AthenavsSimon

　　感谢各位出席今晚的招待会。此时我百感交集。二十世纪20年代时任中国驻英国的公使是顾维钧，是我非常敬仰的一位外交家。当有人问他中国人最残酷的一句话是什么时，他说：天下没有不散的筵席。离任就像是席末杯中的那最后一口酒，甘醇中已经有了些许的苦涩。

　　作为外交官，又是蒙古族人，我是个天生的游牧 者，似乎一生都在不断地履新和离别之间徘徊。在布加勒斯特、金边、雅加达、马尼拉和堪培拉，都有过美好的岁月，而每次告别都依依不舍。现在即将离开伦敦和 英国，心里更充满了难舍的眷恋。我会怀念在这里结交的许多好朋友，正是在他们的支持和帮助下，我才得以更好地了解英国和英国人民。

　　三年来，我走过英国许多的城镇和街巷，著名中国 作家王蒙曾写道：抵达伦敦如同抵达一幅早已熟悉的油画。我深有同感。 英国的生活丰富多彩，无论是在如同隔世的剧场里欣赏名剧，还是足球场上狂热的喝彩，抑或是赛马场里激奋的人群，都令人印象深刻，使我感受到英国人对生活的 认真和考究。

　　不少人问我，最留恋 英国的是什么？与许多中国人一样，我从小就接触到英国文学，有幸在这里追寻名著作者的足迹，简·奥斯汀临窗撰写《傲慢与偏见》的小圆桌在我的脑海里留下深 深的印记；博朗蒂姐妹汲取灵感的荒原引发我无限的遐想；威廉·华兹华斯静谧的湖畔故居让我流连忘返。这都使我触摸到英国的文化精华，也是将中国众多游客源 源不断吸引来的文化魅力。

　　在我任内的三年，两 国关系稳步发展。胡锦涛主席和温家宝总理分别来到英国，布朗首相也访问过北京。两国的领导人和部长之间还经常性会晤或打电话，次数之多，几乎数不清了。两 国地方之间的交流也日趋频繁。3年来，中国在英投资增长了6倍，留学生和游客人数也在以双位数增长。听说，去年中国游客在邦德街的购物金额增长了一倍半 多。英国保持了欧盟对华最大投资国和第三大贸易伙伴的地位。去年夏天在北京休假期间，我想挑选一张床垫，最终相中的那款竟然是一个英国19世纪的品牌。

　　“英国设计”这几个字在中国是相当有分量的。英国不仅仅是世界金融中心，我访问过英国中东部和中西部地区，对该地区企业世界领先的创意设计能力印象深刻。这与中国强大的制造能力形成了很强的互补，双方应该加强合作，开发巨大的合作潜力。

　　中英伙伴关系的民众 基础在不断加强。在英中贸协、四十八家集团俱乐部、筷子俱乐部等众多的工商、教育和民间友好团体的推动下，英国民众对中国产生了浓厚的兴趣，也创造了众多 的商机，我们应该继续推动这一良好的势头。记得不久前出席特色学校校长年会的时候了解到，英国特色学校联盟的目标是给所有想学中文的孩子提供中文课程，充 分说明两国关系的民众基础是深厚的。英国民众在2008年地震后对中国的关心和慷慨帮助令我终身难忘。记得当时一个19岁的男孩Issac Lewis从威尔士家乡步行240英里，一路筹款到伦敦来。我对双边关系的前景非常乐观。

　　但是，今天既然是在 朋友们中间，我也想说，过去的三年也是我外交生涯最为波澜起伏的一段经历。每当两国不能达到彼此的要求或出现意见不一致时，英方会倾向于评判和指责中国。 每次遇到问题和困难，我都试图从两国的历史智慧中寻求灵感，与英国同事一道，通过坦诚沟通找到化解分歧的思路，维护双边关系稳定发展的大局。

　　西方需要做出是否接 受中国作为平等伙伴的决断，做伙伴就意味着在出现问题的时候，要接触对话，而不是批评说教。英方不能叶公好龙，表面上说欢迎中国崛起，但实际上并不了解中 国。如果西方对华接触的目标是改变中国，那西方就永远不会满意，双方在国际合作中也难以同心协力。中国正处在改革的进程中，世界上有哪一个大国能像中国这 样把改革作为国家的根本政策方向？这正是因为我们认识到自己有许多需要改进之处。但中国的改革将以自己的方式按自己的步伐进行，改革的目标是服务中国人民 的利益，而不是为了满足西方的要求。

