President Bush Gives a Speech at Tsinghua University

Vice President Hu,thank you very much for your kind and generous remarks. Thank you for welcoming me and my wife, Laura, here.
I see she’s keeping pretty good company with the Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
It’s good to see you, Mr. Secretary.
And I see my National Security Adviser, Ms. Condoleezza Rice, who at one time was the provost of Stanford University, so she’s comfortable on the university campuses such as this.
Thank you for being here, Condi.
I’m so grateful for the hospitality and honored for the reception at one of China’s and the world’s great universities.
The standards and reputation of this university are known around the world, and I know what an achievement it is to be here. So congratulations.
My visit to China comes on an important anniversary, as the vice president mentioned. Thirty years ago this week an American president arrived in China on a trip designed to end decades of estrangement and confront centuries of suspicion. President Richard Nixon showed the world that two vastly different governments could meet on the grounds of common interest in the spirit of mutual respect.
As they left the airport that day, Premier Zhou En-Lai said this to President Nixon: “Your handshake came over the vastest ocean in the world--25 years of no communication.”
During the 30 years since, America and China have exchanged many handshakes of friendship and commerce. And as we have had more contact with each other, the citizens of both countries have gradually learned more about each other. And that’s important.
It was my honor to visit China in 1975. Some of you weren’t even born then. It shows how old I am.
A lot has changed in your country since then. China has made amazing progress in openness and enterprise and economic freedom. And this progress previews China’s great potential. China has joined the World Trade Organization, and as you live up to its obligations, they inevitably will bring changes to the Chinese legal system. A modern China will have a consistent rule of law to govern commerce and secure the rights of its people.
The new China your generation is building will need the profound wisdom of your traditions. The lure of materialism challenges our society-challenges society in our country-and in many successful countries.
All these changes will lead to a stronger, more confident China, a China that can astonish and enrich the world, a China that your generation will help create.
This is one of the most exciting times in the history of your country, a time when even the grandest hopes seem within your reach. My nation offers you our respect and our friendship.
Six years from now, athletes from America and around the world will come to your country for the Olympic Games, and I’m confident they will find a China that is becoming a Daguo, a leading nation, at peace with its people and at peace with the world.

keep company with  和…结交，和…亲热
provost n. （牛津、剑桥等大学的某些学院的）院长
estrangement n.疏远
live up to v.实践, 做到
lure v.引诱

非常感谢胡副主席热情洋溢的欢迎致辞，非常感谢您在这里接待我和我的夫人劳拉。
我发现她与国务卿科林•鲍威尔先生相处得很好。看到你很高兴，国务卿先生。
我也看到我的国家安全顾问康多莉莎•赖斯女士，她曾经是斯坦福大学的校长，因此她回到校园是最适合不过的了。
谢谢你能来，康迪。
非常感谢各位对我热情的接待，很荣幸能够来到中国，甚至是世界最伟大的学府之一。
清华大学的治学标准和声望世界闻名，我也知道能考入这所大学本身也是一个很大的成就，因此，我要祝贺你们。
正如副主席刚才谈到的，我这次访华恰逢一个重要的周年纪念日，三十年前的这一周，一个美国总统来到了中国，他的访华之旅，目的是为了结束两国长达数十年的隔阂，和数百年的相互猜疑。尼克松总统向世界表明了有着重大差异的两个国家，本着互利互惠，相互尊重的精神是能够站在一起的。
那天，他们离开机场的时候，周恩来总理对尼克松总统说了这样一番话，他说：“你与我的握手越过了世界上最为辽阔的海洋，这个海洋就是互不交往的25年。”
三十年来，美国和中国已经握过多次的友谊之手和商业之手。随着我们两国间接触的日益增多，我们两国人民逐步加深了了解，这是非常重要的。
我在1975年有幸访问过中国，那时在座的有些人可能还没有出生，这也表明我是多么老了。
从那以来，贵国发生了很多变化。中国在开放方面、在企业方面、在经济自由方面都取得了惊人的成就。这一成就显示了中国有着巨大的潜能。中国已经加入了世界贸易组织，在你们履行世界贸易组织成员义务的同时，这些义务势必将给中国的法律体系带来变化。一个现代化的中国将有着统一的法制来规范他们的商业生活和保障人民的权益。
你们这一代人正在建设的中国，需要你们的深远传统的智慧。物质利益的诱惑对我们的社会造成了挑战——在我们的国家给我们的社会造成了挑战，在很多成功的国家也造成了挑战。
所有的这些变化，将导致中国更加强大、更加自信，这个中国将使世界瞩目，也使世界更加丰富。
这个中国就是各位一代所帮助创立的中国。现在是中国历史上一个非常令人振奋的时刻。此时此刻，就连最宏伟的梦想也似乎唾手可得。我的国度，对中国表示敬意和友谊。
再过六年，来自美国和世界各国的运动员，将到贵国参加奥林匹克运动会，我坚信，他们能够见到的中国将是正在变成一个大国的中国，一个走在世界前沿的国家，一个民心安定，与世界和平相处的中国。

President Bush Gives a Speech at Tsinghua University mp3