2026年4月19日下午，以“弘扬架桥精神，讲好中国故事”为主题的中英文双语绘本《埃德加·斯诺的红星之旅》首发式在西京学院举行，300余名来自文学、新闻、出版、社区及中小学等单位的代表与师生齐聚一堂，共同见证这一文化盛事。英国翻译家、西京学院外国语学院教授罗宾·吉尔班克（Robin Gillbank）应邀出席并发言，从历史、出版与儿童文学三个维度，阐释了该绘本的重要价值。
一、九十周年：一次改变世界的访问
罗宾·吉尔班克在发言开篇指出，2026年是现代中国史以及中国与世界关系史上一个值得纪念的重要年份。今年七月，将是埃德加·斯诺与马海德大夫一行人访问陕北保安，整整九十周年。斯诺花了几周的时间，实地考察了革命根据地的发展进程及其令人钦佩的工作作风。在此期间，他的采访，为次年在伦敦由维克多·戈兰茨出版社出版的《红星照耀中国》奠定了坚实基础。
二、戈兰茨的遗产：一种跨越时代的出版精神
罗宾·吉尔班克表示，回望这段漫长的历史，人们很容易忽略一件事：这部如今被盛赞无数的经典之作，当年的问世之路并非一帆风顺。
事实上，《红星照耀中国》最初只是戈兰茨“左派读书俱乐部”推出的系列丛书之一。该丛书创办于1936年，旨在向公众传播左翼思想，介绍世界各地的激进运动。
当时，出版商普遍担心这类题材的受众群体相对有限。于是，他采用了一套行之有效的商业模式：邀请读者以订阅者身份加入俱乐部。每月只需支付2先令6便士（约合8.5英镑，90元人民币），便可收到每一期新书和一份通讯简报。到《红星照耀中国》出版时，俱乐部的会员已突破5万人。此外，英国各地还活跃着约730个读书讨论小组，每两周开展一次活动，共同研读俱乐部最新推出的著作。
吉尔班克感慨道：“在那个年代，这种口耳相传的方式，为向世界讲述中国故事发挥了重要作用。”
三、绘本的诞生：戈兰茨开拓精神的真正传承者
罗宾·吉尔班克问道：“你或许会问，这些往事，与我们今天这场面向青少年的新书发布会，有什么关系呢？”
他指出，读完《埃德加·斯诺的红星之旅》，他深深地感受到，李正善先生、叶静女士、高敏娜女士正是维克多·戈兰茨开拓精神的真正传承者。他们把斯诺的故事改编为语言凝练、插画精美的形式，创作出了一本能精准贴合当代青少年读者的优秀绘本。
更为可贵的是，这本绘本收录了“红小鬼”们感人至深的故事，完整保留了原著的人文精神内核。正如当年斯诺被这些少年的乐观与勇敢深深打动，我相信，今天美国乃至世界各地的读者，都能从斯诺笔下的英雄故事中获得力量与启迪。
有幸读到这本书的年轻读者，将看到一段战火中的史诗，字里行间满是对中国普通民众深沉而恒久的爱。
据悉，《埃德加·斯诺的红星之旅》由西京学院特聘教授李正善创作、陕西省漫画协会理事叶静绘画、陕西省翻译协会秘书长高敏娜翻译，陕西人民教育出版社出版。该绘本以儿童视角，用精炼的中英双语再现了美国记者埃德加·斯诺从好奇少年成长为追求真理、秉笔直书的国际知名记者的传奇一生。
本次活动由西京学院、陕西人民教育出版社、陕西国际传播中心（SICC）联合主办，陕西省斯诺研究中心、西京学院延安精神与国际友人研究院承办。
【罗宾·吉尔班克发言原文】
Speech for the launch of Edgar Snow’s Red Star Adventure, 19th April 2026.
This year - 2026 - marks a significant anniversary in the history of modern China and its relations with the world. In July it will be precisely ninety years since Edgar Snow and his travelling companions, including Dr. Ma Haide, arrived in Bao’an in Northern Shaanxi. Over the course of several weeks he observed the progress made within the Communist encampment and its impressive work ethic. In so doing, he conducted the key interviews that formed the basis of Red Star Over China, published by Victor Gollancz in London the following year.
Looking back over such a long period of time it is easy to forget that this title - to which so many superlatives have been applied - did not have the easiest of births. Red Star Over China was actually part of a constellation of titles in Gollancz’s “Left Book Club.” This series was initiated in 1936 with the intention of informing the public about left-wing ideas and radical movements around the world. Not uncommonly, the publisher worried that the audience for this material might be limited. Thus he fell back upon a tried-and-tested business technique. Interested parties were invited to sign up as subscribers. For a monthly fee of 2 shillings and 6 pence - that is about £8.50 or 90 RMB in modern day money - they received each new book and a newsletter. By the time Red Star Over China appeared, more than 50,000 members had joined the Club. What is more, up and down the country there were an estimated 730 discussion groups which met fortnightly to discuss the latest “Left Book Club” publication. Back then, word of mouth clearly played a big part in telling Chinese stories to the world.
Why you may ask is this relevant to the launch of a book aimed primarily at children? Well, having read Edgar Snow’s Red Star Adventure, I strongly feel that Mr Li, Ms Ye and Ms Gao are the natural inheritors of the pioneering spirit of Victor Gollancz. In adapting the story of Snow into a concisely worded and attractively illustrated form they have produced something that caters very effectively to the target audience of today. We can also say that by including the poignant experiences of some of the so-called “Little Red Devils” they have preserved the humane spirit of the original book. Just as the journalist was touched by the optimism and bravery of these youths, I am confident that readers in America and elsewhere will find encouragement and inspiration in Snow’s own story of heroism. Those fortunate youngsters will discover an epic tale set against wartime adversity and suffused with a great and enduring love for the ordinary people of China.
Xie xie da jia!
罗宾·吉尔班克（Robin Gillbank），英国北约克郡人，博士、教授，博士生导师、翻译家、英美文学专家。2018年被我国授予“中国改革开放40周年最具影响力的四十位外国专家”，荣获“三秦友谊奖”和“西安荣誉市民”称号。现任西京学院外国语学院外籍教授，长期从事翻译及国际传播工作，为促进中英文化交流作出了积极贡献。
出版有英文著作《最美丽的谎言家》《罗宾博士看陕西》《探究中国》等；合译的英文作品有贾平凹的《废都》《土门》及散文选《荒野地》，杨争光作品集《老旦是一棵树》、长篇小说《我的岁月静好》及诗选《屋檐水》(汉英)，《陕西地方文化英语读本》，红柯作品集《狼嗥》，吴克敬作品集《血太阳》，陈彦长篇小说《装台》，叶广芩作品集《山地故事》《太阳宫》，弋舟作品集《黄金》，张岂之《中国历史文化导读》，白阿莹散文集《古都新韵》等。
