老潘来信：用英语讲中国故事 为中国做“推销”（附英文视频）

西方世界对中国的舆论，或浓或淡，都弥漫着些许“火药味”。一些媒体有失偏颇的报道也难逃其咎，但这种有失公允的信息经常会被不知情的民众照单全收，逐渐形成了对中国的成见。

这个也问题引发了不少外国学者的思考，其中就包括一位在中国旅居多年的美国人——他就是中国政府友谊奖获得者、厦门大学教授、新航道“用英语讲中国故事”形象大使潘维廉。

看到自己的第二故乡在舆论上这样受"委屈"，老潘坐不住了：这位执教厦门大学MBA多年的“中国通”，结合自己的知识和经验，给需要为中国发声的我们支了一招，写在了给新航道师生们的第六封信中。

点击观看潘维廉教授英文朗读来信

07:59

潘维廉教授来信全文及译文：

Greetings, New Channel Family! I hope you are all well, and are continuing to take advantage of the time you spend at home by doing things you don’t usually have time for—like working on your English so you too can Tell China’s Story in English to the world.

新航道的同仁们，你们好！希望大家一切安好，同时能一如既往地享用这段时光，在家涉猎那些通常没时间做的事情，比如着手英语学习，以便能用英语向世界讲述中国故事。

01

讲好中国故事要有“推销”意识

We often talk about “telling China’s story in English” but if we are to be effective, we have to do more than just tell China’s story, we must sell China’s story.

我们经常谈论“用英语讲中国故事”，但想要取得成效，仅仅依靠讲述是不够的，我们必须推销中国故事。

When I was with a Xiamen University OneMBA class in Washington, D.C. recently, a female Chinese student was so hurt and angry by American students’ judgmental and critical questions about China that she cried as she complained to me, “We should not have to prove ourselves to them.”

不久前，我和厦门大学MBA的一个班级一同在华盛顿特区，面对美国学生对中国品头论足、挑剔质疑的情形，一位女学生深感受伤，也十分生气，在向我抱怨此事时不禁潸然泪下。她说：“我们真的没有必要向他们去证明我们自己。”

“You are right,” I said. “In a perfect world, we should not have to prove ourselves, but in real life we all must prove ourselves in some way if we are to accomplish our purpose, be it doing business or helping people understand China.” As the Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) wrote in 1892 in “Across the Plains”, “Everyone lives by selling something.”

我回答道：“你说的对，在一个完美的世界里，我们无须证明自己是谁，但现实生活中，如果要实现自身目标，无论是做生意还是帮助人们了解中国，我们都必须采用某种方式证明自己。”正如苏格兰小说家罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森在他的作品《穿越平原》中写道：“每个人生来都需要推销自己。”

Salesmen don’t try to force a product on a customer because the customer will simply refuse it. Even if it is the best product in the world and will save them money, and is something they really need, they will reject the product if they don’t understand its value—or if they don’t trust the person selling it.

推销员不会试图强行推销，因为这样只会招致客户的拒绝。即使产品质量绝佳，能为客户节约开支，还正是他们所需，但如果对产品价值不了解，或者对推销员不信任，他们还是会拒绝。

So a salesman must educate the buyer, which may entail overcoming in only minutes or hours their months or years of ignorance.

因此，销售员必须教育顾客，这可能需要花点时间帮助客户消除其经年累月所积累的“无知”。

The same goes for telling China’s story.

讲述中国故事也是如此。

02

推销中国故事必须谨慎措辞

It may take time and patience to “sell” foreigners on a perspective of China that is different from the one that they’ve been spoon-fed by Western media for years or decades. So we must plan carefully not just what we say but how we say it.

让外国人“接受”一个不同于西方媒体长期以来所灌输的中国形象，可能需要时间和耐心。所以我们不仅要慎重规划所言之事，还要慎重规划如何言之。

As we sell China’s story, we must choose our words carefully because the meanings of words evolve over time.

