论文部分内容阅读
2008年湖南的冰灾令我难忘,大家都积极参加抗击冰雪的行动,我和华菱钢铁的同事们也参加了这些活动,到长沙火车站清除冰雪。广播和电视台采访了我们,哥伦比亚广播公司北京办事处也采访了我,大家似乎都想知道,一个美国人为什么会加入这场抗冰救灾的活动中,同中国人民并肩战斗?
我来长沙已经两年半了。之前,我对长沙的了解仅来自互联网的介绍:长沙是湖南省的省会城市,市区约有160万人口,加上周边地区共600万人口。全省约有6000万人口,气候多变,南部地区属亚热带气候,经济以农业为主,水稻产量占全国的15%左右,这里也是毛主席的家乡和最初的革命根据地。但我仍不清楚这里是平原还是山区?是绿树成荫还是荒山秃岭?经济发展到什么程度?开车的人多还是骑自行车的人多?华菱钢铁经营业绩怎么样?这里的人们会友好地对待我吗?还是会认为我是一个自私的西方人?带着这些问题和疑虑,我来到长沙这个陌生的地方,来到华菱钢铁这个我为之奋斗的公司,我将努力地去适应新的环境。当然,我对米塔尔集团的委派感到非常高兴,这对我来说是一个很好的机会,我可以利用自己30年钢铁工业的实践经验,为集团和华菱钢铁做出自己的贡献。
我亲眼目睹的一切已超过了我最好的想象:华菱钢铁的生产工艺和研发配备了最新和最好的技术装备,同时投入大量的资金进行技术改造,以进一步提高技术先进性和生产能力。我的同事们知识丰富,勤奋工作,工作中取得了许多成就,对我的建议也是积极采纳和实施。另外,政府在住房和基础设施的投入是巨大的,旧楼改造,新的高层建筑拔地而起。许多人从全省各地来到长沙求职,寻求高薪工作。城市房地产和基础设施的建设速度令我这个初来乍到的外国人感到吃惊,我把它称之为“中国速度”!
2008年湖南的冰灾令我难忘,50年一遇的寒冬严重地影响了人们的生活,工厂停产,供应短缺,供电设施损坏严重,造成停电事故。交通运输也受灾严重,数万人滞留机场、火车站和高速公路。但是在抗冰救灾活动中,凸显了中国人民所拥有的奋斗精神和美好情操,大家都积极参加抗击冰雪的行动,清除道路、桥梁、火车站和人行道的积雪。我和华菱钢铁的同事们也参加了这些活动,到长沙火车站清除冰雪。广播和电视台采访了我们,哥伦比亚广播公司北京办事处也采访了我,大家似乎都想知道,一个美国人为什么会加入这场抗冰救灾的活动中,同中国人民并肩战斗?
我認为湖南的地形很适合农业,有利于生产水稻和其他农作物。湖南绿化搞得很好,让我吃惊。行驶在纵横交错的公路上时,两旁满眼都是绿色。这里有丰富的水源,有利于农田灌溉。湖南真是一个美丽而富饶的地方!
