Melbourne Journal 墨爾本紀事

Melbourne Journal

墨爾本紀事

This is my day-by-day chronicle from the first half of 1999 to the middle of 2005.You can consider it as my diary for these years. During this period, I was seconded from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (later renamed as the Ministry of Commerce) to work at the Chinese Consulate General in Melbourne, Australia.

這是我自1999年上半年至2005年中的逐日紀事，姑且算作我這幾年的日記吧。在這段時間裡，我由對外貿易經濟合作部(後為商務部)外派到中國駐墨爾本總領事館工作。

Diary emerged as a genre in China as since the Song Dynasty. It became increasingly popular during the Ming and Qing periods. The late Qing Dynasty saw a particularly abundant number of diaries that have survived to this day, such as Zeng Guofan’s(藩)[1]“Diary of Zeng”^[2], Weng Tongsu’s(翁同穌)^[3] “Diary of Weng” ^[4], Li Ciming’s（李慈銘）^[5] “Diary of Yuemantang”^[6], Wang Kai Yun’s^[7] “Diary of Xiangqilou”^[8], and Ye Changzhi’s^[9] “Diary of Yuandulu”^[10]. The diaries left behind by these political giants and academic luminaries have made significant contributions to the research of future generations! Most of what is preserved within them are invaluable historical materials and academic treasures.

日記，是我國從宋以來產生的一種著作體裁。明清時期運用者漸多。晚清尤甚，存世的著名日記極夥，如曾國藩《曾文正公日記》。翁同穌《翁文恭公日記》、李慈銘《越縵堂日記》、王闓運《湘綺樓日記》、葉昌熾《緣督廬日記》等。這些政壇巨子、學界泰斗所留下來的日記，何啻為後世架構了一座座廣廈!裡面所庋藏的，大多是些無價史料和學術瑰寶。

I do not have the habit of writing diaries. Being as ordinary as I am, I neither understand the intricacies of politics nor do I possess much academic fame. The diaries I write seem to hold little benefit for both others and myself[11]. However, over the past few years stationed abroad, the requirements to plan and forecast our weekly work schedule forced me to keep writing diary each week. That’s why I write this booklet.

此前，我並無寫日記的習慣。淺淺如予，既不解政壇樞要之事，學術上亦無甚大名氣，自忖寫這些勞什子，不過是留下一堆垃圾，於人於己均無甚大益處，不如不寫。只因這幾年駐外，要求對每周的工作安排要有計劃性和前瞻性，逼着我們不得不每周進行“排日紀事”。這就是這本小冊子《墨爾本紀事》產生的緣由。

Upon careful examination, I find some interest in my diaries. Perhaps readers shed light on the customs and conditions of Australia, including its industries, agriculture, trade, education, and culture. They might also reveal the significant increase in economic cooperation and trade volume between China and Australia over the years. Additionally, they may provide insights into the frequent exchanges in education, tourism, and personnel between the two countries. Furthermore, my diaries include travelogues from scenic areas mainly in Victoria and Tasmania, where I have visited in Australia.

仔細翻檢一過，尚覺有些興味。或許從中可了解到澳洲的一些風土人情及其工農業、貿易、科教、文化等方面的一些狀況；從中也可了解到中國和澳大利亞兩國之間，在這些年中的經濟合作關係和大幅度提升的貿易量；還可了解兩國之間留學、旅遊和人員往來頻繁的狀況；尚可讀到筆者在澳大利亞，主要是維州、塔州，足跡所至時所寫的一些風景區遊記。等等。

The views expressed in the book are my own, and I take full responsibility for the content. They do not represent any other individuals or the organization I belong to. Any errors and mistakes are inevitable, and I sincerely ask for advice and guidance from others. (Please send correspondence to: No. 3, Caolanzi Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing, Postal Code: 100034)    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The  author

                                          On July 10, 2005 in Melbourne

書中觀點出自我本人,文責自負,與他人及我所在的機關無關。錯訛之處,在所難免,懇請通人不吝賜教。(請函寄:北京市西城區草嵐子衚衕三號,郵編:100034)

                                                       筆者                   

                   2005年7月10日於墨爾本

The club is organizing a trip to Queenscliff for everyone, where we’ll take a ferry across the sea to Portsea, and then tour around Phillip Bay.

俱樂部組織大家去昆士克利夫(Queensclif)遊覽並乘輪渡渡海到波特海(Portsea),環菲利普(Philip)大海灣周遊一圈。

Travelogue of the Phillip Bay Mouth

菲利普海灣出海口遊記

In the early morning, we departed from the consulate. Our car drove through the Melbourne city center, crossed the West Gate Bridge, and headed south along the M1 highway through the western wilderness of Phillip Bay. After passing Geelong, we continued southward. After about an hour and a half of driving, we arrived at Queenscliff, located at the tip of the Bellarine Peninsula.

清晨,從領館出發,我們的汽車穿過墨爾本城區,跨過西門橋,沿着菲利普海灣西部原野上的 M1高速公路向南行駛;經過基隆城後,又繼續往南;大約走了一個半小時,來到柏樂潤半島(Bellarine Peninsula)的島尖昆士克利夫(Oueenscliff)。

這是菲利普海灣入海口的西部陸地尖端,與東部莫林屯半島(Mornington Peninsula)的島尖波特海遙遙相對,隔海相望。我用一個形象比喻,這東西兩個島尖,猶如螃蟹的兩個大夾子,鉗守着菲利普海灣通向南太平洋的海口。或者說，兩個島尖之間形成了一個瓶頸,使菲利普海灣連接着南太平洋。這個瓶頸使海灣變成了一個很大的內海,活像一個神秘的寶瓶,大墨爾本城就散布在寶瓶周圍。天地造化,得天獨厚,使墨爾本變成了一個繁華而神奇的美麗海灣城市。

I have visited the eastern island tip of Portsea twice. Today, I am fortunate to be standing on the western island tip, which I have longed to visit.”

東面的島尖波特海,我已游過兩次。今天有幸來到西面島尖之上，是我嚮往已久的。

我們在一個海事博物館前下車。博物館前面是一片很大很大的平地。平地上長着一色開黃花的小植物,放眼遠望,儘是金黃,顯得特別新奇。草地周邊有街道,有房屋,有花園,有樹木。有一種像松樹一樣的樹,在墨爾本也隨處可見,樹於筆挺,伸着無數枝胳膊一樣的樹枝,樹枝上綴着像剪貼上去的深綠色對葉生針狀樹葉,活像無數只手掌伸向天空,迎向來賓。這樹,這黃花鋪成的地毯,益發顯得神奇。博物館門口有兩尊大鐵錨,我們使勁扛着沉重的鐵鏈在鐵錨前合影。黃色花坪之中有一尊青色鐵塑男像,雖不知他是誰,也有人同他一起留個影。

We walked into the museum to learn about the maritime history of Melbourne. Afterwards, we strolled along Ionsdale Beach, and then climbed up the shore to a sizable town. Perched atop a cliff overlooking the sea was a tall and large white lighthouse. It was said to be the location of an Australian military academy, so we couldn’t enter. Instead, we took a detour to reach the cliff top, where we gazed out over the strait.

我們走進博物館參觀,了解墨爾本海事史。隨後,我們來到朗斯代爾(Ionsdale)海灘漫步,又爬上岸去,是一個不小的鎮子,在臨海高處懸崖上有一座又高又大的白色燈塔。據說,周邊是一所澳大利亞軍校所在地，我們不便進入，只得繞道走到崖上，放眼瞭望海峽。

At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, we arrived at the pier on the tip of the island. Here, a ferry departs every hour, heading to the Portsea Pier on the opposite tip of the island. It is a giant white sea liner with four decks high. The lower deck of the sea liner is a garage that can accommodate around 70 cars, both passenger and cargo. The second and third decks are cabins for passengers, while the fourth deck is available for passengers to stroll freely and enjoy the scenery of the strait. As newcomers, naturally, we climbed to the top deck to gaze out over the strait and bask in the sea breeze blowing in from the South Pacific. We took pictures with the strait from different angles, capturing the most magical and magnificent views of the strait!

