“第十九届斯诺研讨会”嘉宾发言推送的第四篇来自美国埃德加·斯诺纪念基金会主席段恩·威廉姆斯。

段恩·威廉姆斯致辞中文译文

你们好！我是段恩·威廉姆斯，现任埃德加·斯诺纪念基金会主席。我从埃德加·斯诺的家乡密苏里州堪萨斯城为你们带来诚挚的问候。

很荣幸欢迎众多杰出的学者在此展示研究成果，弘扬斯诺精神，促进美中两国人民的理解和友谊。这些年来，一些最先研究埃德加·斯诺夫妇的学者开始了解格雷·戴蒙德博士（E. Grey Dimond）及其妻子玛丽·克拉克·戴蒙德（Mary Clark Dimond）。他们都是堪萨斯城居民，也是埃德加·斯诺的密友。1972年埃德加·斯诺去世后，玛丽·戴蒙德创立了埃德加·斯诺纪念基金会。1983年玛丽意外去世，她的丈夫戴蒙德博士接任了她的职务。

我非常理解斯诺为何深爱中国和中国人民。对于在堪萨斯城市中心长大的年轻非裔美国人而言，中国仿佛远在天边。我现在还记得第一次去中国时的感受。我一直以为自己是一个非常自信的商人，但在飞机最终着陆，走下飞机那一刻，我发现自己居然有些惴惴不安，感到前路未卜。然而，没想到的是，我受到了异常热情的接待，大家非常尊重我，这在我多年的旅行中从未遇到过。那一刻，我终于明白埃德加·斯诺在中国的发现——他看到了中国人民的善良和好客。从那以后，我先后去过五次中国。每来一次，每一次与这里的人民交流，我对他们的尊重和敬佩愈深，我相信埃德加·斯诺当时也是如此。

埃德加·斯诺夫妇在保安（今志丹县）窑洞对毛泽东及其他新中国的开国元勋进行具有历史意义的采访时，中国正陷入残酷的内战之中，距今已经历了四代人。80年之后，我们与这些英雄人物的子孙、他们的同时代人以及那些改变世界的事件共享着什么样的历史遗产呢？今天我们如何利用关于斯诺夫妇的生平和工作的研究成果，去影响美中关系，增进两国的相互理解与合作呢？

在埃德加·斯诺逝世近50年后，这些问题一直指导埃德加·斯诺纪念基金会的工作，也是我们工作的动力。基金会总部设在埃德加·斯诺的家乡密苏里州堪萨斯城，与密苏里大学堪萨斯分校保持密切合作关系，它的使命是缅怀埃德加·斯诺先生，继续他促进美中两国人民理解与友谊的事业。

在美中关系中，埃德加·斯诺已然成为友谊的代名词，尤其是在中国。埃德加·斯诺明白，不能以开放心态去理解他人，不能切身地接触他们，去感受他们的经历和所处的历史环境，就不可能拥有真正的友谊。做一个空谈的专家远远不够！

埃德加·斯诺之所以去中国大西北，可能与他在密苏里州的成长经历有一定关系。密苏里州的车牌上就有我们独特的“州训”：“索证之州”（The Show-Me State）。众所周知，密苏里人工作勤恳，语言朴实。他们不屑于夸夸其谈或华而不实的宣传。他们希望亲眼看到证据和事实，得出自己的结论。因此，“展示（Show-Me）”或“证明（Prove-It）”用在这里恰如其分。中国人已经证明并展示了自己是真正的朋友。他们那一如既往的热情、善良和优雅，总是体现在与他们的每一次谈话和交往之中。

埃德加·斯诺目睹了殖民主义、政府腐败、日本侵略和自然灾害给中国人民带来的巨大伤害，并因此对中国人民产生了极深的感情，同时敬佩不已。斯诺并不是共产主义者，也不支持或反对民族主义。对斯诺来说，唯一重要的就是记者的职业操守，或许说“人道主义”。他坚守作为记者的责任，怀着一颗仁爱之心，客观准确地报道事实。

斯诺充分利用进入延安的难得机会。在四个半月的时间里，这位年轻记者几乎调查和观察了革命根据地生活的各个方面。他花费了很多时间采访毛泽东和其他领导人，以及普通士兵和农民。这些故事成就了斯诺的史诗巨著《红星照耀中国》，该书1937年首次在英国伦敦出版，1938年在纽约出版。该书的出版当时被认为是“世纪性新闻”，因为它首次全面报道了自内战开始以来的共产党动态以及红区生活。《红星照耀中国》的中译本在中国人民手中传阅，他们对其赞叹不已，许多人受其激励加入革命。

正如他们所说，后来的事众所周知。

我很激动能在此欢迎大家参加第19届斯诺研讨会。无法亲临会场，我们非常难过，不过这场疫情不会永远持续下去。我们期待在第20届斯诺研讨会上见到大家。我在此想向中国国际友人研究会、北京市人民对外友好协会以及北京大学的各位友人表达我最诚挚的谢意。非常感谢王睿嘉的辛勤工作，以及他对董事会和策划本次活动的奉献。我还要感谢南希·希尔（Nancy Hill）、詹姆斯·麦克库西克（James McKusick）、西德尼·沃德（Sidney Ward）以及前董事会主席等人，感谢你们对埃德加·斯诺纪念基金会董事会的服务。

Speech at the 19thEdgar Snow Symposium

Dwayne Williams

Ni hao! I am Dwayne Williams, President of the Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation board. I bring you warm greetings from Kansas City, Missouri, the hometown of Edgar Snow.