另一个令我惊讶的是湖南人对毛泽东深深的爱戴和崇敬,虽然他已过世,但人们经常自豪地谈论他,以及他对于新中国的巨大贡献,他的故居、曾经就读的学校和博物馆,无不展示着他的丰功伟绩。
华菱钢铁的领导和同事们,不但对我非常友好,而且对我的生活也是无微不至地关心。为我配置舒适的住所,帮助我购买日常用品、食品和其他必需品,让我感受到家庭一样的温暖。同事们经常邀请我到他们的家里做客,或者一起去餐馆品尝长沙的美味佳肴,陪我参观湖南的名胜古迹,让我领略了伟人家乡的秀美、张家界的奇观、龙舟赛的精彩。他们还教我学中文,使我对中国的古代文明有更多的了解,悠久的历史甚至胜过希腊。湖南已成为我的另一个“家” ,我已经适应了这里的饮食,熟悉了这里的人和他们工作、生活的方式。
2008年我获得的两大殊荣,是我一生中最难忘的。我参加了2008年北京奥运会长沙站火炬接力的活动!成为奥运圣火传递长沙站接力的两个外国人之一。虽然1972年在希腊我曾参加过奥运火炬接力,但在湖南这一次参加的奥运圣火传递,将成为我一生难忘的记忆。每个人都会因为中国能成功举办奥运会而感到非常骄傲,人们将圣火传递当成一次盛典。接力活动非常热闹,圣火按规定路线传递时,沿途都能看到人们挥舞着旗帜,听到他们大声喊着“加油!”我想这是每一个圣火传递者都难以忘怀的景象。这一年经湖南省外国专家局的推荐我还获得了湖南省政府颁发的“潇湘友谊奖”。得知自己获此荣誉时,我简直不敢相信,工作中我做出了什么业绩能得到如此的殊荣?华菱的同事们非常肯定地对我说:你当之无愧!更令我兴奋的是,我的妻子当时正好在长沙,和我一起分享这种快乐与荣誉。
尽管全球金融危机已经影响到华菱钢铁和湖南经济,但我很高兴地发现,中国也许是受经济危机影响最小的国家,经济下滑的程度比大多数国家小,可以乐观地认为中国将是最先走出阴霾的国家。对于华菱钢铁来说,我们将充分利用米塔尔集团先进的技术资源,转让其世界领先的汽车板和电工钢生产技术,实施好十一五规划中的“四大工程”和“三大基地”,依靠产品结构调整化解世界金融危机对公司的不利影响。
(本文作者纳索斯·拉扎里蒂博士,美国人,现任湖南华菱钢铁股份有限公司副总经理兼技术总监,2009年度中国政府“友谊奖”获得者,本文曾获“感受湖南——外国专家征文比赛二等奖”)
I came to Changsha more than two and a half years ago.Before arriving I knew about it only what I was able to read on the internet: It is the capital of the Hunan Province with about 1.6 million people in the city proper and over 6 million in the metropolitan area.The province has about 60 million people.Its climate varies, being subtropical in its southern parts. It is mostly agricultural, producing about 15% of the entire production of rice in China. It is also Chairman Mao's home province and initial power base.I had no idea whether it was flat or mountainous, covered by vegetation or barren, to what degree it was developed, did it have cars or were people mostly riding bicycles?What was the state of this company called at the time Hunan Valin Steel Tube and Wire Co., Ltd.?Would the people be friendly and treat me well or see me as a selfish westerner?These and so many more were my questions about the place, the people and the company where I was to spend the next few years of my life. So I came with some apprehension, having some definite work plans in mind but otherwise determined to simply try to fit in and survive as best as I could.Of course I was very excited about the assignment, which for me was a great opportunity to use my previous experience of thirty years in the steel industry in order to make a small contribution to my company and to Hunan Valin.
What I actually found surpassed even my most wishful thinking:The company was already equipped with some of the newest and best facilities in the world for production and research with plans in place for significant additional investments to further improve its technology and capabilities.My colleagues at all levels were knowledgeable, hard working and committed to their company and its success.They were open minded to my suggestions and supported their implementation.
The level of investment in housing, offices and infrastructure was unbelievable.Old buildings were torn down and in their place multi story high rises were built to house businesses and people, many of whom left their homes in the country side and came to Changsha and the other major cities in Hunan in search of a higher paying job.The speed of erecting these buildings and other facilities was and continues to boggle the mind of the uninitiated foreigner.I have come to call it "Chinese speed"!