下午3點,我們來到島尖上的碼頭。這裡每個小時都有一個航船發出,向對面島尖波特海碼頭開去。這是一艘有四層樓高的白色巨型海輪。海輪的低層是一個可以裝載70輛左右的客、貨汽車的車庫,二、三樓是客艙,四樓可供遊人自由自在地漫步,欣賞海峽風光。我們這些初來者,自然要爬上最上層,去瞭望海峽,飽浴從南太平洋吹來的海風。我們從不同的方面同海峽合影,攝取最神奇、壯麗的海峽光景!

An hour later, the giant ship arrived at the pier on the tip of Portsea Island. Upon disembarking, each of us boarded our respective vehicles and drove north along the expressway on the west coast. Then we returned to the consulate and back to the apartment. Today’s enjoyment of the trip was intense, and the magnificent scenery of the strait will always remain in our minds!

一個小時,巨輪到達波特海島尖的碼頭。上岸後,各自又乘上自己所乘的車,沿着西海岸的高速路往北行駛,回到領館、回到公寓。今天遊興甚濃,壯闊的海峽風光永遠留在我們的腦海!

9th, Monday

9日 星期一

Comrade Xing Jun led a delegation from Tianjin to visit Melbourne. They attended the dinner hosted by the consulate general for the delegation tonight. The next morning, they participated in the Tianjin Investment Promotion Conference held at the Bay View on the park hotel.

邢軍同志率領的天津市代表團來墨訪問。參加今晚在總領館宴請該代表團。翌日上午,參加在海景(Bay View on the pak)飯店舉辦的天津市招商會。

23rd, Monday

23日 星期一

In the morning I accompanied by 11 people, including Jin Langchuan, Deputy General Manager of China Huadian Corporation. We went to Loy Yang in Morwell town to visit the La Trobe Village power station. Loy Yang is pronounced similarly to Luoyang in China. It is said that 200 years ago, this area was a swamp with eels everywhere. The indigenous language referred to eels as Loy Yang. This power station is adjacent to an open-pit brown coal field with a coal reserve of 160 billion tons, of which 35 billion tons are on the surface. The open-pit coal seam is 50-150 meters thick, and the coal is transported to the adjacent furnaces via conveyor belts using excavators, resulting in low electricity generation costs for this power station.

上午,陪同華能集團副總經理金浪川一行11人,去莫威(Morwell)鎮的洛陽(Loy Yang),參觀拉吹巴谷(La Trobe Village)發電廠。Loy Yang的發音與中國洛陽相近。據說,200年前,這裡是一片沼澤地,到處有黃鱔。土著語言把黃鱔就叫作Loy Yang。這個電廠緊靠露天褐煤基地,煤的蘊藏量達 1600 億噸,其中地表達 350 億噸。露天煤層有50-150米厚,只要用挖土機,一鐵斗一鐵斗把煤送上輸送帶,傳送到旁邊的爐子里去發電廠。這個電廠的發電成本是很低的。

30th, Monday

30日星期一

為了摸清楚中國生產商品在當地市場上的行情,最近一個多月中,我們到墨爾本幾家大超市進行察看,如Chadstone、Highpoint、Southland、Westeld等中心超市,還訪問了 Harvey Nor-ma機電及工業產品超市。我們一個鋪面一個鋪面,一個貨架一個貨架,一種商品一種商品仔細地去看、去比較。在此基礎上,我們撰寫了題為《“Made in China” Casual Writing(漫筆)[17]》一文,附於後:

“Made in China” is “中國製造” or “中國生產”in Chinese. It is a phrase that is familiar to many foreigners as well as to many Chinese people.

“Made in China”,即“中國製造”或“中國生產”。這句英語詞兒對外國人或許多中國人來說,都不會是陌生的。

Recently, we visited numerous shopping centers, major supermarkets, and specialty stores in the metropolitan city of Melbourne, Australia, in search of “Made in China” products. Our experiences left quite an impression, which I’ll share in this casual writing.

最近,我們在澳大利亞大都市墨爾本,走訪了許多家購物中心、大超市和專業商店,尋訪“Made in China”商品,頗留下了一些印象，漫筆記之。

With the development of the Chinese goods economy and the ever-expanding economic exchanges between China and Australia, “Made in China” products are no longer uncommon in the Melbourne market. As former Australian Ambassador to China Shi li noted in a report delivered in Melbourne, it seems that Australians have developed a certain reliance on Chinese products. This indicates that goods produced in China have increasingly become integrated into the daily lives of Australians.

隨着中國商品經濟的發展和中澳兩國經濟交往的不斷擴大,“Made in China”商品在墨爾本市場上已不鮮見。正如澳前任駐華大使石勵在墨爾本所做的一次報告所言,澳洲人對中國商品好像有了一種依賴性。這說明中國生產的商品已越來越走進澳大利亞人日常生活圈子之中。

Chinese-made clothing products are ubiquitous. Knit underwear, men’s and women’s shirts, trousers, and various types of clothing are sold in all malls. Compared to those from Australia, Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, Chinese products account for about half of the offerings, with some malls carrying even more, reaching around 70%. There are also many ties and men’s and women’s evening dresses(晚禮服)^[18] produced in China. Infant and toddler cotton clothing is particularly abundant. Salespeople at David Jones supermarket told us that the quality, styles, and colors of Chinese infant and toddler clothing are good, and the prices are relatively cheaper, making them popular in Australia. Some stores occasionally have suits made in China, but it’s rare to find higher-end options.

中國製造的服裝類產品隨處可見。針織內衣褲、男女襯衫男女褲和各種服裝,在各商場都有銷售。產自中國同產自澳洲、歐美、東南亞地區的相比,約各佔一半,有的商場中國產品還更多,甚至達70%左右。中國生產的領帶也不少,還有男女晚禮服。尤以嬰幼兒棉紡服裝為最多。超市David Jones 的售貨員對我們講,中國嬰幼兒服裝的質量、款式、花色都不錯,價格相對便宜一些,在澳洲受歡迎。有的商店能偶爾見到一些中國製作的西服,檔次稍高的則絕難發現。

在稍有檔次的商場銷售的男女牛皮鞋,多是意大利、澳洲產品,價格也較高。偶爾也有產自中國的,價格要低許多。一般商店則能經常見到中國牛皮鞋。“Made in China”的膠鞋、運動鞋較多,尤其是產自中國的一些國外名牌,如Nike、Puma、Adidas等,質量、款式都緊跟潮流,價格同別國製造的也沒有區別。塑料拖鞋或絨布面拖鞋在一些商店很常見。

Several supermarkets display luggage, almost all of which are labeled “Made in China.” These bags are often from foreign brands, such as “Tosca” sold by Myer and “Samsonite” sold by another supermarket. Initially, we did not realize that these bags were manufactured in China. It wasn’t until we opened the zipper and carefully inspected them that we discovered a small white tag sewn inside the bags, stating “Made in China.”

Monday, 3

3日星期一

transcribed and summarized [20]below.

本室整理《關於外商在澳大利亞投資》的資料,撮錄於後。

The Australian Government welcomes foreign investment with few restrictions. Only certain industries are prohibited or require the approval of Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB). The Board is regulated under the Commonwealth Foreign Acquisitions Act and the Foreign Investment Policy Guidelines.

澳大利亞政府歡迎外國來投資,限制甚少。僅有某些行業受到禁止,或需得到澳“外國投資審查委員會(Foreign Investment Review Board)的批准。該局根據聯邦外來收購法和外資政策準則來規範。

The regulatory institution for the registration and operation of companies is the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Applicants apply to the Commission in accordance with the Corporations Act and are required to submit a certificate of incorporation, articles of association, financial report, proxy, registered address and personal details of shareholders, chairman and secretary. A Certificate of Incorporation and Company Number (ABN) is then issued.