I welcome the opportunity to showcase the work of many distinguished scholars who are here to promote U.S.-China understanding and friendship in the spirit of Edgar Snow. Several of the pioneering scholars who first carried out research on Edgar and Helen Snow became acquainted over the years with Dr. E. Grey Dimond and his wife, Mary Clark Dimond; both residents of Kansas City who were close friends with Edgar Snow. Mary Dimond founded the Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation after Edgar Snow’s passing in 1972. Dr. Dimond carried on the leadership role after his wife Mary passed away unexpectantly in 1983.

It’s easy to understand why Edgar fell in love with China and its people. As a young African American man growing up in the inner-city, China may as well have been a million miles away from Kansas City, Kansas. I remember when I left for China the very first time. Though I consider myself a very confident businessman, I found myself a bit nervous about what to expect when I finally landed and stepped off the plane. Yet, in all my years of traveling, I had never been welcomed with such warmth and respect. I understood in that moment what Edgar Snow had found: the kindness and hospitality in the people of China. I have since traveled to China five times, and my respect and admiration for the people has grown immensely with each trip and interaction, as I’m confident was the same for Edgar Snow.

Nearly four generations have passed since Edgar and Helen Snow’s historic interviews with Mao Zedong and other foundational leaders of modern China in the caves of Bao’an, all while China’s civil war raged around them. 80 years later, what legacy will we share with the great-grandchildren of these powerful men and influential women, their contemporaries, and those world-changing events? How can we use the lessons from the lives and work of Edgar and Helen Snow to inform and improve Sino-U.S. understanding and cooperation today?

Nearly 50 years after Edgar Snow’s death, these questions have been the definition and driving force behind the work of the Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation. Headquartered in Edgar Snow’s hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, and closely affiliated with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation works to preserve Snow’s memory and continue his work to further U.S.-China understanding.

In context of U.S.-China relations, the name Edgar Snow has become synonymous with friendship’ especially in China. Edgar Snow understood that you can’t have true friendship without an understanding that comes from an open mind and the physical work of seeking out people, experiences, and events where they occur. Being a sideline expert is simply not enough!

Part of Edgar Snow’s motivation to travel to the Northwest may have had something to do with his upbringing in Missouri. The license plate in Missouri bears our state’s unique motto: “The Show-Me State”. Missourians have been known to be hard-working, plain-spoken people. They don’t take part in fancy talk or slick propaganda. They want to see evidence and facts, with their own eyes, and draw their own conclusions. Thus, the term “Show-Me”, or “Prove-It” fits well. The citizens of China have proven and shown themselves to be true friends. The warmth, kindness and grace are unwavering and consistent with every conversation and engagement.

Edgar Snow developed a great affection and admiration for the Chinese people while observing first-hand the daunting challenges of colonialism, corruption, Japanese aggression, and natural disasters. Snow wasn’t pro-Communist, nor pro or anti Nationalist. The only “ist” that mattered to Snow was “journalist”, and perhaps also “humanist”. He took his responsibility to be an objective, accurate, and humane reporter of only the facts, very seriously.

Snow took full advantage of the unprecedented access. For four and a half months, the young journalist investigated and observed virtually every facet of life in Red-controlled territory. He spent countless hours interviewing Mao and other leaders, along with foot soldiers and peasants. Those stories became Snow’s epic book, Red Star Over China, first published in London, U.K. in 1937, and in New York in 1938. This book had been deemed “the scoop of the century”, since it provided the first comprehensive account of the communist party and life in the Red-controlled territories since the start of the Civil War. Within China, people were informed, awed and many were inspired to join the revolution by reading Red Star Over China, which was also available in Chinese translation.

The rest, as they say, is history.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome you all to the 19thAnnual Edgar Snow Symposium. Though saddened that we are unable to convene this year in person, this pandemic won’t last forever. We look forward to seeing everyone in person during our 20thannual celebration. I’d like to extend a personal thanks to the members of P.F.S., B.P.A.F.F.C., and P.K.U. To Ray Wang, thank you very much for your hard work and dedication to the board and to the planning of this event. To Nancy Hill, James McKusick, Sidney Ward, and the former board chairs, I’d also like to extend a great thanks for your service to the Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation Board.

作者：陈 医

编辑：刘鑫慧