A Letter to Committee Member of Yidan Education Prize

　　董瑞祥

　　Dong Ruixiang

　　安徒生国际幼儿师范学院 院长

　　Dean of

　　Andersen International Kindergarten College of Denmark

　

　　Dear Committee Member of Yidan Prize,

　　How are you!

　　尊敬的一丹奖评委会委员，您好！

　　我是中国人董瑞祥，在丹麦创办了安徒生国际幼儿师范学院。

　　I am Dong Ruixiang, a Chinese who established Andersen International Kindergarten College of Denmark.

　　我在丹麦注意到这样一个现象：许多中国人跑到丹麦旅游，并常常把所经超市里的奶粉一购而空。2008年三鹿公司奶粉中出现的三聚氰胺事件吓坏了国人，至今人们还杯弓蛇影，谈虎色变。

　　I notice that many Chinese who travel in Denmark snap up the milk powder in supermarkets. The melamine incident in Sanlu company's milk powder in 2008 scared we Chinese. People even turn pale at the incident so far.

　　电影《无问西东》通过清华大学的百年历史展现了中国社会人际关系变化状况：民国时纯真可爱，抗战时期团结友善，文革时互害，如今进入商业社会，国人间充满了冷漠与互不信任，我们的社会文化领域也混入了“三聚氰胺”。

　　The changes in Chinese social relations are illustrated through hundred-year-history of Tsinghua University by the movie Forever Young.Chinese people used to be naive and adorable in the Republic of China, be united and intimate during the Japanese invasion of China, be harmful and hurtful in the great proletarian cultural revolution, and be unconcerned and distrustful when it comes to the commercial society now, which is virulent for the social and cultural fields just like the melamine in milk powder.

　　我像是一头小鹿一般，闯进了“世外桃源”丹麦，发现这里环境优美，社会和谐，幸福指数高，教育理念独到，创造力强。于是，当许多游客购买丹麦奶粉时，我在安徒生故乡菲茵岛上创办了安徒生国际幼儿师范学院，培养未来世界公民的首任老师。

　　Here is indeed a paradise where it is peaceful, harmonious and possesses the unique education philosophy when I first bumped into Denmark.That’s why I established Andersen International Kindergarten College in Nordfyns Denmark, where is also the hometown of H. C. Andersen, to train the first teachers of the citizens for the future world. In the meanwhile Danish milk powder was purchased by Chinese tourists.

　　善于学习是近代中国社会进步的一个主要原因：

　　Be open to learning is a major cause of social progress in modern China.

　　1906年，美国人明恩溥向罗斯福总统建议，用清政府的“庚子赔款”在北京开设清华留美预备学校。至1929年，有1800名庚款学生获得资助留学美国，所学专业集中在理工农医等学科，这些留学生奠定了近代中国科学的基础。

　　In 1906, Ming Nupu,an American proposed to President Roosevelt to set up the Tsing Hua preparatory school in Beijing with the "Boxer Indemnity" of the Qing government. By 1929, 1800 students had received funding to study in the United States, whose majors were science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine science, which laid the foundation of modern Chinese science.

　　邓小平改革开放以来，200万留学生助力中国一跃而成为世界第二大经济体。

　　2,000,000 overseas students have prompted China to be the second largest economy in the world since Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening up.

　　令人遗憾的是，与庚款学生类似,这一波留学潮里学习幼儿教育的几乎为零，人们还不知道“带孩子”里面的大学问。

　　It is regrettable that there is hardly any oversees student who focuses on early childhood education in this wave of studying abroad similar to what happened in 1920s for people don’t realize the importance of preschool educators yet.

　　幼儿教育，从小处说，关乎儿童健康发展并激活他们思维创造力；从大处说，也关乎社会和谐乃至世界和平。在塑造国民品性和国民素质方面,幼儿教育当仁不让，幼儿教育是给人生注入真善美的基因，并播下现代文明种子的关键阶段。

　　Early childhood education concerns both children's healthy development by activating their thinking creativity and social harmony,world peace as well. Preschool education is most defined to shape national character and quality, to inject the goodness and beauty into life, to sow seeds of modern civilization.

