Nanjing’s darkest period in its history is back in headlines as China and the USA came together as one this past weekend, in recognition of the various tragedies suffered by women across Asia at the hands of the Japanese in the world’s biggest-ever conflict.
南京历史上最黑暗的时期再次成为头条新闻，中国和美国在上周末走到一起，承认亚洲妇女在这场世界有史以来最严重的冲突中在日本人手中遭受的各种悲剧。
On the morning of October 14, the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders held an unveiling ceremony for the statue pair in the Nanjing Sex Slave Museum that technically goes by the name of Nanjing Liji Lane Comfort Station Exhibition Hall.
10月14日上午，侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念馆在南京性奴博物馆（南京礼济巷慰安所陈列馆）举行了侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞雕像揭幕仪式。
The statue pair was presented by three representatives from China, South Korea and the Philippines, chosen for all being countries which suffered sexual abuse of their women by Japanese soldiers during World War II.
这对雕像由来自中国、韩国和菲律宾的三名代表赠送，这些国家的妇女在二战期间遭受过日本士兵的性虐待。
In essence a one third-size version of the pair in San Francisco, USA, by sculptor Steven Whyte, that was unveiled in the City’s St. Mary’s Square in September, 2017, both that in the USA and now the China statue pair share the name, “Comfort Women” Column of Strength.
本质上，这对雕像是美国旧金山雕塑家史蒂文·怀特 (Steven Whyte) 的三分之一尺寸版本，于 2017 年 9 月在旧金山的圣玛丽广场揭幕，无论是在美国还是现在在中国，这对雕像都同名“慰安妇力量之柱”。
As to the statues themselves, the dominant of the pair depicts three girls back to back, holding hands and looking forward with solemn expressions. They are watched from a distance by that of the lady who served as prototype; Kim Hak-sun, the first Korean victim of the Japanese military’s “comfort women” system to publicly expose the dark events of this time in history with her real name.
就雕像本身而言，这对雕像的主体描绘了三个背靠背、手牵着手、表情庄严的女孩。作为原型的女士从远处注视着他们。金学善是第一位以真名公开揭露历史上这段黑暗事件的日军“慰安妇”制度受害者。
“To bear witness to the suffering experienced by tens of thousands of women and girls in 13 countries and regions who were enslaved by the Japanese army before and after the start of World War II”, reads a monument next to the statue pair.
这两尊雕像旁边的纪念碑上写着：“见证二战开始前后13个国家和地区数以万计被日军奴役的妇女和女孩所经历的苦难”。
Donor Lilian Sing, co-chairman of the “Comfort Women” Justice Coalition, is a retired judge. On Saturday she said, “I am very gratified that I am bringing my two grandsons with me this time. It is important that our history be passed on to the next generation”, as reports the Yangtze Evening News.
“慰安妇”正义联盟联合主席捐助者Lilian Sing是一名退休法官。据《扬子晚报》报道，周六，她说：“我很高兴这次带着我的两个孙子一起来。将我们的历史传承给下一代很重要”。
Sing’s grandson said that he only learned about the horrific events that occurred in China during World War II with his grandmother’s founding of the Coalition. He said, “As a young man, I hope this project inspires the next generation of Chinese and American young people to work together to spread knowledge about Asian history”. He further mentioned that he plans to establish a branch of the Coalition at the university he attends to let his peers understand this terrible tragedy.
辛的孙子说，他是随着祖母成立联军才知道二战期间中国发生的可怕事件。他说，“作为一名年轻人，我希望这个项目能够激励下一代中美年轻人共同努力传播亚洲历史知识”。他进一步提到，他计划在他就读的大学设立一个联盟分支机构，让他的同龄人了解这场可怕的悲剧。
The term, “Comfort Women”, is one not without controversy. The website, remembercomfortwomen.org states it as “the Japanese Imperial government’s euphemism for the women and children they trafficked as sex slaves between 1932 and 1945”. Closer to home, many in our City oppose its use, as the women it describes were at no point in any particular comfort.
“慰安妇”一词并非没有争议。 Remembercomfortwomen.org 网站称其为“日本帝国政府对 1932 年至 1945 年间被贩卖为性奴隶的妇女和儿童的委婉说法”。言归正传，我们城市的许多人反对使用它，因为它所描述的女性根本没有任何特别的舒适感。
Entrance is free to the Nanjing Sex Slave Museum, located at 2 Liji Lane in Daxinggong, that is also the only museum this publication has encountered in China open to over 14s only.
位于大行宫礼济巷2号的南京性奴博物馆免费入场，这也是本刊在中国遇到的唯一一个只对14岁以上开放的博物馆。
