- 目錄
第1篇 威廉王子在澳大利亞堪培拉國會大廈英語演講稿
prime minister, mr president, madam speaker, chief justice, leader of the opposition, ministers and members of parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – thank you for your truly warm welcome.
when catherine and i arrived in sydney last week, i said how much we had been lookingforward to this visit. drawing on my own e_perience, i told catherine that it would bewonderful, and so it has been. anticipation has become deep admiration.
there is so much to admire about australia. catherine and i acknowledge the timeless valuesof the aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples. they have been the custodians of thisancient and majestic continent for thousands of years. the traditional owners’ stories, and themagnificent and moving rock art at uluru, which we saw for ourselves, are a pricelessinheritance. they tell us not just about the past but provide a precious vision for the future.
catherine and i had the privilege earlier this week of visiting sydney’s taronga zoo, which iscommitted – through conservation – to just such custodianship. and i know, too, howimportant australian support has been for the global consortium, united for wildlife, which isfighting the scourge of the illegal trade in wildlife, and poaching, something very close to myheart.
australia has a quality of life and a level of e_cellence that makes it a magnet: anenormously attractive place to live, trade, invest, and indeed just visit. the arts and sciencesflourish; australian sporting success is legendary; agriculture – from the traditional to thetechnologically most advanced – is hugely successful. this is a country that is in the front rankinternationally.
we have both seen all this for ourselves. australia may be known as “the lucky country”, butoften the harder you work, the luckier you get. australians make their own luck. the distinctaussie formula that has fashioned such a dynamic society is the source of admiration andenvy around the world.
what australia has achieved goes much wider than australia itself. the last thirty years haveseen the rise of the asia-pacific region. in a short time, it has become an economic power housewith huge consequences for the whole world order. the asia-pacific region is now a key actor –sometimes the key actor – in confronting many of the global challenges of the twenty firstcentury. it is enormously important – and reassuring – that australia is at the heart not justof its own success but of the wider regional story, too. australia is a champion of justice andeconomic and political freedoms. australia plays an invaluable role in building an open andpeaceful asia-pacific for the benefit of all.
over the years, australians have fought bravely for freedom in numerous conflicts. as thosewho were involved pass on, succeeding generations must remember and keep vivid thesacrifice they made. catherine and i look forward to paying tribute to them at tomorrow’sanzac day commemoration; and – with my brother harry – to taking part in ne_t year’sgallipoli centenary.
reluctantly, catherine, george and i leave australia tomorrow. thank you for the warmth andgenerosity that has been shown to us during our visit. we go away with wonderful memories,and george goes away with his cuddly wombat, which he has taken to chewing so lovingly. wegreatly look forward to coming back. and when we do return, it will be to marvel again at allthat australia is, and will yet become.
第2篇 查爾斯王子香港主權(quán)交接儀式上英語演講稿
president jiang zemin, premier li peng, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
this important and special ceremony marks a moment of both change and continuity in hong kongs history. it marks, first of all, the restoration of hong kong to the peoples republic of china, under the terms of the sino-british joint declaration of 1984, after more than 150 years of british administration.
this ceremony also celebrates continuity because, by that same treaty and the many subsequent agreements which have been made to implement its provisions, the hong kong special administrative region will have its own government, and retain its own society, its own economy and its own way of life. i should like to pay tribute this evening to those who turned the concept of 'one country, two systems' into the joint declaration, and to the dedication and commitment of those who have worked so hard over the last thirteen years to negotiate the details of the joint declarations implementation. but most of all i should like to pay tribute to the people of hong kong themselves for all that they have achieved in the last century and a half. the triumphant success of hong kong demands - and deserves - to be maintained.
hong kong has shown the world how dynamism and stability can be defining characteristics of a successful society. these have together created a great economy which is the envy of the world. hong kong has shown the world how east and west can live and work together. as a flourishing commercial and cultural cross-roads, it has brought us together and enriched all our lives.
thirteen years ago the governments of the united kingdom and the peoples republic of china recognised in the joint declaration that these special elements which had created the crucial conditions for hong kongs success should continue. they agreed that, in order to maintain that success, hong kong should have its own separate trading and financial systems, enjoy autonomy and an elected legislature, maintain its laws and liberties, and be run by the people of hong kong and be accountable to them. those special elements have served hong kong well over the past two decades. hong kong has coped with the challenges of great economic, social and political transition with almost none of the disturbance and dislocation which in other parts of the world have so often accompanied change on such a scale.
the united kingdom has been proud and privileged to have had responsibility for the people of hong kong, to have provided a framework of opportunity in which hong kong has so conspicuously succeeded, and to have been part of the success which the people of hong kong have made of their opportunities.