The weather was about as I expected, except for what I named "the surprise of 2008"!The most severe winter for this area in 50 years played havoc with life as we knew it.Plants shut down, supplies became scarce and electricity was cut off because of lack of coal for the power plants and downed power lines.But hardest hit of all was transportation, with hundreds of thousands of people stranded at airports, rail stations and even the wonderful interprovincial highways.People were said to have spent well over 24 hours stuck on the highways without food and water.But out of this catastrophe emerged the wonderful spirit of the Chinese people who all pitched in, manual labor and office workers alike, as best they could to clear ice from roads and bridges, train stations and sidewalks. My colleagues from Hunan Valin and I also participated in this activity, clearing snow and ice from the platforms of the Changsha train station.The response of the people was tremendous: Radio and TV reporters became aware of an American assisting in this effort alongside all the Chinese people and came to hear my story and why I had decided to participate.The next day I even spoke to the Beijing office of CBS (one of the major American TV networks) about it. Everyone seemed to want to know why an American cared to assist in this activity.Inside buildings and offices were very cold and difficult to heat and keep warm.I thought that if I had my way I would propose changing the building codes to improve insulation, at least for all new buildings; in the process I am certain a great deal of energy would be saved even if the initial cost will be a little higher.
The terrain indeed fit the agricultural model that I envisioned for Hunan.There are many fields for growing rice and other staples.But the big surprise was the hilly terrain, with all hills completely covered by trees and bushes.Driving along the highways big and small everything looks green.And there was evidence of abundant water available for irrigating the fields and for human and animal consumption.How richly endowed Hunan really is in this very precious resource!
Another source of amazement is the deep love and adoration people in Hunan reserve towards Mao Zedong.After all this time after his death people frequently proudly spoke of him and his importance to China and were always eager to show his home, school and museum and explain his achievements.
My colleagues at Hunan Valin Steel Co., Ltd were not only friendly but from the beginning became very concerned about everything affecting my life here.They made sure I had a suitable apartment to live in, helped me purchase the little things necessary to make an apartment a home, arranged for me to have food and other necessities.They made sure I never spent a major Chinese holiday alone and without something to do or something new to see in Hunan. Visits to the Provincial Museum in Changsha, Zhangjiajie during Spring Festival to see its natural wonders and the town of Miluo for the dragon boat races and related history of the area are only a few examples of all the great experiences I have been fortunate to enjoy.They invited me into their homes or out to dinner in one of the wonderful restaurants that Changsha has plenty of.They were from the beginning very eager to teach me their language and their rich history, which even predates my own Greek heritage, and can be proud of at least as many important achievements.
But some of the greatest experiences of my life are undoubtedly connected with two events that took place in 2008: My participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch relay when it went through Changsha and the Friendship Award that I received from the Governor of the Hunan Province at the recommendation of the Hunan Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.
Again, through the efforts of my colleagues at Valin and the support of the Hunan Sports Bureau I was one of only two foreigners and the only westerner selected to carry the Olympic flame through Changsha.Even though I had carried the Olympic flame once before in my native Greece during the 1972 Olympics torch relay, participating in Hunan was something that will be etched in memory for the rest of my life.Everyone was so proud of China's opportunity to host the Games and so committed to their success that the atmosphere prior to and during the relay was very festive.With flags waving and "jia yo" heard all the time the people of Changsha followed the route of the flame and became participants in this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
When I was informed that I was selected to receive the Friendship award during the National Day holidays at first I was totally incredulous:What had I done, other than my job, to deserve such an honor?Again it was my Valin colleagues who firmly reassured me that I truly deserved it and although I still found it difficult to believe, I was deeply honored and humbled enough to accept the selection and receive the award in a wonderful ceremony.What made it doubly enjoyable was that my wife happened to be in Changsha at the time and was also able to share in this experience.
It is fair to say that Changsha and Hunan have become for me another "home away from home". I easily adjusted to the wonderful Hunan cuisine and have become very familiar with the people and their way of working and living.Work continues to be as exciting as ever, despite the global financial crisis that has affected both the companies I work for and the local economy.It is good to see that China is perhaps less affected by the global downturn than most of the other economies and there is optimism that it may pull out of the crisis sooner and better than most.
