Part Two：Sample Speeches with Commentary

Understanding China（excerpted）

Speech at the English Speaking Union（ESU）

By Fu Ying　Chinese Ambassador to the UK 10 December 2009

Lord Hunt，

Ladies and Gentlemen：

It is a great honor for me to be invited to speak at the Churchill Lecture．And it is a special honor to have Lady Soames with us in the audience．

Sir Winston Churchill was a man of many great accomplishments．The fact that he was the first Chairman of the ESU，is a clear indication of his commitment to promoting peace and understanding across the world through the use of the English language．

When I was a student in the UK 24 years ago，I bought a copy of his autobiography when visiting Chartwell House．Buying books was luxury for me at that time and I valued it so much that I literally read it from cover to cover．

I was deeply struck by Sir Winston's devotion to learning．When he was still a backbencher，he had already distinguished himself as a bright young man in the Commons．He explained that no one can be bright，without learning and disclosed how he devoted hours and even days finding the background facts from bookshelves in the corridors of Westminster，before asking the two-minute question．

This inspired me greatly，especially as my studies got harder．To this day，I still work very hard on every speech or interview I do，including this one and I thank the English Speaking Union for giving me a unique opportunity to attend a training course in Oxford for speaking and debating skill during my study in the UK in the 1980s．I hope the training worked for me，but if you judge me to be a poor speaker today，at least you know where some of the blame lies．（Laughter）

Today，I have titled my speech“Understanding China．”

According to Global Language Monitor，an American research body，on its list of the Top News Stories of the Decade，the rise of China came as the first，well ahead of 9/11 and the war in Iraq．

But I think 2009 will probably be remembered in our history as the year when China starts to play a major role in the world．Here in London，I could clearly sense China's emergence onto the central stage of the world．During the G20 London Summit held last April，for example，the close cooperation between China，the US，the UK and other countries shows that China has joined the handling of major global issues．

During his recent visit to China，President Obama referred to China's larger role in global affairs as one of the most important developments over the last two decades．He welcomed it and said that US looked forward to being an effective partner with China．

However，many people in the Western world find it difficult to understand China．And there is also wariness on the part of the Chinese people about the Western world's intention on China．

So how can one define China？I'm afraid it defies a simple answer．China is too big，too diverse and too fast-changing to be characterized easily．I would say that China is a multi-faceted major country．

Let me explain what I mean．

First of all，China is a country that has enjoyed fast growth over the past 30 years．In 1986，China's GDP was RMB one trillion—that was about 100 billion Pounds．In 2008，it grew to RMB 30 trillion or three trillion Pounds．This means that in a span of 23 years，the Chinese economy has grown 30 times into the 3rd largest economy in the world．

The national wealth created in one day in 2008 was larger than the total annual output of 1952，and with the newly gained wealth，China has lifted 250 million people out of poverty in the past 30 years．

So when I read the UN report on hunger，I do feel proud for what China has achieved—feeding 20％ of the world's population with only 7％ of the world's arable land．

Naturally，China is still learning and adjusting to its new global role，as it lacks historical experience of operating on the global stage and also it is still very much preoccupied by domestic issues．

That lead to my second point：China is still a developing country．We in China are more conscious of our weaknesses and the challenges facing our country．

People tend to forget that China's GDP in per capita term is only a little more than 3，000 dollars，ranking us as 104th in the world．We are behind countries like Jamaica and Namibia．

UK's per capita GDP is 13 times higher that China．I wonder if you remember when in history the United Kingdom was at this income level？According to British Economist Angus Maddison，it was as far back as 1913．

China's manufacturing sector is at a fairly low value added level and most of the“Made in China”products are made with the world，as the design and key parts are often imported．We may have to export a container full of shoes and socks to pay for a tiny computer chip．

China also faces the serious challenge of uneven development．Many foreigners come to vibrant Beijing or Shanghai and think they have seen China．But those who have visited China's far west，will have a different experience and understanding．

China is still in the early stage of industrialization and urbanization，with 65％ of its people living in the rural areas．You may be surprised to know that 135 million Chinese people live on less than one dollar a day．

We can't be conceited with what we have achieved．This is why Chinese leaders often say that we need to be aware of the difficulties and risks，even when we are enjoying stability and prosperity．

That is not to say that China should ignore the growing expectations in the world for China to take on global responsibilities．

So my third point is about China learning to undertake new international responsibilities．As the Chinese President Hu Jintao remarked，China's destiny has never been so closely linked with the destiny of the world．

One of the reasons why the rise of China is such a hot topic is that many people，especially scholars，can't be certain how China is going to exert its influence as a new world power and whether China，too，will fall into the track of military expansion of the previous powers．