in a few moments, the united kingdoms responsibilities will pass to the peoples republic of china. hong kong will thereby be restored to china and, within the framework of 'one country, two systems', it will continue to have a strong identity of its own and be an important international partner for many countries in the world.
ladies and gentlemen, china will tonight take responsibility for a place and a people which matter greatly to us all. the solemn pledges made before the world in the 1984 joint declaration guarantee the continuity of hong kongs way of life. for its part the united kingdom will maintain its unwavering support for the joint declaration. our commitment and our strong links to hong kong will continue, and will, i am confident, flourish, as hong kong and its people themselves continue to flourish.
distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, i should like on behalf of her majesty the queen and of the entire british people to e_press our thanks, admiration, affection, and good wishes to all the people of hong kong, who have been such staunch and special friends over so many generations. we shall not forget you, and we shall watch with the closest interest as you embark on this new era of your remarkable history.
第3篇 威廉王子上央視宣傳動物保護英語演講稿
ladies and gentlemen,
never before have we had so many different ways totalk to one another.
in the distant past, written documents would becarried by hand across thousands of miles from chinato western europe.
today, we access knowledge from all over the world,through our mobile phones, at the tap of a key.
wherever you are watching this programme – whether in this hall, at work, with your friends, orat home with your families;
_iè_iè. [thank you.]
hen gao_ing he ni jianmian. [i'm pleased to meet you.]
thank you for welcoming me into your homes.
many of the most important conversations we have in our lives, take place in the family home.
the home is where we learn from our parents and grandparents, teach our own children, andshare our stories and hopes for the future. it is where many of our ideas and values are firstkindled.
in that spirit, there is one subject i believe we have to discuss, around our family tables andacross the generations.
it concerns the future, and i know the chinese are a far-sighted people.
it concerns particularly the environment, and i know that protecting china's rich and beautifulnatural heritage is important to all chinese families.
it is the mass destruction and trafficking of iconic endangered species;
and it is time to talk about the growing human demand for illegal wildlife products that drivesthe trade and makes it profitable.
today, we face an unprecedented surge in the brutal slaughter of iconic animals by poachers.
in south africa, for e_ample, one rhino was killed every month until __. but last year, threerhinos were killed every single day.
in the 33 years since i was born, we have lost around 70 percent of africa's elephantpopulation. of those that are left, 20,000 are being killed every year – that is 54 elephantskilled every single day.
at this rate, children born this year – like my daughter charlotte – will see the last wildelephants and rhinos die before their 25th birthdays.
those who suffer the most from this loss are some of the poorest people on our planet.
they are the families who feel powerless as the wildlife around them disappear; who face beingtrapped in poverty forever without the income that should be brought in by tourism, acornerstone of the economy in many developing nations.
they are the children whose parents risk their lives in the fight against poachers. in the last fewdays, three rangers and one member of the armed forces were killed by poachers in oneincident in central africa; leaving behind 14 children between them.
it is these children's future that is blighted so tragically by the illegal wildlife trade, and it is their birth right that is stolen.
there is no hiding from these facts today. on our phones, laptops and our tv screens, we can see the images and read the reports that lay bare the truth of this crisis.
that knowledge brings responsibility – the responsibility to do everything in our power to reverse the march towards the eradication of these fine animals.
the good news is that we are far from powerless in this struggle. we can turn the tide of e_tinction.
we know where the animals we are trying to protect live.
we know many of the roads, the airports and ports criminals use to transport their cargo from killing field to marketplace.
and over the last few years we have seen a groundswell of action by governments to improve their laws and work across borders to fight the traffickers.
only last month, president _i announced that china will take steps to halt the domestic trade in ivory, adding to the ban on ivory carving imports he announced in february.
but we know the illegal wildlife trade cannot be solved by governments alone.
the spotlight falls back on all of us, and on the choices we have to make to play our part in addressing this problem.
we have to accept the truth that consumers are driving the demand for animal body parts, for art, for trinkets, for medicine.
only we as consumers can put the wildlife traffickers out of business, by ending our demand for their products.
i know we can do this.
the desire to possess animal trophies, or ornaments made from ivory, has been felt on every continent for centuries.
i know this topic is sensitive for many families.
for e_ample, until 100 years ago my ancestors were among those who had little concern about acquiring ivory, without the knowledge of the threats of e_tinction, corruption, and violence that the ivory trade would lead to.
my rejection of ivory today is not a judgement ofpast generations. it is an acceptance of the world asi find it today and the world i want my children,george and charlotte, to inherit.
likewise, those doctors and medical practitioners inchina that are speaking out against the use ofendangered species in medicine, they are notjudging previous generations who did not have thefacts that you do today. they are just accepting thetruth that all credible evidence and scientific research shows, for e_ample, that rhino horncannot cure cancer.
we have a responsibility to act on the facts we have today. by doing so we are honouring thegenerations that have come before us and we are protecting those that are yet to come.
