(謝志偉大使在劉曉波逝世五周年倫敦紀念活動上的視頻英文發言,由本刊譯為中文,題目為譯者所加。英文原文在後)
親愛的朋友們、世界各地的姐妹兄弟、女士們、先生們,
來自中國、香港、台灣、西藏、維吾爾、南蒙古的朋友們,向各位問好。
作為台灣駐德國的代表,我很榮幸再次在空中、網絡上與大家見面。只是,今天我的悲傷多於榮幸,因為劉曉波於2017年7月13日逝世,今天是他五週年的祭日。
我可惜沒有親自認識曉波,但我一直對他懷有崇高的敬意,因為他獻身於中國的民主化這項偉大的事業,他愛這個國家和人民,並為此犧牲了自己的生命。他選擇了抗拒而死亡,不願屈服而求生,這是一種和平卻又堅定不移的方式。是的,曉波五年前就去世了,這是一個無法改變的殘酷現實。但他為我們、為中國、為世界留下的精神遺產是巨大的、令人難以忘懷的。
在準備這篇簡短的發言稿時,麥克阿瑟將軍曾為他兒子寫的祈禱詞中的內容,突然浮現在我的腦海中。這是一位父親在艱難的太平洋戰爭初期,為自己兒子所作的祈禱。麥克阿瑟將軍的祈禱一開頭就表達了這樣的願望:主啊,為我造就一個兒子,當他軟弱時,他能堅強地知道自己的軟弱;當他害怕時,他有勇氣面對自己;他會在誠實和謙遜中驕傲和不屈;在勝利中依然保持溫和。這個祈禱結束時,他希望自己的兒子能夠謙卑,這樣就可以始終記住,真正的偉大是樸素的,真正的智慧是心胸開闊的,真正的力量是溫柔的。
樸素的偉大、心胸開闊的智慧,溫柔的力量——這不正是曉波一貫地、甚至直到他死都向中國共產黨展示的一切嗎?
麥克阿瑟將軍用下面的話結束了他的祈禱:「那麼我,他的父親,就敢低聲說,『我沒有白活。』」
不是活得久長,而是沒有白活,這才是最重要的。
中共聲稱劉曉波死於肝癌。不,曉波沒病,中國共產黨病了,並且一直病到今天。曉波說他沒有敵人, 「我沒有敵人」,這是他的原話。他沒有說,但是我們在他死後卻強烈感受到的是:「他如天使一般,沒有敵人,但卻擁有如水一般的力量」。他內心的決定是:寧願離世也不願做個逃兵,這就是謙遜和人性的力量。
從這個意義上說,我想指出,曉波是否死在中國並不重要,他是否死在監獄也不重要。重要的是,曉波有沒有白死。答案很清楚:不,沒有,他沒有白死。曉波既沒有白死,也沒有白活。因為他的逝世,拉近了我們彼此之間的距離,以更大的信心和更大的決心共同抗擊中國共產黨。我們曾經說過「團結讓我們站起來,分裂使我們倒下去。」我們從曉波那兒得到了信心和決心,而他跟家人朋友長期地被迫隔離,卻依然沒有失去對人性的信念和信心。我們可以把從他那裡得到的啟示寫成座右銘:團結在愛、正義、自由與民主之下,唯有分裂才會讓我們倒下去。
「我會回來的」,麥克阿瑟將軍曾經這樣保證。曉波不必做出同樣的承諾。他不會回來,因為他從未離開過。他確實去世了,但方式非常不同:他把未完成的任務交給我們,並承諾不會離開,不,工作沒有完畢之前,他都不會離開。
現在,我的發言完畢,我感到自信已經蓋過了悲傷。
謝謝大家的聆聽。
STATEMENT on the 5th Anniversary of the Death of LIU Xiaobo
13. July 2022 Prof. Dr. SHIEH, Jhy-Wey
Good day, dear friends, sisters and brothers from all over the world, ladies and Gentlemen.
Acting as the representative of Taiwan in Germany, I´m very much honored to meet you in the air or on internet again. Only, today I´m more sad than honored, for today marks the 5th anniversary of Liu Xiaobo´s death on the 13. July 2017.
I didn’t have the honor to get to know Xiaobo personally, but I have always admired him with great respect, because he dedicated himself to a great task, namely the democratization of China, and sacrificed his life for it out of his love for this country and its people. He chose to die resisting rather than to live submitting, and that in a very peaceful, but unwavering way. Yes, Xiaobo died five years ago, it´s a cruel reality which just can´t be changed anymore. But the spiritual legacy he left for us, for China, for the world, is huge and unforgettable.
While preparing for this short statement, what General MacArthur once wrote in his Prayer for his Son came all of a sudden across my mind. It was a father´s prayer for his son during his desperate early days of the Pacific war. General Mac´Arthur started this prayer with the following wish: Build me a son. O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest and humble and gentle in victory.
And at the end of this prayer, he wished that his son will be given humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength.´
The simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength, – Isn´t that all what Xiaobo has shown to the Chinese Communist Party all the time till and after his death?
General MacArthur finished his prayer with the following words: `Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, ´I have not lived in vain.´
To have not lived in vain instead of having lived a long life. That´s what matters.
The Chinese Communist Party claimed that LIU Xiaobo died of liver cancer. No, Xiaobo was not sick, the Chinese Communist Party was sick and still is till today. Xiaobo said he has no enemies. ´I have no enemies´, that´s what he said. What he didn´t say and we strongly feel especially after his death is ´He has no enemies like an angel, but he has power like the water´. His inner decision rather to pass away than to run way is the strength of humility and of humanity as well.
In this sense, I want to point out, it´s not important for Xiaobo to die in china or not, it´s not important for him to die in jail or not. It only matters to ask if Xiaobo has died in vain or not. And clearly the answer is NO, and No, and No again. Xiaobo has not lived in vain, nor has he died in vain. For his death has brought us closer and closer to each other to fight together against the Chinese Communist Party with more confidence and more determination We used to say ´United we stand, divided we fall.´ But with the confidence and determination we´ve received from Xiaobo, who has been separated and divided from his family and friends for a long time and still never lost his beliefs and confidence in humanity, we can carry out our faith and belief in the motto: United we stand, divided we fall in love with our faith and belief in Justice, Freedom and Democracy.
´I shall return´, promised General MacArthur. Xiaobo didn´t have to make that promise. He won´t return, because he has never left. He did pass away, but in a very different way: He passed the unfinished task to us and promised not to go away, – no, not until the job is done.
Now, my job is done, and I feel much more confident than sad.
Thank you all guys for your attention.