Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay,

Director-General of UNESCO,

for World Book and Copyright Day

教科文组织总干事奥德蕾·阿祖莱

世界图书和版权日致辞

23 April 2022

2022年4月23日

（来源：英语世界）

Books have long embodied the human capacity to conjure up worlds, both real and imagined, giving voice to the diversity of human experience. They help us share ideas, obtain information and inspire admiration for different cultures, enabling far-reaching forms of dialogue between people across space and time.

图书一直体现着人类反映现实世界与想象世界并表达人类经验多样性的能力。图书帮助我们交流思想、获取信息、学会欣赏不同的文化，并促进人类开展跨越时空的深远对话。

The potential of books to advance individual fulfilment and create social change is undeniable. In the words of renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: “To choose to write is to reject silence.”

图书在促进个人成长和引领社会变革方面具有不可否认的潜力。正如尼日利亚著名作家奇玛曼达·恩戈齐·阿迪奇埃所言：“选择写作，就是摒弃沉默。”

This is why UNESCO is resolutely committed to promoting access to books and reading – for example, through our World Book Capital programme. In 2022, the Mexican city of Guadalajara is taking up the mantle of World Book Capital, with a year-long programme that focuses on the role of books and reading in triggering social change, combating violence and building a culture of peace.

正因如此，教科文组织坚定不移地致力于促进获取图书和倡导阅读活动，比如通过开展“世界图书之都”计划。2022年，墨西哥城市瓜达拉哈拉获选成为年度“世界图书之都”，开展为期一年的活动，着力弘扬图书和阅读在引领社会变革、打击暴力和建设和平文化方面的作用。

Despite the importance of books in sustaining social wellbeing, the publishing industry is currently facing major upheavals – most notably the digital transformation. These challenges became all too clear during COVID-19, when falling revenues amplified the vulnerability of authors and book sellers, like other creative professionals across the value chain. Cultural diversity was also threatened as the number of titles published ineluctably diminished..

尽管图书在持续造福社会方面很重要，出版业目前却面临着重大动荡，特别是数字变革的挑战。这些挑战在COVID-19期间显而易见，因为收入的下降加剧了作者和书商的脆弱性，而价值链上从事创意工作的其他专业人士也未能幸免。随着出版的图书数量不可避免地减少，文化多样性也受到威胁。

In uncertain times, we must cherish and defend books as symbols of hope and dialogue. This means standing in solidarity with the professionals who disseminate our literary heritage – writers, editors, publishers and translators. As they build bridges across continents and cultures, these professionals must be protected, and their value acknowledged.

在不确定的时代，我们必须珍惜且捍卫象征着希望和对话的图书。这意味着与传播我们文学遗产的专业人士，即作家、编辑、出版商和翻译家们站在一起。正是这些专业人士在各大洲和各种文化之间架起了桥梁，所以他们必须得到保护，他们的价值也必须得到承认。

UNESCO is firmly committed to this goal. At a time when digital technology is changing the face of the publishing industry, we advocate for the fair remuneration of authors and the protection of cultural diversity. We support the work of publishers through undertakings such as partnerships with the International Authors Forum, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and the International Publishers Association.

教科文组织坚定地致力于实现这一目标。随着数字技术改变着出版业的面貌，我们倡导为作者提供公平的报酬并保护文化多样性。我们通过与国际作家论坛、国际图书馆协会和机构联合会以及国际出版商协会开展伙伴关系等活动，支持出版人的工作。

On World Book and Copyright Day, I call upon all of UNESCO's partners to share the message that books are a force to address contemporary challenges, to understand political and economic realities, and to combat inequalities and misinformation. Storytelling is an incredibly effective tool when it comes to educating younger generations.

值此世界图书和版权日，我呼吁教科文组织的所有伙伴传递这样一个信息，即：图书是应对当代挑战、了解政治和经济现实以及打击不平等和错误信息的一种力量。在教育年轻世代方面，讲故事是一个非常有效的工具。

Indeed, books are vital vehicles to access, transmit and promote education, science, culture and information worldwide. For this reason, every year, on 23 April – a date that marks the departure of three great authors of universal literature, Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare, and Inca  Garcilaso de la Vega – we celebrate their captivating power to spark innovation, generate knowledge and change minds.

的确，书籍是在全世界获取、传播和促进教育、科学、文化和信息的重要载体。正是出于这个原因，我们在每年4月23日开展世界图书和版权日活动，纪念在这同一天逝世的世界文学巨匠塞万提斯、莎士比亚和印卡•加西拉索•德拉维加，礼赞他们的作品在激发创新、丰富知识和改变思想方面的无穷魅力。

（编辑：吕思琦）