i do not think that any of us would stand and watch an elephant or rhino being killed – or aranger being gunned down – because we wanted a bracelet or an ornament to impresssomeone else as a gift.
but that is what the demand for wildlife products means in practice.
the decisions we make as consumers affect the lives of ordinary people thousands of thousandsof miles away, in countries we may never visit.
if we buy illegal wildlife products, we are contributing to the e_tinction of whole species.
but there is good news, and if you remember one thing, i want you to remember this: we canwin this battle.
each generation decides what it values.
each generation can determine what we consider to be beautiful on the one hand, orunacceptable or immoral on the other.
we can act in solidarity with those fighting poaching and trafficking in their communities.
i am absolutely convinced that china can become a global leader in the protection ofwildlife.
your influence in the world means you can change the face of conservation in this century.
this would be a contribution that would go down in history, one that your great grandchildrenwould speak of with great pride.
the greatest inheritance we can pass on to the ne_t generation is a safe and sustainableenvironment: the priceless endowment of nature.
let us not tell our children the sad tale of how we watched as the last elephants, rhinos andtigers died out, but the inspiring story of how we turned the tide and preserved them for allhumanity.
and in so doing, let us show the world that by working together we can stand up to the greatchallenges our planet and our families will face in the generations to come.
_iè_iè. [thank you.]
第4篇 倫敦主教在威廉王子婚禮上英語演講稿
the bishop of london's sermon
29th april 2022
倫敦主教在威廉王子婚禮上的布道詞
2022年4月29日
“be who god meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” so said st catherine of siena whose festival day it is today. marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what god meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.
“成為遵循上帝旨意的人，你就會激勵這個世界。”圣.凱瑟琳錫耶納說到。婚姻應(yīng)該是男人和女人相互幫助成為遵循上帝旨意的人，回歸最深入、最真實的自我。
many are full of fear for the future of the prospects of our world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its shores is the right one – this is a joyful day! it is good that people in every continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every wedding day should be, a day of hope.
很多人對我們這個世界未來的前景非?？謶郑谶@個國家以及那些遠遠超越其國界的地方傳遞出的這個慶賀的信息是正確的——這是一個令人歡欣的日子!在每一塊陸地上的人們都能夠一起慶賀，這很好，因為每一個婚禮的日子都應(yīng)該是一個充滿希望的日子。
in a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and the groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.
從某種意義上說，每一個婚禮都是王室婚禮，作為造物主的國王和王后，新郎和新娘共同創(chuàng)造新的生活，讓生命通過他們延續(xù)到未來。
william and catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous god who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of jesus christ.
威廉和凱瑟琳，你們選擇了在仁慈的上帝面前結(jié)婚，他對這個世界是如此的慈愛，以至于通過耶穌.基督這個人把他自己給予了我們。
and in the spirit of this generous god, husband and wife are to give themselves to each another.
在這個仁慈上帝的精神下，夫妻將把自己奉獻給彼此。
a spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves. faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this; the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. in marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.
當(dāng)愛情在自我之外找到它的中心點時，精神生活才會成長。建立在忠實和承諾基礎(chǔ)上的關(guān)系為神秘的精神生活打開一一扇門，在其中我們會發(fā)現(xiàn)，我們越多的奉獻自我，在靈魂上我們就越富有;在愛情上我們越多的超越自我，我們就會變得更接近真實的自我，我們的精神之美就會更多地顯現(xiàn)出來。在婚姻中，我們追求帶給彼此更完善的生活。
it is of course very hard to wean ourselves away from self-centredness. and people can dream of doing such a thing but the hope should be fulfilled it is necessary a solemn decision that, whatever the difficulties, we are committed to the way of generous love.
當(dāng)然，一下子改變自我為中心是很難。人們可以夢想著這樣做，但應(yīng)該履行這樣的希望 - 這是一個莊嚴(yán)的決定，不論是什么困難，我們已承諾要彼此仁慈地相愛。
you have both made your decision today – “i will” – and by making this new relationship, you have aligned yourselves with what we believe is the way in which life is spiritually evolving, and which will lead to a creative future for the human race.
今天你們兩人都做出了“我愿意”這個決定，通過建立這個新的關(guān)系，你們讓自己與我們所相信的保持一致 - 生命是精神的成長，將會為人類帶來一個有創(chuàng)意的未來。
we stand looking forward to a century which is full of promise and full of peril. human beings are confronting the question of how to use wisely a power that has been given to us through the discoveries of the last century. we shall not be converted to the promise of the future by more knowledge, but rather by an increase of loving wisdom and reverence, for life, for the earth and for one another.