What I want to say is that China being an economic power is not new to the world．It was the most important economic powerhouse for hundreds of years before the 18th century．Its manufacturing was at times more than half of the world's total．However，expansionism was not in China's cultural genes．In dynasty after dynasty，we Chinese built up the Great Wall to fend off the nomadic tribes．

Coming into the 21 century，China gained economic growth mainly through active trading with the world and by benefiting from a relatively peaceful world environment．

Today，we live in a globalized world with an unprecedented degree of interdependences among countries and the convergence of their interests．That is why China set the tone for its relationship with the world as：peace，development and cooperation．

Secretary Hillary Clinton，when visiting China，captured this spirit of the times with a Chinese idiom“fighting the storm in the same boat．”This accurately depicts the nature of China's relationship with the United States，Europe and all other countries amidst the financial crisis．

In 1992，when I was serving with a UN peace keeping mission，I was always asked，“Are you from Korea or Philippines？”Now，among the P5，China is the largest troop contributing country to the UN peace keeping missions worldwide，totaling 14,000．

China has also been a serious contributor to global poverty reduction and development efforts．China-Africa relationship is a good case in point．Premier Wen Jiabao announced at the recent China-Africa Cooperation Forum a series of assistance to African countries．Apart from offering concessional loans and removing debts，China will also build 50 new schools，train 1，500 headmasters and teachers，and give 5，500 scholarships．China and the UK are also exploring possibilities working together on some of the African projects．

China's relationship with the world is still evolving．Greater mutual knowledge between China and the outside world is essential to greater understanding and cooperation．

（．．．）

Now，the world needs to know China better．I would like to see the ESU play an even bigger role in this new era as an indispensable bridge for the partnership between China and the UK，and between China and the world．

Thank you．

演讲分析

这是傅莹先生任英国大使时，在英语联盟做的演讲。英语联盟是成立于1918年的国际慈善机构，旨在通过共同使用英语语言以促进全球理解和友谊。自1974年起，英语联盟每年举办一次演说，庆祝温斯顿·丘吉尔爵士诞辰。这篇题为“更好地了解中国”的演讲结构清晰，语言优美，内容充实，主要从三方面介绍了中国——中国在过去30年实现高速发展，中国仍然是一个发展中国家以及中国正在学习承担新的国际责任。演讲最后提出加深中国和世界的互相交流至关重要。这篇演讲令人印象深刻的是例子、证言和数据三种论据的恰当使用。

第一点，例证的使用。首先，演讲的开头详细描述了傅莹先生在英国求学时的经历。傅莹先生说，丘吉尔爵士勤奋好学的精神深深感染了她，并对她很有启发，尤其是当她在学习中遇到困难时。这个生动的例子放在演讲的开头，不仅符合场合需求，很好地拉近和当地听众之间的距离，还能给人留下深刻的印象。尤其这个例子幽默的结尾想必受到了听众的欢迎。其次，演讲中几处简短例子的使用，清楚地阐明了观点。比如，在介绍完演讲主题之后，她说到，2009年很可能将被认为是中国发挥世界大国作用的转折之年，紧接着，举了一个当年4月举行的G20金融峰会的简短例子，中国与美国、英国等其他国家密切合作，这直截了当地证明了中国已经开始参与处理全球重大事务。

第二点，证词的使用。除了使用例子，演讲还用证言来证明“中国的崛起”。比如，引用奥巴马访华时谈到中国在全球事务中发挥更大的作用是过去20年最重大的事件之一。引用这样的“专家证言”显然能使中国崛起这样的观点更有说服力。演讲中还有几处引用了专家证言，比如，说到第三点，中国正在学习承担新的国际责任时，演讲首先引用了胡主席说的，中国的前途命运与世界的前途命运前所未有地紧密联系在一起。紧接着指出，在当今全球化的世界里，各国的利益高度融合，相互联系和依存，然后引用了美国国务卿希拉里访问中国时使用的一个中国成语“同舟共济”，并指出这个成语准确地反映了金融危机中中国与美、欧以及世界其他地区关系的状态。此外，为了证明中国为世界减贫和发展事业做出了贡献，演讲以中非关系为例，引用了温家宝总理在2009年召开的中非合作论坛部长级会议上提出了推进中非合作的新八项举措。这些专家证词使得演讲的内容更有权威性。

除了专家证言，演讲中也引用了“同伴证言”，比如，为了说明中国在维和中做出的贡献，傅先生先说，她在1992年参加联合国维和时，总有人问她“是韩国人还是菲律宾人？”。然而，现在中国是安理会常任理事国中，参加维和行动人数最多的国家，累计达1.4万人次。这里的“同伴证言”与后面的数据形成了鲜明对比，直观地说明中国开始越来越多地参与维和行动。这里证言、例子、数据的同时使用，有力地支撑了中国“正在学习承担新的国际责任”这一观点。

