中英携手共同纪念抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利

Let Britain and China Unite in Memory of Victory in the Second World War

中国驻英国大使 刘晓明

Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the UK

2015年8月15日

15 August 2015

今天是日本战败投降日。英国将举行对日作战胜利日特别纪念仪式。中国将与英国人民和世界人民一道，于9月3日隆重举行中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利70周年纪念活动。

Today is VJ Day. As Britain prepares to commemorate the end of the Second World War, it will be joined by people around the world – including the people of China. Our own solemn commemorations take place in Beijing on September 3, marking the 70th anniversary of what we call the World Anti-Fascist War.

长期以来，西方史书和教科书对于亚洲战场，特别是中国人民抗日战争的介绍寥寥无几，中国人民为世界反法西斯战争胜利所作出的巨大牺牲经常被西方所忽视和遗忘。近年来英国知识界和史学界本着客观、公正的态度，开始重新审视和深入研究那一段中英共同的历史，体现了对历史应有的尊重。

For many years, Western history and school textbooks have said very little about the battles in the Far East, especially the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression. The enormous sacrifice of the Chinese people often seems to have been overlooked or forgotten. So it is gratifying that in recent years British historians have begun to revisit this part of our shared history. Such studies demonstrate an objective and just attitude as well as due respect for the history.

在那场战争中，中国长期牵制和抗击了日本的主要兵力，中国军民为此付出了伤亡3500万人的沉重代价，这相当于当时英国总人口的70%。中国的抗日战争在战略上策应和配合了欧洲战场和亚洲战场的战略行动，制约和打乱了日本法西斯和德、意法西斯进行配合的企图。和英国人民一样，中国人民为人类社会最终战胜法西斯反动势力做出了不可磨灭的历史贡献。

During that resistance war, China pinned down and fought against the main force of the Japanese. To achieve that, both China’s military and its civilians made enormous sacrifices – 35 million casualties. That’s about 70 per cent of the total population of the UK at the end of World War II. Strategically, the war in China has supported Allied operations in Europe and strategic moves in the Pacific theatre. It also prevented and upset coordination between the fascists in Japan and the fascists in Germany and Italy. Like the British people, the Chinese people made an indelible historic contribution to the victory against the fascist forces.

中国人民的抗日战争得到了包括英国政府和人民的同情与支持。中英两国军人在远东战场上并肩浴血奋战。英军对日作战伤亡9万多人，其中3.6万人牺牲, 仅在日军战俘营中，就有1.2万英军战俘丧生。英国人民成立了各种援华团体，积极宣传中国抗战，通过募捐、义卖、义演等形式筹集援华钱款和物资。对此，中国人民永远铭记在心。

But they did not do so alone. History reveals enormous sympathy and support for China’s resistance war from the UK government and people. British soldiers fought side by side with their Chinese comrades. In the Far East, the British military forces sustained tremendous losses, including 90,000 casualties on the battlefield, of whom 36,000 died. There were 12,000 deaths in Japanese PoW camps alone.

The British people also set up various organisations in support of China’s resistance war. They told stories about China’s efforts, raised funds, and collected aid materials for China through donations, charity sales and performances. The Chinese people will never forget Britain’s friendship in their time of need.

同时，中国军民在远东战场积极支援、救助英军。1942年，中国远征军在缅甸转战1500余公里，解救被日军围困的英军，而自身付出了巨大牺牲。同年，中国舟山东极岛渔民冒着生命危险营救沉没的日本“里斯本丸”号上数百名英军战俘，并拿出稀缺的食物和衣物接济他们。在欧洲战场，24名中国海军学员参加了诺曼底登陆战役，他们不畏艰险，英勇善战，受到丘吉尔首相的赞扬。

Likewise, China’s military and civilians showed great courage and valuable partnership towards Britons. In 1942, the Chinese expeditionary army fought and defeated the Japanese troops in a series of deadly battles spanning over 1,500 kilometers in Myanmar. This operation, while incurring painfully heavy casualties on the Chinese army, successfully lifted the Japanese siege on the British troops. Also, in 1942, fishermen from Dongji Island of Zhoushan Islands in China risked their lives trying to rescue hundreds of British PoWs who were prisoners on the sinking Japanese vessel Lisbon Maru. The fishermen brought their only clothes and food to help the soldiers they saved. In the European theatre, 24 Chinese naval cadets took part in the Battle of Normandy. Their courage and bravery were praised by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

奥尔德斯·赫胥黎说过，“没有充分吸取教训是最重要的历史教训”。

Aldous Huxley once noted: “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.”

在我们缅怀抗日战场的先烈之时，不能忘记法西斯侵略者给人类社会带来的巨大灾难，给人类文明造成的空前浩劫。牢记历史就是不允许一些势力企图否认日本侵略军的残暴罪行，企图篡改二战历史，企图为日本军国主义翻案。牢记历史就是敦促日本正确对待侵略历史，避免重蹈覆辙，坚持走和平发展道路。只有这样，日本才能取信于亚洲邻国和国际社会。

As we remember the fallen soldiers and civilians on VJ Day, we must never forget the calamity suffered by human society and civilisation at the hands of the fascist invaders. History must be remembered in order to prevent attempts to deny the atrocities and crimes of the Japanese aggressors, attempts to distort the history of the Second World War and attempts to whitewash militarism. History must be remembered so that Japan will face squarely its past of aggression, avoid taking the same disastrous roads of 70 years ago, and adhere to the path of peaceful development. This is the only way to win back the trust of its Asian neighbours and the international community.

我们牢记历史不是要延续仇恨。70年前，中英同为二战胜利国和联合国创始成员国；70年后，中英是全面战略合作的伙伴。我们有责任共同捍卫二战胜利成果，维护战后国际秩序，携手谱写人类和平的新篇章！

Yet remembering history does not mean prolonging hatred. Britain and China were not only victors of the Second World War, but founding members of the United Nations. 70 years on, we remain comprehensive and strategic partners. We both have the responsibility to uphold the outcome of that victory and safeguard the post-war international order. As we continue to build on our partnership, let’s join hands in writing a new chapter of peace for all mankind.