4月21日下午，由人民出版社出版的《用英语讲中国故事》丛书出版座谈会在北京钓鱼台国宾馆成功举办！《用英语讲中国故事》副主编、英国翻译家保罗·怀特也出席了此次会议，并做了精彩致辞，以下是致辞全文：

　　保罗·怀特（Paul White）

　　英国翻译家，2007年中国政府“国家友谊奖”得主。作为外籍导师，保罗·怀特在中国已工作34年，完成《习近平谈治国理政》《中国道路与中国梦》《一国两制在香港的成功实践》等主题图书英文版的翻译改稿工作，累计达2400万字。

　　此外，保罗还修改润色过大量关于中国古代历史和哲学文化的书籍，如《中国通史纲要》《中国教育思想史》《孔子传》《庄子》《老子》等。特别是他还承担了修改润色英译巨著《本草纲目》的艰巨任务，在短短一年时间里修改润色了200多万字。经保罗翻译、修改润色过的英文稿文字优美流畅 ，不仅准确表达了中文意思，而且符合外国读者的阅读习惯，为将中国社会的进步和发展介绍到全世界做出了积极贡献。2017年8月，保罗获得了中国出版业面向海外的The highest奖项——中华图书特殊贡献奖。

　　Ladies and Gentlemen,

　　女士们，先生们，

　　Good afternoon!

　　下午好！

　　I first met Mr. Hu Min some 20 years ago, when he and I collaborated on a program training young people to pass IELTS interviews. Even at that time I was impressed by his vision of a world brought closer by means of mutual understanding.

　　早在20多年前，我就认识胡敏先生了，那时我们正就如何提高中国年轻人的雅思面试成绩进行合作。他那“加强互相理解，拉近全世界距离”的理念，在那时已给我留下深刻印象。

《用英语讲中国故事》副主编、英国翻译家保罗·怀特

　　So I was pleased, not to say enthusiastic, when he approached me and asked me to help with his latest project, “Stories of China Retold in English.’’

　　这次收到他的邀请，参加《用英语讲中国故事》项目，我感到十分高兴，甚至可以说对此是充满了热情。

　　Some of these stories are already well known worldwide, but many are not. For instance, the story of the Great Wall is very familiar overseas, but the story of high-speed rail is not. High-speed rail is a technology in which China leads the world for the first time in modern history. Again, the Four Great Inventions (the compass, gunpowder, paper-making and printing) are well-known abroad, but, like the Great Wall, they anchor China in the remote past in foreign minds. In fact, there is a general impression worldwide that all China’s glory lies in the past, and is now dead and gone. But the truth is that China has made—and continues to make—important contributions to the modern world. China’s modern achievements, set against the background of its historical triumphs and tragedies, need to be better known worldwide. The series Stories of China Retold in English is, in my opinion, an excellent tool for accomplishing this task.

　　这些故事有的已为世界熟知，但还有许多尚待我们讲述。例如，海外读者十分了解长城的故事，但对China's first次领先于现代世界的高铁技术却知之甚少。又如，指南针、火药、造纸术、印刷术四大发明虽已享誉海外，但它们向海外读者展现的依旧是一幅古老的画卷。许多人认为中国的辉煌在过去，且一去不复返。事实上，中国从未缺席世界的发展，它为现代世界的进步作出了重要贡献。中国当代的成就有深刻的历史根源，根植其波澜壮阔的历史中，需要世界进一步探索。在我看来，这套《用英语讲中国故事》系列正是在这伟大的时代中应运而生。

　　This series of books, along with accompanying audio versions of the stories, covers the whole of China’s extensive history. On this journey— the longest continuous one in the world—all the highlights of the Chinese people’s cultural achievements are visited. China’s rich culture is completely and compactly explained—from mythology, folk arts, traditional festivals and customs to the country’s successful struggle against imperialism in modern times (and the real-life heroes it produced), and its emergence on the contemporary global stage with its exploits in space and Belt-and-Road Initiative.

　　中华文化源远流长，通过这套丛书的文字和音频，我们一起踏上这条人类历史上延续最长的旅程，更全面地了解它璀璨的文化：从它的神话故事、民间艺术、传统节日习俗到英勇抵抗帝国主义侵略以及涌现的一批英雄事迹。此外，它凭借自身在外空领域的成就和在“一带一路”中的积极作用在当代世界舞台上也大放异彩。

　　In my opinion, the series Stories of China Retold in English will adequately equip the next generation to present to the outside world the real “Story of China.’’

　　我认为，《用英语讲中国故事》这套丛书将极大地帮助年轻一代向世界介绍更为真实的“中国故事”。

　　Thank you！

　　谢谢！