May the legacy of heroes last forever—Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Xie Feng at the Visual Arts Exhibition Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War

天地英雄气，千秋尚凛然——谢锋大使在纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年影像和艺术展上的讲话

Vice Minister Shen Haixiong,

Chairman Jeffrey Greene,

Professor David Frazer,

Distinguished guests,

Dear friends,

尊敬的慎海雄副部长，

格林主席，弗雷泽教授，

各位来宾，各位朋友：

It is a great pleasure to welcome all of you to the Chinese Embassy, to together remember history and honor fallen heroes. Just now, we visited the visual arts exhibition commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Each work of art is an ode to peace and friendship, and the hologram project brings history and the heroes back to life.

欢迎大家来到中国驻美国大使馆，一道铭记历史、缅怀先烈。刚才我们共同参观了中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年影像和艺术展，透过笔墨丹青呼唤和平、讴歌友谊，通过全息影像触摸历史、走近英雄。

Eighty years ago, amid the flames of war, heroic men and women from both China and the United States stood up for peace and justice, and built an iron wall of defense at the cost of their lives. With tremendous sacrifices, they secured peace and tranquility for the world, and left a timeless legacy for all generations to come.

烽烟滚滚唱英雄。80年前，在艰苦卓绝的战争年代，中美两国一位位英雄儿女，为了和平与正义挺身而出，用血肉之躯铸就了坚不可摧的铜墙铁壁，用巨大牺牲换来了世界和平安宁，也给我们留下了弥足珍贵的精神财富。

Let’s together salute the heroes for laying down their lives for the noble cause of peace. China was the main Eastern battlefield in the World Anti-Fascist War. As the earliest and longest-running front, the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression tied down the largest portion of Japanese troops and witnessed the greatest sacrifices. With 14 years of tenacious resistance, over 200 important battles and the loss of more than 35 million soldiers and civilians, China made indeliblehistorical contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

我们要礼赞英雄舍生忘死、英勇顽强的气概。作为世界反法西斯战争东方主战场，中国人民抗日战争开始时间最早、持续时间最长、牵制兵力最多、付出牺牲最大，以长达14年浴血奋战、200余次重要战役、3500多万军民伤亡，为世界反法西斯战争胜利作出了不可磨灭的历史贡献。

From the five heroes who fought to the last bullet and jumped off the cliff of the Langya Mountain, to “Chinese Schindler” Dr. Ho Feng-Shan who risked his life to save thousands of Jews, the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation put up a heroic fight, stood together with people worldwide, and defeatedJapanese militarist aggressors. That was a triumph for the Chinese people, and also for all people around the world. The great spirit of the War of Resistance, featuring intrepidity and perseverance in the face of threats of force, is continuing to inspire the Chinese people to this day to overcome all difficulties ahead, instead of being overwhelmed by the difficulties.

从视死如归、宁死不屈的“狼牙山五壮士”，到冒险拯救数千犹太人生命的“中国辛德勒”何凤山，全体中华儿女前仆后继，同世界人民同仇敌忾，打败了穷凶极恶的日本军国主义侵略者，这是中国人民的胜利，也是世界各国人民的胜利。不畏强暴、百折不挠的伟大抗战精神，永远激励中国人民征服一切困难而不被任何困难所征服。

Let’s together salute the heroes for carrying the destiny of the nation and the world upon their shoulders. In that decisive war between justice and evil and between light and darkness, the peace-loving people of China and over 50 countries joined hands to establish the international anti-fascist united front. International friends of different races and ethnicities came to the war-ridden China, and fought together for the common cause of peace. The Flying Tigers soared across the sky to intercept Japanese aggressors, and opened up the treacherous “Hump Route” over the Roof of the World, writing an epic story in pursuit of peace with their lives. Artists also pitched in. American illustrator Martha Sawyers created a series of works to rally support for China. War photographer Robert Capa recorded the brutal Battle of Shanghai with his camera. Posters were put up throughout the streets of the U.S. to mobilize assistance for the Chinese. Today, to safeguard the post-war international order and protect the Earth, our only home, we still need such heroes, and should act together for peace and for the future.