　　在丹麦菲茵岛上，我带着首届“一丹教育发展奖”获得者Vicky Colbert教授说的那样一种具有号召力的道德使命与一群有着教育情怀的人们做起了安徒生国际幼师教育，培训现代文明的播种人。

　　在老牛基金会的首批200万元善款的资助下，自2017年起，这种效果显著的体验式学习方法已经得到了教育界人士的公认，李镇西、张燕、杨东平、尹建莉等教育家已经走进了安徒生国际幼儿师范学院，开始大力推广美好的丹麦教育理念，朱永新和其他一大批教育家也正在向我们走来。李婧、王艳芳、和徊良等一大批基层幼儿园与小学教师也走进了安徒生童话世界里，他们正在把丹麦式的美好教育理念带到自己的学校里。

　　Supported by the first donation of 2 million yuan from the Laoniu foundation,the simple and effective method of experiential learning has been recognized by the educators since 2017. Li Zhenxi, Zhang Yan, Yang Dongping, Yu Yongping and other educationists have attended the course of  Andersen International Kindergarten College and began to vigorously promote the superior Danish education philosophy. Educationist Zhu Yongxin and child education expert Yin Jianli are supposed to join us in the near future. Li Jing, Li Zhengjun, Wang Hongdi, Wang Yanfang, Guo Mingxiao, and Huai Liang, a large number of teachers who work in front-line kindergartens and primary school have also entered the Andersen fairy tale world, bringing outstanding Danish education concept to their own students.

　　与我们百年来“中学为体、西学为用”留学思想不同的是，日本近代教育家福泽谕吉于1885年发表的《脱亚入欧论》中则主张日本全方位学习西方现代文明 <http://baike.baidu.com/view/1820614.htm>，棋高一招。到了21世纪的今天，已经发达起来的日本依然很谦虚。2017年6月，日本皇太子德仁访问丹麦并莅临北菲茵学院（我们的合作学院）进行考察，摩根校长给他讲解了北菲茵学院所采用的19世纪丹麦著名教育家格隆维（N.F.S.Grundtvig）办校理念后，德仁说格隆维的教育理念与方法是诊治目前日本社会问题的一剂有效良方。现在，北菲茵学院创始人千叶忠夫已经开始在日本组建格隆维理念的学校。

　　Different from our hundred-year-idea of "traditional Chinese values aided with modern Western ideology" , Fukuzawa Yoshi, a modern Japanese educator , advocated a fully study of the modern civilization of the West in Japan in 1885. Japan, which has already developed, is still modest by twenty-first century . In June 2017, the Japanese Crown Prince Norihito visited Denmark and was on a tour of investigation in Nordfyns College (our cooperation party). He said Grundtvig's educational philosophy and methods are the best prescription in terms of current Japanese social problems after President Morgan’s explanation of Nordfyns College adopting Grundtvig’s theory to be the educational idea in nineteenth century. Now, Chiba Tadao, the founder of the Nordfyns College, has begun to set up  Grundtvig’s public schools in Japan.

　　格隆维教育理念的关键词是：平等、自由、信任、尊重、社会责任感、志愿者精神、轻松的生活方式、对事物保持开放且包容的态度等。

　　The key words of  Grundtvig's educational philosophy are: equality, freedom, trust, respect, social responsibility, volunteer spirit, easy way of life, open and inclusive attitude.

　　格隆维的教育理念是培养好公民，提升幸福感并导致社会和谐的重要思想基础。

　　Grundtvig's educational philosophy is an important ideological basis for cultivating qualified citizens, bringing happiness and leading to social harmony.

　　而安徒生的童话世界则是孕育丹麦人的想象力、创造力与丰富情感的重要因素。

　　Andersen's fairy tale world is an important factor that breeds Danish imagination, creativity and affection.

　　曾经在美国一家格隆维学院学习过的美国黑人民权运动领袖马丁· 路德· 金说：“一个国家的繁荣，不取决于她的国库之殷实，不取决于她的城堡之坚固，也不取决于她的公共设施之华丽；而取决于公民的文明素养，以及人民所受的教育，人民的远见卓识和品格的高下。这才是真正的利害所在，真正的力量所在”。

　　"The prosperity of a country neither depends on the wealthiness of her national treasury, the firmness of her castle, nor the magnificence of her public facilities, but the civility of its citizens, as well as the education of its citizens. People’s vision and character is the real interest and the real strength." said Martin Ruud Kim, a former leader of the black civil rights movement, who had studied in an American college of Grundtvig's educational philosophy.

