英斯基普：当美国人看待中国为应对这场危机所做努力时，一些人会很自然地将美国制度与中国制度进行比较，他们会问，如果危机发生在美国，情况会有什么不同？他们可能会说，为防止病毒传播，中国可以封锁整个城市的举动令人印象深刻，因为这在美国不太可能发生。但同时他们也会认为，美国的制度更加开放，人民在分享信息和获取可靠信息方面也更加自由。这可能就是美国人对比中美体制优劣的方式。您怎么看待这种比较呢？
When Americans look at China’s effort to face this crisis, it is natural, I think, for some to compare the U.S. system to China’s system and ask how things would be different if the crisis were here. Americans might say it is impressive that China can shut down an entire city to try to stop the spread of a virus. That would not very likely happen in the United States. But they will also argue that the American system is more open and would be a little more free about sharing information and trying to get reliable information to the public. That is the way that an American might look at strengths and weaknesses of China’s system compared to the United States. How would you make that comparison?
崔大使：作为一名外交官，我通常不会将中国政府和美国政府进行比较，但人们可以有自己的观点。我们看到美国也曾遇到过自然灾害、紧急事件，比如几年前的卡特里娜飓风，你们的确没有封城，但城市却陷入混乱。我访问路易斯安那州时，那里的人们给我讲了各种各样的故事。我们对武汉等城市实施封城，目的是为了阻止病毒传播，为了保护更多的人。我们当然付出了高昂的代价，但这么做是为了更广泛的全世界的利益。如果不能阻止病毒传播，其他国家就会被殃及，从而造成国际性危机。因此，我觉得我们所做的正体现了“我为人人，人人为我”，这么做是为了全世界。同时我们也感谢国际社会的支持和帮助。
Well, as a diplomat, normally I don’t compare the government of China and the government of the United States. But you can have your own views because you also have had things like disasters, emergencies here, like Hurricane Katrina some years ago, and you did not shut down the city, but there was total disorder in the city. I visited Louisiana. People told me all kinds of stories. So we are shutting down some of the cities, especially Wuhan, to stop the transmission of the virus, to protect more people. We are doing all this of course at a high cost. But we are doing this in the larger interests of the entire world. If we fail to stop the virus, it could spread to other countries. Then this would cause an international crisis. So this is, I believe, a real example of one-for-all, all-for-one situation. We are doing this for the world. And we appreciate that the world is helping us.
英斯基普：你提到了高昂的代价。中国封闭一些城市付出了高昂的经济成本等诸多代价。中国政府会不会到一定时候不得不承认付出的代价太高了？这是一种流行性疾病，一些人会死亡，但中国需要重新开放城市并恢复经济生产。
You mentioned the high cost. There is a high economic cost, among other things, for China to shutting down major cities. Is there a point at which China’s government might have to decide the cost is too high? That this is a disease, it’s endemic, some people will die, but you need to reopen cities and resume economic activity?
崔大使：首先，对中国来说，人民的福祉特别是生命安全和身体健康是第一位的，我们将不惜一切代价、尽最大努力予以保护。同时，人们也需要经济发展和正常社会活动，因此我们也在努力恢复正常的经济和社会活动。
First of all, people’s wellbeing, their health, their safety, their life are the most important thing for us. So we’ll do our best to protect people’s wellbeing, in a sense, at whatever cost. At the same time, people also need economic development. They have to have the economy grow and more normal social life. So we are also trying our best to restore normal economic and social activity.
英斯基普：这可能需要多长时间？
How soon might that happen?
崔大使：这将取决于我们多久能控制疫情。
It will depend on how soon we can control the virus.
英斯基普：所以在疫情得到控制之前，你们会继续之前的努力，即使付出高昂的成本也继续走下去？
So you’re going to continue this effort until the virus is controlled. There is not a point at which you would say, this is just too costly. We need to go on.
