The Day of Reunion · The Way of Homecoming · The Dream of Developing
团圆日·回家路·发展梦
Malaysian Newspapers Published the Article by Ambassador Bai Tian
驻马来西亚大使白天在马来西亚主流媒体发表署名文章
15 March 2018
2018年3月15日
With the end of Lantern Festival, the grand celebration of the Chinese New Year is drawing to a close. As the new Chinese ambassador, I was lucky to spend my first Chinese New Year in Malaysia with friends here from all sectors and was deeply impressed by the experience.
随着中国农历正月十五元宵节的结束，春节的盛大庆贺活动也渐近尾声。作为新任中国驻马来西亚大使，我有幸同当地各界朋友一起度过了在马来西亚的第一个春节，印象深刻，感慨良多。
In Malaysia, there is a three-day public holiday for the Chinese New Year. While the celebration seems much longer. Maybe because I’m a newcomer, friends from all walks of life are eager to invite me to different celebration activities, which lasted for nearly two months. If there’s a voting for the longest Chinese New Year celebration in the world, I would definitely vote for Malaysia.
在马来西亚，今年春节假期有三天，但相关庆祝活动却很长。可能由于我是新面孔，所以各界朋友都邀请我参加各种春节团拜活动，前后持续了近两个月时间。如果投票选举世界上最长的春节，我一定会投给马来西亚。
The atmosphere of the Chinese New Year in Malaysia is quite strong. Lanterns and colored lights can be seen everywhere, and people are bursting with happiness and joy. The shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur look magnificent with the Chinese New Year decoration, which is full of Chinese cultural elements. There are also some Middle school students writing the Chinese New Year couplets in the malls. I excitingly found an old Malay man with a little girl so attracted by the Chinese New Year couplets that at last bought a pair of them.
马来西亚的春节年味很浓。处处张灯结彩，人人喜气洋洋。吉隆坡大商场以中国元素为主题布置地美轮美奂，中式民乐和传统歌曲演绎地有声有色，更有一些中学生在商场里帮人写春联，字体工整，寓意吉祥。我惊喜地发现，一位友族的老人家带着一个小女孩驻足观看，最终还掏钱购买了一副春联。
The Chinese New Year is a nationwide celebration day of Malaysia. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi and many other Ministers, as well as the ordinary villagers from Bagan Datuk, Sembrong and Jenjarom, all celebrated the Chinese New Year with the tradition Lou Sang, giving best wishes to each other and to the thriving and prosperous future of Malaysia.
马来西亚的春节是举国同庆的日子。纳吉布总理、扎希德副总理以及诸多内阁部长，乃至霹雳州巴眼拿督的渔村、柔佛州森布隆的种植区和雪兰莪州仁嘉隆 “幸福村”的普通村民，全心参与，全情投入，举筷捞生，互道祝福，共祝马来西亚兴旺繁荣。
Not only Malaysian Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Year in Malaysia, but also other ethnics. In spite of race and region, wearing in red and scattering Ang Pows have become a common tradition. People bowing to each other and blessing with Gong Xi Fa Cai have turned into a shared practice. The Dragon and Lion Dancing inherited from China, together with Twenty-Four Festive Drums originated from Malaysia make the Chinese New Year even more joyful. In every celebration activity, I saw friends of different ethnics gathering and celebrating the Chinese New Year together. I was not only moved by the Malaysian Chinese who inherit and practice the Chinese cultural tradition so well, but also was deeply impressed by the spirit of embracing diversity and pluralistic harmony of Malaysian Society. It is the most important cornerstone of stability, source of charm and driving force for the development of Malaysia.
