A warm friendship born in the cold of the Winter Games
冰雪冬奥中诞生的温暖友谊
My name’s Liu Dibo
我叫刘迪波
Before my speech
在开始演讲之前
I’d like to read out to you a handwritten letter
我想先同大家分享一封
I received in this February
我在二月份收到的亲笔信
It was from the president of
这封信来自于
the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations
夏季奥林匹克项目国际单项体育联合会总会主席
Francesco Ricci Bitti, who’s an Italian
意大利的弗朗西斯科·里奇·比蒂先生
In the letter he says
他在信中写道
Dear Dibo
亲爱的迪波
I am happy to return home
平安归家我很高兴
but I am very sad to miss your warm and effective assistance
但回想起你的热情与帮助又感到十分思念不舍
As an outstanding friend
你是一位出色的朋友
you have made my stay at Beijing 2022 enjoyable and easygoing
让我在2022年的北京度过了愉快而轻松的时光
You are a young man that
你还年轻
deserves a great future in your life personally and professionally
在人生和事业上都会有光明的未来
I wish you all the best
祝愿你一切顺利
and do not hesitate to contact me
如果我可以帮到你
if you feel I can be of help for you
请不要犹豫，直接联系我
Please keep safe, healthy and happy
愿你保重身体，幸福安康
and I hope our roads will cross again in the future
希望我们未来能够再次相遇
Thank you very much for your friendship
非常感谢你的友好
Francesco Ricci Bitti
弗朗西斯科·里奇·比蒂
Actually, I was a volunteer at the Winter Olympic Games
我是今年年初北京冬奥会的
in Beijing earlier this year
一名志愿者
and Mr. Ricci Bitti was one of the visitors
里奇·比蒂先生
I had the honor of serving
是我有幸服务的一名来宾
I was an Olympic Family Assistant
我是奥林匹克大家庭助理中的一员
one of many people who helped senior Olympic Games figures
负责帮助北京奥林匹克大家庭核心客户
when they were in Beijing
他们人在北京时
We accompanied these people to Games venues
我们与他们一同前往奥运会场馆
arranged meetings for them with others and acted as interpreters
安排会面并充当翻译
When you serve at big events like the Olympics
当我们服务奥运会这样的大型活动时
your job is about cultural communication
很多工作都是围绕文化交流展开的
Mr. Ricci Bitti had been a senior official for decades
里奇·比蒂先生已经是在职几十年的高级官员
and had once been president of the International Tennis Federation
曾经担任过国际网球联合会主席
and in that role visited Beijing for the Summer Olympics in 2008
当时还在2008年夏季奥运会期间访问北京
So when he was here in January I felt I had to do much more
因此，他一月份来到北京时
than be nice to him and indulge in small talk
在友好相处与闲聊之余
Instead I went out of my way to tell him about
我还向他讲述了
how much China had changed since 2008
2008年以来中国发生的巨大变化
and to answer any questions he had about the country
并解答他关于中国的各种问题
This included telling him about Chinese culture
我还向他介绍了中国文化
and places of interest in Beijing
和北京的名胜古迹
When we passed the China Ethnic Museum
路过中华民族博物院时
I told him about what a united country China is
我向他介绍到中国是一个民族大团结的国家
and when we approached Tian’anmen Square
经过天安门广场时
I told him about the various waves of construction
我为他讲述了几百年来
in the city over the centuries
北京城建筑的变迁
When we visited the Yanqing Olympic village in the mountains
参观京郊山区的延庆奥运村时
outside Beijing I told him about
我向他介绍了
the country’s efforts to promote sustainable development
中国为促进可持续发展所作出的努力
Gradually a warm relationship developed between us
我们之间逐渐建立了温暖的友情
all the more valuable, I think
我想这一点最有价值
because it was between a young Chinese in his early 20s
因为这是一个20多岁中国年轻人
and an Italian man who a few weeks earlier had celebrated his 80th birthday
和一个刚过完80岁生日的意大利人之间的“忘年之交”
A little more than 700 years ago
700多年前
the Italian explorer Marco Polo
意大利探险家马可·波罗
took news of ancient China's economic boom back to Italy
将古代中国经济繁荣的消息带回了意大利
which greatly promoted the ties between the East and the West
极大促进了东西方的联系
When Mr. Ricci Bitti returned to Italy after the Games
毫无疑问，里奇·比蒂先生
I have no doubt that he would have talked very positively
在奥运会结束后回到意大利时
about China to his relatives and acquaintances
也一定会像马可·波罗一样
in very much the same way as Marco Polo did
向他的亲戚和朋友赞美中国
It so happens that the next Winter Olympics are being held in Italy
下一届冬奥会在意大利举行
and after the Beijing Games were over
北京冬季奥运会结束后
and on the way we drove to the airport
我们驱车前往机场时
Mr Ricci Bitti turned to me and said
里奇·比蒂先生转身对我说
I hope to see you in Milano for the Winter Olympics in 2026
希望能在2026年的米兰冬奥会上与你再会
Please contact me if you travel to Europe
如果你到欧洲旅行一定记得联系我
Of course I accepted his invitation without hesitation
我毫不犹豫地接受了他的邀请
During the Games I celebrated my birthday
我的生日恰好在冬奥会期间，庆生时
and I was lucky enough to have Juan Antonio Samaranch
很幸运，国际奥委会副主席
vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, there
胡安·安东尼奥·萨马兰奇先生也在场
He said that I and others like me would be part of
他说，很多像我一样的中国年轻人
the fond memories that many important people
将给许多国际要员留下美好的回忆
from all over the world would take home with them
大家都会记得
Those memories would include young Chinese people
这些无私服务他人的中国青年
selflessly serving others and the superb organization of the Games
与本届奥运会的出色组织方
At such moments we young people have the chance
这种场合让中国青年有机会
to tell people from other countries
向世界展现
about how we understand our own culture
我们的文化理解
our belief in our own culture, and our confidence in our own culture
文化信念和文化自信
As pointed out in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress
正如中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会报告中所指出的
we will accelerate the development of
我们将加快构建
China's discourse and narrative systems
中国话语和中国叙事体系
better tell China's stories, make China's voice heard
讲好中国故事、传播好中国声音
and present a China that is credible, appealing, and respectable
展现可信、可爱、可敬的中国形象
Also, we will deepen exchanges and mutual learning
深化文明交流互鉴
with other civilizations and better present Chinese culture to the world
推动中华文化更好走向世界
This is not only the task of contemporary Chinese young people
这不仅是当代中国青年的任务
but also the task of the future Chinese youth generations
也是未来中国青年一代的任务
Undertaking that task is all the more important at a time when
疫情之下
amid the pandemic, it seems that the connection
全世界人民的联结
between people worldwide has become fragmented
似乎已经支离破碎
But China insists on doing its best to show the world
这时，这项任务就显得尤为重要
that human beings are still united
中国仍坚持尽最大努力向世界证明人类的团结
At the opening ceremony of the Games in Beijing in February
二月的北京冬奥会开幕式上
the International Olympic Committee President
国际奥委会主席
Thomas Bach said: “In our fragile world
托马斯·巴赫说：“我们所在的这个世界是脆弱的
where division, conflict and mistrust are on the rise
分裂、冲突和猜疑正在日益升级
we show the world
我们要向世界证明
yes, it is possible to be fierce rivals
是的，竞争激烈的对手
while at the same time living peacefully and respectfully together”
也能够和平共处、彼此尊重”
This is something I wholeheartedly agree with
我完全赞同
and I have no doubt that my friend Mr. Ricci Bitti would agree with it as well
毫无疑问，我的朋友里奇·比蒂先生也会赞同这句话
