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艾论赵琼：愿赛珍珠铜像成为镇江和中美文化交流的永恒见证

2026年06月25日 08:44 美中时报梅宗宝

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字号：较大适中

在纪念诺贝尔文学奖得主赛珍珠诞辰134周年国际论坛开幕式上，美籍华裔著名艺术家、美国罗丹国际艺术家基金会副主席、赛珍珠铜像创作者艾伦·赵琼博士发表致辞，深度阐释赛珍珠跨越国界的人道主义精神，分享两座跨太平洋赛珍珠青铜雕像背后的文化使命，呼吁以包容互鉴推动全球文明交流。

艾伦·赵琼代表美国罗丹国际艺术家基金会，向长期深耕赛珍珠研究与文化传播的专家学者、各界支持者致以诚挚谢意。她表示，镇江是赛珍珠魂牵梦萦的精神故乡，这座古城的风土人情与中华传统文化，构筑了赛珍珠精神世界的根基。赛珍珠生于美国、长于中国，一生心系两片土地，一句“我的心一半属于美国，一半属于中国”，道尽她兼容东西的生命底色。

致辞中回顾，1931年《大地》出版，真实刻画中国农民的生存图景，打破西方社会对中国的片面误解。赛珍珠凭借这部作品斩获普利策奖，并在1938年成为首位获得诺贝尔文学奖的美国女性作家。在东西方认知隔阂的年代，她以文字为桥梁，化身“文明翻译者”，向世界展现普通中国人的勤劳、坚韧与尊严，用人性共通之处消解文明偏见。

艾伦·赵琼提出，如今科技飞速发展、全球化持续深化，但不同文明间的误解与偏见仍未消散，赛珍珠所坚守的人文关怀、文化包容、文明互鉴精神，拥有更为重要的现实意义。作为公共艺术创作者，她坚信文学点亮心灵、艺术永存精神，为此基金会专门打造青铜雕塑，以此致敬这位伟大的文化使者。

她介绍，由其亲手创作的赛珍珠青铜雕像分置中美两地：今年2月8日，雕像在美国宾夕法尼亚州赛珍珠故居博物馆揭幕并永久收藏；5月17日，另一尊同款雕像正式落户镇江赛珍珠纪念馆。两座雕塑隔太平洋遥相呼应，美国故居雕像面向西方，镇江纪念馆雕像回望东方故土，完成一场跨越山海的文明对话。法国阿涅尔市副市长弗雷德里克·西特邦曾评价，雕塑生动刻画出赛珍珠心怀善意、望向未来的眼神，这也是创作者想要传递的核心内核。

艾伦·赵琼坦言，创作时她并未刻意复刻赛珍珠的外在样貌，而是着力塑造其悲悯清醒、温柔坚定的精神气质，还原她超越地域的人道主义情怀。青铜能够定格时光，却无法束缚思想，两尊雕像早已超越艺术品本身，象征文明理解、文化尊重、人间善意，承载着世界和平与人类命运共同体的美好愿景。

她谈到，赛珍珠曾让世界看见真实的中国，如今后人依托雕塑、国际论坛等载体，持续传递文明交流的独特力量。人类文明的进步，源于相互学习、彼此理解，而非封闭隔绝、相互排斥，赛珍珠的一生正是这一理念最鲜活的实践。

艾伦·赵琼表示，镇江作为赛珍珠的精神原乡，天然具备东西方文明对话的独特优势。本次国际论坛不仅是学术交流平台，更是文明互鉴的思想盛会。期待各界以赛珍珠为纽带，持续深化中美文化交流，促进全球文明互学互鉴，传承共通的人文精神。

最后，她寄语，愿赛珍珠的文学光芒永续，跨越山海传递理解与友谊；各国文明在彼此尊重中共同发展，善良、正义、和平的人文精神代代相传，并预祝本次国际论坛圆满举办。

以下是艾伦致辞中英文全文：

尊敬的各位领导、各位专家学者、各位来宾，女士们、先生们：

大家好！

今天，我们怀着崇敬与感恩之情，相聚在赛珍珠先生魂牵梦绕的精神故乡——镇江，在她生活了十八年的故居旁，共同为这尊青铜雕像庄严揭幕。此刻，站立在这片她曾经深爱过的土地上，我的心中百感交集——这不仅是一件艺术作品跨越太平洋的旅程，更是一场跨越文明与历史的深情对话。

首先，请允许我代表美国罗丹国际艺术家基金会，向镇江市赛珍珠研究会、镇江赛珍珠纪念馆以及所有为此次落成付出辛勤努力的中外友人，致以最崇高的敬意与最诚挚的感谢。

美国罗丹国际艺术家基金会自1971年在华盛顿特区注册成立，2017年总部移至费城，并在纽约洛克菲勒中心设有办公室。半个多世纪以来，我们与全球三十多所博物馆、艺术大学及学术机构建立了专业合作关系，在全球范围内主办或协办了众多国际艺术展览、学术研讨会和公益大师课。基金会始终高度重视东西方艺术的融合与对话，长期推动亚洲当代艺术家走进欧美主流校园与艺术殿堂，曾联合约翰霍普金斯大学、乔治城大学、宾夕法尼亚大学、哈佛大学、哥伦比亚大学等多所世界顶级名校举办各类艺术公益活动与公共艺术作品捐赠。我们始终坚信：艺术是跨越国界的语言，文化是连接心灵的桥梁。而今天，我们创作这尊青铜，向一位最伟大的"文明传递者"致敬——这不仅是基金会的荣耀，更是我们义不容辞的文化使命。