公司註冊和運作的管理機構是澳大利亞證券及投資委員會(Australian Securities and Investment Commission)。申請人按照公司法向該委員會申請，須提交營業證書、章程、財務報告、委託代理人、註冊地址和股東、董事長及秘書的個人資料。然後頒發註冊證書和公司號(ABN)。

It is generally easier to obtain approval to apply for the registration of a foreign company, such as investment in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, resource processing, oil and gas, minerals (except uranium), manufacturing, non-banking financial intermediaries, insurance, stockbrokers, hotels and recreation centers, services (except for metropolitan real estate, banking, civil aviation, and the media), etc., and only need to go through the declaration procedures to confirm that it is not contrary to the interests of Australia’s nationals. However, there are restrictions on investment in civil aviation, media, banking, uranium mining and certain real estate. The amount of investment must also be declared to the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), e.g. acquisition of total assets of an Australian company of 5 million or more, investment in a new company of 10 million or more, acquisition of a 5% shareholding in a media company, acquisition of urban real estate valued at 5 million or more.

申請註冊外資公司一般較容易獲得批准,如投資農、林、漁業、資源處理、油氣、礦產(鈾除外)、製造業、非銀行的金融中介機構、保險、股票經紀、旅館及休閑中心、服務業（都市不動產、銀行、民航及媒體除外）等，只需辦理申報手續以確認其不違背澳洲國家利益即可。但投資民航、傳媒、銀行、鈾礦和某些房地產方面是受到限制的。在金額上也須向外資審議局申報，如收購澳企業的總資產達500萬澳元以上、新公司投資金額達1000萬澳元以上、獲得媒體5%的股權、收購都市土地價值超過500萬澳元以上的,等等。

In 1988, Australia had abolished all restrictions on foreign exchange transactions and placed no restrictions on the remittance of funds and profits by foreign enterprises. Investors are free to remit their profits, dividends and other legitimate income at their own discretion. However, cash transactions of more than 10,000 dollars and foreign exchange transactions of more than 5,000 dollars must be declared.

1988年澳已廢除全部外匯交易約束,對外資企業匯出資金與利潤到境外不加限制。投資者對所得利潤、紅利及其它合法收入,有自主決定權,可自由匯出。但10000澳元以上的現金交易和5000澳元以上的外匯交易必須申報。

Australian labor protection laws are very complex and are regulated by federal government laws, state government laws and common law, such as minimum wage, labor contract terms, fair work and pay, leave entitlements (annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, etc.), minimum dismissal entitlements, workers’ safety and health standards, workers’compensation insurance, compensation for injuries and deaths outside of work, provident fund schemes, unlawful dismissal and discrimination, and labor disputes. etc. Trade unions in Australia are very influential[21] and play a great role in protecting labor rights and interests. In the event of a dispute between employers and employees, when the case is taken to court, the laborers, as long as they have the support of the trade unions, will often win the case.

澳勞工保護法例非常複雜,由聯邦政府法例、州政府法例以及普通法等加以規範,如包括:最低工資標準、勞動合約條款、平等工作與報酬、享受的假期(年假、病假、產假等)、最低被解僱權益、勞工安全及健康標準、勞工保險、工作以外的傷亡賠償、公積金計劃、非法解僱和歧視、勞資糾紛等。澳工會的勢力很強大，在保護勞工權益方面起很大作用。一旦勞資發生糾紛，上法庭打官司時,勞工只要得到工會的支持,往往能夠取勝,僱主往往敗訴。

Chinese enterprises should do sufficient research and scientific analysis on the Australian market, relevant laws and regulations, and the investment environment, etc. before they intend to invest in Australia.They can also consult authoritative lawyers who have a good understanding of Australia’s law and accounting firms to prepare feasible and practical feasibility reports.

中國企業來投資之前,應對澳洲的市場、相關法律法規、投資環境等做充分的調研和科學分析,也可向權威律師、會計師事務所諮詢,準備切實可行的可行性研究報告。

Tuesday, 25th

25日 星期二

The review of this year[22]’s economic situation in Australia and the work in which I have been involved is as follows.

是年，對本年度澳經濟情況及我本人所參予工作情況的回顧如下:

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), in the period of 2000-2001, Australia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) amounted to 641.37 billion Australian dollars, an increase of 2% over the previous year and a decrease in the growth rate of 2.4%. Unemployment was 6.7%, up from last year, with the closure of HIH Insurance, Ansett Airlines, and ONE TEL increasing the number of unemployed by more than 50,000 people. Inflation was 2.75% and external debt accumulated to 330.9 billion Australian dollars, up 10% from last year. The Australian dollar is still weak with tiny rebound: an Australian dollar to about 0.51-0.52 U.S. dollars. From January to September this year, Australia’s import and export trade amounted to 177.965 billion Australian dollars, an increase of 8.1%. This year, Australia’s economic development has slowed down, but the social and economic life is still stable.

據澳統計局統計,2000/2001年度,澳國內生產總值(GDP)為6413.7億澳元,比上年度增長2%,增長率下降2.4%。失業率為 6.7%，比去年有所上升。HIH保險公司、安捷航空公司、 ONE TEL電訊公司倒閉,使失業人數增加5萬多。通脹率2.75%,外債累計達3309億澳元,比去年增長10%。澳元依然疲軟,反彈乏力,一澳元兌0.51/0.52美元左右。今年1-9月，澳進出口貿易額為1779.65億澳元,同比增長8.1%。今年全澳經濟發展放緩,但社會經濟生活依然平穩。

In the period of 2000-2001, Victoria’s Gross State Product (GSP) was 164,365 million Australian dollars, an increase of 2.5% over the previous year, which was higher than the national average. Import and export trade totaled 59 billion Australian dollars, of which 22.5 billion was exported and 36.5 billion was imported, representing increases of 18.4% and 8% respectively over the previous year. In addition to the traditional wool, aluminum, petroleum, meat, dairy products, wine and other resource products, industrial manufactured goods, such as automobiles and spare parts, chemical products, transportation equipment, etc., accounted for more than half of the total export commodities.

2000/2001年度,維州國內生產總值(GSP)1643.65億澳元，比上年度增長 2.5%,高於全國平均水平。進出口貿易總額為590億澳元,其中出口為225億澳元,進口為365億澳元,分別比去年增長18.4%和8%。其出口商品除傳統的羊毛、鋁、石油、肉類、奶製品、葡萄酒等資源性產品外,工業製成品如汽車及零配件、化工產品、運輸設備等占出口商品總額的一半以上。

In March this year, the Australian government subsidies for first-time home buyers from 7,000 Australian dollars to 14,000 Australian dollars, housing loan interest rates are also lower. So that the rapid development of residential construction is becoming the driving force of economic development.For example, this year, Victoria’s investment in housing construction year-on-year growth of 28%. The Federation Square[23], the ring city express tram (through the airport), new citytown in Docklands, Melbourne port expansion, Horton automobile engine plant, such as the third phase of large-scale projects have been fully commenced.

今年3月,澳政府對首次置業者的補貼從7000澳元增加到14000澳元,房屋貸款利率也較低,使住宅建設迅速發展,成為拉動經濟發展的動力,如維州今年在房屋建築投資方面同比增長28%。今年,聯邦廣場、環城高速電車(通機場)、多克蘭新城區、墨爾本港口擴建、荷頓汽車發動機廠三期工程等大型項目已全面動工。

In the period of 2000-2001, Victoria’s trade with China amounted to 5,321 million Australian dollars, an increase of 28% over the previous year. Victoria’s exports to China amounted to 1.43 billion Australian dollars, while imports from China amounted to 3.89 billion Australian dollars, an increase of 27% and 29% respectively over the previous year. Its exports are mainly wool, aluminum, machinery products, transportation equipment, dairy products and so on. Imports from China are still clothing, textiles, bags, all kinds of small household appliances, small hardware and so on. China remains Victoria’s third largest trading partner.

2000/2001年度,維州同我國貿易額為53.21億澳元,比上年增長 28%。其中維州對中國出口14.30億澳元,從中國進口為38.9億澳元,分別比上年增長 27%和 29%。其出口商品主要是羊毛、鋁、機械產品、交通運輸設備、乳製品等。從我國進口的商品仍為服裝、紡織品、箱包、各種小家電、小五金等。我國仍是維州第三大貿易夥伴。

The following is a summary of the relevant data for the current year.