As to Hunan Valin, we will make full use of advanced technology of ArcelorMittal , and transfer of its world-leading automotive plates and electrical steel production technology, the implementation"four major projects" and "three bases "of the Eleventh Five-Year plan, adjust product structure to conquer and resolve the effects of theworld financial crisis on the company.
我来长沙已经两年半了。之前,我对长沙的了解仅来自互联网的介绍:长沙是湖南省的省会城市,市区约有160万人口,加上周边地区共600万人口。全省约有6000万人口,气候多变,南部地区属亚热带气候,经济以农业为主,水稻产量占全国的15%左右,这里也是毛主席的家乡和最初的革命根据地。但我仍不清楚这里是平原还是山区?是绿树成荫还是荒山秃岭?经济发展到什么程度?开车的人多还是骑自行车的人多?华菱钢铁经营业绩怎么样?这里的人们会友好地对待我吗?还是会认为我是一个自私的西方人?带着这些问题和疑虑,我来到长沙这个陌生的地方,来到华菱钢铁这个我为之奋斗的公司,我将努力地去适应新的环境。当然,我对米塔尔集团的委派感到非常高兴,这对我来说是一个很好的机会,我可以利用自己30年钢铁工业的实践经验,为集团和华菱钢铁做出自己的贡献。
我亲眼目睹的一切已超过了我最好的想象:华菱钢铁的生产工艺和研发配备了最新和最好的技术装备,同时投入大量的资金进行技术改造,以进一步提高技术先进性和生产能力。我的同事们知识丰富,勤奋工作,工作中取得了许多成就,对我的建议也是积极采纳和实施。另外,政府在住房和基础设施的投入是巨大的,旧楼改造,新的高层建筑拔地而起。许多人从全省各地来到长沙求职,寻求高薪工作。城市房地产和基础设施的建设速度令我这个初来乍到的外国人感到吃惊,我把它称之为“中国速度”!
2008年湖南的冰灾令我难忘,50年一遇的寒冬严重地影响了人们的生活,工厂停产,供应短缺,供电设施损坏严重,造成停电事故。交通运输也受灾严重,数万人滞留机场、火车站和高速公路。但是在抗冰救灾活动中,凸显了中国人民所拥有的奋斗精神和美好情操,大家都积极参加抗击冰雪的行动,清除道路、桥梁、火车站和人行道的积雪。我和华菱钢铁的同事们也参加了这些活动,到长沙火车站清除冰雪。广播和电视台采访了我们,哥伦比亚广播公司北京办事处也采访了我,大家似乎都想知道,一个美国人为什么会加入这场抗冰救灾的活动中,同中国人民并肩战斗?
我認为湖南的地形很适合农业,有利于生产水稻和其他农作物。湖南绿化搞得很好,让我吃惊。行驶在纵横交错的公路上时,两旁满眼都是绿色。这里有丰富的水源,有利于农田灌溉。湖南真是一个美丽而富饶的地方!