我作为这个雕塑项目的接受人和创作者，内心始终被赛珍珠的人文精神与中国情怀深深感动。一位出生在美国的作家，却将生命中最重要的成长岁月留在了中国，将镇江称为自己的"第一故乡"，将中文视为"第一语言"。她用英文书写中国农民的生活，让世界第一次真正看见了普通中国人的勤劳、坚韧、善良与尊严。1931年，《大地》问世，这部描写中国农民命运的作品震动了整个西方世界，随后荣获普利策文学奖，并于1938年使她成为首位获得诺贝尔文学奖的美国女性作家。这不仅是文学的荣耀，更是跨文化理解的里程碑——她以一己之力，在东西方之间架起了一座桥梁，桥的一端是东方，桥的另一端是西方，桥下流淌的，则是共同的人性之河。

赛珍珠的一生，是东西文明交流史上最动人的传奇。她曾深情地说："我的心一半属于美国，一半属于中国。"正因为如此，她笔下的中国从来不是异国风情式的想象，而是真实的人间烟火。在那个中国仍被误解和陌生化的年代，赛珍珠让世界第一次真正理解了中国。她用文学跨越语言，用爱跨越国界，用行动跨越文化差异——这种精神，值得我们永远铭记，也值得我们世代传承。

正是出于这份敬意，美国罗丹国际艺术家基金会决定以青铜雕塑的艺术形式，向赛珍珠这位伟大的文化使者致以永恒的礼赞。今年2月8日，由基金会捐赠、由我创作的赛珍珠青铜雕像，在美国宾夕法尼亚州赛珍珠故居博物馆隆重揭幕，并被永久收藏。那一天，来自美国文化界、学术界和赛珍珠基金会的嘉宾共同见证了这一历史时刻。而就在今天，另一尊赛珍珠青铜雕像正式落座于此——从美国宾州到中国镇江，从她生命的终点到精神的起点，两座雕像遥相呼应，共同守护着赛珍珠所代表的人类共同价值。

在创作过程中，我最希望表达的不仅是赛珍珠的外貌，更是她的精神——那种悲悯而清醒的目光，一种温柔而坚定的力量，一种超越国界的人道主义情怀。青铜能够凝固时间，却无法凝固思想。而伟大的思想，会在历史长河中不断获得新的生命。

今天，当赛珍珠雕像分别安放在中美两国故居之中时，它们已经超越了艺术本身。它们象征着文明之间的理解，象征着文化之间的尊重，象征着人与人之间的善意，更象征着世界和平与人类命运共同体的精神追求。赛珍珠曾经让世界看见中国，今天，我们更希望通过赛珍珠，让世界看见文明交流的力量，看见艺术与人文精神如何穿越时空，将不同国度、不同民族的心灵紧紧联结在一起。

回顾历史，人类文明之所以能够不断进步，不是因为彼此封闭，而是因为彼此学习；不是因为相互排斥，而是因为相互理解。赛珍珠的一生，正是这一理念最生动的实践。而今天，我们站在这里，以这座铜像为证，愿赛珍珠的文学之光永远照耀世界；愿理解与友谊跨越山海；愿不同文明在相互尊重中共同繁荣；愿人类共同的善良、正义与和平精神薪火相传、生生不息。

最后，再次感谢大家！愿这座铜像成为镇江和中美文化交流的永恒见证，也成为我们每一个人心中那束永不熄灭的人文之光。

谢谢大家！

Remarks at the Unveiling Ceremony for the Pearl S.Buck Bronze Statue

Distinguished officials, esteemed experts andscholars, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen:

Good day, everyone!

Today, with profound reverence and gratitude, wegather here in Zhenjiang—the spiritual homeland that remained forever in PearlS. Buck’s heart—and beside the former residence where she lived for eighteenyears, to solemnly unveil this bronze statue. Standing at this moment on theland she once loved so deeply, I am filled with many emotions. What we arewitnessing is not merely the journey of a work of art across the Pacific, butalso a heartfelt dialogue across civilizations and through history.

First of all, on behalf of the Rodin InternationalArtists Foundation of the United States, please allow me to extend our highestrespect and most sincere gratitude to the Zhenjiang Pearl S. Buck ResearchSociety, the Zhenjiang Pearl S. Buck Memorial Museum, and all our friends fromChina and abroad whose dedicated efforts have made the installation of thisstatue possible.