是年  撮錄本年度有關數據於後:

In 2001, China’s GDP amounted to 95,933 billion yuan, an increase of 7.3% over last year, and foreign exchange reserves amounted to 212.2 billion U.S. dollars. China-Australia bilateral trade reached a record high of 8.997 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 6.5% over last year, of which I imported 5.426 billion U.S. dollars from Australia and exported 3.570 billion U.S. dollars to Australia, an increase of 8% and 4.1% respectively over the same period last year.

2001年我國國內生產總值達95933億元人民幣,比去年增長7.3%,外匯儲備2122億美元。中澳雙邊貿易額達89.97億美元,又創新高,比去年增長6.5%,其中我從澳進口54.26億美元,對澳出口35.70億美元,同比分別增長8%和4.1%。

April

4月

Wednesday 10th

10日 星期三

In the afternoon, my colleagues and I[24] visited the Tasmanian Government’s Department of Development, where we were met by the General Manager, Mr. Alan Campbell. He briefed us on some aspects of trade in Tasmania.

當天下午,訪問塔州政府發展部,總經理阿蘭·坎貝爾(Alan Campbell)先生接見了我們。他向我們介紹了塔州貿易方面的一些情況:

2000/2001年度，塔州國內生產總值113億澳元,佔澳全國的1.7%。貨物貿易出口24.34億澳元,佔全澳出口總額2%,出口商品主要是有色金屬、金屬、食品、飲料、紙製品、魚類、貝類、醫藥產品、乳製品、肉類等。出口夥伴為:日本(23.5%)、香港(10.4%)、美國(9.5%)、中國台北(8.8%)、韓國(7.6%);進口夥伴為:美國(16.4%)、新西蘭(9.5%)、英國(6.1%)、中國(5.7%)、德國(4.2%)。服務貿易出口1.94億澳元,進口1.98億澳元。塔州與台灣貿易總額為2.14億澳元,與香港貿易額為2.52 億澳元。

Trade between mainland China and Tasmania is only 37 million Australian dollars, mainly in dairy products (2.55 million), seafood (2.29 million), meat and vegetables (3.23 million), minerals (8.65 million), wool (3.44 million), timber and paper products (2.26 million).

中國大陸與塔州貿易僅3700萬澳元,主要為乳製品(255萬澳元)、海產品(229萬澳元)、肉類和蔬菜(323萬澳元)、礦物(865萬澳元)、羊毛(344萬澳元)、木材和紙製品占(226萬澳元)。

Recent projects in Tasmania include: a natural gas project with a pipeline investment of 400 million Australian dollars; the Bass Strait Project (BASSLINK), with an investment of 500 million, which began in 2003 and is interconnected with the national power plant; and a wind energy project with an investment of 100 million, which in conjunction with the BASSLINK project, will include a research and development center, a skills upgrading center, research on communication infrastructure, an industry incubation base, marketing, and investment.

塔州近期工程有:天然氣工程，投資管道4億澳元;巴斯海峽海底電纜工程(BASSLINK),投資5億澳元,2003年開工,與全國電力廠聯網;風能項目投資一億澳元，與BASSLINK項目聯合，包括研發中心、技能提高中心、通訊基礎設施研究、產業孵化基地、營銷和投資等。

隨後,我們去僱主協會參加座談會,20來家與中國有貿易和投資關係的當地企業經理參加。大家發言踴躍,非常熱情。有的公司還反映了一些貿易糾紛問題。

In the evening, Mr. He Jianming, the manager of Hailong Lobster Import & Export Company, and his wife Han Meng invited us to have dinner in one of the best Chinese restaurants in Hobart. During the conversation, we learned that Mr. He is a native of Shanghai, graduated from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, a disciple of the famous painter Mr. Liu Haisu.

晚上,海龍龍蝦進出口公司經理賀鑒銘先生和夫人韓夢請我們在霍巴特一家最好的中餐館吃飯。席間談話才得知，賀先生是上海人,上海美術學院畢業,著名畫家劉海粟先生的弟子。

After coming to Australia, Mr. He gave up painting [25]and became a business man.Now he is rich and relaxed.

來澳洲後棄丹青而從漁商,發財致富,自得其樂。

Friday 12th

12日星期五

In the morning, we went on a tour of the Aus. Hop Marketers estate. It happen to be the harvest time, and the farmers are driving large and specialized harvesters to take the hops off the shelves and send them to the workshop to be made into finished products after drying. These products are sold to breweries all over the world. The company also has a joint venture, Tianma Hops, in Jiuquan, Gansu Province, China.

上午,去澳大利亞霍普啤酒花公司(Aus.Hop Marketers)的莊園參觀。正是收割的時間,農夫們開着大型專用收割機,把啤酒花從高架上收割下來,晾乾以後,送進車間,製作成成品。這些成品銷售到世界各地啤酒廠。該公司在我國甘肅省酒泉市也合資開辦了一個天馬啤酒花公司。

In the afternoon, we met Mr. Qiu Hongsen, an Australian seafood exporter, at the seminar. His company is located in Bicheno, a town in Coles Bay on the east coast. He and his wife, Xie Jiqing, both from Shanghai, came to Tasmania to specialize in the purchase and export of abalone and lobster. He warmly invited us to visit his company and led us[26] to go to the east coast.

下午,我們在座談會上結識了澳大利亞海產品出口公司邱宏森先生。他的公司在東海岸考斯海灣(ColesBay)的畢奇羅鎮(Bicheno)。他和夫人謝霽青都是上海人,來到塔州專門從事鮑魚、龍蝦的收購和出口工作。他熱情邀請我們去他的公司訪問，拉我們去東海岸。

In the afternoon, we traveled from Hobart through the towns of Sorell, Orford, and Swan Sea, all with coastal scenery along the way. On the one side, there are fields, villages and woods, and on the other side, there are the blue waters and islands of Great Oyster Bay.[27] We arrived at Bigelow around 6:00 pm.

下午,從霍巴特出發,經索瑞爾(Sorell)、阿福德(Orford)、天鵝海(Swan Sea)等鎮,沿途都是海岸風光。一邊是田園、村舍、樹林,一邊是大蚝灣(GreatOysterBay)藍色的海水、島嶼。大約在傍晚6點多到達畢奇羅鎮。

Mr. Qiu led us to visit his company. There were two large warehouses, which was built with two large pools, one stocked with lobsters and the other with abalones, which were all fresh sent or purchased by fishermen from near and far. The seawater in the pool is pumped up from the sea. The company has several local employees. The leader staff have been working in the company for many years, and has a close relationship with Qiu,  a lot of business work are assured to let him do. In the evening, Qiu’s wife cooked Shanghai-style food for us, absolutely with lobster and abalone.

邱先生領着我們參觀他的公司。有兩個大倉庫,裡面修的是兩個大水池,一個放養龍蝦,一個放養鮑魚,都是遠近漁民送來或派人收購來的鮮活大龍蝦、大鮑魚。池子里的海水是抽水泵從海中抽上來的。公司有幾個僱員,都是當地洋人。領頭的洋人已在公司工作多年,與邱先生關係親密,大量業務工作都放心讓他去做。晚上，他夫人為我們做上海風味的食品，自然少不了飽餐龍蝦和鮑魚。

7^th, Sunday

7日星期天

A few days ago, John McWilliams, a senior lecturer at Deakin University, told me that his students believe doing business with China requires understanding Chinese culture, which they think mainly involves gift-giving and building relationships. I was quite surprised. He invited me to give a lecture on Chinese culture at his university. Today, I went to Deakin University in Geelong to lecture about more than ten company managers studying for MBA. My topic was “What is Chinese Culture”. Here is the lecture transcript:

前幾天迪肯（Deakon）大學高級講師約翰·麥克威廉斯（John Mcwilliams）告知，他的學生說，同中國做生意要了解中國文化，中國文化的特點就是送禮、拉關係。我感到很驚訝。他邀請我去該學校講一次中國文化。今天，我去基隆的迪肯大學，為10多名讀MBA的公司經理講課。我的題目是《什麼是中國文化》，現將講稿附於後：

“文化”是當今世界上一個很時髦的詞，什麼都冠上“文化”，什麼酒文化、商業文化、體育文化、集郵文化、火柴盒文化、香煙盒文化，這個文化，那個文化。最近，墨爾本一所大學的老師告訴我，一個學生聽他的朋友講，到中國做生意，光學中國話還不行，還必須要了解中國文化。就是送禮。因而，送禮就是中國文化，留長辮子就是中國文化，裹小腳就是中國文化。

Here, as a Chinese person, I must defend myself! We are innocent, mate! We are really innocent, God!