　　目前中国社会乱象丛生，原因多种，但糟糕的教育难脱其咎。

　　At present, there are many kinds of chaos in China due to many reasons, but the awful education has to be responsible for it.

　　放眼地球那一端，童话般的文明国度丹麦让我们看到了希望：丹麦人在轻松愉快的环境中度过了自己的童年，他们身体强壮，情感丰富，富有爱心，幸福指数全球最高，思维活跃并遵守规则，创造力强，只有500多万人口的丹麦已经有了13个诺贝尔奖获得者，各行业都很发达，世界著名品牌比比皆是。

　　Looking at the other end of the earth, the fairy-tale-liked kingdom of Denmark gives us the hope that the Danes have spent their childhood in a relaxed and joyful environment. They are strong physically and abundant emotionally, they are full of love and with the highest happiness index worldwide, they are active in thinking and with a strong creation,they abide by the rules <http://dict.youdao.com/w/abidance by the rules/>.With a population of only about 5000000 of Denmark, there are already 13 Nobel prize winners. All walks of life are well-developed, and world-famous brands are everywhere.

　　一丹先生您关注“当今世界在教育领域里面临的挑战，并致力寻找解决方案”。

　　Mr. Chen Yidan, the founder of Yidan Prize has concerned about the challenges facing the world today in the field of education and committed to finding solutions.

　　如果把丹麦好的教育理念与方法拿过来，是解决中国教育问题的一种有效做法。

　　奥巴马也说过：“把丹麦的经验在全世界推广开来，我们这个世界就美好了。”

　　Obama used to say, “To teach with the subject to enlightment，not to teach in the subject.”

　　教育的本质是传递善良和美好，在学习过程中，比学到某种技能更重要的是学会自信、热爱、互助，以及作为公民的社会责任感。”丹麦安徒生国际幼儿师范学院就是用格隆维这种教育理念来培训中国幼儿教师，让学员亲身感受这种教育的美妙之处，继而去做一件有利于世界和平、社会和谐与个人幸福的教育事业。

　　The essence of education is to deliver kindness and goodness.Learning of confidence,devotion, mutual help, and the social responsibility of citizens is more important than just learning some skills in the process of learning. Andersen International Kindergarten College of Denmark is the place to train Chinese preschool teachers with Grundtvig's educational concept to experience the beauty of the education in order to undertake the education career which is conducive to world peace, social harmony and personal happiness.

　　教育是一个需要面对面真实发生的交互过程，身临其境，方可体验其中之妙。

　　Education is an interactive process that requires face-to-face

　　experience.Only be on the scene <http://dict.youdao.com/w/be personally on the scene/> personally, can comprehend the essences.

　　安幼老师Lisa Van在课堂里讲了一个“安慰鱼”的故事：在她的游戏中，有一个孩子不愿意参与游戏，于是，她就让这个孩子来照顾这条小鱼，于无声处，孩子得到了尊重，感觉不孤单，还产生了一种责任感。

　　Lisa Van, the teacher of Andersen International Kindergarten College of Denmark , told a story of "comforting fish" in her classroom: A child who did not want to participate in the game during her class was asked to take care of the little puppet fish.Consequently the child was respected, accepted, and responsible.

　　安幼学员孙青写道：如果说之前我还停留在学习丹麦幼儿教育模式和教育方法“术”的层面，最后的这条“安慰鱼”直击心灵最深处，让我参悟到也许这才是丹麦教育成功的“道”之所在。“安慰鱼”的意义已经远远超越了教育工具，它如此温暖地拥抱了一个不在状态的孩子，一个不开心的孩子，一个“不合群”的孩子。

　　Sun Qing, a trainee of Andersen International Kindergarten College of Denmark, wrote in an article: I was still on the surface of learning the Danish model of early childhood education till the comforting fish appears which gives me the deepest impact that the fish itself is the truth of the success of Danish education. The meaning of "comforting fish" has gone far beyond the educational tools, but a symbol of understanding and accepting the child who is in the mood and different from others.

