W.K.W. Endowment Fund: Vice President Speech

Vice President and University Librarian Jim Neal
Speech for the Reception of Celebrating the Establishment of W.K.W. Endowment Fund

On behalf of the Columbia Libraries, I thank you for attending this celebration. Today we establish the W.K.W. Endowment Fund, supported by a Chinese entrepreneur from Beijing, who is also a current Columbia University Visiting Scholar, Founding Councilman of Peking University Entrepreneur Club, and Advisor to the Columbia University Asia-Pacific Development Society.

我代表哥伦比亚大学图书馆感谢各位前来参与我们的活动。今天在此我们宣布建立由来自中国北京的企业家，同时也是哥大的访问学者，北京大学企业家俱乐部发起理事，哥伦比亚大学亚太发展协会顾问支持下所建立的W.K.W. 基金。

The endowment will be used for the support and enhancement of the Chinese Studies Collection of the C.V. Starr East Asian Library.  We will acquire biographical materials of historical figures in Chinese studies, such as epitaph, eulogy, genealogy, autobiography, biography, oral history, and photography.  And we organize the related symposiums, lectures, book talks, and exhibitions. This is an extraordinary gift.

该基金收入将用于支持哥伦比亚大学东亚图书馆发展更多的中国研究领域历史人物有关的文献资源馆藏，包括碑铭、哀荣录、谱牒、自传、传记、口述史、照片，以及用于举行相关的学术会议、讲座、读书报告和展览。

In 1901, a donation of $12,000 by Dean Lung, a Chinese domestic employee working in the home of one of Columbia’s trustees triggered the creation of the Chinese Studies Program, the first Chinese Studies Endowed Professorship: Dean Lung Professor of Chinese Studies, and the Chinese Studies Collection (through the donation of the 5,044-volume Chinese encyclopedia by the Chinese government in 1902).

1901年，始于在一位哥伦比亚大学校董家担任管家的丁龙先生的1万2千美元的捐赠，哥大创立了其中国研究项目及其丁龙中国研究讲座教授席位，和由此而引来的在1902年中国政府捐赠的5千零44卷古今图书集成基础上建立的中国研究图书馆藏。

Today, The Chinese Studies Collection at Columbia holds more than 450,000 volumes, 7,800 serials, 4.7 million e-books, and unique materials such as Chinese oracle bones, paper gods, local gazetteers, genealogy records, and videos.  It is ranked as one of the largest and most prominent Chinese Studies collections in North America, serving students, faculty and researchers from all over the world.

今天哥大的中国研究图书馆藏已经发展成为拥有45册图书，7千8百种期刊，4百7十万册电子书，包括甲骨文，纸马门神，地方志，族谱，电影等特藏，并在北美地区名列为最大最重要的中国研究馆藏之一。哥大的中国研究图书馆藏为哥大的学生，教授，以及全世界的学者提供服务。

And after more than 110 years, based on the same spirit of Dean Lung, the donor of the W.K.W. Endowment makes a similar contribution to improve the understanding and exchange of the great ideas between US and China.  For that I am deeply grateful. 

110 年之后，秉承于当年丁龙同样的精神，W.K.W.基金的捐赠人为促进美中两国之间文化理念的互相理解与交流作出了同样的贡献，对此，我表示由衷的感激。

There is an old Chinese saying, when you drink the water you should not forget the person who dug the well.  Several months ago, when I first met with our donor and his wife, I heard him say he was touched and inspired by the story of Dean Lung and would like to make a contribution to the Starr Library’s Chinese Studies Collection.  Today, when we celebrate the establishment of the W.K.W. Endowment Fund, I would like to specifically acknowledge and thank Paul Anderer, deBary/Class of '41 Professor of Asian Humanities, and his wife Mia Anderer, for their hard work in researching and spreading the information about Dean Lung, and making the story of Dean Lung known by the world.  Through Paul and Mia’s work, the story of Dean Lung was watched by millions of Chinese in the Chinese media, including our donor.

记得有一句中国成语：喝水不忘掘井人。当几个月前，我与我们的捐赠人及其夫人见面时，他提到由于受到当年丁龙故事的打动与启发，他希望为我们史带东亚图书馆的中文收藏作些什么。今天当我们在这里庆祝 W.K.W. 基金成立时，我希望特别提到并感谢在座的迪百瑞亚洲人文学讲座教授 Paul Anderer 和他的夫人 Mia Anderer. 是他们二位的研究与努力才使得丁龙的故事为世人知晓，尤其是他们通过中央电视台，南方周末将丁龙的故事转播给无数的中国观众，包括我们的捐赠人。

As Socrates once observed:  I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.  Columbia University and its Libraries are in the world.  And this W.K.W. Endowment strengthens the ties between this University and China, and advances enormously our understanding and appreciation of Chinese history and culture.  Thank you.

哲人苏格拉底曾经声称：我既不是一个雅典人也不是一个希腊人，我是一个世界公民。哥伦比亚大学及其图书馆属于世界。W.K.W.基金加强了哥大与中国的连接纽带，极大的推动了我们对中国历史与文化的进一步的理解与欣赏，谢谢。

James G. Neal

Vice President for Information Service and University Librarian, Columbia University during the reception of celebrating the establishment of W.K.W. Endowment Fund, Dec. 19, 2013