崔大使：我们有两条战线。一方面，我们正尽最大努力，举全国之力抗击疫情。与此同时，我们也正在尽我们所能，逐步恢复正常的经济和社会活动。例如，必须保障人们的日常生活所需。春节假期后，一些企业和工厂需要恢复运营。我们还在研究何时以何种方式开学。
I think, we are working on two fronts. On the one front, we are doing our utmost, and this is a nationwide effort to fight the virus. At the same time, we’re doing whatever we can, to the extent we can, to maintain some normal economic and social life. For instance, people’s daily necessities have to be provided. And some of the companies and factories have to resume their work after the Lunar New Year holidays and we are looking at when and how schools could be reopened.
英斯基普：此次采访前不久，中国政府大幅增加了确诊病例数量。当然这源于诊断方式的调整，并不代表实际感染人数上涨。但这引出了一个问题。您是否确信现在公布的病例数字是可靠的，是否确信中国政府掌握整个疫情的规模与程度？
Shortly before we spoke, Chinese authorities dramatically increased their reported number of coronavirus cases, which was an adjustment because of the way that the counting is done, not necessarily an increase in the number of cases. But that leads to a question. Are you confident that you now know a reliable number of how many cases there are and have an idea of the full scope of the problem?
崔大使：我认为掌握可靠数据非常重要，这就是我们每天更新各类数据的原因。正如你所说，由于诊断标准调整，确诊病例数量大幅上涨。这一调整非常有必要。用一些专家的话来说：“这是在努力张大防护网”。这样做，所有需要救治的病人都会被顾及到，也有助于疫情最终探底。
I think it’s extremely important to have reliable numbers. That’s why we’re updating the numbers every day. And as you said, there was a dramatic increase, but because of the change of the diagnosis criteria. This is absolutely necessary. To use the words of some experts: “This is an attempt to widen the net”. So everybody who needs, who require(s) medical treatment will be included, will be covered. That will help us to get to the bottom.
英斯基普：现在探底了吗？您是否有信心?
Do you now have the bottom? Do you feel confident that you…
崔大使：这个问题只有专家才能解答。我当然希望疫情能尽快探底。
I think this is a question for the specialist to answer, but I certainly hope that we’ll get to the bottom very soon.
英斯基普：您认为这场疫情会持续多久，中国需要多长时间才能控制住这场危机，几天，几周还是几个月？
Do you think that you might have this crisis in hand in a matter of days, weeks, months? How long might it take?
崔大使：我当然希望越早越好。但这取决于很多因素，包括我们的努力，包括我们是否在沿着正确的方向开展工作以及方法和工具是否有效。我们正竭尽全力，我对我们的科学家和医务工作者充满信心。
For me, it’s the sooner, the better. But it would depend on our efforts, whether we are working in the right direction, whether the methods, the tools we are using are effective. But we are doing our utmost. I have confidence in our scientists, in our doctors and in our medical workers.
英斯基普：美国商务部长罗斯前几天就此次疫情评论称，他不愿就此次疫情表达喜悦，但疫情确实是企业在确定其供应链时需要考虑的一个因素。我理解他的意思是，这场疫情给美国企业离开中国又提供了一个理由。
Wilbur Ross, the U.S. Commerce Secretary, made a comment about the coronavirus the other day. And he said he didn’t want in any way to be happy about the virus. But he said, (and I) quote “gives business another thing to consider when deciding on their supply chains.” I understood him to mean American businesses have another reason to think about going somewhere other than China.
崔大使：对他的言论，很多美国媒体和经济学家都发表了评论，表达了他们的观点。所以我没什么可补充的。
After his remarks, I’ve read a lot of comments from American media, from American economists. They have expressed their views. So I have nothing to add.
英斯基普：您指的是哪些观点？
Which views do you mean?
崔大使：哪些观点？据我所知，很多人难以苟同。
What kinds of views? As far as I know, many people disagree.
英斯基普：不同意他的这一表态？
With him making that statement.
崔大使：是的。
Yes, of course.
来源：中国驻美大使馆网站