在這裡，我作為一個中國人，真的要喊冤了！冤也，哥哥！冤也，上蒼！

Many Western friends know very little about China and don’t really understand what Chinese culture is. In fact, Chinese culture is a system that has been developing for five thousand years. It is boundless, extensive and profound.

不少洋人朋友對中國了解甚少，不知道到底什麼是中國文化。實際上，中國文化是一個延綿了五千年的文化體系。它浩瀚無際，高深莫測，博大精深。

要講中國文化，就要講他的五千年歷史。從傳說時代，到夏商周，到秦漢，到魏晉南北朝，到隋唐五代，到兩宋元明清，到近現代，中國的文明發展史從來就沒有中斷過，不像古巴比倫、希臘、印度，中國的文化是一個延續了五千年，還要發展到永遠的完整文化體系。記載中國歷史的史書浩如煙海，僅歷代皇朝所修的正史就有25部，是一座書城。沒有一個人敢說，已經把中國五千年歷史研究透了。就是一個朝代史、一個專題史，一輩子也難以研究透。英國人李約瑟的《中國科技史》，美國人費正清的《清代通史》，都是一套十幾本、二十幾本，武漢華中師大章開沅的《辛亥革命史》也是十來冊，《孫中山全集》一套就是四十多巨冊。

The history of Chinese civilization is like a gobbledegook[37] that no one can fully understand. It cannot be summarized in a few words! This is Chinese culture, the great Chinese culture!

一部中國文明發展史就像一部天書，是任何人也難以研究透的，三言兩語豈能說得清楚！這就是中國文化，偉大的中國文化！

不了解中國文化的人,說長辮子、裹小腳,送禮就是中國文化,實在是以偏概全,恰恰這些不能代表中國的文化。如同一個人有優點也有缺點一樣,一個國家、一個民族的文化,有精華也有糟粕。留長辮子、裹小腳是中國文化的誤區,已經都被扔進了垃圾桶。送禮是在中國民間確實存在的一種習俗。中國是禮儀之邦,很講究倫理道德,很重感情。中國人是最講人性、人道主義的。禮尚往來,通過互贈禮品來傳遞感情,建立友誼,這是無可厚非的。今後還會普遍存在下去。在西方國家也有這種習俗,只是中國的這種習俗更濃一些。送禮只是一種民間習俗,不能說它就是中國文化。

The problem arises in economic activities when some people ignore laws and regulations, accepting gifts to facilitate matters, and even demanding bribes. These actions are illegal, and in some cases, criminal, and must be combated and punished. Such issues also exist in Western countries, sometimes to a shocking extent. It is incorrect to label such behavior as Chinese culture; it is simply trash that needs to be discarded.

問題是在經濟活動中,有些人不按法律和規章制度辦事，收受禮品,不送禮就不給辦事,送了禮才好辦事,甚至索賄受賄。這些都是違法的,有的是犯罪行為,要受到打擊和制裁。這在西方國家也是存在的,有的案件也相當驚人。更不能說這種行為就是中國文化,它也只是一種垃圾,要扔到垃圾桶里去。

幾千年延續不斷發展起來的中國文化燦爛輝煌,是全人類寶貴精神財富的一個重要組成部分。因為封建制度影響太長，固步自封,井底之蛙,統治者長期不重視科學技術的發展,不重視商品經濟的發展,使中國的經濟、文化、科技事業長期落後於西方。西方國家經過工業革命,尤其到今天,科學技術的發展突飛猛進,已經進入電子時代、自動化時代。中國的四大發明,西方都超過了中國,英國的瓷器產品也超過了中國。

In modern times, Chinese patriots and people with lofty ideals started revolutions, striving for over a century to end feudal society, overthrow Chiang Kai-shek’s[40] rule, and establish the new China. Particularly over the past 20 years of reform and opening up, China has made significant economic progress. We believe that with tireless effort, the Chinese culture, which once led the world and then fell behind, will flourish again, and China will be rejuvenated. The Chinese people are diligent, honest, intelligent, gentle, and friendly. China’s rejuvenation will contribute to global economic development and play a crucial role in ensuring world peace and stability.          

8^th, Monday

8日星期一

Mr. Liu Zhaokuan, a Chinese Australian, lent me a book titled Calm in the Storm by Chiang Ching-kuo(蔣經國), printed in February 1967 by the “Ministry of National Defense ”[41]practice seminar in Taiwan. This book compiles fifteen articles by Chiang Ching-kuo. His piece In Times of Crisis(pages 117-280) is actually a diary written by Chiang Ching-kuo in 1949, recording the experiences of Chiang Kai-shek and his son, as well as the history of Nationalist army’s defeat, on a month-by-month, day-by-day basis. It’s well worth reading. Mr. Liu comes from a family of Nationalist soldiers and rose to the rank of colonel. His wife, Xie Mingzhu, is an ethnic Chinese from East Timor. They have lived in Melbourne for many years and have many relatives there. Mr. Liu mentioned that the person who guarded General Zhang Xueliang in Taiwan was Zhao Longwen, a native of Fenghua. Zhao collected a painting by Shi Kefa[42] from the Ming dynasty, which included Ti Ba（題跋preface and postscript）[43] from people during the period of Qing Dynasty’s Emperor Daoguang. Mr. Zhao was a little bit arty[44], so he also added a postscript on the painting. While Shi Kefa’s calligraphy is well known, his paintings are rare, making this piece a remarkable treasure. Mr. Liu then showed me a photograph of this painting.

15^th, Saturday

15日 星期六

Today, I toured the north bank of the Yarra River in Melbourne central.

今天，遊覽墨爾本市中心雅拉河北岸。

My first stop was Federation Square, a new architectural complex designed for public leisure. The design is quite unique, with each building in an unusual shape, featuring steel structures and aluminum window frames. The walls are made of colored glass, and the ground is paved with high-quality pink artistic bricks. Ascending the steps, I found a large stage where concerts are held here every day, allowing visitors to sit and enjoy the performances. In front of one building, there is a realistic pink horse sculpture that attracts a lot of attention. Inside, there are art galleries, conference halls, bookstores, and etc..

我先到聯邦廣場。這是一處新修供市民休閑的嶄新建築群。設計者的思路很奇特，每棟房子奇形怪狀，鋼架結構，鋁合金門窗框架，所有牆壁都是各色玻璃。地面用高級粉紅色藝術磚鋪設。拾級而上，是一個大舞台，每天都有演唱會，遊覽者可席地而坐欣賞歌舞。有幢房子前，有一匹形象逼真的粉紅彩馬，很引人注目。房間里是各種藝術品陳列室、會議廳、書店等。

To the north of Federation Square is St. Paul’s Cathedral. Continuing north along Swanston Street, I reached Melbourne Town Hall, where Chinese Mayor John So has his office.

聯邦廣場的北面是保羅大教堂，沿着史灣士屯大街（Swanston St.）繼續往北不遠，就是墨爾本市政廳，華人市長蘇震西先生就在這裡辦公。

West of Federation Square is Flinders Station, a historic building over 100 years. It has a deep yellow and resembles a palace. The clock tower on the roof is well-known. When some young men and women want to date, they always arrange to meet under the clock tower.

聯邦廣場的西面是弗林達火車站（Flinders Station）。這是一個有100多年歷史的老建築，深黃色，像宮殿。樓頂上的鐘樓很聞名，一些男女青年要在城裡約會，往往說“鐘樓下見”。

The Yarra River banks are very impressive, lined with tall buildings and spanned by more than ten large bridges, which is kind of like the Seine River in Paris. Walking west along the north bank, you can see a row of slanted square columns along the river, each topped with various sculptures. One bridge features a semi-circular arch resembling a rainbow stretching across the river, creating a beautiful picture with the river, bridges, skyscrapers, blue sky, and white clouds.