马来西亚的春节，不仅是华人，也是各族人民普天同庆的节日。在这里，不论族裔，不分地区，穿红色，发红包，已是深入人心；拱手为礼，恭喜发财，俨然蔚然成风。传承自中国的舞龙舞狮和发源于马来西亚的二十四节令鼓交相辉映，为春节增添了别样的喜庆色彩。几乎在每场春节团拜活动上，我都能看到马来西亚各族群朋友共聚一堂同贺新春的景象，这让我不仅感动于马来西亚华人对中华文化的传承和热爱，更感叹大马社会包容并蓄、多元和谐的宝贵精神。这是马来西亚稳定的基石，魅力的源泉、发展的动力。
Family and homeland means a lot to the Chinese people, and the Chinese New Year is the most important reunion day for people who travelled far away from home. All of them will be on the way to home in the same short period and nothing could stop them no matter how long they need to trek; how cold it is or how hard to get a ticket. In view of China’s huge population, traffic before and after the Chinese New Year is called “Chun Yun”, which is considered as the largest scale of annual migration of human being by the western countries. Thanks to its gradual improvement of China’s public transportation and supporting facilities in the past 40 years’ reform and opening up, the way back to home has become more and more convenient. In 2009, the NHK TV station from Japan made a documentary program in Guangzhou during the Chinese New Year, recording passengers who had to sleep on the ground of train station square in order to save money, crowds of people pushed each other and rushed at the ticket checking point, and people who slept in the crowded carriageways of trains. In the “Chun Yun” documentary filmed by the BBC in 2016, the means of transportation for people returning to their homes began to diversify, which from cars, trains, planes to motorcycles. The ticket checking point of the railway station no longer had a scene similar to the one in 2009. In 2010, the movie Lost on Journey was a big hit which showed all kinds of awkward and adventurous journeys during the Chinese New Year. However, today’s Chinese people are proud of the fact that the coins could erect in Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail carriages for 9 minutes due to its smooth operation of its train. And the Longyan train station in Fujian Province was retrofitted and completed in 9 hours. During “Chun Yun” this year, there are 2.98 million passengers travelling on the way, among which 390 million took the train. The expansion of the high-speed rail network has once again shortened the way of returning home. New technologies such as face recognition, WeChat and Alipay has made people’s travel more convenient.
中华文化对家有着无比深厚的眷恋，春节对游子而言是最重要的团圆之日。在外打拼的人们，不约而同地踏上回家路。长途跋涉、雨雪寒冻、一票难求，都阻挡不住他们回家的脚步。鉴于中国的庞大人口基数，春节前后的交通运输被西方称为人类一年一度最大规模迁徙的“春运”。在改革开放40年中，中国人的这条回家路，因为公共交通和配套措施的发展而越来越便捷。2009年，日本NHK电视台在广州拍摄的春运镜头，记录下了为了省钱在火车站广场打地铺的乘客；检票时一拥而上的人群；还有在拥挤的车厢过道上睡觉的人。2016年BBC拍摄的春运纪录片中，人们返乡的交通工具开始多样化，从汽车、火车、飞机到摩托车，火车站检票处再也没有2009年镜头中一拥而上的景象。2010年描写春节回家路上各种尴尬奇遇的影片《人在囧途》大卖，然而今天中国民众所津津乐道的是，硬币立在京沪高铁车厢内9分钟不倒和福建省龙岩火车站9小时改造完工。今年的春运，中国运送了29.8亿人次旅客，其中3.9亿人次乘坐了火车。高铁网络的扩张再次缩短了人们的回家路，人脸识别、微信、支付宝等新技术让人们的出行更加方便。
As China’s first high-speed railway with completely independent intellectual property rights, the Beijing-Tianjin intercity railway was put into use in August 2008. By the end of 2017, the running mileage of China’s high-speed railway has reached 25,000 kilometers, accounting for 66.3% of the world’s total number of high-speed railway. The cumulative passenger traffic has reached 7 billion, which is roughly equivalent to the world’s total population. Seated on the Fuxing train at a highest speed of 350 kilometers per hour, passengers could have reunion dinner at home within a few hours. When I first came to work in Beijing in 1993, I relied mainly on ordinary trains to return to my hometown of Xi’an, Shaanxi. At that time, it took about 14 hours by ordinary train. Now the high-speed rail linking Beijing to Xi’an has saved the time to only 5 hours.
从2008年8月中国第一条具有完全自主知识产权的高速铁路——京津城际铁路通车运营以来，截至2017年底，中国高铁营业里程已达2.5万公里，占世界高铁总量的66.3%，累计旅客运输量达70亿人次，大致相当于全球人口总数。坐着时速最高达350公里的复兴号，不到几小时就可以到家吃上团圆饭。1993年我刚刚到北京上班的时候，回我的家乡陕西西安主要依靠火车，虽然那趟火车以中文“快”的拼音首字母K命名，但需要14个小时。现在北京至西安开通了高铁，时间缩短至仅5小时。
China’s vast and complex geological conditions have accumulated a great deal of experience and data for the development of high-speed rail technology. From Harbin to Dalian, China builds the world’s first high-speed railway in frigid zone, through which the rail passes the three provinces in northeastern China with a sharp temperature difference in the whole year. In addition, which is the world’s first high-speed railway built in tropical area, the high-speed railway in Hainan Island of China, succeeds in resisting strong typhoons for many times. Moreover, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has overcome three difficulties, namely thousands of miles of frozen soil, frigid and lack of oxygen as well as ecological fragility, and created a miracle in the history of railway construction. It is true that from a worldwide perspective, China is a latecomer in railway construction. However, due to the diligence and wisdom of its people, China has evolved the high-speed rail technology from “technology introduction” to “digestion and absorption”, and now to export its “scientific and technological skills”. China now possesses the longest railway mileage, the longest running length and the largest number of travelers all over the world.
