苏格兰首席大臣亚历克斯·萨蒙德2012年“圣安德鲁日”祝辞（中英对照）

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2012年“圣安德鲁日”祝辞

Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland

苏格兰首席大臣亚历克斯•萨蒙德

30 November 2012

2012年11月30日

St Andrew’s Day is a very special day in Scotland. A day when we celebrate Scotland’s history, our people, our culture, but above all a celebration of our people.  Scotland is proud of its history of invention and discovery. We actually invented quite a bit of the modern world, from the telephone, to television to penicillin to beta blockers.  However, perhaps – actually certainly – our greatest invention of all, the one that made all of the others possible, was the invention of universal free education.

在苏格兰，“圣安德鲁日”是一个非常特别的日子。这一天，我们庆祝苏格兰的历史、我们的民族和我们的文化，最重要的是庆祝我们的民族。苏格兰为其创造和发明史而自豪。实际上，现代世界中许多东西都是苏格兰人发明的，从电话到电视、青霉素、β受体阻滞药。但是，也许——实际上确实如此——我们最伟大的创造就是推出了全民免费教育，正是如此才使得其他的发明创造得以出现。

I am speaking from Lochgelly South Primary School in Fife, which has been part of this community for more than 100 years.  Like schools all over the country it provides a great education for our young Scots, teaching them subjects such as English, maths, history, science.  Encouraging them to care for each other and the environment. Helping them to lead active lifestyles and opening their eyes to the wider world.

我要从法夫的南洛赫盖利小学说起，100多年来，它一直是这个社会的组成部分。与苏格兰其他小学校一样，这个学校为我们苏格兰的儿童提供最好的教育，教授他们英语、数学、历史、科学等科目，鼓励他们彼此关爱、保护环境，帮助他们培养积极的生活方式，开拓他们的视野、面向更广阔的世界。

It’s fantastic to see schools like this encouraging the next generation of Scots to be inventive and creative.  These are all deep seated characteristics of our nation and they will be as essential to our future success as they have been to our historic achievements.

很高兴看到所有小学校都和它一样，鼓励下一代的苏格兰人具备发明和创造能力。这些都是苏格兰根深蒂固的民族品性，正如在我们的历史成就中发挥的作用一样，它们将成为我们未来成功的基石。

St Andrew’s Day is a great time to reflect on these characteristics.  It marks the beginning of Scotland’s winter festivals where we welcome visitors from around the world to enjoy Scotland’s rich culture, heritage and our hospitality.

“圣安德鲁日”是回顾这些民族品性的绝佳时机，它标志着苏格兰冬季节日的开始，我们欢迎全世界的游客前来欣赏苏格兰丰富的文化、遗产，感受苏格兰人民的热情好客。

You can ring in the new year at the home of Hogmanay and you can celebrate Burn’s night in the land of his birth. Throughout the whole of 2013, we will be celebrating our Year of Natural Scotland when we highlight Scotland’s landscapes, our scenery, our wildlife to people in Scotland and of course to visitors from round the world.

你可以在除夕夜的发源地迎接新年的到来，你也可以在诗人彭斯的出生地庆祝“彭斯之夜”。整个2013年，我们都将举办“苏格兰自然风光之年”庆祝活动，届时我们会向苏格兰人民，当然也会向来自世界各地的游客，重点介绍苏格兰的景色、风光以及野生动物。

And then in 2014, we invite the world to come to Scotland for our Year of Homecoming and we also host two of the greatest sporting events in the whole world – the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

而到了2014年“回归苏格兰之年”，我们邀请全世界的人来苏格兰，我们还将举办世界上两项盛大的体育赛事——在格拉斯哥举办的英联邦运动会和在格伦伊格尔斯举办的“莱德杯”高尔夫比赛。

So if you come to Scotland for business, to visit friends and relatives or to enjoy some of these great events we have lined up during the next two years, you will be coming to a country with a proud history but with an eye to the future.  And a country where on St Andrew’s Day, Hogmanay or any other day of the year you’ll get the very warmest of Scottish welcomes.

所以，无论你是来苏格兰出差、探亲访友或是参加已列入未来两年计划的赛事活动，你将会看到一个有着傲人历史但同时又着眼于未来的苏格兰。在 “圣安德鲁日”、新年或是一年当中的任何时候来到这里，你都会受到苏格兰人民最热情的欢迎。

So enjoy this special day for Scotland and I hope that many of you will join us over the next two years.  On behalf of the people of Scotland, as Scotland’s First Minister I send you our best wishes for a wonderful St Andrew’s Day.

所以，享受这个属于苏格兰的特殊节日吧。我希望未来两年中你们能够与我们一道庆祝。作为苏格兰首席大臣，在美妙的“圣安德鲁日”到来之际，我谨代表苏格兰人民献上我们最诚挚的祝愿。