The American Rodin International Artists Foundation was registered in Washington, D.C. in 1971, and moved its headquarters to Philadelphia in 2017, with an office atRockefeller Center in New York City. For more than half a century, we haveestablished professional partnerships with over thirty museums, art collegesand universities, and academic institutions around the world. We have organizedor co-organized numerous international art exhibitions, academic symposia, andpublic master classes. The Foundation has consistently championed dialogue andcreative exchange between Eastern and Western art. For many years, we haveworked to introduce contemporary Asian artists to leading universities andprestigious art institutions across Europe and North America. In collaborationwith world-renowned universities—including Johns Hopkins University, GeorgetownUniversity, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and ColumbiaUniversity—we have organized a wide range of arts initiatives for the publicgood and donated works of public art. We have always firmly believed that artis a language that transcends national borders and that culture is a bridgeconnecting human hearts. Today, through this bronze statue, we pay tribute toone of the greatest “messengers betweencivilizations.” This is not only a great honor for our Foundation, but also acultural mission that we are duty-bound to fulfill.

As the artist entrusted with this sculpture projectand the creator of the statue, I have been deeply moved throughout by Pearl S.Buck’s humanistic spirit andher profound affection for China. Born in the United States, she spent the mostimportant formative years of her life in China. She called Zhenjiang her “firsthome” and regarded Chinese as her “first language.” Writingin English about the lives of Chinese farmers, she enabled the world, for thefirst time, to truly see the diligence, resilience, kindness, and dignity ofordinary Chinese people. In 1931, The Good Earth was published. This novel,portraying the lives and destinies of Chinese farmers, made a profound impactthroughout the Western world. It subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize, and in1938, Pearl S. Buck became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Prizein Literature. This was not only a literary triumph, but also a milestone incross-cultural understanding. Through her own efforts, she built a bridgebetween East and West: one end rooted in the East, the other in the West, andbeneath it flowed the river of our shared humanity.

Pearl S. Buck’s life is one of the most moving stories in thehistory of exchange between Eastern and Western civilizations. She once saidwith deep feeling, “Half of my heart belongsto America, and the other half to China.” For this very reason, the China sheportrayed was never an exotic fantasy; it was the authentic and vivid world ofeveryday life. At a time when China was still widely misunderstood and regardedas strange and distant, Pearl S. Buck enabled the world, for the first time, totruly understand it. Through literature, she crossed the barriers of language;through love, she crossed national borders; and through action, she overcamecultural differences. Her spirit deserves to be remembered forever and passeddown from generation to generation.

It was out of this profound respect that the RodinInternational Artists Foundation of the United States decided to pay anenduring tribute to Pearl S. Buck, this great cultural ambassador, in the formof a bronze sculpture. On February 8 of this year, a bronze statue of Pearl S.Buck, donated by the Foundation and created by me, was ceremonially unveiled atthe Pearl S. Buck House Museum in Pennsylvania and accepted into its permanentcollection. On that day, distinguished guests from the American cultural andacademic communities, together with representatives of the Pearl S. BuckFoundation, witnessed this historic occasion. Today, a second bronze statue ofPearl S. Buck has formally taken its place here. From Pennsylvania in theUnited States to Zhenjiang in China, from the place where her life came to anend to the place where her spirit first took root, the two statues echo oneanother across the ocean, together standing guard over the shared human valuesthat Pearl S. Buck embodied.

In creating this sculpture, what I most wished toconvey was not only Pearl S. Buck’s physical likeness, but also her spirit: thecompassion and clarity in her gaze, the gentleness and resolve in her strength,and the humanitarian concern that transcended national boundaries. Bronze canhold a moment in time, but it cannot confine an idea. Great ideas continuallytake on new life in the long course of history.

Today, with statues of Pearl S. Buck installed at herformer homes in both China and the United States, they have already transcendedart itself. They symbolize understanding among civilizations, respect amongcultures, goodwill among people, and, above all, humanity’s aspiration for world peace and a community with ashared future. Pearl S. Buck once helped the world see China. Today, throughher legacy, we hope the world will also see the power of dialogue amongcivilizations and understand how art and the humanistic spirit can transcendtime and space, closely linking the hearts of people from different countriesand nations.

Looking back through history, human civilization hascontinued to advance not because societies closed themselves off, but becausethey learned from one another; not because they rejected one another, butbecause they sought mutual understanding. Pearl S. Buck’s life was one of the most vivid embodiments of thisideal. Today, as we stand here with this bronze statue as our witness, may thelight of Pearl S. Buck’s literature forever illuminate the world; mayunderstanding and friendship cross mountains and seas; may differentcivilizations flourish together in a spirit of mutual respect; and may humanity’s shared spirit ofkindness, justice, and peace be passed from generation to generation, foreverrenewed and never extinguished.

Finally, let me once again express my heartfeltgratitude to you all. May this statue stand in Zhenjiang as an enduringtestament to cultural exchange between China and the United States, and may italso become, in each of our hearts, a light of humanism that never goes out.

Thank you all.

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