The Power of Down to Earth — They Talk the Talk, I Walk the Walk
接地氣的力量：他們光說不練，我腳踏實地
Speech by Mayor Han Kuo-yu at Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies
韓國瑜市長在哈佛大學費正清中國研究中心的演講
Good afternoon, Director Szonyi, Director Goldstein, ladies and gentlemen, this is my greatest honor and pleasure to be here today and to begin with, I would like to express my appreciation for the long term friendship between the United States and the ROC, and for the support from the US government and its people, so we can engage and cooperate closely. I am more than honored to have this amazing opportunity standing at this podium, in front of the distinguished scholars at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, the most esteemed institution of Chinese Studies in the world, to share my story and to talk about what I think and what I want to do as Mayor of Kaohsiung.
宋怡明主任、戈迪溫教授、女士們，先生們，今天我非常榮幸能在費正清中國研究中心這個世界上最受尊崇的中國研究機構之一，在諸位傑出學者和研究者的面前，分享我的一些經歷，談一談作為高雄市長，我的想法和我想做的事情。
In Taiwan, there are a lot of people calling me a “produce vendor.” Mainly because I worked in a local agricultural products marketing company before I ran in the Mayor election. The media often describes me with the term “down to earth,” and few individuals even name me “country bumpkin” for my humble origins, and my rather direct and unrefined language. Well today, this bald country bumpkin from Taiwan is standing before you, on the campus of one of the most prestigious universities in the world : Harvard! A few months ago, many could not have imagined this, even in their wildest dreams!
在台灣，有很多人稱我為“賣菜郎”。主要是因為我在參加市長選舉之前曾在台北市的農產運銷公司工作。媒體也經常用“接地氣”這個詞來形容我，更有些人因為我卑微的出身和我直接了當又不加修飾的說話方式而講我是一個“土包子”。然而今天，這個台灣的光頭土包子居然能夠來到這個世界上最負盛名的哈佛大學的講台上、站在你們面前。這是幾個月前，許多人作夢都想不到的！
What brings me to Harvard today, is the fact that last November, I won an election in Southern Taiwan that nobody thought I could possibly win. Besides, people are saying that I single-handedly reshaped the politics of Taiwan. They are calling this wide -spread political current the “hanliu” or “Han wave.”
今天我來到哈佛主要是因為在去年11月，我贏了一場選舉，沒有人認為我在台灣南部有任何可能獲勝的機會。也有人說我單槍匹馬地改變了台灣的政治景象、帶起了一種政治風潮，他們稱其為“韓流”。
However, I don’t believe in “hanliu” or “Han Wave” because I know very well that what brings me to the Mayor position and to speak to you today, is not me as an individual, but is the will of the people . People in Taiwan, especially in Kaohsiung, have had enough of the unproductive government, enough of all the nonsense of ideological manipulation, and enough of pathetic politicians who only talk without making worthy actions.
但是，我不認為有“韓流”，因為我非常清楚我選上市長的原因，其實不是因為我個人，而是民心。台灣人民，特別是高雄的人民，已經受夠了無能的政府，意識形態的操縱，受夠這些政客光說不練、只會空口說白話。
The reason behind our success, is not because I am at any rate a great person. It is because Taiwan’s current ruling party is not doing a good job. They have disappointed the people, so the people want something different. In fact, the people of Taiwan dislike not just the DPP, but they are tired of all of traditional politicians. Especially those politicians who come up with fancy slogans and empty promises. They don’t know, and they don’t care what the people really need. They only talk the talk, but me, I walk the walk.
我們成功勝選的背後原因並不是因為我是一個什麼了不起的人，而是因為台灣現任執政黨實在做得不好。政府讓人民失望，所以人民想要不一樣的選擇。事實上，台灣人民受夠的不僅是執政黨，而是厭倦了所有傳統的政治人物。特別是那些只會提出花哨口號和空洞承諾的政治人物。他們不知道，他們也不關心人們真正需要的是什麼。他們只說不做，但我，我付諸行動。
I walk to the people from all walks of life, with an emphasis on socially vulnerable groups. I insist to stay overnight in different folks’ places once a month, to get close to their real life. I have stayed in an orphanage, a fisherman’s association, a taxi driver’s home and will stay in many others’ places as well. I also walk to the world, to Mainland China, to Southeast Asia, to America and hopefully to more other places in the world. This is not because I like to be Mr. Fogg who travelled around the world in 81 days, but because Kaohsiung deserves more visibility and opportunities. Kaohsiung has been isolated and closed off for too long. As a result, the economy and population are sadly declining. We need to walk out to the world to promote our produce and products, to attract more visitors, and to carry out what I advocate loudly for, “Export Goods Out, Welcome People In, Let Kaohsiung Prosper!”
我用行動走向各行各業的人們，特別是社會較弱勢的族群。我堅持每個月選擇在一個不同的基層地點過夜，以便近距離了解這些民眾的生活情況。我已經夜宿過孤兒院、漁會、出租車運將的家，未來也將在更多其他的基層地方過夜。我也實際走向世界，去了中國大陸、去了東南亞、現在還來到美國，未來希望走向世界其他地方。這不是因為我想變成在81天內環遊世界的Mr. Fogg，而是因為高雄應該獲得更多的知名度和機會。高雄已被隔離且封閉太久。長期下來造成經濟衰退、人口減少。我們需要走向世界，推廣我們的城市和產品，吸引更多的人來高雄，並且落實我所希望的“貨出得去，人進得來，高雄發大財！”
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