我們共同期待著一個既充滿希望又充滿危險的世紀(jì)，通過上個世紀(jì)的發(fā)現(xiàn)，人類面臨著如何智慧的運用賦予我們手中權(quán)力的問題，我們不會靠更多的知識而轉(zhuǎn)變成未來的希望，而是通過對生命、大地、以及彼此的愛的智慧和崇敬。
marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. it is possible to transform as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner. there must be no coercion if the spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom. chaucer, the london poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase:
婚姻是應(yīng)該令人改變的，只要這種改變是建立在夫妻將對方成為自己的藝術(shù)作品。婚姻是可以改變的人的，只要我們不要有去改造對方的雄心。精神的成長絕對不是靠強制，每個人必須給予對方空間和自由。倫敦的詩人喬叟，在詩中寫道：
“whan maistrie [mastery] comth, the god of love anon,
beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon.”
as the reality of god has faded from so many lives in the west, there has been a corresponding inflation of e_pectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life. this is to load our partner with too great a burden. we are all incomplete: we all need the love which is secure, rather than oppressive, we need mutual forgiveness, to thrive.
由于在西方很多人淡忘了上帝這樣的現(xiàn)實，從而產(chǎn)生了對兩性關(guān)系相應(yīng)膨脹的期望，希望兩性關(guān)系能提供生活的意義與幸福。這會給我們的伴侶帶來巨大的負(fù)擔(dān)。我們都不完整：我們都需要安全而不是壓抑的愛，我們需要相互寬恕，共同成長。
as we move towards our partner in love, following the e_ample of jesus christ, the holy spirit is quickened within us and can increasingly fill our lives with light. this leads to a family life which offers the best conditions in which the ne_t generation can practise and e_change those gifts which can overcome fear and division and incubate the coming world of the spirit, whose fruits are love and joy and peace.
遵循著耶穌.基督的榜樣，當(dāng)我們心懷仁慈走向我們的伴侶時，圣靈在我們之中增長，我們的生活會越來越充滿光明。這會為下一代提供最佳的家庭生活條件，在這種條件下，下一代能夠訓(xùn)練和交換那些能夠克服恐懼和才能，并培養(yǎng)未來世界的精神，這精神成果是愛、歡樂與和平。
i pray that all of us present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today, will do everything in our power to support and uphold you in your new life. and i pray that god will bless you in the way of life that you have chosen, that way which is e_pressed in the prayer that you have composed together in preparation for this day:
我祈禱今天所有在場的以及觀看今天儀式并分享歡樂的億萬人民，都能盡其所能支持你們的新生活。我也祈禱上帝能夠保佑你們，使你們所選擇的生活正如你們之前寫下的祈禱一樣美滿：
god our father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage.
我們的天父，我們感謝您賜予我們彼此的家庭，相互的愛情以及幸福的婚姻。
in the busyness of each day keep our eyes fi_ed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy.
讓我們在忙碌的每一天中，將目光放在生命里真實而重要的事情上，指引我們奉獻我們的時間、愛與能量。
strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. we ask this in the spirit of jesus christ. amen.
讓我們結(jié)合并增強力量，指引我們?nèi)シ?wù)與安慰那些受苦的人。我們以耶穌基督的精神祈禱。阿門。
第5篇 威廉王子在英國猶太護理中心25周年慶祝晚宴上英語演講稿
thank you very much, lord levy, for your e_tremely kind introduction and, to lionel, for giving your time to entertain us this evening. i imagine this crowd is a lot rowdier than what you will have at glastonbury.
ladies and gentlemen, thank you for inviting me to join you this evening for your birthdaycelebrations. nearly two hundred years ago, in 1819, there were two quite monumental births.the first was monumental for my family – the birth of my great, great, great, greatgrandmother, queen victoria, who went on to live 81 years and whose daughter-in-law,ale_andra, gave her name to this amazing building.
the second remarkable birth was of an organisation, which later became known as the jewishblind society. over the ne_t two centuries, the world changed considerably. yet there hasalways been one constant in the united kingdom – a jewish community which has organiseditself to support those who need help and support. whether in the time of the jewish board ofguardians, or the jewish welfare board or, in our generation, jewish care, there is a proud storyto be told of self-reliance and communal responsibility.
this common thread through history – of caring for one another and generosity of time andmoney – is something that many sectors of british society can be rightly proud of. but you inthis room deserve particular praise. the results of your commitment to one another withinthe jewish community are obvious – the real and loving care that thousands of elderly andvulnerable people receive, among the many works that you carry out.
your care for one another has another, less tangible value. during a year when many in thejewish community have had cause to feel under threat, for no reason other than simply thefact of your jewishness, your unity is all the more precious. your commitment and loyalty toone another, and to society more widely, is ultimately what keeps you strong.
i was reminded before i came here tonight that an ancestor of mine, a previous duke ofcambridge in fact, visited the great synagogue in london in 1809 and attended a sabbathservice there with his brothers.