　　丹麦人Johansen采访李镇西老师：安幼项目会对中国孩子带来什么样的影响？

　　Johansen, a Danish interviewed Mr. Li Zhenxi that what kind of impact will  Andersen International Kindergarten College of Denmark have for Chinese children?

　　李老师答：我这次是以“老牛中国幼儿教师培训项目”特邀专家的身份来学习考察的。我认为这是一个很了不起的项目，我对项目的发起人董瑞祥先生表示由衷的敬意。以前我和他素不相识，但随着对这项目的了解，特别是来到丹麦深入参与进来之后，我感到他是在圆一个伟大的梦，这个梦就是从幼儿教师开始一点一点地改变中国教育，进而尽可能地为中国社会进步效力。一个国家的希望在教育，而教育应该从孩子最初进幼儿园开始，这样，幼儿教师的教育理念、专业能力和综合素质就尤为重要了。能够改变一个老师，就改变了一个班的幼儿，改变了一个园长，就改变了一群孩子……能做一点算一点，能走多远就走多远，关键是这个进程已经不可逆转，微观的改变已经发生。这就是意义。

　　Mr. Li replied, "I am on my tour to be a guest expert in the" Laoniu China Kindergarten Teachers’ Training Project ". I do believe this is a great project. I would like to express my sincere respect to Mr. Dong Ruixiang, the founder of the project, whom I don't know before. I admire his greatness to make his dream come true when I got to know this project, especially after coming to Denmark. This dream starts from the kindergarten teachers who will change Chinese education bit by bit, furthermore it makes a possibility for the progress of whole Chinese society. The hope of a country is in education, which should begins at the beginning of the kindergarten education and pays much more attention to education concept, professional ability and comprehensive quality of the preschool teachers. A change of a teacher means a change of whole class. A change of a director represents a change of whole kindergarten. Little by little,the point is this process has been irreversible and practising.

　　拥有几十万微信粉丝的李镇西老师在公众号“镇西茶馆”里发表了系列安幼文章后，在教育圈里引起了极大的反响，激发起了许多老师学习研究丹麦教育理念的热潮。

　　Li Zhenxi, with hundreds of thousands of WeChat fans, raises a tremendous response in the education circle after the publication of a series articles introducing Andersen International Kindergarten College, inspiring the passion of a lot of teachers to study the Danish educational philosophy.

　　截止目前，安幼事业得到了丹麦国家电视2台、丹麦《菲茵报》、欧洲GBtime等多次专访报道。CCTV李潘、中国国际广播电台钟庆、中国青年报李新玲、中国教师报康丽、《读者》王飞、著名儿童文学作家孟宪明等人士也在用不同的方法把丹麦教育理念传播开来。“中国教育30人论坛”秘书处将在2018年8月份派人来安幼考察学习格隆维与安徒生的教育理念。

　　Up to now,the project of Andersen International Kindergarten College has special reported by Danish national television channel 2 three times,full- coverage reported by Denmark Nordfyns newspaper three times, interviewed by European GBtime. Li Pan of CCTV, Zhong Qing of China International Radio, Li Xinling of China Youth Daily, Kang Li of Chinese teachers' newspaper, Wang Fei of readers, and Meng Xianming, the famous writer of children's literature, are also spreading the idea of Danish education in different ways. The Secretariat of "China Education 30 people forum" will come to  Andersen International Kindergarten College to study on the education philosophy of Grundtvig and Andersen in August 2018.

　　我参加过国内许多教育培训，总体感觉是山东学习山西，河南学习河北，就像水流落差不大，发不出电力。

　　I have participated in many domestic educational training, that provinces learn from each other generally, just like the water flow which is not big enough to generate electricity.

