Remarks at Cascade Senior Living Opening Ceremony

在凱健老年生活開幕典禮上的講話

Gary F. Locke, United States Ambassador to China

美國駐華大使駱家輝

August 21, 2013

2013年8月21日

Thank you very much, James, for the introduction. It’s really a pleasure to be here and quite an honor to be attending the Cascades Senior Living Apartment opening ceremonies.

非常感謝詹姆斯的介紹。真的很高興和榮幸來到這里，出席凱健老年生活公寓的開業典禮。

It’s indeed a pleasure to share the podium with so many distinguished guests, especially Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Mr. Do Yupei, but also Mr. Nathan McLemore who is Managing Director of Columbia Pacific Management and Mr. Granger Cobb who is the President and CEO of Emeritus Senior Living. Both of the companies from my home state and my residence of Seattle, Washington.

真的很高興與這么多尊貴的來賓分享同一張講臺，尤其是民政部副部長竇玉沛，還有哥倫比亞太平洋管理公司董事總經理Nathan McLemore先生，榮休老年生活公司總裁兼首席執行官Granger Cobb先生。這兩家公司都來自我的家鄉和我居住的地方——華盛頓的西雅圖。

And of course this project would not be possible without the leadership and the vision of the Chinese companies, Sino Ocean Land, and the President Mr. Li Ming and also China Life Insurance Company Ltd. Mr. Yang.

當然，如果沒有中國公司，如遠洋地產、李明總裁以及中國人壽保險股份有限公司的楊先生的領導和遠見，這個項目就不會成為可能。

China is really facing the challenges of taking care of a rapidly aging population because China now has almost 200 million people who are over the age of 60. But that number is increasing by almost nine million seniors a year, and by the year 2030 is expected to be almost 400 million seniors over the age of 60 years old. So this poses an enormous challenge for the people and the government of China.

中國的確正面臨快速老齡化人口護理的挑戰，因為中國目前有近兩億60歲以上的人口。而這一數字以每年將近900萬的老年人口在增加，到2030年，將可能有近四億60歲以上的老人。因此，這對中國人民和政府構成了巨大挑戰。

The Chinese culture is known for emphasizing deep respect for one’s parents and the elderly and of course taking care of our elderly. So it’s only natural that China, we believe, will be a world leader in the quality of senior care services and in senior living communities.

中國文化以強調對父母和老人的由衷尊重以及照顧我們的老人而著稱。所以我們相信，中國將成為世界老年人護理服務質量和老年人居住社區的領軍者，這是很自然的。

During a recent U.S.-China Dialogue the Deputy Director General Peng of the National Development and Reform Commission indicated the desire of China for more cooperative exchanges with the United States in the area of health care and senior care services. He encouraged U.S. companies to invest in the Chinese health care market and pledged China’s support for both joint ventures and direct investments in health [and senior] care.

在最近的一次美中國對話期間，中國國家發展與改革委員會的彭副司長表明了中國愿在保健和老年人護理服務方面與美國進行更多的合作交流。他鼓勵美國公司投資中國保健市場，并許諾中國為從事保健[和老年人]護理的合資企業和直接投資提供支持。

One of my priorities as U.S. Ambassador to China has been to foster closer cooperation between China and the United States in this area of health care and senior care, because both of our countries face the challenges of an aging population. So our Commercial Service has worked with the China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce to coordinate Chinese government efforts to develop local senior care communities. We have facilitated a number of exchanges with U.S. experts to help the Chinese understand U.S. policy and actually help develop the first Chinese senior care standard for this industry.

作為美國駐華大使，我的優先事項之一就是促進中國和美國在衛生保健和老年人護理這方面更緊密地合作，因為我們兩國都面臨著人口老齡化的挑戰。因此我們的商務服務曾與全聯房地產商會一同工作，以協調中國政府發展本地老年人護理社區的努力。我們已經促成了與美國專家的多次交流，以幫助中國人了解美國的政策并真正幫助這個行業發展第一批中國老年人護理標準。

In 2012 we led a trade mission focused on green hospital design and senior living, and the purpose of this mission was to introduce best practices of America to the Chinese government and to Chinese companies, and to introduce those U.S. companies on that trade mission to Chinese enterprises.

