中英对照：“中国可以说不”，印度也在模仿这个外交语言

“中国可以说不”，印度也在模仿这个外交语言

“China can say no”, a diplomatic rhetoric that India is emulating

（本文为印度新德里金砖国家研究所所长高兴在“中国式现代化与人类命运共同体国际研讨会”发表的演讲）

Speech by Binod Singh Ajatshatru, Director of BRICS Institute (New Delhi) at the International Forum on Chinese Path to Modernization and Global Community of Shared Future

我之所以能够有机会用中文讲话，是因为我在北京上过学，我是中国大学培养出来的，我也是中国改革开放的受益者。

The reason I can speak Chinese fluently is because I studied in Beijing. I was enriched by Chinese universities as a beneficiary of China’s Reform and Opening-up.

我刚来中国时的心态和现在很不一样。20多年前，我很想学中文，因为中文是世界上使用人口最多的语言。我在印度已经学会英文，如果再掌握中文，我就可以很好地和世界各种文明交流。

When I first set foot in China, my mindset was completely different. Twenty years ago, I had this burning desire to become fluent in Chinese, which is spoken by more people than any other language in the world. I believed that by mastering Chinese, along with the English I had learned back in India, I would be able to engage in more meaningful exchanges with people from different cultures.

中华文明与印度文明有很多共享的文化基因，也都受到佛教、孔教、儒教的影响。正因如此，每当我看到中国领导人的演讲和倡议，都会有强烈认同感。

Chinese and Indus civilizations have a lot in common, with shared cultural influences from Buddhism, Confucianism, and Ruism. This is why I feel a strong sense of identity whenever I hear speeches and initiatives from Chinese leaders.

我在中国生活了很多年，我清楚中国是怎么样的，也知道印度现在对中国的描述很不客观。来到北京以后，我也看到北京发生的很多变化，真的非常不可思议。很多海外媒体都没有如实报道中国的情况，没有以客观的心态看待中国的发展——不管是中国的民主，还是中国的经济和文化。

After living in China for many years, I have come to truly understand the reality of the country and the biased descriptions of China often presented by India. Being in Beijing, I have personally witnessed numerous remarkable changes. It is unfortunate that many foreign media outlets fail to provide an accurate and objective account of China's story, whether it pertains to its democracy, economy, or culture.

再讲一点我自己的经历。我在中国留学时会兼职教英文，那几年正好中国在准备奥运会，一时之间周围所有的学生英文说得比我还好。

Let me share my own experience. When I was studying in China, I took on some part-time English teaching jobs during the lead-up to the Olympics. I suddenly discovered that all the students around me could speak English better than I could. 

然后我就思考，我能在中印之间做些什么。后来，我觉得我可以从事IT领域的工作，毕竟中国人都夸印度的IT非常厉害。当时，中国的政府领导去印度拜访时都会直接飞到班加罗尔，和当地的IT人员交流。

That got me thinking about what I could do for China and India. It occurred to me that pursuing an IT job could be a fitting choice, considering the high regard Chinese people have for India's IT performance. Back then, when Chinese leaders visited India, they would fly directly to Bangalore to engage with local IT professionals.

我觉得我们两国应该促进这方面的合作。如果中印能在IT领域有所合作，我们在这方面就不必再依赖西方。或许在之前，中国的发展和崛起离不开与西方国家在科技方面的合作。但现在，中共二十大以后，中国国家领导人和学者都表示，中国不再和过去一样了，不再需要依靠西方的科技，中国做到了自力更生。

I believed that China and India needed to strengthen IT cooperation, because this would enable us to reduce our dependence on the West. While it may have been the case that China's development and rise relied heavily on technological collaboration with Western countries, the situation is different today. After the 20th National Congress of the CPC, Chinese leaders and scholars all agree that unlike in the past, China does not need to rely on Western technologies, for China has achieved self-reliance.

但回头看看，印度现在处在什么阶段？为什么外界总是会用妒忌、羡慕、仇恨来看待中印关系？中国政治学者张维为先生在2008年去过印度，在《中国震撼》一书里，他所写的印度是事实。

But let's take a look at where India stands today. Why does the world continue to depict China-India relations as a mixture of jealousy, envy, and even animosity? In 2008, Mr. Zhang Weiwei, an expert in Chinese politics, visited India and shared his observations in his book "The China Wave: Rise Of A Civilizational State." What he wrote about India in his book reflects the ground realities accurately. 

但2008年以后，印度也觉醒了，意识到了不改革是不行的。所以，印度领导人开始全盘模仿中国——中国设置了发改委，印度也马上成立了发改委；中国各个省的招商局策划招商政策和路演，印度也马上效仿。

However, after 2008, India woke up to the fact that resistance to reform would get the country nowhere. As a result, Indian leaders started to emulate China. They established their own version of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the provincial authorities followed China’s suit to implement investment attraction policies and organize roadshows.