词汇的含义往往会随时间的推移而变化，鉴于此，在推销中国故事时我们必须谨慎措辞。

The word “propaganda”, for example, is the same in both English and German, and 80 years ago it was a neutral term, like宣传in Chinese, but since World War II it has had only one meaning: enemy brainwashing. Yet some Chinese still insist on using the word propaganda because they got it from a dictionary that is half a century behind the times.

例如，在英语和德语的中，“宣传”一词写法相同，80年前它是一个中性词，等同于汉语的“宣传”之义，但二战以来，其意思窄化为：来自敌人的洗脑。尽管如此，一些中国人仍旧坚持使用该词去译介汉语的“宣传”。这是因为他们所用的辞典50年未更新，远跟不上时代的步伐。

I laugh when someone shows a foreigner an English business card that says Propaganda Department. They’re quite literally saying, “Hi! Please remove your hat so I can wash your brain!”

当看到涉外的英文名片上写着“洗脑部”时【译者注：汉语旨在表达 “宣传部”，但英译时选词不当，被翻译成“洗脑部”】，我不禁哑然失笑。它们的字面意思就是：“嗨！请摘下你的帽子，我好帮你洗洗脑！”

“Regime” is another word that was neutral 50 years ago but today always refers to an “evil” government.

另一个词语是“政权”。50年前，它也是一个中性词，但今天它总跟“邪恶”政府相关。

English, like Chinese, is a living language, and changes with the historic and political context.

和汉语一样，英语是一门鲜活的语言，随历史、政治语境的变化而不断变化。

In ordinary, daily conversation, of course, if we’re too cautious about every word, we won’t dare open our mouth! We can’t be paranoid about this. But when we “tell China’s story”, in English or any other language, we must also “sell” that story by crafting it carefully and trying to put ourselves in our listeners’ shoes because they probably have not had the good fortune to have experienced China as you and I have.

当然，日常会话如果过于计较，我们就不敢开口说话了！我们对此不能过于偏执。但当我们用英语或其他语言“讲述中国故事”时，推销我们的故事时，我们必须精心准备，设身处地为听众着想，因为他们可能没有你我这般幸运，能在中国生活。

1989年，潘维廉在厦门与家人合影。

03

“个人化”的讲述更打动人心

Like my Chinese student in Washington, D.C., I sometimes am frustrated by foreigners’ prejudices and snide remarks, but most of these are rooted in ignorance. If we can help them see China as we do, chances are that they too will come to love both the place and the people.

正如我那位在华盛顿特区的中国学生一样，我有时也会因为外国人的偏见和尖刻评论感到沮丧，但我知道很多时候是源于对方的无知。如果能帮助他们像我们一样看待中国，他们也许可能会爱上这片土地和这里的人民。

For example, over the years I helped a dozen Chinese cities compete in competitions for livable international communities, and in Germany in 2002, I was shocked when a highly educated and well-traveled European mayor said to me, “I did not know that China had tall buildings.” Another was surprised that China had modern medicine. And the so-called ‘objective’ judges had their own biases.

例如，这些年来，我帮助了十几个中国城市参加国际花园城市的竞选。2002年在德国时，一位受过高等教育、见识丰富的欧洲市长对我说 ：“过去我不知道中国有高楼大厦。”这令我十分震撼。中国拥有现代医学也同样出乎一些人意料。而代表所谓 “客观”的评审员们也有自身的偏见。

Fortunately, I understand foreigners’ ignorance and prejudice so I prepared in advance. First, I chose to see them not as judges but as customers. I’d have been nervous as a competitor in front of judges, competing against professional, well-funded foreign teams. But I was not at all nervous about selling my Chinese city because I teach business and I know how to sell!

幸运的是，我理解他们，所以我能够未雨绸缪。首先，我把他们看作顾客而不是评审。因此，站在评委团前与一群专业且资金雄厚的外国团队竞争，本该十分紧张的我却丝毫不受这影响！这当然归功于我在学校教授商科，对推销方法熟谙于心的事实。

Second, I did not confront them or argue. I know I can’t win an argument with a customer, or a judge. It’s even hard to win an argument with my own wife. Besides, some of their criticisms had a little truth, but that is simply because all countries have the same problems!