　　超越了一般教育培训层次的安徒生国际幼儿师范学院独特的教育视角和教育实践已经引发了一场中国幼教界的学习运动，并将导致中国幼教理念的革命性变革，并且，将给中国社会埋下融入现代文明的种子。

　　前丹麦王妃文雅丽走上了安徒生国际幼儿师范学院的讲台并成了安幼事业的守护者。丹麦羽毛球冠军安赛龙将成为安幼的形象代言人。丹麦儿童与社会部司长Sofie Bislev女士与中国教育家杨东平以及CCTV《读书》栏目主持人李潘开展了一次中丹教育对话，给中国教育带来了许多启发。刚退休的丹麦文化部长助理Lars先生成了我们的常聘教师，安徒生文学奖创始人Benny Nybo先生自愿成为安幼教师，北菲茵市市长Andersen先生多次走上安幼讲台与来自中国的学员分享他的从政理念，还有一大批丹麦各界人士看到了安徒生国际幼儿师范学院这个平台巨大的社会价值，纷纷给我们来信，希望参与到安幼事业的发展中。

　　The former Danish Princess Wen Yali went to the platform of  Andersen International Kindergarten College and became the guardian of our career. Danish badminton champion Anton lung also expressed his willingness to become an image spokesman for  Andersen International Kindergarten College. Ms. Sofie Bislev, director of the Danish Ministry of children and society,brought a lot of inspiration to Chinese education in the dialogue with Yang Dongping, an educator of China, and Li Pan, the host of the CCTV "reading" program. Mr. Lars, the newly retired assistant of Danish Minister of culture, became our regular teacher. Mr. Benny Nybo, the founder of the Andersen prize for literature, volunteered to be our teacher. Mr. Andersen, the mayor of Nordfyns, went to share his political ideas with the students from China. And a large number of Danish people who noticed the great social value of the  Andersen International Kindergarten College has sent us letters and hopes to be the partners of our career.

　　现在，我带着首届“一丹教育研究奖”获得者Dweck教授提出的“成长型心态”，学习美国人明恩溥的做法，大胆请求您和评委会：希望“一丹教育发展奖”在2018年度通过“董瑞祥”这个载体奖给2000名优秀的中国幼儿教师，他们将会刮起一场中国幼教理念变革的燎原之火，把国人的注意力从物质层面的“购买丹麦奶粉”转向精神层面上的“培养具有世界公民素养以及和平理念的第一任教师”上，让人类文明在华夏大地开花结果。

　　这几年，在大家都在说“中国梦”。我认为“中国梦”不该是一个闭关锁国的自强自大的梦，而是一个融入到世界文明进程中的大梦。文明不分东西，只有先进与落后，向世界上最为和谐的国度丹麦学习，是中国走向现代文明的一个重要做法。

　　Everyone has talked about the "Chinese dream" in the past few years. I believe the "Chinese dream" should not be a dream of isolation and arrogance , but a dream of integrating into the process of world civilization. There is no difference in civilizations between the east and the west, only advanced and backward. It is an important way for China to move towards modern civilization by learning from Denmark, the most harmonious country in the world.

　　安徒生国际幼儿师范学院做的是国际教育，培养的是具有国际视野的世界公民。在中国走向现代文明的道路上，安幼结缘一丹，将成为一个标志性的事件。获得一丹教育发展奖后，我们将邀请杨东平李镇西等十位著名中国教育家出面来寻找1000位优秀幼儿老师，并在全国范围内找到几家口碑良好的幼儿师范学院合作培训1000位学生，用五年的时间，分批资助这些老师和学生走进安徒生童话世界里。

　　Andersen International Kindergarten College which pursues the international education, cultivates the world citizens with international vision.It will become a landmark event if the connection between Yidan and Andersen International Kindergarten College is make.We will invite ten famous Chinese educationists, such as Yang Dongping and Li Zhenxi, to look for 1000 outstanding preschool teachers and 1000 students studying in the well-regarded normal university throughout the country, who will be financed into Andersen's fairy tale world in five years after we win the Yidan Education development award.

　　上世纪初1800名“庚款留学生”奠定了中国科技发展基础，本世纪2000名“一丹幼师”将会让人类现代文明的火苗照亮国人前行的道路，惠及龙的传人，谱写出一个个新的童话故事，让更多的中国儿童成为拥有国际视野与情怀的世界公民。

　　1800 students of overseas study using the remission of the boxer indemnity had laid the foundation for the development of China's science and technology at the beginning of the last century. Meanwhile the 2000 Yidan  preschool teachers in this century will illuminate the road ahead of the Chinese people by the flame of human modern civilization, benefit the later generations of the traditional China, and compose more new fairy tales to make more Chinese children to become the citizens of international vision and sense.

　　在过去的100多年里，充满了智慧与力量的诺贝尔奖让世界变得强大了起来。

　　The Nobel prize, which is full of wisdom and strength, has made the world stronger over the past 100 years.