我们要礼赞英雄天下兴亡、匹夫有责的情怀。在那场正义与邪恶、光明与黑暗的殊死战斗中，中国同50多个国家爱好和平的人民联合在一起，结成广泛的国际反法西斯统一战线。不同肤色、不同民族的国际友人来到战火纷飞的中国，为人类共同的正义事业而战。飞虎队员鹰击长空、阻击日寇，还开辟了飞跃天险的“驼峰航线”，用生命书写了追求和平的英雄壮歌。艺术家们以笔为矛，画家索耶斯用画作声援中国，摄影师卡帕在炮火中定格淞沪会战的壮烈场景，美国街头张贴大量海报为中国抗战鼓与呼。今天，维护战后国际秩序，呵护人类唯一可以居住的星球，仍然需要这样的幕后英雄，需要一起为和平、一起向未来。

Let’s together salute the heroes for forging an unshakable friendship through life and death. Many of you may be familiar with the Doolittle Raid, a signature battle of the Pacific Theater during World War II, in which 16 American bombers struck Japan after the attack on the Pearl Harbor. The rescue operation following the raid, though, was no less awe-inspiring.Running low on fuel after completing their mission, the pilots were forced to land in Zhejiang and Jiangxi. Chinese soldiers and civilians spared no effort to rescue the pilots they had never met before, and some 250,000 civilians were killed by Japanese aggressors in retaliation, who even waged atrocious germ warfare.

我们要礼赞英雄守望相助、生死相托的情谊。杜立特空袭作为二战太平洋战场的标志性战役被载入史册，但杜立特行动大救援更加动人心弦。日本偷袭珍珠港后，美国16架轰炸机奔袭日本，由于油料不足迫降浙赣地区，中国军民对萍水相逢的美国飞行员不计代价、冒死营救，遭到日军疯狂报复、甚至惨无人道的细菌战，25万中国平民因此罹难。

The friendship between the Chinese and American people was forged amid the trials of blood and fire, and has gained new life and injected fresh impetus into bilateral relations over the years. It is a constant reminder that China and the U.S. should see each other as a partner and friend, contribute to one another’s success and benefit the whole world; that we should never forget what our two peoples went through together in the era of war, and should never waver in our commitment to peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

血与火铸造的中美人民友谊历久弥新，始终是中美关系发展的不竭源泉，时刻提醒我们中美应该成为伙伴和朋友，彼此成就，惠及世界；时刻提醒我们不忘战争年代结下的深厚情谊，不移和平共处之心，不坠合作共赢之志。

Dear friends,

各位朋友，

History is both the best textbook and dose of sobriety. It has once and again proven that prejudice, hatred and war will bring nothing but disaster and pain, and mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right way forward. As the world’s two largest economies and permanent numbers of the UN Security Council, China and the U.S. share a special and significant responsibility for upholding world peace and stability and promoting global development and prosperity.

历史是最好的教科书，也是最好的清醒剂。历史不断证明，偏见和歧视、仇恨和战争只会带来灾难和痛苦，相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢才是人间正道。作为世界前两大经济体、联合国安理会常任理事国，中美对维护世界和平稳定、促进全球发展繁荣肩负特殊重要责任。

Eight decades ago, our two countries fought against fascism side by side and jointly defended peace and justice. Eight decades later, we have more extensive common interests, broader space for cooperation, and more important international obligations. For however long the future may last, China and the U.S. should continue coexisting in peace on this planet, and work together to get more big, practical and good things done. This not only serves the shared interests of our two countries, but also meets the common expectation of the international community.

80年前，中美两国并肩作战，共同抵抗法西斯侵略，捍卫了人类和平与正义。80年后的今天，中美拥有更广泛共同利益、更广阔合作空间、更重大国际责任。未来不管多长时间，中美都必须在这个星球上和平共处，合作办成更多大事实事好事，这符合中美两国的共同利益，也是国际社会的共同期待。

Greatness is forged in the ordinary, and heroes come from the people. Ensuring that the tragedies of history will never repeat themselves is the best way to honor the heroes who gave their lives to protect freedom, justice and peace for humanity, and safeguarding the fruits of the victory of World War II and world peace is the best way to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

伟大出自平凡，英雄来自人民。绝不让历史悲剧重演，是对为维护人类自由、正义、和平而牺牲的英雄先烈的最好告慰；捍卫二战胜利成果和世界和平，是对世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年的最好纪念。

For any great cause to succeed, we must gain strength from the people. Accordingly, to find a right way for China and the U.S. to get along in the new era and advance the common cause of peace and development, we need everyone to be a hero. As long as all the good-willed people value peace and prioritize stability, and come together to build a brighter future, the light of peace will surely reach every corner around the globe, and we will surely create a masterpiece of lasting peace and universal security for the world.

任何一项伟大事业要成功，都必须从人民中集聚力量。走出中美新时期正确相处之道，实现人类和平与发展的共同事业，需要千千万万个英雄人物。只要所有善良的人们树牢以和为贵、以稳为重的坚定信念，迈出风雨同舟、共创未来的坚实步伐，就一定能让和平之光照亮每一个角落，绘就世界持久和平、普遍安全的恢弘画卷。

Thank you very much.

谢谢大家！