第二，我不去和他们冲突、争吵。我深知无法在与客户或评审的争论中取胜。甚至我想争赢我的妻子都很难做到。【译者注：潘教授的这句话显示了他风趣幽默的一面。】此外，他们的一些批评也不无道理，当然，那是因为所有国家都面临着一些同样的问题！

And that is how I opened their eyes and hearts. I helped them see that Chinese have the same hopes and fears, and the same problems, but they could learn from how Chinese have used their creativity and wisdom to solve those problems.

也是在认清这点后，我打开了他们的心扉。我帮助他们不仅意识到这里的人们有同样的希望和恐惧，还面临着同样的问题，与此同时，他们可以从这里学习到解决这些问题所用的创造力以及智慧。

Perhaps most importantly, I personalized my China story. I showed them a China they’d never seen—my China.

也许最重要的是，我把我的中国故事个人化了。我给他们展示一个他们从未见过的中国。

And I used humor, which can help break barriers. I showed police riding bicycles. This is Chinese police riding bicycles to promote a healthy lifestyle. And I said, “It would be hard for bicycle cops to catch criminals in cars, so the criminals also ride bikes to give the cops a fair chance.”

我用幽默打破障碍。我展示了警察骑自行车的图片，讲的是中国警察骑自行车工作，以促进健康的生活方式。而且我还说道：“自行车警察很难抓到汽车里的罪犯，公平起见，罪犯也骑上了自行车。”

And I used images foreigners could understand—such as the Taoist Yinyang symbol. Foreigners know that it implies balance, so I showed how even the ancients emphasize balance between Man and Nature, and modern China tries to emphasize balance between growing and greening. It was very visual.

我所用的形象是外国人能理解的，比如道教的阴阳符号。他们知道这意味着平衡，借此我展示了古人如何强调人与自然的平衡，以及现代中国如何试图在发展和环保中找到平衡。这种方式非常直观。

I also told them that one ancient city. This ancient city was famous for miniature landscapes, and then I showed them how the modern city also balances manmade and nature, buildings and parks and roads, like a giant miniature landscape.

我还同他们分享了一座古城。这座古城以盆景闻名于世。继而，我展示了现代城市是如何平衡人与自然，如楼房、公园和道路之间的平衡，这就像在打造一个巨型盆景。

All but one of my presentations won the gold, and 3 cities got double gold.

在我助选的国际花园城市竞赛中，除了一次其余都获得了金奖，还有3个城市获得双金奖。

A European judge said, “We had no idea China had cities like this. Your city was not only number one but far better than number two!” A Canadian mayor said, “We need to teach Canadian citizens to work together like Chinese do.” A European leader said, “We can learn from how Chinese cities creatively solve the same problems we face.”

一位欧洲评审说：“我们不知道中国有这样的城市。你的城市不仅是第一，而且第二名还难望其项背啊！一位加拿大市长说：“我们需要教授加拿大人民像中国人民一样团结合作。”一位欧洲领导人说：“了解中国城市创造性地解决我们同样也面临的问题，真是受益匪浅。”

I sold my China story—and they bought it because my story was personal and I told it from perspectives they could understand. And it may have also helped that, unlike the presenters from the dozens of other cities, I was not a professional. I was simply sharing my own home, and I believed wholeheartedly in what I was selling.

我推销出我的中国故事——他们接受了它，因为我的故事是个人的，能产生共情的。此外，也许我不像其他几十个城市的主持人出身科班，也是有所裨益。尽管我仅仅是分享了自己的家，但我全心全意地相信要让别人接受的东西。

During my decades in China, Chinese have come to know the world but the world still does not know China. But as my grandfather used to say, “We can either get bitter or better.”