　　在未来的历史长河里，一丹奖像灯塔一般，助力美好教育，引导世界向着美好的方向前进。先生您的历史功劳绝不亚于诺贝尔先生。

　　The Yidan prize,which is like a lighthouse will contribute to qualified education leading the world forward in a better direction.Your historical contribution is no less than Mr. Nobel.

　　我们带着童话般的梦想，高举安徒生的旗帜，踏踏实实，做可以带来社会变革与进步的教育公益事业。在这样办学理念指导下，我们自然选择了与您这样伟大的公益人士结合，在一个更高层次上，服务社会，造福人类。

　　We, who are with fairy tale liked dream, holding high the banner of Andersen, undertake the good causes in education steadfastly which will bring social change and progress. Under the guidance of this education philosophy, we select to incorporate with you the great public welfare Ambassador  naturally to serve the community and create benefits for human beings in a higher level..

　　我看到了丹麦幼教理念与实践对中国孩子健康成长以及智力发展的重要性，也看到了众多中国幼儿教师在开拓了视野、增长了见识、接受了人类文明理念洗礼后，他们将会把公平、正义、自由、民主、法治、博爱、人权等普世价值观带回中国，春风化雨般播撒在孩子们的心里，为中国社会进步乃至世界和平事业做出一种润物细无声的贡献，这是21世纪提升中华民族素质的一种四两拨千斤的有效做法。

　　I can tell the importance of the concept and practice of Danish preschool applying to the healthy growth and intellectual development of Chinese children.I can also foresee that many Chinese preschool teachers will bring fairness, justice, freedom, democracy, legal institution, philanthropism, human rights to China spreading out in the hearts of the children after they opening up their vision, increasing their knowledge and accepting the baptism of the human civilization to contribute themselves to the progress of Chinese society and the world peace silently and naturally. This is an effective method of raising the quality of the Chinese nation in twenty-first Century.

　　我担心别人推荐的时候想不到这一点，于是，就给您写来了这封毛遂自荐信。

　　I was concerned about the point which may be ignored by others, so I wrote you this letter of self-recommendation.

　　当年“范进中举”，实现了个人的人生小价值；如果“董瑞祥以及2000名中国幼教工作者中了一丹教育发展奖”，就像压动一个撬杠般，会提升亿万中国儿童幸福指数，促进中国社会进步与世界和平事业。

　　This is why I dare to recommend myself for the education development award of Yidan.

　　根据北师大张燕教授等人的观点，目前国内依然是商业思维在主导幼教行业的发展趋势。杨东平等教育家从丹麦安幼考察学习回国后，对丹麦人朴实的教育理念极为推崇，一连发表了好几篇文章来介绍推广丹麦教育理念。如一丹教育发展奖在这个关键时刻助力安幼事业，一定会对中国教育事业起到“四两拨千斤”的作用。

　　According to Zhang Yan, Professor of Beijing Normal University and others, business operation pattern is still leading the development trend of preschool education industry presently. After learning and returning from  Denmark, Yangdong Ping has praised highly in the plain educational concept of Danish people. It will be effective if Yidan Education Development Award supports our career at this critical moment.

　　安幼教育，将不辱使命！

　　Andersen International Kindergarten College must not dishonour the important task!

　　我相信：高瞻远瞩的一丹先生以及一丹教育发展奖评委会会看到安幼事业的独特价值所在，使其从一颗小树长大成为一片森林。

　　I do believe that foresighted  Yidan Education Development Award Committee will also see the unique value of our career to support it growing from a small tree to a forest.

　　总结一下一丹教育发展奖颁发给安幼将会带来的巨大社会价值：

　　一片丹心，您投身美好教育，挥手寰宇造福世人。

　　You devote yourself to qualified education and benefit people all over the world with a heart of pure loyalty.

　　菲茵童话，让我们共同书写，点滴纸上陈情天下。

　　Hopefully you and we will make up the fairy tales in Fyns to express our overheated attempts to the world.

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　　                                                                                                                                                                                                  Sincerely

　　                                                                                                                                                                                                  董瑞祥

　　                                                                                                                                                                                                   2018年6月1日儿童节 敬上