雅拉河岸非常壯觀，兩岸高樓林立，河上有十多座大橋，很有點像法國巴黎的塞納河。沿北岸往西走，有一排向河斜立的方柱，各柱上是各樣物類的塑雕。一座橋上有半圓形的拱架，就像長虹飛跨兩岸，河、橋、高樓、藍天、白雲，構成美麗圖畫。

What interested me today was a group of teenagers practicing Chinese martial arts in white uniforms in a row of houses by the river. Male and female instructors were guiding and correcting them in the middle. It seems like westerners also admire Chinese martial arts, which shows the influence of Chinese culture.

今天很新奇的是，在河邊一排房子里，我碰到有數十名少年統統身着白衣褲在練中國武功，男女教練在中間指導糾正。西方人也崇尚中國武功，可見中國文化的影響力。

Further along the road is the Melbourne Aquarium, a well-known tourist attraction. Then walking to a green lawn in Batman Park, I saw a helicopter on the river, offering visitors aerial tours of Melbourne’s views.

再往前走，是墨爾本水族館，也是一處很有名的遊覽參觀場所。走到一片綠草地巴特曼公園（Batman Park），河面上停着一架直升飛機，是供遊人乘坐從空中遊覽墨爾本景觀的。

9^th, Friday

9日 星期五

Ambassador Fu Ying[45] and Commercial Counselor[46] Liu Zuozhang, along with their delegation of four people, arrived in Melbourne from Canberra last night to visit Victoria. Today, we accompanied them on a tour of the Portland Aluminium Smelter in southwest of Victoria. Here is an diary of the visit:

傅瑩大使和劉作章商務公參一行4人昨晚從堪培拉抵達墨爾本，對維州進行訪問。今天陪同他們去維州西南部的波特蘭（Portland）鋁廠參觀，記游如下：

At 9 AM, the morning light began to peek through the clouds. We arrived at Essendon Airport, which serves small aircraft and is only a five-minute drive from Melbourne International Airport.

早晨9點鐘，晨曦從雲中透露出一線線的光。我們來到艾遜頓（Essendon）機場。這是專供小飛機使用的，離墨爾本國際機場只5分鐘的車程。

過了約半小時，兩架小飛機（每架僅能乘7人）起飛了。不像大型波音機或空中客車能在空中升高几千米，在雲層之上、藍天和陽光之下飛行。這種小飛機只能在雲層之下航行。透過窗戶，時而清晰可見下方密密麻麻格狀的城市景象，時而發現飛機一直沿着海岸陸地上空爬行，時而可欣賞那從雲縫中透露出來的一束束金色陽光，使青色大地變得斑斕而富有無限生機。飛機沿維州西海岸，跨過十二門徒，再西約200公里，即逐漸下降。波特蘭海灣美麗的畫面清晰地展現在機窗之下。一會兒，飛機降落在波特蘭機場。

Portland had heavy rain last night, so the sky was clear and bright this morning. We boarded a bus that took us through the street, along the coast, and past wide green grass and forest. Puddles of water on the grass shined in the sunlight, and the fresh, tender green grass gave off a refreshing aroma.

波特蘭昨晚下過大雨。今天上午是萬里長空，晴朗明麗。我們坐在巴士車上，穿過街區，穿過海岸，又經過大片大片的綠草地和叢林。草地上還有一汪一汪的積水，陽光下，閃爍發光。嫩綠的鮮草散發出清新之氣，沁人肺脾。

After a short drive, the bus arrived at the gate of the Portland Aluminium Smelter. From a distance, we could see three national flags waving in the sunlight, one of which was the Five-Star Red Flag of China. Seeing our national flag flying in this factory in a coastal city of the South Pacific, a sense of pride and familiarity welled up in our heart.

一會兒，巴士來到波特蘭鋁廠門口。遠遠就能望見三面國旗在陽光之下迎風飄擺，其中一面就是五星紅旗。我們親睹自己的國旗在這個南太平洋海濱城市的廠區飄揚，自豪感和親切感油然而生。

At the smelter’s office building, the factory manager, Peter Malcolm, welcomed the ambassador, and Zeng Chen, the general manager of CITIC (Australia), introduced the smelter.

來到鋁廠辦公樓，彼得•模柯（Peter Malcolm）廠長向大使致歡迎辭，中信（澳洲）公司曾晨總經理介紹鋁廠情況。

He said:

The Portland Aluminium Smelter is located 5 kilometers south of the city of Portland in western Victoria and is one of the largest industrial projects in Victoria’s history. The plant began production in two phases, in October 1986 and March 1988, and produced 355,000 tons of aluminum ingots in 2003.

他說：

波特蘭銀廠（Porland Aluminium Simelter）位於維多利亞州西部波特蘭市以南5公里處，是維州有史以來最大的工業項目之一。該廠於1986年10月和1988年3月分兩期投產，2003年生產鋁錠35.5萬噸。

This smelter is one of the largest and most efficient in the world. Its long-term power supply agreement with the Victorian government and continuous improvements in cell efficiency (currently, power consumption per ton of aluminum is below 14,000 kWh) ensure that its aluminum ingot production costs are globally competitive.

該廠是全球規模最大、效率最高的鋁廠之一。它與維州政府簽訂的長期供電協議以及對電解槽效率的不斷提高（目前噸鋁耗電低於14000度），確保了其鋁錠生產成本具有全球競爭力。

20^th Thursday

20日星期四

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) of the People’s Republic of China issued document 1999 Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation People’s Issuance No. 178 on March 19, appointing Zheng Weizhang as the Economic and Commercial Consul of the Consulate General in Melbourne (at the level of head Counselor of the Department)[47].

外經貿部3月19日發出的[1999]外經貿人發第178號文件，任命鄭偉章為駐墨爾本總領事館經濟商務領事(正司參贊級)。

In August 1988, I was transferred from the Red Flag Magazine14 to the office of a leading comrade of the CCPG as a secretary and worked for more than six years. In October 1994, I was transferred to the International Business Daily, an organization of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. I was able to go abroad to work permanently is what I hoped. I have not been to other countries or worked abroad except for going to Singapore in 1995 and going to Germany to visit sixteen cities in 1996, and watching the World Cup soccer matches in 1998 in Paris, France.

我於1988年8月從紅旗雜誌社調中顧委某位領導同志辦公室任文字秘書，工作六年多。又於1994年10月調外經貿部機關報國際商報社。這次得以出國常駐工作，是我所希望的。除 1995年我去過一趟新加坡，1996年去過一趟德國訪問十六個城市，1998年去法國巴黎觀看世界盃足球賽，再未到過別的國家，更未在國外工作過。

At first, I was not familiar with Melbourne. After asking Xu Chongshan, who knows a lot about foreign countries, I realized that it was once the capital of Australia with good environment and climate, and it is worth going.

墨爾本是個什麼地方，起初，我一無所知。問過對國外情況有所了解的許崇山同志後，才知曾是澳大利亞首都，環境和氣候很好，應該去。

24^th Monday

24日星期一

In the afternoon, I reported to the Personnel Division of the Ministry, requesting that I go to Melbourne in late June, with my wife, Mrs. Yang Jinnan. After I contacted the relevant officials in Melbourne, Counselor Xia asked me to go after the National Day[48] .

下午，去部人事司報到，要求我在6月下旬去墨爾本。夫人楊金南女士也一同隨任。與墨爾本聯繫，夏伯文參贊要求我過完國慶後再去。

I started to make preparations today.

從今天開始，我即着手做各種準備工作。

June

6月

This month, I studied the Main Tasks and Duties of the Economic and Commercial Counsellors’ Offices of Embassies and Consulates Abroad, Minister Shi Guangsheng’s Report on the Work Conference of the Economic and Commercial Counsellors Abroad on December 3, 1998, and the speeches made by Wu Yi and Sun Zhenyu at the conference.

本月我學習了《駐外使領館經濟商務參費處室主要任務和職責》、石廣生部長 1998年12月3日《在駐外經濟商務參贊工作會議的報告》和吳儀、孫振宇在會上的講話等文件。

July

7月

10^th Saturday

10日星期六

Background information on China-Australia economic and trade cooperation: Between 1991 and 1997, bilateral trade between the two countries grew at an average annual rate of 16.6%, China’s exports to Australia grew at an average annual rate of 24.4%, and China’s imports from Australia grew at an average annual rate of 13.1%. In 1997, the total amount of bilateral trade was 5.3 billion US dollars; and in 1998, the total amount of bilateral trade was 5.03 billion US dollars. China’s imports from Australia mainly consist of wool, iron ore, raw sugar, tallow and non-ferrous metals.