在我生活在中国的这几十年里，中国人逐渐了解世界，但世界对中国仍知之甚少。但正如我的祖父过去常说的那样， “我们要么痛苦，要么变得更好” 。

Let’s get better, and sell China’s story as if our very life depends upon it—because our very life does depend upon it.

让我们变得更好吧，把推销中国故事作为我们生活的来源——而我们的生活确实也有赖于它。

04

让中国梦成为世界梦

All people are dreamers.

人人都是梦想家。

We dream of peace and prosperity for our family and descendants. So my dream is that the China Dream can become the world’s dream!

我们都梦想家人和子孙后代能安享和平、繁荣。所以我的梦想是中国梦能成为世界梦！

2019年4月，由新航道国际教育集团组织中英美三国专家编写的《用英语讲中国故事》丛书由人民出版社出版。潘维廉是丛书的主编之一。

But the greatest threat to this dream is fear bred by ignorance between nations. Let’s help dispel that ignorance by not just telling China’s story but selling China’s story.

但这一梦想仍面临着来自各国间对彼此不甚了解所滋生的恐惧所带来的最大威胁。因此，我们不仅要讲述中国故事，还要推销中国故事，以此来推动这种无知的消除。

For as Robert Louis Stevenson also wrote (“Lay Morals”, published in 1911), “All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared hearer.”

正如罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森在1911年出版的《世俗道德》中曾写道：“所有的言语，无论是书面的还是口头的，都是一种死的语言，直到找到一个愿意且有准备的听众。”

Our China story, regardless of what language we use, or how well we use it, is dead unless our hearers are willing and prepared to hear it—and it is our job to prepare them. So join us all at New Channel in Selling China’s Story in English, selling your China story in English!

不管我们使用何种语言，不管我们对此多么精通，直到听众愿意并准备好聆听，我们的中国故事才具有生命力——我们的任务就是使听众做好准备。所以请加入我们，和新航道一起用英语推销中国故事，一起用英语推销你的中国故事！

Dream!

逐梦吧！

Stay safe and healthy!

祝愿大家平安、健康！

Bill Brown, March 13, 2020

潘维廉

厦门大学管理学院OneMBA学术主任

新航道“用英语讲中国故事”形象大使

2020年3月13日

看完这封来信，你是否有所启发呢？

厚重的历史智慧与伟大的古今成就，赋予了中国故事难以比拟的文化属性。然而这样精彩的故事若不能让更多的人从中受惠，实在是有些可惜。想打破当前中西交流的隔阂与障碍，便要学会用精准而不失优雅的英语讲好中国故事。

在之前来信中，潘维廉教授针对中国学生学习英语的痛点——哑巴英语，提出了“三大秘诀”：激发学习英语的动力、大声地说出来、找到学习的伙伴。由新航道联合中国教育电视台共同举办的“用英语讲中国故事”活动，就为学生们实践这些秘诀提供了一个闪耀的舞台。

作为一名在中国生活了30年的老外，潘维廉一直用真实视角观察中国人的生活变化，用自己的脚步丈量中国的大地，身体力行向世界推广中国文化。点滴的积累，让他对中国的风土人情充满了热忱与喜爱，并成为中国故事的讲述者，向世界推广中国文化的精髓与精彩。

怀揣对中国的热爱和对传播中国文化极大热情，潘维廉不仅亲任新航道“用英语讲中国故事”形象大使，并在“用英语讲中国故事”活动总决选中担任专家评委。

这个被称作“史上最强外语活动专家评委团”的团队中，除了潘维廉，还有多位国内外权威专家学者，资深媒体人、戏剧名师共同加盟。他们将立足文化认知和语言技巧两大角度，对学员进行严格的选拔，为精彩的中国故事甄选出最出色的讲述者。

“用英语讲中国故事”活动启动以来，得到了青少年学生们的踊跃参与。截至初选结束，报名人数已突破十万。

世界渴望了解中国，中国也需要更好地理解世界。潘维廉将和各位专家评委一道，等待各位博学多才的选手在这个万众瞩目的舞台上，向世界展现属于中国也属于这个时代的精彩！