另一个令我惊讶的是湖南人对毛泽东深深的爱戴和崇敬,虽然他已过世,但人们经常自豪地谈论他,以及他对于新中国的巨大贡献,他的故居、曾经就读的学校和博物馆,无不展示着他的丰功伟绩。
华菱钢铁的领导和同事们,不但对我非常友好,而且对我的生活也是无微不至地关心。为我配置舒适的住所,帮助我购买日常用品、食品和其他必需品,让我感受到家庭一样的温暖。同事们经常邀请我到他们的家里做客,或者一起去餐馆品尝长沙的美味佳肴,陪我参观湖南的名胜古迹,让我领略了伟人家乡的秀美、张家界的奇观、龙舟赛的精彩。他们还教我学中文,使我对中国的古代文明有更多的了解,悠久的历史甚至胜过希腊。湖南已成为我的另一个“家” ,我已经适应了这里的饮食,熟悉了这里的人和他们工作、生活的方式。
2008年我获得的两大殊荣,是我一生中最难忘的。我参加了2008年北京奥运会长沙站火炬接力的活动!成为奥运圣火传递长沙站接力的两个外国人之一。虽然1972年在希腊我曾参加过奥运火炬接力,但在湖南这一次参加的奥运圣火传递,将成为我一生难忘的记忆。每个人都会因为中国能成功举办奥运会而感到非常骄傲,人们将圣火传递当成一次盛典。接力活动非常热闹,圣火按规定路线传递时,沿途都能看到人们挥舞着旗帜,听到他们大声喊着“加油!”我想这是每一个圣火传递者都难以忘怀的景象。这一年经湖南省外国专家局的推荐我还获得了湖南省政府颁发的“潇湘友谊奖”。得知自己获此荣誉时,我简直不敢相信,工作中我做出了什么业绩能得到如此的殊荣?华菱的同事们非常肯定地对我说:你当之无愧!更令我兴奋的是,我的妻子当时正好在长沙,和我一起分享这种快乐与荣誉。
尽管全球金融危机已经影响到华菱钢铁和湖南经济,但我很高兴地发现,中国也许是受经济危机影响最小的国家,经济下滑的程度比大多数国家小,可以乐观地认为中国将是最先走出阴霾的国家。对于华菱钢铁来说,我们将充分利用米塔尔集团先进的技术资源,转让其世界领先的汽车板和电工钢生产技术,实施好十一五规划中的“四大工程”和“三大基地”,依靠产品结构调整化解世界金融危机对公司的不利影响。
(本文作者纳索斯·拉扎里蒂博士,美国人,现任湖南华菱钢铁股份有限公司副总经理兼技术总监,2009年度中国政府“友谊奖”获得者,本文曾获“感受湖南——外国专家征文比赛二等奖”)
I came to Changsha more than two and a half years ago.Before arriving I knew about it only what I was able to read on the internet: It is the capital of the Hunan Province with about 1.6 million people in the city proper and over 6 million in the metropolitan area.The province has about 60 million people.Its climate varies, being subtropical in its southern parts. It is mostly agricultural, producing about 15% of the entire production of rice in China. It is also Chairman Mao's home province and initial power base.I had no idea whether it was flat or mountainous, covered by vegetation or barren, to what degree it was developed, did it have cars or were people mostly riding bicycles?What was the state of this company called at the time Hunan Valin Steel Tube and Wire Co., Ltd.?Would the people be friendly and treat me well or see me as a selfish westerner?These and so many more were my questions about the place, the people and the company where I was to spend the next few years of my life. So I came with some apprehension, having some definite work plans in mind but otherwise determined to simply try to fit in and survive as best as I could.Of course I was very excited about the assignment, which for me was a great opportunity to use my previous experience of thirty years in the steel industry in order to make a small contribution to my company and to Hunan Valin.
What I actually found surpassed even my most wishful thinking:The company was already equipped with some of the newest and best facilities in the world for production and research with plans in place for significant additional investments to further improve its technology and capabilities.My colleagues at all levels were knowledgeable, hard working and committed to their company and its success.They were open minded to my suggestions and supported their implementation.
The level of investment in housing, offices and infrastructure was unbelievable.Old buildings were torn down and in their place multi story high rises were built to house businesses and people, many of whom left their homes in the country side and came to Changsha and the other major cities in Hunan in search of a higher paying job.The speed of erecting these buildings and other facilities was and continues to boggle the mind of the uninitiated foreigner.I have come to call it "Chinese speed"!