以前，印度会把官员派到哈佛大学培养，现在则是派到中国学习。回到印度的这几年，我觉得我可以介绍中国的经验和发展模式给他们，中国的模式是可以被一些国家学习的，包括印度，因为我们同样是人口大国。

In recent years, Indian officials who were previously sent to study at Harvard University are now pursuing their studies in China. Since my return to India, I have been eager to share China's practices and development model with them, which hold valuable insights for populous countries like India.

印度现在的情况是怎样呢？各位，印度现在不仅模仿中国的经济制度，同时也学习中国的政治制度。

How is India doing these days? Ladies and gentlemen, India is not only emulating China's economic system but also taking inspiration from its political system.

我有不少案例可以证明，中国和印度的发展模式是非常相似的。中国过去有一句话——“中国可以说不”（China can say no），现在印度也模仿这个外交语言——印度可以说不。

I've got a few examples that show how remarkably similar our development models are. There used to be a rhetoric that goes "China can say no." And India is now picking up that diplomatic language too - "India can say no."

实际上，印度的发展是离不开中国的，当然，也离不开美国和西方国家。

In fact, India's growth is intricately linked to China, and of course, to the US and other Western countries as well.

我不知道怎么总结中国的发展模式，所以我是以学习的态度来和大家进行交流的。我不一定能代表印度的声音，但就在疫情开放的时候，入境中国最多的是印度人，上万名印度留学生回到中国上课。

I'm here to learn from you because I'm not sure how to encapsulate China's development model. While I may not represent the entire population of India, consider this fact: after China downgraded its COVID management, more people from India have entered China than from any other country, and tens of thousands of Indian students have returned to study here.

在经济上，不管是印度政府还是企业，甚至是印度年轻人，大家都觉得，未来是属于中国的，这是不争的事实。

Economically, everyone in India, from the government to the business community and even the younger generation, is absolutely convinced that the future belongs to China.

但当前冷漠的国际环境和地缘政治的确带给我们很多不确定性，印度有约10万名学生在德里学中文，在过去这三年，他们告诉我，没有中国人来印度，他们没有收入，没有任何的工作机会，也不知道该怎么办。过去，在新德里有超过一万名中国人，他们在当地和印度人合作。现在，印度的发展状况相当于20年前的中国，20年前的中国所经历的变革在印度也正在发生。

Today's chilly international and geopolitical landscape is indeed generating a great deal of uncertainty. In Delhi, there are about 100,000 Indian students studying Chinese. For the past three years, with no Chinese visitors in India, they've been facing tough times. No income, no job opportunities, and a whole lot of confusion about what to do next. Back in the day, there used to be over 10,000 Chinese working side by side with local Indians in New Delhi. But things have changed. India is now going through the same transformative phase that China experienced 20 years ago.

回到今天的主题。在英语霸权的世界里，中国的政治术语翻译得很不准确，因此外国人不能很好的理解，比如中国政协，翻译成英文很长，很多留学生可能根本说不出来政协的全名是什么。再比如“太和”、“中国崛起”这些词汇，其实并不是中国最近才提出来的，而是中国几千年文化里一直存在的。

Returning to today’s theme, in a world dominated by the English language, many Chinese political terms suffer from mistranslations, making them difficult for foreigners to comprehend. Take the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), for example. Its English name is quite long, and it can be a mouthful for international students to pronounce and understand. Similarly, phrases like "Tai He" (Supreme Harmony) and the idea of "the rise of China" are deeply rooted in Chinese culture for ages, but they are often misconstrued as recent inventions.

在不了解状况的外国人眼里，中国的崛起对周边国家来说可能有“威胁感”，但这是因为他们根本不了解中国。

In the eyes of foreigners who do not understand China, the country’s rise may indeed generate a sense of threat among neighboring countries. However, this perception stems from their lack of comprehension.

中国的民主制度和印度的民主制度恰恰相反，印度的民主相当“热闹”——在开会时会扔东西、扔麦克风，而中国的民主是和平的，会倾听大家的意见，互相学习。所以，今天的沟通在后疫情时代特别重要，我们也希望外国人有更多的机会了解中国的政治制度，我们也想走进人大、两会，我们也想看看，中国的民主到底是怎样的。

China's democracy differs significantly from that of India, which includes tumultuous incidents of microphone-throwing in the parliament. In contrast, China's democracy is peaceful, emphasizing mutual learning through attentive listening. In the post-pandemic era, exchanges are vital, and it is our hope that more opportunities can be provided to foreigners for a better understanding of China's political system. We would appreciate first-hand experiences at the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Two Sessions (annual plenary sessions of the NPC and the CPPCC), allowing us to truly grasp the essence of China's democracy.

世界和平离不开中印和平，中印必须要解决矛盾。我希望各位老师、学者能够为中印关系再启航提供更好地建议，谢谢！

Global peace hinges on the peace between China and India, so the two countries must resolve their disputes. I hope our guests and scholars can offer valuable insights for reinvigorating China-India relations. Thank you!