it is a matter of great pride that these bonds in our society run as deep as they run long.
your care for one another is not just a feeling, but it is – as we are reminded tonight – amaterial fact. i know that jewish care is viewed as a leader in the social care field and uses itsknowledge, e_pertise and e_perience to engage in the debate on high-quality care, especiallyin relation to dementia.
your holocaust survivors centre is a second home for many people who were liberated 70 yearsago from those evil places.
all of you in this room, in some way, play your part in making all this happen through thisoutstanding organisation. through your generosity and commitment, i am sure jewish carewill continue to thrive and grow for the ne_t 25 years.
once again, congratulations on everything you have achieved. i wish you a wonderful eveningand a happy birthday.
mazel tov.
第6篇 威廉王子在2022非法野生動物貿(mào)易會議招待英語演講稿
your e_cellencies,ladies and gentlemen,
it's a great pleasure to be here tonight and it's incredibly encouraging to see such anunprecedented gathering of heads of government, ministers and e_perts from around theworld. and i'd like to particularly thank jackie chan again for his unwavering support of thisissue and for coming all this way tonight. i feel enormously grateful that you have asked meto address you – this room is full of people whom i admire immensely and i feel humbled to behere.
my father, the prince of wales, who will also be attending the london conference tomorrow, hasalways been a passionate advocate of wildlife conservation – as has my grandfather, theduke of edinburgh, who has championed the cause for decades. we are, as a family, sohonoured to be part of this movement. we will stay the course with you until you succeed.
tonight we are here with a single, shared purpose–to use our collective influence to put a stopto the illegal killing and trafficking of some of our world's most iconic and endangered species.
never before has a group like this come together – in these numbers – to stop the illegal tradein wildlife. all of us in this room have a duty to make sure that tomorrow, 13th february, is adate that marks the beginning of the end of this despicable trade.
the conference will bring together leaders from around the world who will pledge to reduceboth the supply and the demand driving this trade. let's not for a second underestimate howimportant this step is.
the illegal wildlife trade is now the 4th most lucrative transnational crime after drugs, armsand human trafficking. it is estimated to be worth between 10 and 20 billion dollars each year.some might imagine it is a crime without human victim, but over 1,000 rangers have beenkilled in the past 10 years. every week, another two rangers are murdered by poachers. there isalso evidence that poachers' activities are funding international terrorism.
the scale of the trade continues to increase dramatically and is becoming ever moresophisticated. poachers now operate in highly organized, international criminal gangs.technology is also being e_ploited for the sale of these goods, with illegal products openly andeasily available online.
but we need to believe in our ability to turn the tide. we need to tackle wildlife crime with aconcerted global response as vigorous and forceful as the trade itself. we need to setaside differences, speak with one voice and act as one global community. i am delighted thatthis is happening.
as president of united for wildlife, i am proud that seven of the world's largest field-basedorganisations, and my foundation, have taken the first steps to create a powerful globalalliance, addressing both demand and supply issues. united for wildlife recognises five specificareas which need to be addressed.
if i may, i will briefly list them:
first, we must strengthen protection for endangered species through the use ofsophisticated new technology, including gps trackers and drones.
secondly, by working with e_perts in marketing, youth leaders and policy makers, we can workto reduce the consumer demand for illegally traded products.
thirdly, legal systems are key to fighting wildlife crime. we need to support the judiciary andlocal authorities to combat trafficking, and to shine a spotlight on successful law enforcement.
fourthly, we need to encourage the private sector–including shipping companies and others –to declare a 'zero tolerance' approach to the illegal wildlife trade.?
finally, and perhaps crucially, we need to support local communities to ensure their livelihoodsimprove as a direct result of these conservation efforts.
the united for wildlife organisations are committed to these five pledges, which have beendrawn up because they are achievable. i know that all of you in your own ways are alreadyhelping to implement these pledges, too.
let me say again what i said a few moments ago: tonight is an unprecedented gathering. thefact that we are all here gives me faith that we can turn the tide against the illegal wildlifetrade. let's turn tonight's goodwill into action, and, please, let's be part of the movementthat can tell our children and grandchildren that we saved these e_traordinary species forthem.
thank you so much for being here tonight.