澳經貿合作背景資料：1991年至1997年，兩國雙邊貿易額年均增長16.6%，我對澳出口年均增長24.4%，我從澳進口增長 13.1%。1997年雙邊貿易總額為53 億美元；1998年雙邊貿易總額為50.3億美元。我從澳進口主要是羊毛、鐵礦石、原糖、牛羊油、有色金屬等。

Information about Chinese multinational corporations: the United Nations Center for Multinational Corporations (UNCMC)[49]recognized only two Chinese multinational corporations in 1990: CITIC17 and Shanghai Trust18. In 1995, 40 companies were recognized and those entered the world’s top 500 companies are: Bank of China, with assets of US$15.289 billion, ranking 207th; Sinochem Import and Export Corporation, with assets of US$14.987 billion, ranking 209th; COFCO19, with US$10.986 billion, ranking 342nd. In 1994, the combined sales of China’s 500 largest industrial companies amounted to $152.777 billion, less than the sales of General Motors in America ($154.951 billion). China’s largest automobile industry enterprise, Shanghai Automobile Corporation, had sales of $2.837 billion, only 1.8 per cent of that of General Motors.

關於中國跨國公司資料：聯合國跨國公司中心1990年認定的中國跨國公司只兩家:中信、上海信託。1995年認定的有40家，進入世界500強的有：中國銀行，資產152.89億美元，排行207位；中化進出口公司，資產149.87億美元，排行 209位；中糧，109.86億美元，排行342位。1994年，我國最大的500家工業公司銷售額總和為1527.77億美元，還不及美國通用汽車公司一家的銷售額（1549.51億美元）。我國最大的汽車工業企業上海汽車總公司銷售額為28.37 億美元，僅是美國通用汽車公司的 1.8%。

25^th Sunday

25日星期日

Over the past month, I visited Wang Zhihua, Deputy Director General of the Development Department of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), Liu Yingjun, Director General of the Overseas Enterprises Division, Wang Chao, Director General of the Department of State, Wang Shijia, Director General of the Department of Foreign Investment, and Liu Zuozhang, Deputy Director General of the Department of Foreign Investment, Qin Xiao, General Manager of CITIC, Bai Baicheng, Deputy General Manager of the China Steel Import and Export Group (CSIG), Sun, Vice President General Manager of Sinotrans and Director General of the Sinotrans Group Corporation (SINOTRANS & COSCO), Wei Gafu, President of COSCO, and Gong, Vice President of the COSCO Board of Directors.

一個多月以來，我走訪了外經貿部發展司副司長王志華、海外企業處處長劉迎軍，美大司司長王超，外資司司長汪師嘉、副司長劉作章，中信總經理秦曉，中鋼進出口集團副總經理白攻城，中國外運總公司孫副總經理、歐陽處長，中遠總裁魏加福、宮副董事長等。

29^th Thursday

29日星期四

Due to a long working trip to the Chinese Consulate General in Melbourne, and because my mother’s 77th birthday is today, I went back to my hometown on the 25th.

因要出遠門，到中國駐墨爾本總領館赴任，還因老母親77歲生日在今天，我從25 日起回老家一趟。

As the old saying goes, “When their parents are alive, they do not travel far to study or become officials in far palce from hometown[50]. I was indeed conflicted to this 20,000mile work. First, because my mother’s is approaching eighty years old. Second, because my daughter, Zheng Kun, has not yet graduated from the university.We did not want to leave her alone in Beijing. My mother said to me on the phone, “Can you stay?” Although she was uneducated, her words were subtle without commanding, which made me realize that she did not want me to go abroad. But to make my family to live a better life, to increase the insights of foreign work, to find if there was a learning opportunity for Zheng Kun in foreign countries, I still had to go abroad.

古人云：父母在，不遠遊。我這次遠去兩萬里之外赴任，內心確實矛盾。一因老母親八秩在即，二因女兒鄭崑大學尚未畢業，把她一人留在北京，均於心不忍。母親在電話里對我說，你不去不行嗎？雖然她沒有文化，但言語含蓄，並無命令之意，讓我體會得到，她是不願意我出國的。為了家庭經濟生活更寬裕一點，也為了增長國外工作的見識，更為了看能否為鄭崑在國外找到一個學習機會，我還是有韙母親意願，只好出國。

The decision is settled so my mother didn’t say no. She also thinks it’s a good thing and won’t explicitly stop it.

事情已成定局，母親也無話可說。她也覺得是件好事，不會明加阻攔。

My mother’s birthday was celebrated at home. I discussed with my brother, Aiquan, and his wife before, and they thought it would save money to do it at home, and anyway, there were still a celebration with two tables in the evening, and the pigs that were kept at home had to be killed. Therefore, we did a busy work at home all day today.

今天母親生日是在家裡做的。此前同愛泉弟夫婦商量。他們覺得在家裡做省錢，反正晚上還需準備兩桌，家裡喂的豬也要殺掉。故今天就在家裡忙了一天。

To help my niece Zheng Bei’s into a good school, Li Biyan accompanied me to Changsha twice for his friend Wang Keshu for help, and Wang introduced to get in toch with Director of Changsha Aviation Vocational and Technical Li Jianping, we basically achieved a successful result.

這次為了侄女鄭嵛的上學問題，李碧炎同志陪我到長沙跑了兩次，找他的朋友王科術同志，並經王介紹找到長沙航空職業技術學校李建平院長，基本圓滿解決。

August

8 月

2^nd Monday

2日星期一

I bought an evening express train back to Beijing. In the first few days, I went to Mao Jia Fan, my hometown in the countryside, and bowed at my father’s grave. When I left the house, I bowed again in front of his deadee. Then, I went downstairs to get on the car. My mother was so upset that she wept but did not cry out.She takes care of my feelings for fear of affecting me.

買了晚上2次特快回北京。我於頭幾天，去農村老家毛家畈一趟，到先父墳前叩頭。出家門時，又到遺像前作揖辭行。然後，我下樓上車。母親心裡很難受，老人家落淚了，但未哭出聲來。她怕影響我的心情。

17^th Tuesday

17日星期二

After returning to Beijing, I began to do the actual preparations for the trip abroad. I bought suitcases and all kinds of supplies I may need and visited to the newspaper office to go through all the formalities.

回到北京以後，即實際着手離國赴任的準備工作。採購箱子和各類用品;到報社辭行和辦理各方面手續。

The most satisfactory to me is, the China bookstore has officially published my academic monograph “document family general examination” with the first, middle and the second volumes, divided into hardcover, paperback, very delicate with a total of 3,000 sets, the volume is huge with 1.4 million words. For this publication, many people make efforts in all aspects, such as Song Yifu general manager, comprehensive room Li Zhaoxiang, editor-in-chief of the room Qiu Zhengwei, Publishing Department Zhang Yu, proofreading section of the Zhao Ming, the United States editor Wang Zengyin and so on. I have received all the manuscript fees (about 34,000 yuan). I left 20,000 yuan for my daughter, Zheng Kun, and 10,000 yuan for my brother, Ai Quan, to pay for my nephews’ school fees.This is the result of twenty years of writing at my desk, day and night.

這次最令我滿意的是，中華書局已正式出版了我大部頭學術專著《文獻家通考》上、中、下三冊，分為精裝、平裝兩種，共3000套，很精美，140萬字，亦堪稱巨著矣。為出版此書，各方面出力的人不少，如宋一夫總經理，綜合室李肇祥，總編室讎正偉，出版部張宇，校對科趙明，美編王增寅等，確實都很想辦法。到今日，全部稿費(約34000元)已取到。兩萬留鄭崑，一萬帶給愛泉弟供侄子們上學。二十年心血，白天黑夜，伏案考索，如此而已。

20^th Friday

20 日星期五

After a busy period, we were basically ready to go with four bags packed and some hand luggage. We left Cao Lan Zi Hutong No.3 at 3pm, and Zheng Kun, Ji Jun and Guo Lirong sent me to the airport with Yang. We took off at 5pm, landed at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport at 7pm, went through customs, and then took off for Melbourne at around 9pm.

