W.K.W. Endowment Fund: W.K.W. Speech

W.K.W. Speech for the Reception of Celebrating the Establishment of W.K.W. Endowment Fund

尊敬的各位来宾： 大家晚上好！

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, good evening!

感谢大家抽出十分宝贵的时间，在这个寒冷的冬天的晚上，从这个城市的四面八方，汇聚到这里，参加W.K.W基金的新闻发布会！

In such a freezing winter evening, thank you so much for taking your precious time to gather here from every corner of the city and attend this press conference for W.K.W Endowment Fund!

我每次来哥大，都会路过一大片墓地，那一块块立着的墓碑在反反复复的提醒我，我们每个人都是向死而生的！可以说我们个个生得伟大，但是很难说我们个个会死得光荣，特别是很难像刚刚过世的曼德拉那样极尽哀荣！

Every time I come to Columbia University, I will pass through a cemetery, where each and every erected gravestone repeatedly reminds me that all of us are born to die! While each of us may be born great, few would have a glorious death, unlike Nelson Mandela, who was recently laid to rest after a ceremonial state funeral.

我第一次见程馆长的面，那是哥大亚太协会主席沈琦介绍的，就和他讨论是否能设立一个基金资助收集中外有意思的墓志铭，我将那些凝聚着人生感悟的墓志铭视作人类文化传承的独特切片。后来程馆长建议聚焦中美之间的人物，收集范围也扩展到不仅墓志铭，而且也包括谱牒、传记、影像资料等更宽的范围。于是就有了现在的W.K.W基金。

Introduced by Mr. Shen Qi, Chair of Columbia University Asia-Pacific Development Society, I was able to meet with Jim, Director of the C.V. Starr East Asia Library. In our first meeting, I discussed with him about whether or not to establish a fund to sponsor the collection of interesting epitaphs all over the world--those inspiring messages from gnosis of life deemed as the unique time slices for generational cultural inheritance. Jim later suggested that we focus on historical figures both in the US and China and that the collections be expanded to epitaph, genealogy, autobiography, photography and etc. Here comes today's W.K.W Endowment Fund.

在筹备成立基金的过程中，再次验证了我来美学习后一个很强烈的感觉，那就是，无论是个人或者组织，甚至国家，不是因为强大而胸怀博大，而是因为胸怀博大而变得强大！刚刚过世的曼德拉是个人的典范，开放的中华民族和更加开放的美国是民族和国家的典范，而哥大则是社会组织的光辉典范！哥大免费接纳我访学体现了一种胸怀，哥大图书馆接受我一个外人的建议，改善募捐机制更体现了一种胸怀！我由此更切身地体会到哥大成为名校的原因，并愿意留下这小小的基金，表达我对哥大感谢的心情。

The preparation work has, once again, verified a strong feeling of mine that individuals or organizations, or even countries, will not be broad-minded because of their great power, but powerful because of their broad-mindedness. Mandela was a role model of individuals; the open-minded Chinese people a role model of peoples while the more open-minded United States a role model of the countries; Columbia University a splendid role model of organizations. It was broad-mindedness that Columbia University accepted my request as a visiting scholar free of charges; it was also broad-mindedness that the Starr Library accepted my suggestions to improve its fund-raising mechanism. Therefore, I felt clearly why Columbia University has consistently been recognized as a top university in the world and agreed to endow a small fund to extend my deepest gratitude to Columbia University.

其实，我们每个人多半向往成为高尚的人或者高贵的人，尽管我们明知自己并非完人。真正高贵的人，即使身处劣势或逆境，依然不坠青云之志，富有远见和牺牲精神；丁龙就是这样的人！真正高尚的人，即使身居强势地位，却仍为弱势群体思维或行为，富有悲悯和平等精神；丁龙的主人卡彭迪埃（Carpentier)就是这样的人！正是因为有他们这样的许多高贵和高尚的人，才有哥大东亚系乃至东亚图书馆的前世今生。正因为有他们榜样在前，才有我等趋贤于后。

In fact, almost all of us are aspiring to become the honorable or the noble, although we are consciously aware of our imperfections. Even in a disadvantaged position, the noble shall still cherish their lofty ambitions, far-sighted and willing to sacrifice, such as Ding Long. Even in an advantaged position, the honorable shall still think and act for the common good of all, compassionate and fair,  such as Mr. Carpentier, Ding Long's master. It is the noble and the honorable that have brought to life the Department of East Asian Studies as well as the Starr Library at Columbia University. Following the footprints of these role models, here I come today.

在这个世界上，能穿越时空的唯有揭示真理的思想！

                               能长盛不衰的唯有传播知识与思想的课堂！

                              其它纵使强大如国家，也会消亡！

In this world, teleporting is the thinking that reveals truth;

long-lived is the classrooms that disseminates knowledge and thoughts;

All, including powerful countries, shall perish from the earth.

在这个世界上，能打动人心的唯有高尚的品德和高贵的人格，

                              成千上万的人奔涌在通往高尚和高贵的路上，

                             这才是我们这个世界的希望！

In this world, touching is the virtues of honor and nobility,

and tens of thousands people are running on the road to honor and nobility;

which is the hope of our world.

感谢哥大，感谢东亚图书馆，给我这个机会，设立这个基金，收集这些思想和希望。我衷心祝愿越来越多的人，不仅生得伟大，而且死得光荣，如果不能像曼德拉那样极尽哀荣，也要像丁龙那样，一百年后事迹仍被传诵！

Many thanks to Columbia University and the Starr Library for giving me this opportunity to establish this endowment fund and to collect these thoughts and hopes. I sincerely hope more and more are not only born great, but also will have a glorious death, being extolled after one hundred years, just like Ding Long, if Mandela was too great to emulate.

光荣的标志之一是，墓志铭及生平事迹被哥大东亚图书馆收藏！

How to define a glorious death? Your epitaph and biographical materials will get collected by the Starr Library.

最后再次感谢大家的光临！祝大家圣诞快乐！新年快乐！

Thank you very much again for coming. Happy holidays!