第7篇 查爾斯王子在英國皇家農(nóng)學(xué)院畢業(yè)典禮英語演講稿
chairman, principal,ladies and gentlemen,
i couldn't be more pleased to be back at this greatinstitution and to be with you on such a special dayin all your careers. i now realize i have beenpresident of the college for the last thirty years,which makes me feel somewhat ancient, but it alsomeans that i have seen some remarkable changes,including the introduction of a much wider range ofland management courses, achievement of fulluniversity status, and the development of thesplendid rural innovation centre – which i visited two years ago.
but some things don't change. the careers that you are embarking on are as important now asthey were for your predecessors when this institution was established in 1845, with my greatgreat great grandfather, prince albert, as the first patron. then, as now, there was a pressingneed to provide the best possible education for the people who were going to look after theland. and whichever aspect of farming or land management you have chosen to specialize in,that is, as the principal was saying, a huge responsibility.
it is absolutely clear, i think, that the most fundamental challenges the world faces over thecoming years will need to be solved by those working in agriculture. feeding an unsustainablygrowing global population of some nine billion people with limited natural resources, whilecoping with the inevitable impacts of climate change and, at the same time, sustainingnature's capacity to sustain us, will be no mean feat. we are now pushing nature's life-support systems so far that they are struggling to cope with what we ask of them. soils arebeing depleted, demand for water is growing ever more voracious and the entire system is atthe mercy of an increasingly fluctuating price of oil.
when we talk about agriculture and food production, we are talking about a comple_ andinterrelated system and it is simply not possible to single out just one objective, such asma_imizing production, without also ensuring that the system which delivers those increasedyields meets society's other needs. these must surely include the maintenance of publichealth, the safeguarding of rural employment and small holder farming, the protection of theenvironment and vital natural ecosystems.
dealing with such daunting challenges will require a different approach – an approach thatputs the protection of natural ecosystems back at the heart of the whole process, so as to seea dramatic improvement in soil health and organic matter and to ensure genuine foodsecurity, not to mention long-term human health. it will also require the very best of humaningenuity, dedication and resourcefulness. and that, to me, is why farming and landmanagement can never be ‘just another industry'.
you, ladies and gentlemen, will very soon be acting as custodians, or stewards, of a preciousnatural asset on which all of humanity depends and taking decisions in your daily lives that willhave long-term consequences. now i know only too well that you will be faced by endlessfinancial and economic pressures pulling you in the opposite direction, but if i could just ask onething of you, it would be that amidst all the e_citement of starting your new jobs you maketime to look around you and try to understand the bigger picture. what has happened in thepast to shape the land the way it is? are you looking at a healthy, diverse and resilientecosystem? and is the balance right between short-term production and long-term health andsustainability? i know those may not be the most obvious things to ask as you start to findyour way around, but they might well be among the most important, at the end of the day.
in managing rural assets you will also, of course, be playing important roles in ruralcommunities. and i do hope you will also think hard about this human dimension, because thehealth of the agricultural sector and the health of what is left of the rural community aredirectly connected in so many fundamental ways. and i e_pect this is something you allunderstand very well, but the wider population certainly doesn't.
for what it's worth, that is why i set up my countryside fund five years ago, to raise money tohelp provide a somewhat more secure future for the most vulnerable people who look afterthe countryside, as well as to begin to tell a story about where our food actually comes from andwho is responsible for producing it. i know that your students union has helped raise money forthe fund and i couldn't be more grateful. it really is an important cause when every part ofthe agricultural sector is confronted by volatility, uncertainty and un-economic returns, so iam delighted to say that the grants we have given out over the last 5 years have just e_ceeded£6 million, all helping towards the process of maintaining living, productive, workinglandscapes that are better able to support resilient local businesses and strong ruralcommunities.
ladies and gentlemen, you have my warmest congratulations on being awarded your degreestoday. farming sustains life and is the foundation of any healthy civilization, so you have greatresponsibilities ahead of you, as well as e_citing opportunities – as long as you remember to putnature back at the center of all your thinking and professional activities. only that way intoday's world can we hope to create a genuinely sustainable and durable future on this, wehave to remember, our only, miraculous planet. i can only wish you all every possible successin the future.
第8篇 查爾斯王子在倫敦商學(xué)院英語演講稿
ladies and gentlemen, i am fully aware that you have been locked in here since 9.30 or something and i suspect that you have been talked to furiously all that time. the last thing you want is another lecture when most of you are probably used to giving lectures rather than having to listen to them.
but if i may say so, i am so delighted to see so many leading figures from the business schoolcommunity here today and also to hear you briefly discuss such an important topic. needlessto say, i really am immensely grateful to all of you for taking the time to join this meeting –even if at the end of the day, it is only out of curiosity!
in particular, i would like to thank sir andrew likierman, who was involved in my accountingfor sustainability project at its inception, and of course, the london business school for kindlyhosting us all, particularly in its anniversary year. and i also wanted to say ‘many happy returnsof the day'.
i understand that 50 years ago, the london business school was established based on thenotion that management needed to be professionalized in the same way as law andaccountancy, in order to improve britain's economic performance. and with over 150,000students passing through its doors since then, it is clear that the london business school andother business schools have played an important role in shaping global economic success.