　　只有尽快消除成见， 更好地了解中国，双方才能认识到彼此的不同和多元化，才能建立以理解和尊重为基础的稳固的双边关系。中国也需要努力学习如何更好地向世界介绍自己，我给同 事们留下的建议是：沟通，沟通，再沟通。这对于中英两国尤为重要，因为两国关系已经超出了双边范畴，越来越需要在全球性问题上更紧密地合作。

　　即将离开英国的时 刻，工作上有了一些句号，做成了一些事情，但是也有不少“逗号”，不少工作还没有完成，还有一些“问号”。但是我对中英关系的坚定承诺没有改变，相信在双 方共同努力下，中英关系的明天将更加美好。我希望各位热烈欢迎我的继任刘晓明大使，一如既往地支持他的工作。我也要感谢使馆的同事在过去3年里给我的大力 支持，感谢海德饭店为我们今天的酒会提供这样好的场地。

　　下周一我就要离开伦敦了。临走之前，我会最后一次去公园慢跑，最后一次到牛津街漫步。人还未离开，已经开始想念英国了。希望我们的友谊长存。 

Thank you for coming this evening - this is a bitter sweet occasion for me. 

In the 1920s, the Chinese envoy to the UK was Gu Weijun, a great diplomat whom I highly admire. When he was asked what was the most cruel Chinese saying, he quoted this proverb: 'However grand the feast, it always has to end'. 

Leaving London for me, is like savoring the last sip of wine at the end of this party, still warm, but already tempered with a little sadness. 

As a diplomat and someone who is ethnically Mongolian, I am a natural nomad. My career took me to many places across the world, Bucharest, Phnom Penh, Jakarta, Manila, and Canberra. Leaving was always a difficult thing to do, but leaving here seems even more so.

I will miss the many friends I have met here and colleagues I worked with in the UK, who have supported me and helped me to understand Britain and its people. 

In the past 3 years, I walked many streets and countryside across Britain. What I felt can best be expressed by a quotation from a famous Chinese writer Wang Meng. He wrote: 'coming to London is like walking into a familiar oil painting'. 

British life is exciting and diverse. Whether it was watching a play, cheering for a football team, or watching horse racing, it was always enjoyable and exiting. The charm and maturity of the British style has not been lost on me. 

Like many Chinese, British literature was part of my education. Being here has given me the luxury of tracing the roots of some famous names. The little round table under the window where Jane Austen wrote, including Pride and Prejudice, is printed on my memory.

The open moor which so inspired Bronte sisters gave me much to think. The quiet lakeside home of William Wordsworth took me hours to walk through. 

This is quintessentially British, the charm of culture that is a magnet for countless Chinese. 

My 3 years in London have seen stable development of relations between the two countries. The Chinese President and Premier visited here and PM Brown went to Beijing. 

In addition, leaders and ministers met and called each other so many times that I almost lost count. There is also increasing visits from all the provinces. 

Chinese investment in the UK grew almost 6-fold. The numbers of Chinese students and tourists are increasing at double digit numbers. I was told that the money spent by Chinese shopping on Bond street almost doubled last year. 

Britain maintained its position as the largest EU investor in China and the third largest EU trading partner for China. 

During my summer holiday in Beijing, I went shopping for a mattress and the one I eventually bought turned out to be a brand name from 19th century Britain. 

The word "British designed" carries strong weight in China. During my visits to the Midlands, company after company have opened my eyes to Britain's role as a leading creative powerhouse in the world, in addition to being a global financial center, which fits nicely with Chinese manufacturing power. Both sides need to work harder to tap this potential. 

China and British partnership is increasingly underpinned by support amongst our people. Organizations like CBBC, the 48 group club and many other educational and friendship groups have created a wealth of interest and business opportunities which needs to continue and grow over the coming years. 