中国的幅员辽阔和复杂地质条件为高铁技术的研发积累了大量的经验和数据。哈尔滨至大连世界首条高寒高铁，穿梭在全年温差近80℃的中国东北三省地区。世界首个在热带地区建成的海南环岛高铁成功抵御住了多次强台风的考验。青藏铁路更是克服了千里冻土、高寒缺氧、生态脆弱三大世界级难题，创造了铁路施工史上的奇迹。诚然，从世界范围看，中国在铁路建设方面是后来者。但凭借着中国人的勤劳和睿智，中国高铁技术从“技术引进”到“消化吸收”，再到“科技输出”，实现了质的蜕变。中国是现在世界上建设铁路总里程最长、在线运营铁路总长度最长、运送旅客最多的国家。
It’s been only three months since I took office, but I have been impressed by the significant efforts made by the Malaysian government to improve public transport operations and to provide people with much more convenient and rapid travelling facilities. This concept coincides with that of the Chinese government. During the Chinese New Year holiday, I had a chance to experience the comfortable carriage and convenient services provided by MRT. Meanwhile, on the way to Ipoh on the second day of the Chinese New Year, I joined the long queue of cars and felt the hardships of people returning home. I believe that with the gradual implementation of MRT, ETS, RTS, East Coast Rail Line and Malaysia-Singapore High Speed Rail, the way back to home for the Malaysian people will be more and more convenient. In 2015, China filmed a documentary titled HSR, Changing Life. One of the stories is about a Malaysian student called Shafiq who studies in China. His aspiration is to become a diplomat. The high-speed rail carries his dream and takes him around China to experience the history, culture and customs in different regions. I have faith that one day the high-speed trains would assist more Malaysian people to enjoy the quickness and convenience of life and pursue their dreams. Moreover, I also firmly believe that by means of collaboration with China and the wisdom of Malaysian people, Malaysia will soon become a master of the construction technologies and operation experience of high-speed rail.
虽然到任才3个多月，我注意到马来西亚政府十分重视提升公共交通运营水平，致力于为民众提供更加便利和顺畅的出行条件。这个理念同中国政府非常一致。今年春节假期，我体验了吉隆坡MRT舒适的车厢和便捷的服务，也在大年初二去往怡保的路上，经历了排起长龙的返乡车队，看到不少游子奔波在回家路上的艰辛。我相信，随着第一捷运、ETS双规火车以及柔新捷运、东海岸铁路、马新高铁的陆续建成和投入使用，马来西亚人民的回家路也将越来越便捷。中国在2015年拍摄过一部名叫《高铁改变生活》的纪录片。片中有一位在华留学的马来西亚学生沙菲。他的志向是成为一名外交官，高铁承载着他的梦想，带他在中国周游各地，领略不同地域的历史文化、民风习俗。我期待有一天，高铁让马来西亚更多民众享受到生活的快捷和便利，追逐自己的梦想。我也坚定相信，在同中国的合作过程中，凭借马来西亚人民的智慧，马来西亚将很快掌握高铁建设的技术和高铁运营的经验，在不久的将来成为世界高铁建设的一支重要力量。
During this Chinese New Year, I’ve witnessed the shared experience of homecoming and the shared aspiration of union of Chinese and Malaysian people. This reflects our shared expectation for our countries to achieve better and faster development in the future. Both the Chinese and Malaysian governments have formulated ambitious plans for their respective long-term development and kept striding forward in the historical journey of national rejuvenation and progress. As a comprehensive strategic partner of Malaysia, China is willing to work hand in hand with Malaysia to promote close cooperation, and complement each other’s advantages, with an aim to seek common prosperity, and realize our respective dreams of development.
在今年的春节里，我看到了中马两个国家民众相似的回家路、团圆梦。而这小小的梦想，折射出的是我们对各自国家取得更好更快发展的美好期待。中国政府和马来西亚政府都为各自的长远发展做出了宏伟规划，在实现民族振兴和国家进步的历史征程上不断迈进。作为全面战略伙伴，中国愿意同马来西亚携手并肩，紧密合作，共享机遇，共谋繁荣，早日实现我们各自的发展梦！