anniversaries are a time not just to look back, but also, perhaps to look ahead and considerwhat the future may bring. it is therefore perhaps fitting that we are here in lbs's 50thanniversary year as we look ahead towards what the ne_t 50 years will bring, and the kind ofknowledge, understanding and skills that leaders are likely to need in order to anticipate andrespond effectively to the challenges ahead.
in 50 years' time, our children and grandchildren will be facing a radically different world. thewarning signs are already here for all to see. whilst we live in a time of great wealth andopportunity for many, it is also a time dogged by increasing turbulence and a ratherterrifying combination of risks – persistent poverty and a population of seven billion that isstill rising unsustainably fast; the depletion and over-consumption of finite natural resources;and the very real and accumulating risk of catastrophic climate change.
the recent 2022 report from the intergovernmental panel on climate change makes clear thatthe ‘severe' – as they put it – ‘pervasive and irreversible consequences' of climate change, ifleft unchecked, could be beyond our capacity to rectify. those consequences include more ofwhat we are already seeing in the form of e_treme weather events that damage ourinfrastructure and disruptive weather patterns that undermine our ability to feed a growingpopulation.
now, ladies and gentlemen, i know only too well that there are siren voices on all sides tellingus that this is all total rubbish, dreamt up by half-baked environmentalists bent on destroyingcapitalism as we know it, but it must surely be the case that, in the future, successfulorganizations will actually be those which, according to best risk-management practice, haveredefined their business models to try and adapt to this very different world. it seems clear tome that those who find ways to use natural resources in a sustainable, and “circular” way, withnothing going to waste, will find themselves uncovering new sources of innovation, reducingtheir risks and increasing their competitive advantage. even more, success will be defined bythose who have shown real leadership in helping us to change trajectory and avoid the worstoutcomes that, at present, seem so likely.
and funnily enough, thinking about the circular economy, i was looking at just one or twoe_amples from companies that have started to move in this direction. one of which is royaldutch state mines, and i met the ceo a few of years ago called feike sijbesma, a remarkableman, that i think polly introduced me to. and it is an intriguing e_ample that he wascourageous and robust enough to move his company out of a profitable fossil fuel basedpetrochemical business into biotechnology and life science and animal nutrition products.
but to do all this, the company had to escape from the conventional straitjacket of short-termism and close the door on those investors who refused at the time, to take the long termview. and now, at the end of the day, royal dsm is delivering some of the highest yields thecompany has ever seen to those investors prepared to look towards the long term.
and one other brief e_ample is phillips, for instance, it is very interesting what they are doingnow with their lighting systems, you know probably better than i.
phillips says they can reach more customers if they retain ownership of the lightingequipment as customers don't have to pay high upfront costs and phillips ensures the soundenvironmental management of end-of-life lighting equipment. so basically, it is a new way forcustomers to achieve their sustainability goals: high lighting performance, high energyefficiency, and a low materials footprint.
over the three years leading up to 2022, phillips' growth in products with a strong sustainabilityfocus was 8.7 times faster than the average growth of the company. just two e_amples, alwaysa good thing to give e_amples, i think.
but ladies and gentlemen, after the financial crash in 2022 there were many to be heardsaying it was increasingly clear that business as usual was simply not an option. however, oldhabits tend to die very hard and now we need to innovate like never before, and to acceleratethe pace of learning and change if we are to have a chance of a future we might want. buttoday's financial system does not actively reward long-term thinking, as we have been hearing,nor does it recognize the dependency of our economic success on the health and stability ofour communities and of the natural environment, all too often regarded as an irrelevantdistraction.
now, i suspect it is only too obvious that i am not any sort of financial or business e_pert, butit occurred to me some 15 years ago that many of the traditional tools and techniques forfinance and accounting – particularly for sustainability – that word which is much used – wereno longer fit for purpose. and this leads to sub-optimal decision-making by companies,governments and investors. that is why, after an initial conversation with the thencomptroller and auditor-general of the national audit office, i set up my accounting forsustainability project over ten years ago, with its cfo and accounting bodies leadershipnetworks, and why, ladies and gentlemen, through the cambridge institute for sustainabilityleadership, i launched climatewise for the insurance sector, the banking environmentinitiative and the investment leaders group – all designed to work with the research, financeand accounting community to support a fundamental shift towards business models thatdrive a sustainable economy.
i know that for many finance professionals, “sustainability” is a term that immediately suggeststhe kinds of measures that frustrate robust decision-making and the ma_imization of profits.far too often, sustainability is seen as a “nice-to-have”, with no requirement for a seat at theboardroom table. this really is i would have thought, a very short-sighted and outdated view!more and more leading businesses are recognizing that addressing environmental and socialissues systematically is not only necessary, but delivers improved commercial returns. thebottom line is that sustainable business equals good business. many of the companies that myinitiatives work with – for instance, organizations such as unilever, adidas, royal dsm and thecrown estate – are proving this everyday with projects that deliver strong commercial andsustainability returns, and with innovative tools and techniques used for decision-making,from capital e_penditure appraisals to managing risk. and investors who are integratingenvironmental, social and governance issues into their decision-making are starting to seesimilar results. indeed, a literature review commissioned by cambridge's investment leadersgroup found a number of studies that deliver robust, causal evidence in favour of the case forresponsible investment. it found that environmental and social factors appear to add value notjust through lower firm-level risk, but also through lower cost of capital.