2012年，我們組織了一個綠色醫院設計與養老服務貿易代表團，目的就是向中國政府和企業介紹美國的成功經驗，并將代表團中的美國企業介紹給中國企業。

Cascade Health Care, which was one of the partners of this project, was a delegate on that trade mission. So we were also very pleased to arrange for Cascade Health Care and other U.S. companies to advise a task force of the State Council which is developing recommendations for Chinese national policy on senior living.

凱健醫療公司是這個項目的合作伙伴之一，也是那個代表團的成員之一。因此我們也非常愿意為凱健公司和其他美國公司進行安排，向正在制定中國養老服務業國家政策建議的國務院工作組建言獻策。

So it’s a great pleasure to be here today to witness Cascade Health Care and Sino Ocean Land in celebrating the opening of their first major U.S.-China joint venture senior living project here in Beijing.

今天，我非常高興能夠在這里見證這個開業儀式。這是凱健公司和遠洋地產在北京聯手創辦的第一個養老合作項目。

As I indicated, both China and the United States face the challenge of the rising numbers of seniors. I’ve had a chance to tour this facility. I must say it’s absolutely beautiful. It has great support and medical services, talented, trained staff. The living units are very warm and friendly and I think the residents that will call this home will very much feel that it is a home.

正如我剛才說的，中國和美國都面臨著老齡人口增長帶來的挑戰。我參觀過這家養老機構，我得說，這里美極了。這里有非常好的支持和醫療服務，有聰明、訓練有素的員工。這里的居住單元非常溫馨友好。我想，選擇在這里安家的人會感覺這里就是家。

Facilities like this really I think will be the model for the industry not just in China but also in the United States and indeed around the world.

我認為，這樣的機構一定會成為養老服務業的典范，不僅是在中國，在美國和全世界都是如此。

I must confess, I have a personal interest in facilities like this because my mom suffers from a very advanced stage of Parkinson’s Disease. She’s still living at home. She wants to stay at home as long as possible. But now we’re confronted with the need of providing almost 24 hour care to make sure that she’s safe and gets the proper physical therapy, but also the medicine that she needs. All the members of the family are trying to provide care for her, but at some point we know she’ll have to go into a more structured facility, hopefully a facility like this that offers 24 hour supervision, medical care, physical therapy and other support services.

我必須承認，我對這樣的機構有個人興趣，因為我媽媽患有晚期帕金森氏癥。她還住在家里。她希望盡可能久地住在家里。但是，現在我們面臨提供近24小時監護的需要，以確保她的安全，確保她得到適當的物理治療，以及她需要的藥。所有的家庭成員都試圖照顧她，但在某一刻，我們知道她將不得不住進一家更加功能化的機構，希望是像這家一樣的，提供24小時監護，醫療護理，物理治療和其他贍養服務。

We owe so much to our elders for all that they have done to raise us, their children, and for all of their sacrifices so that all of us could enjoy a better life. The least that we can do is ensure that our elders have quality care and quality living communities.

我們太虧欠我們的長輩，他們為了撫養我們，他們的孩子，做了很多犧牲，讓我們都能享有更好的生活。我們至少要確保我們的長輩得到優質的護理服務和優質的生活社區環境。

So it’s a great pleasure to welcome partnerships between Chinese and U.S. senior living community companies like this and to christen and cut the ribbon for facilities like this because these facilities and these partnerships will help not just to meet the needs of our elderly generation, but really improve their quality of life.

所以很高興迎來像這樣的中國和美國老年社區企業之間的伙伴關系，和為這樣的機構揭幕和剪彩，因為這些機構和這些伙伴關系將不僅幫助滿足老年人的需求，而且真正提高他們的生活質量。

So on behalf of the U.S. Embassy we wish all of you much success and a great future in serving the needs of the elderly here in China.

所以代表美國駐華使館，我們祝福大家在服務于這里的老人的需求之際獲得圓滿成功和美好的未來。

Thank you very much.

非常感謝。

更多翻譯素材，敬請關注可可英語。