The weather was about as I expected, except for what I named "the surprise of 2008"!The most severe winter for this area in 50 years played havoc with life as we knew it.Plants shut down, supplies became scarce and electricity was cut off because of lack of coal for the power plants and downed power lines.But hardest hit of all was transportation, with hundreds of thousands of people stranded at airports, rail stations and even the wonderful interprovincial highways.People were said to have spent well over 24 hours stuck on the highways without food and water.But out of this catastrophe emerged the wonderful spirit of the Chinese people who all pitched in, manual labor and office workers alike, as best they could to clear ice from roads and bridges, train stations and sidewalks. My colleagues from Hunan Valin and I also participated in this activity, clearing snow and ice from the platforms of the Changsha train station.The response of the people was tremendous: Radio and TV reporters became aware of an American assisting in this effort alongside all the Chinese people and came to hear my story and why I had decided to participate.The next day I even spoke to the Beijing office of CBS (one of the major American TV networks) about it. Everyone seemed to want to know why an American cared to assist in this activity.Inside buildings and offices were very cold and difficult to heat and keep warm.I thought that if I had my way I would propose changing the building codes to improve insulation, at least for all new buildings; in the process I am certain a great deal of energy would be saved even if the initial cost will be a little higher.
The terrain indeed fit the agricultural model that I envisioned for Hunan.There are many fields for growing rice and other staples.But the big surprise was the hilly terrain, with all hills completely covered by trees and bushes.Driving along the highways big and small everything looks green.And there was evidence of abundant water available for irrigating the fields and for human and animal consumption.How richly endowed Hunan really is in this very precious resource!
Another source of amazement is the deep love and adoration people in Hunan reserve towards Mao Zedong.After all this time after his death people frequently proudly spoke of him and his importance to China and were always eager to show his home, school and museum and explain his achievements.
My colleagues at Hunan Valin Steel Co., Ltd were not only friendly but from the beginning became very concerned about everything affecting my life here.They made sure I had a suitable apartment to live in, helped me purchase the little things necessary to make an apartment a home, arranged for me to have food and other necessities.They made sure I never spent a major Chinese holiday alone and without something to do or something new to see in Hunan. Visits to the Provincial Museum in Changsha, Zhangjiajie during Spring Festival to see its natural wonders and the town of Miluo for the dragon boat races and related history of the area are only a few examples of all the great experiences I have been fortunate to enjoy.They invited me into their homes or out to dinner in one of the wonderful restaurants that Changsha has plenty of.They were from the beginning very eager to teach me their language and their rich history, which even predates my own Greek heritage, and can be proud of at least as many important achievements.
But some of the greatest experiences of my life are undoubtedly connected with two events that took place in 2008: My participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch relay when it went through Changsha and the Friendship Award that I received from the Governor of the Hunan Province at the recommendation of the Hunan Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.
Again, through the efforts of my colleagues at Valin and the support of the Hunan Sports Bureau I was one of only two foreigners and the only westerner selected to carry the Olympic flame through Changsha.Even though I had carried the Olympic flame once before in my native Greece during the 1972 Olympics torch relay, participating in Hunan was something that will be etched in memory for the rest of my life.Everyone was so proud of China's opportunity to host the Games and so committed to their success that the atmosphere prior to and during the relay was very festive.With flags waving and "jia yo" heard all the time the people of Changsha followed the route of the flame and became participants in this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
When I was informed that I was selected to receive the Friendship award during the National Day holidays at first I was totally incredulous:What had I done, other than my job, to deserve such an honor?Again it was my Valin colleagues who firmly reassured me that I truly deserved it and although I still found it difficult to believe, I was deeply honored and humbled enough to accept the selection and receive the award in a wonderful ceremony.What made it doubly enjoyable was that my wife happened to be in Changsha at the time and was also able to share in this experience.
It is fair to say that Changsha and Hunan have become for me another "home away from home". I easily adjusted to the wonderful Hunan cuisine and have become very familiar with the people and their way of working and living.Work continues to be as exciting as ever, despite the global financial crisis that has affected both the companies I work for and the local economy.It is good to see that China is perhaps less affected by the global downturn than most of the other economies and there is optimism that it may pull out of the crisis sooner and better than most.
As to Hunan Valin, we will make full use of advanced technology of ArcelorMittal , and transfer of its world-leading automotive plates and electrical steel production technology, the implementation"four major projects" and "three bases "of the Eleventh Five-Year plan, adjust product structure to conquer and resolve the effects of theworld financial crisis on the company.