I have also seen the interest in China amongst the British media and public grow in front of my eyes. I was told by the SSAT that their ambition is to provide every child in Britain the chance to study mandarin if they want to. 

And the outpouring of sympathy and support to China after the earthquake in Sichuan in 2008 was without doubt, the most moving experience during my stay. A 19 year old boy named Isaac Lewis walked from his home in Wales all the way to London to collect donations along the way. 

Therefore, I am very optimistic about the outlook of our relations.

Having said all that, since I am with friends, I have to say the past three years have also seen more than their fair share of highs and lows. I found the great temptation is to judge and criticize when we do not meet or agree with each other's preferences. 

Each time problems occur, I have tried to draw inspiration from the historical wisdom of our two countries, and worked with my counter part to steer a way through candid dialogue, not losing sight of the larger interests of our two countries. 

But I think, the West needs to decide whether it's going to accept China as an equal and take China as it is. To do this it must engage and discuss rather than lecturing when problems occur. There is a story in Chinese called Mr Ye liking the dragon. Mr Ye is a great fan of the dragon. He had the dragon on his clothes, in his home and indeed everything around him. One day the dragon heard of this and decided to pay him a visit. 

When the dragon suddenly appeared, Mr Ye was so scared that he fainted. This is a story about liking something, but not necessarily really understanding it. If the West's policy objective towards China is to change it in the image of the West, it may never be satisfied.

China is in the middle of reforms. Seldom does one see a major country whose professed objective is to reform itself. This is because we realize that they are still many areas that still leave room for improvement. China will continue to do so at its own pace and in its own way, not because the West wants it, but for the interest of the Chinese people. 

The sooner stereotyping of China gets replaced by a wider understanding, the sooner we will be able to recognize our differences and diversity and build a strong relationship based on understanding and respect. 

We in China also need to learn how to better explain ourselves to the world. My message to my colleagues is always: communicate, communicate and communicate. 

This is particularly important for China and UK as our relations are growing beyond the bilateral level and we more and more need to work together on global issues. 

As I leave this country, I achieved some full stops in my work. There are still quite a few commas and unfinished business. There are even some question marks. But my commitment to the China-Britain partnership remains unchanged and I am confident of a better tomorrow. 

On a personal note I hope that my successor Ambassador Liu Xiaoming receives the great welcome and support I have had and I would like to thank my great embassy team for the support over the last three years. My thanks also go to Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, which has provided such a nice setting for tonight's reception. 

I am flying out next Monday. I will be trying to take my last jog in the park and walk on Oxford Street for the last time. I am already missing Britain.

May I wish our friendship last forever.

3月7日的北京校友联谊会上，一位八十年代入读复旦的学姐朗诵了这首当年风靡校园的小情诗，至今听上去还是那么触动心弦，虽相隔二十余年，听了仍不免泪盈满眶

                   黄梅雨季

               黄梅雨季里有一个女孩想回到她的北方去

               当梅子在南方的雨中熟透了的时候

               女孩的思念也完完全全地成熟了

               她倚在被雨打湿的窗台上

               一遍一遍地想她的北方

               想她蓝莹莹的北方

               想她白闪闪的北方

               想她红彤彤的北方

               她的思绪象窗外的雨线一样急促而又绵长

               雨打湿了她的头发

               于是她的头发变成了一挂波光粼粼的瀑布

               雨打湿了她的眼睛

               于是她的眼睛使明净的天鹅湖也黯然失色

               她湖蓝色的裙子在南方的晨风中无比轻柔地飘动

               她老是把她的裙子想象成一张湖蓝色的帆

               而她就乘着这张帆

               飘过高山飘过大海

               飘回北方去

               黄梅雨季里有一个女孩想回到她的北方去

               于是南方在一霎时失去了所有的魅力

               于是有一个南方少年永远地失望了

               他失望是因为他永远不能成为她的北方

               他在这个黄梅雨季的每一个早晨每一个黄昏

               倚在同样被雨打湿的窗台上

               想那些属于北方的故事

               想那个能成为她北方的人

               想北方北方  北方  北方

               于是这个黄梅雨季分外缠绵

               于是在这个黄梅雨季里成熟的梅子

               都有一丝

               除不掉的苦涩

                              ——作者  甘伟