第三点，数据的使用。这篇演讲很好地体现了前面我们提到的使用数据时的一些原则和注意事项。比如，在引入话题之后，演讲引用了美国的一家研究机构——全球语言监控机构的统计。该统计指出，过去十年最热门的新闻中，“中国崛起”占据榜首，甚至大大超过“9·11事件”和“伊拉克战争”。这里傅先生不但指明了数据的出处，而且因为引用的是权威机构的统计而显得更有说服力。同时值得注意的是，为了成功引入“中国崛起”这一话题，演讲分别使用了数据、例证和证言三种方式。

另外一处数据的精彩使用，是在演讲的第一点，即为了证明中国是一个在过去30年中实现高速发展的国家。演讲首先将中国1986年与2008年的GDP进行了对比——从一万亿元（约合1000亿英镑）到30万亿元（约合3万亿英镑）。这里不仅将人民币单位化繁为简折算成英镑以便英国民众理解，紧接着还对这些数据进行了阐释——这就是说23年的时间里中国的GDP增长了30倍，成了世界第三大经济体。这样的阐释更直观地让听众明白了中国经济发展速度之快。为了进一步强化“高速发展”这一概念，演讲继续做了一个比较，即2008年，中国一天创造的经济价值超过1952年一年的总量。中国利用快速增长的财富使2.5亿人在过去30年摆脱了贫困。最后，演讲引用了联合国关于消除饥饿的报告——中国用占世界仅7％的耕地，养活了占世界20％的人口。这些有代表性且权威的数据直观地让观众了解到中国高速发展的程度，让人记忆犹新。

可以看出，恰当并有技巧地使用和组织例证、证言和数据这三类论据，可以使演讲内容饱满、说理完整且引人入胜。使用论据时，可以像傅莹先生这样，尽量使用能引起听众共鸣的、重要的、具体的、多样的、幽默且合适的例子。毫无疑问，如果能将这三类论据综合起来使用，会让演讲更加妙趣横生，起到片言折之的效果。

Questions of Culture Commencement Address at the University of Richmond

By Sajjid Zahir Chinoy　May 12，1996

1．Distinguished guests，faculty，staff，students，ladies and gentlemen，and most of all，the class of 1996：

2．I can visualize the scene again and again：11：30 p．m．，Saturday night，the fifteenth of August，1992，Bombay International Airport，India．I was leaving home for the University of Richmond．And as I said that final goodbye to my parents，my family，and my friends；and as I saw hope，expectation，even a tinge of sadness，in their eyes；and as I stepped aboard the Boeing 747 in front，I knew my life had changed forever．

3．The next 36 hours on board the aircraft were a time of questions，of concerns，of tremendous uncertainty．

4．Had I made the right choice in leaving my parents，my family，my home？Had I made the right choice in leaving my country，my culture，my background？Had I made the right choice in choosing the University of Richmond？

5．And then，of course，there was that one nagging question，that one overriding concern：As one of only three Indian students on a Richmond campus of 3，000，would I ever fit in？

6．My country was different．My culture was different．My experiences were different．My background was different．My language was different．My accent was different．Would I ever fit in？

7．And so here I was，high above the clouds，grappling with questions of culture，of interaction，of ethnicity．However，what I didn't know was that 30，000 feet below，on the ground，the world was faced with these very questions—the question of culture，the question of interaction，the question of ethnicity．

8．And so whether my aircraft took off from Bombay，where the Hindus and the Muslims lived together in a most fragile peace；or whether my aircraft was over Africa，where the Hutus and Tutsis of Rwanda and Burundi had long-standing animosity；or whether my aircraft was over Bosnia，where the Serbs，the Croats，the Muslims，and the Bosnians had broken yet another truce，the question was the same—could different cultures ever come together to reinforce one another？

9．Ladies and gentlemen，four years after that bumpy aircraft ride，this young Indian student had found his answer．He had been witness to the four most spectacular years of his life．The academics were great；the extracurriculars were great；his graduate school plan was great．

10．But what left an indelible impact on his mind was none of this．Not the GPA，not Stanford．No，instead it was those special moments，those moments of human interaction，those human relationships that can never quite be translated into words：

11．The time this young Indian student spent his first thanksgiving dinner with his debate team coach．That thanksgiving evening when I ate my first American turkey and saw my first American football game，not knowing the difference between a tackle and a touchdown．And yet，all of a sudden，just like this，this very different Indian student had become an inherent part of the great American tradition of giving thanks．