經過一段時間的忙碌，大體上做好了出發前的準備工作，打了四個大行包，還有一些手提行李。下午3點鐘，離別草嵐子衚衕3號，鄭崑和姬軍、郭麗蓉夫婦等送我和老楊一起上機場。5點多起飛，7點多在廣州白雲機場降落，辦理出關手續，9點左右再起飛赴墨爾本。

21^st Saturday

21日星期六

Just after 6 a.m. Australian Eastern Time (the time difference is two hours earlier than in China.Beijing is now just after 4 a.m.), the plane was already hovering over the city of Melbourne.

澳大利亞東部時間早晨6點多(時差比中國早兩小時，北京現為4點多)，飛機已盤旋在墨爾本城市上空。

It was slight light at this time. Under the morning sun, all the lights are still on. Melbourne is a huge city, no less than Beijing. Under the window was a sea of lights. The morning sunlight and the lights were so beautiful that it took a wonderful picture in my mind.

這時，天已微亮。晨曦之下，萬家燈火仍通明。墨爾本城市範圍真大，不亞於北京的範圍。機窗下是一片燈的海洋。晨曦、燈光交相輝映，真是美麗極了，在我腦海里留下了一幅美麗畫面。

The plane landed and we went to pick up our luggage at the airport baggage carousel after going through customs and security procedures. Walking out of the airport gate, Counselor Xia Bowen and two collogues from the Economic and Commercial Office, Zhang Zheng and Zhang Fan, came to the airport to welcome us. As a rule, Xia and I should have 20 days to hand over the work, but his wife, Chen, recently stimulated by the Consulate’s “Xu Yang incident”, her health is not good, and she was eager to return to China, so they returned to Beijing on this plane today. We met at the airport for about ten minutes or so, even if it was a “work handover”. The so-called “Xu and Yang Incident” is said to have occurred in June, when a couple surnamed Xu and Yang had a disagreement, and the husband killed his wife and then hanged himself. The incident was reported by a local Chinese newspaper and caused a big fuss. Because of this vicious incident, consulate colleagues living in apartments were nervous and “turned pale at the mention of this vicious incident”(談虎色變 tan hu se bian).[51]

飛機降落，辦理出關、安檢手續。到機場行李輸送轉盤上取了行李。走出機場口，夏伯文參贊和經商室的另外兩位同志張錚、張帆都來機場迎接。按常規，我和老夏應有20天交接工作的時間。他的夫人老陳最近因受了領館“許楊事件”的刺激，身體不太好，急於回國，故他們今天就乘此架飛機返回北京。我們在機場相見約十多分鐘，就算“工作交接”了。所謂“許楊事件”，據說在6月份，許姓、楊姓夫婦鬧矛盾，丈夫把妻子殺死，然後自縊身亡。此事被當地一家中文報紙報道，鬧得沸沸揚揚。因這件惡性事件的突發，相對集中居住在公寓的領館同志，個個鬧得緊張兮兮，談虎色變。

President Jiang Zemin will visit Melbourne on September 6 and 7, accompanied by 80 entrepreneurs who are preparing to participate in the political research conference[52]. The event was attended by Public Counselor Fan Xue’an and Counselor Lin of the Consulate in Sydney. Buckingham City First Secretary Shu of the Consulate in Los Angeles would also attend, and the relevant people who were visiting the Bay Area would also be there to meet and study together. I disregarded the travel fatigue, put down the luggage, and went to the hotel to meet with these comrades, Lao Yang stayed in the car to rest. An hour later, I returned to the hotel and got into the car, and headed for the apartment at 108 Greville St. We stayed in Unit 60, two rooms and one living room, fully furnished and in good condition, much better than I expected.

江澤民主席將於9月6、7日訪問墨爾本，隨行有80位企業家，準備參加政研會。此次活動由公參范學安和駐悉尼領事林參贊出席，駐洛杉磯領事館的白金城一秘舒也會參加，正在灣區訪問的相關人員也會到場，一起開會研究。我不顧旅途勞累，放下行李，就去賓館與這些同志見面，老楊則留在車內休息。一個小時後，我回到賓館上車，前往格瑞維爾街（Greville St.）108號公寓。我們住在60號單元，兩室一廳，傢具齊全，條件不錯，比我想象的要好得多。

That evening, Consul General Hao Rong and his wife Bi Xuezhen came to visit us. From the 22nd (Sunday), I had a short stay in Melbourne, resting during the day and going to the nearby supermarket to buy goods. In the evening, I went to the Consulate to make dumplings together and had dinner with the players of the national table tennis team. Mr. Wu introduced me, Yang and new comrades.

當晚，總領事昊榮和夫人畢雪珍來看望我們。從22日（星期日）起，我在墨爾本短暫停留，白天休息，去附近超市購買物品。晚上去領事館一起包餃子，並與乒乓球隊的運動員共進晚餐。吳總向大家介紹了我、老楊和其他新來的同志。

The Consulate General is in Toorak. Toorak is not only famous in Melbourne but is one of only a few wealthy neighborhoods in Australia. It is lined with mansions, each costing millions or tens of millions of Australian dollars. The Consulate is also one of those mansions, purchased for over 3 million Australian dollars. Rumor has it that the building, formerly known as the Australian Naval Club[53], is more than 100 years old and is a protected historical artifact. In just a few short years, it has appreciated quite a bit in value. The Consulate is a two-story pink and yellow Western-style house, located in the back half of the courtyard, the front half is a large piece of green grass and a variety of flowers and trees, a quiet and elegant environment. The Consulate’s courtyard can accommodate eight or nine hundred people, and the annual National Day and Chinese New Year receptions are held here. Local Chinese are proud to participate in the activities of the Consulate. The Chinese Consulate General is proudly located in Toorak. Even foreigners are surprised when they see our business card with the address of Toorak printed on it. We are certainly proud.

總領館館址在圖拉克區（Toorak）。圖拉克區不僅在墨爾本著名，而且是全澳大利亞僅有的幾個富人區之一。一座座豪宅連成一片，每棟豪宅價格高達數百萬乃至幾千萬澳元不等。領館也是其中的一棟豪宅，花了300多萬澳元購得。傳聞這棟建筑前身是澳大利亞海軍俱樂部，已有一百多年歷史，是受保護的歷史文物。短短几年時間，已經升值不少。領館是一座兩層粉黃色西式洋樓，坐落在院子的後半部，前半部是很大一片綠色草地和各種花木，環境幽雅。領館院落可容納八九百人，每年的國慶和春節招待會就在這裡舉行。當地華人以參加領館活動為榮。中國總領館坐落在圖拉克，令人自豪。我們的名片上印着圖拉克的地址，連外國人看到名片也會感到驚訝。我們當然感到自豪。

The leadership of the Consulate General consists of a Party Committee, with the Consul General[54] serving as Secretary and the other three members being the Deputy Consul General, the Counselor of the Economic and Commercial Office and the Head of the Education Section. Administratively, there is a Council of the Consulate, which consists of five members. The Council meets every Monday morning to report on last week’s work and this week’s plan, and to discuss and decide on certain matters. Today is my first time to attend the meeting, mainly to study the recent top priorities, such as the reception of President Jiang and the preparation of economic and trade seminars, as well as the preparation of the fiftieth anniversary of the National Day celebrations. After the Pavilion Affairs Meeting, I attended the Party Committee for the first time again, mainly to carry out the division of labor among the Party members.

總領館的領導班子由黨委組成，書記由總領事兼任，其他三位委員分別是副總領事、經商室參贊和教育組組長。行政上設有館務會，共五人組成。每周一上午開館務會，彙報上周工作和本周計劃，討論決定一些事情。今天是我第一次參加館務會，主要研究最近的頭等大事，如接待江主席和籌備經貿研討會的具體工作細節，以及籌備國慶五十周年慶祝活動的事宜。館務會結束後，我又第一次參加了黨委會，主要是進行黨委成員的分工。