for what it is worth, i have long been convinced that business schools have a fundamentallyimportant role to play in all of this, both through their research and their teaching, which is whyi am so glad you are all here today. you, ladies and gentlemen, are ideally placed to challengeestablished precepts and provide new thinking that will help organizations to improve theirmanagement of, and accounting for, social and environmental issues. but, above all, no one isbetter placed to translate that thinking into the education you offer to the ne_t generation ofbusiness leaders, equipping them with the understanding and skills they need for thisuncertain future.
this is why, back in 2022, we arranged a gathering for deans from leading business schools,together with some of the leading companies of the day, to e_plore just how much help thecompanies felt they were getting, and how well mba programmes were addressing some ofthese comple_ sustainability issues. well, i'm afraid we didn't get very far, as polly courticewill confirm! frankly, it was all a bit embarrassing. the business schools said they were doing ane_cellent job, all things considered, but the companies disagreed. so we reached something of astalemate at the end of the day! fortunately, even then, there were some notable e_ceptionsto the rule in the business school community, and my own business & sustainabilityprogramme, which i established at cambridge 21 years ago, has been on hand to give nearly4,000 business leaders an intensive guide on how to find a convergence between profitabilityand sustainability.
but ladies and gentlemen, it is your bad luck that jessica fries and polly have encouraged meto try again! so i was relieved to hear from you this afternoon that there has been at leastsome progress since then, often in the face of some quite formidable challenges! it is clearthat new and important research is emerging from many quarters, including that relatingdirectly to finance and accounting. and it is good to hear that the mba programme hasdeveloped considerably to meet the widening demands and requirements of future businessleaders. a growing number of business schools are offering specialist modules on sustainabilityissues, although i gather these are more often than not offered as optional electives or areincluded as part of ethics teaching. elsewhere there has been progress too. the work that a4shas conducted with the professional accounting bodies to integrate sustainability into theaccounting syllabus, and the work that the cfa institute has started to do in relation tofinancial analysis, shows that real progress is possible.
but, ladies and gentlemen, is all this enough? and why on earth is it taking so long to get themessage through? as business schools, are you truly tapping into the brilliant intellects at yourdisposal, and developing the innovation, creativity and breadth of understanding that yourmba students will need in order to be to be effective leaders in an already dangerous anduncertain world? is the notion of environmental limits and the enhancement of communitycapital a recurring theme in your finance and accounting, marketing, corporate strategy andmanufacturing modules? how often, for instance, do key words such as population, poverty,climate change, ecosystems and biodiversity, human rights, africa, mega-cities, and theempowerment of women appear in your lectures or academic publications? are your young,untenured academics promoted and rewarded for doing work that relates to sustainability,ethics or society? in short, are your business schools really in touch with the issues that willincreasingly have an impact on the future viability of businesses, or should wise and forward-thinking companies be looking elsewhere to develop their e_ecutives for the future?
ladies and gentlemen, your business schools are rooted in both academia and industry and ibelieve you have a very special role to play. society needs to be able to look to you withconfidence for some of the best thinking and the most enlightened education, to secure thefuture for our children and our children's children.
so, if i may just add this in at the end, my challenge to all of you is to build on what you aredoing already and find ever better ways to integrate sustainability into every aspect of yourresearch and teaching. of course, i understand the attraction of tried and tested methods, butimproving on ‘business as usual' with conventional case studies and metrics is absolutely notgoing to be sufficient! so i hope, hope you will have the courage to step out of the comfortzone of the current paradigm and ask the really difficult questions about what it will take tosucceed in business in the ne_t 50 years.
why not think about how you might lead the way? could you for instance, move ahead of thepack with courage and vision, radically transforming your curriculum and conducting new andinteresting research in this field, despite all the countervailing pressures that reinforcebusiness as usual? just think for a minute, you could even work with some of my organizationslike a4s, the cisl (cambridge institute for sustainability leadership) and my internationalsustainability unit in order to help you with this transformation!
we do it already with lots of businesses anyway, and the capital markets, to try and addressthe points you were making if i may say so.
and finally, ladies and gentlemen, to all current business school students – and to those whoare deciding where to study – ask yourself, is your chosen business school really at the end ofthe day, going to equip you to be the kind of leader that i suggest is so badly needed for thene_t 50 years? because nothing less will do.
