience that I had in Wenchuan, Sichuan Provinceafter the devastating earthquake there last May. That earthquake shockedthe whole world. It flattened Beichuan Middle School and claimed manyyoung lives. But only 10 days after the earthquake, when I went there forthe second time, I had before my eyes new classrooms built on debris bylocal villagers with planks. Once again, the campus echoed with the soundof students reading aloud. I wrote down 4 Chinese characters on theblackboard, meaning "A country will emerge stronger from adversities." Ihave been to Wenchuan seven times since the earthquake and witnessedcountless touching scenes like this. I am deeply moved by the unyieldingspirit of my people. This great national spirit is the source of strengthwhich has enabled the Chinese nation to emerge from all the hardshipsstronger than before.

　　经过半个多世纪的艰苦奋斗，中国有了比较大的发展，经济总量跃居世界前列，但我们仍然是一个发展中国家，同发达国家相比还有很大的差距。人口多，底子薄，发展不平衡，这种基本国情还没有从根本上得到改变。中国的人均GDP水平，排在世界100位之后，仅为英国的1/16左右。到过中国旅游的朋友，你们所看到的城市是现代的，而我们的农村还比较落后。

　　With hard work over the past half century and more, China has achievedgreat progress. Its total economic output is now one of the largest in theworld. However, we remain a developing country and we are keenly aware ofthe big gap that we have with the developed countries. There has been nofundamental change in our basic national condition: a big population, weakeconomic foundation and uneven development. China's per capita GDP ranksbehind 100 countries in the world and is only about 1/18 that of Britain.

　　Those of you who have been to China as tourists must have seen the moderncities, but our rural areas are stillquite backward.

　　到本世纪中叶，中国要基本实现现代化，面临三大历史任务：既要努力实现欧洲早已完成的工业化，又要追赶新科技革命的浪潮；既要不断提高经济发展水平，又要实现社会公平正义；既要实现国内的可持续发展，又要承担相应的国际责任。中国要赶上发达国家水平，还有很长很长的路要走，还会遇到许多艰难险阻。但是，任何困难都阻挡不住中国人民前进的步伐，只要我们坚持不懈地努力奋斗，中国现代化的目标就一定能够实现。