驻奥克兰总领事许尔文看望参加沃尔沃环球帆船赛中国东风队时的致辞
Remarks by Consul General Xu Erwen at the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 Auckland Pro-Am Race
2018年3月16日，奥克兰温亚德海滨码头赛事村
The Race Village, Auckland Viaduct, 16 March 2018
东风队总经理布鲁诺·杜布瓦先生，
船长夏尔·戈德赫里埃先生，
女士们，先生们：
General Manager Mr. Bruno Dubois,
Skipper Charles Caudrelier,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
大家下午好！
Good Afternoon!
很高兴应邀出席今天的活动，让我和我的同事们有机会见到活力四射的东风队全体队员以及咱们的中国队员，这对我们来说是十分难得的机会。我们接下来还有机会第一次亲身体验专业与业余混合帆船赛，对此我和我的同事们都非常期待。
I am delighted to be invited to this brilliant event, enabling me and my colleagues to meet such a wonderful and passionate Dongfeng Race Team, crew members and Chinese compatriots. It is a real treat for all of us. And it is the first time for me and my colleagues to have the opportunity to join in the sailing race, which we are very much looking forward to for a long time.
我了解到，这是东风队第二次参加久负盛名的沃尔沃环球帆船赛。在上届2014-15年的比赛中，你们获得第三名的好成绩，创造了中国离岸帆船运动全新的历史。在本届赛事中，你们的表现也非常出色，前面六个赛段的总积分暂列第二位。
I have learnt that it is the second time for Dongfeng Race Team to participate in the world renowned Volvo Ocean Race. In the 2014-15 Edition, you wrote a new chapter in the history of Chinese offshore sailing with a podium finish, and you have done an excellent job in the past 6 Legs and various in-ports contests in this Edition, ranked second on the main scoreboard.
在这里，我首先要对你们上周六刚刚勇夺奥克兰港内赛冠军表示热烈祝贺，并诚挚欢迎你们到访“千帆之都”奥克兰。相信你们当中很多人不止一次来过奥克兰，因为在沃尔沃环球帆船赛过去40余年的历史中，奥克兰已经10次被选为停靠站之一，奥克兰也是世界各重要港口城市中最多获此殊荣的城市。
At this outset, I would like to extend my congratulations for your triumph in the Auckland in-port race last Saturday and my warmest welcome to you visiting Auckland, the capital of a thousand sailing lovers in Maori. And I bet for most of you it is not the first time to be here, since Auckland has been selected as a host city 10 times during the 40 years' history of the Volvo Ocean Race, which makes it the most frequent ones.
女士们，先生们，
Ladies and Gentlemen,
借此机会，我还想和大家分享以下几点：
I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the following points:
一是中国与沃尔沃帆船赛结缘已久。中国参与此重要赛事可以追溯至2008-09年的比赛，当时奥克兰的姐妹城市青岛市主办了相关比赛。此后，越来越多的中国职业水手、企业和团队纷纷参与到这项赛事中来，人们的热情和关注度不断升温。
Firstly, China has a decade long history with the Volvo Ocean Race. Back in the 2008-09 Edition, China started to host the Race in Qingdao, which happens to be a sister city of Auckland. Since then more and more Chinese sailors, companies and teams took part in this game, and the enthusiasm and attention to this sport are flourishing across my country.
二是中国与奥克兰市和奥克兰港交往密切。包括军舰、科考船队等在内的中国船只每年都要到访奥克兰。去年李克强总理访问新西兰期间，特意前往奥克兰港考察，并在浩瀚的太平洋上展望了中新跨太平洋合作的光明前景。目前，奥克兰和中国三座以航运和海洋工业著称的城市——青岛、宁波和广州互为姐妹城市。此次东风队从中国广州和香港出发一路驶来奥克兰，完成第六赛段的比赛，线路与古代海上丝绸之路相似。广州作为古丝绸之路的发祥地，自古以来是联接中国与世界各地的重要门户。新西兰是21世纪海上丝绸之路的自然延伸。东风队沿此路线航行，是在广州、香港和奥克兰之间，中国与新西兰两国人民之间传播友谊与合作的友好使者。
Secondly, China has strong bond with the city of Auckland and this harbor. It is in this harbor that we welcome Chinese ships, including navy fleets, research vessels, etc. It was in this harbor that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang took a special tour when he visited Auckland last year. Sailing in the Pacific Ocean, he was deeply impressed by the stunning sceneries and the splendid future of Trans-Pacific communication and cooperation between China and New Zealand. Up to now, Auckland has established three pairs of sister-city relationship with China, namely Qingdao, Ningbo and Guangzhou which all are well-known for sailing and maritime industry. This time, the Dongfeng Race Team has accomplished the 6th Leg from Guangzhou, Hong Kong and all the way to Auckland. This route is quite similar to that of the Maritime Silk Road. As you know, Guangzhou was the cradle of ancient Silk Road and the open port connecting China with different parts of the world since ancient times. New Zealand is the natural extension of 21st Maritime Silk Road. Following the 21st Maritime Silk Road, the Dongfeng Race Team is acting as a great messenger of friendship and cooperation between the two cities and two peoples.
三是中新合作蓬勃发展。目前中国是新西兰最大货物贸易伙伴、最大海外留学生来源国及第二大海外游客来源地。中国移民很早就来到新西兰定居和创业，迄已发展成为当地第二大少数族群。近年来，中新各领域交流与务实合作发展迅速，东风队中有两名新西兰籍队员就是很好的例证。正如中新两国的水手共同扬帆奋进，中新双方也将携手共促交流合作，进一步激发中新跨越太平洋的友好合作关系的潜能，推动双方“一带一路”合作取得更多早期收获。
Thirdly, China has close ties with New Zealand. China maintains to be New Zealand’s largest trading partner in goods, largest source of international students, and second largest source of overseas tourists. Chinese have been working and living in this country since long time ago, and has developed into the second largest ethnic groups. In recent years we have witnessed the fast growth of friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation in various fields between China and New Zealand. The fact that we have a Kiwi crew member in the Dongfeng Race Team is an example. I believe that through the joint efforts by the two countries and two peoples, we will be able to further advance our exchanges and cooperation just the same way as our sailors do, stimulating the potential of our trans-pacific friendly relationship and achieving more early harvest in One Belt and One Road constructions.
最后，请允许我向杜布瓦总经理、戈德赫里埃船长等以及东风汽车公司表示衷心感谢，谢谢你们为培养中国水手和中国世界级的帆船队所提供的帮助、为推广帆船运动在中国普及所作的贡献。
At last, please allow me to conclude by expressing my appreciation to General Manager Mr. Bruno Dubois, Skipper Charles Caudrelier, and others for your assistance to the Chinese sailors, and my appreciation to the Dongfeng Motor Corporation for your contribution of promoting sailing as a sport in China.
再次预祝大家在今后的比赛中取得好成绩！谢谢！
Once again, Good luck in the following competitions!