12．The time I spent my first Christmas eve with my journalism professor．That Christmas evening when the relationship wasn't of a faculty member and a student anymore，but of two buddies who fought fiercely over every point in ping-pong．

13．The time I had a long and honest talk with an American friend on the eve of a calculus exam．I didn't learn much calculus that night，but what I did learn was that as different as we are—different countries，different cultures，different continents—we are still the same．

14．The time in December 1992 when India was hit by communal riots，when violence and bloodshed were but a few hundred yards from my family and my home，and when my fantastic roommate from my freshman year sat up the entire night，giving me hope，strength，and courage at every step．

15．Yes，four years after that bumpy aircraft ride，I have found the answer to the question of culture．

16．I have found that it has taken just a little understanding，just a little sensitivity，just a little open-mindedness，just a little empathy on the part of this community—this University of Richmond community—to change my life like never before．

17．I have found that it makes no difference what culture you follow，what your background is，what your experiences are，what language you speak，what accent you have．The commonality of the human bond far transcends these superficial differences．

18．And yet look around at the world today．Look around at the very regions that were faced with the same question of culture that I was faced with four years ago．

19．Look at Bosnia，where，between 1992 and 1996，300，000 people had been slaughtered to death—Bosnians，Serbs，Croats，Muslims—all because they came from a slightly different heritage or culture or history．

20．Look at Bombay，India，where in one maddening week in 1992，2，000 Indians—Hindus and Muslims—lost their lives fighting with one another．They fought over the mosque；they fought over the structure made of bricks and mortar．Two thousand human beings lost their lives．

21．Look at Africa，where，between 1992 and 1996，1 million Hutus and Tutsis lost their lives．Just comprehend that for one small second．Between the time you were a freshman and a senior，1 million lost their lives fighting over culture，over history，over background．

22．Yes，just look at the madness around．The world has fought hard to highlight its differences．We have forgotten our inherent similarities．Why？All because what was missing was a little understanding．Just a little sensitivity．Just a little open-mindedness．Just a little empathy．

23．Two similar questions of culture in 1992．Two diametrically opposite results in 1996．

24．And so，to the class of 1996，I say go and distinguish yourselves like never before．Go and get the best of jobs，the most rewarding of careers．Go to the best of graduate programs．Go and make a real difference in your communities．

25．But not for one moment，not for one moment，ever forget the memory of these four years—the memory that just a little understanding，just a little sensitivity，just a little open-mindedness，just a little empathy on your part can mean the difference between complete despair for one young boy in Bosnia and remarkable hope for another young boy here at Richmond．

26．Thank you．

演讲分析

这篇是里士满大学1996届的印度籍毕业生Sajjid Chinoy在毕业典礼上做的演讲，该演讲获得了极大的成功。演讲者首先描述了他从异国他乡到美国上大学时复杂的情绪，接着谈到了他在里士满大学读书时受到了友好与热情的招待，最后提出理解可以克服文化的差异。现在我们来学习一下这篇演讲是如何成功使用例证和数据来支撑观点的。

第一点，例证的使用。首先，演讲的开头，即第一到第八段，详细地描述了四年前演讲者离开家乡来到美国求学时的情形。这个详细的例子包含具体的时间、人物、地点和内心一系列的困惑，生动地描述了当时的所见、所闻和所思。这样详细的描述放在演讲的开头，引人入胜，并为后文做好铺垫，提出了一个关键的问题——不同的文化能汇集在一起互相促进吗？紧接着，演讲的主体部分给出了答案，尤其是第十一段到第十四段，演讲者用了四个简短的发生在自己身上的例子叠加在一起证明了找到的答案。这四个简短的例子讲述的都是演讲者到了美国之后如何被接纳、被关怀，有力生动地证明了文化的差异可以被理解、敏感、接纳和同情超越。

第二点，数据的使用。演讲的第十九到二十一段，用了三个简短的例子，说明在1992到1996年间发生在波斯尼亚、孟买和非洲的惨案，并提到在这三起冲突中，分别有三十万、两千和一百万人丧生。这些数据直观地让人了解到文化冲突带来的灾难。同时联系自身经历，演讲者再次强调，正是缺乏理解、敏感、接纳和同情，文化差异才会带来如此不同的结局。

演讲的最后，演讲者首尾呼应，再次用自身的经历和这些悲剧的反差呼吁所有的毕业生面对不同的文化时要学会理解和包容。整个演讲因为使用了生动的例证以及巧妙的结构组织而显得真实动人。关于如何组织演讲的内容，在后面的章节会有详细介绍。