今天是中國日報創刊35周年正日子。中國日報社社長、總編輯朱靈在今日出版的特輯上撰文紀念這個特別的日子：Bringing you the news on all platforms。
在文中，朱靈社長講述了中國日報創辦的初衷，逐步邁向全球化的歷程，以及新時代下全媒體轉型的努力。
為方便理解，小編做了編譯，但仍推薦大家閱讀英文，以領略原文的文採。
What is it with pandas?
熊貓到底有什麼魅力？
No editor seems to be able to resist the temptation of carrying a story; and the cute creatures have long been a staple of global media.
大熊貓，一直都是全球媒體關注的焦點。沒有哪個編輯能抵擋住它們的誘惑，而不去跟蹤報導關於熊貓的新聞。
No wonder then that the front page of the inaugural issue of China Daily prominently carried the story of Chia-Chia returning from Washington Zoo to his home in London Zoo after failing to stir the romantic interest of Hsing-Hsing in the US capital.
中國日報也不例外，我們創刊號的頭版頭條就選了一條關於大熊貓琦琦（Chia-Chia）的新聞。講的是它因為沒有同另一隻大熊貓興興（Hsing-Hsing）擦出愛的火花，不得不離開華盛頓回到自己的家——倫敦動物園，無功而返的故事。
But, of course, it wasn’t just for panda coverage that China Daily was launched on June 1, 1981.
1981年6月1日中國日報創刊，當然不僅僅是為了報導大熊貓。
It was meant to open up a country which until then was closed to the world -- and tell the story in English.
那是為了打開一個國家對外封閉已久的大門——而且還要用英文來講故事。
Today, anyone anywhere in the world can read China Daily in print or on a whole range of new media platforms. It is the most quoted source of news, comment and opinion on China as it informs readers of developments in the world’s second-largest economy.
如今，世界上每一個角落的讀者都可以讀到中國日報，有的人讀紙質版的，有的人則通過新媒體平臺。中國日報是國外媒體轉載最高的中國報紙，中國日報的新聞報導和評論使讀者了解到世界第二大經濟體的發展和進步。
Back then, a growing stream of tourists, businesspeople, consultants and 「foreign experts」 making their way to the country found themselves almost isolated from the outside world — and didn’t know much of what was happening in the country, either.
而在那時，越來越多的遊客、商人、顧問和「外國專家」開始來到中國，可他們卻發現，由於語言障礙，自己在這個國家幾乎與外界隔絕，同時也對這個國家正在發生的事情一無所知。
In today’s plugged-in world, it might be difficult to comprehend that news in English was then at such a premium.
在今天這個與時俱進的世界，我們可能很難理解一份英文報紙在當時是多麼地稀缺！
The reason for starting the paper might have been prosaic: keeping foreigners in China apprised of news in the country and around the world.
中國日報創刊的原因可能平淡無奇：讓在中國的外國人獲悉中國以及世界各地的新聞。
But soon, our mission was clear: Going beyond mere information to presenting and explaining China to the world — and vice versa.
但很快，我們的使命就變得更加明確：不僅僅要向世界展示和解讀中國——反之，也要將世界介紹給中國。
Design was blessed with fortuity when the birth of the paper coincided with reform and opening up — which perhaps resulted in the biggest economic and social transformation in history.
幸運的是，中國日報創刊恰逢改革開放——而這或許算得上歷史上最大的經濟和社會轉型。
We have not looked back since.
從那以後，我們就一往直前。
What started as an eight-page broadsheet — in itself bucking the trend of the then four-page Chinese newspapers, and using bigger pictures — is now a multimedia platform with a 24-page flagship newspaper.
最初中國日報只有八個版，版面設計上跟當時中國主流的四個版的其他報紙一樣，配有大圖。現在，中國日報已發展成為大型多媒體平臺，中國日報旗艦報每天擁有24個版。
The journey has been eventful with continuous growth the constant. Along the way, we added more offerings such as the 21st Century stable of publications catering to young Chinese learning English.
一路走來，過程艱辛，但成長從未間斷。成長路上，我們還新發行了許多刊物，例如，為了幫助中國青少年學習英語，我們出版了《二十一世紀英文報》。
We now have editions in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
現在，中國日報還推出了北美版、歐洲版、亞洲版和非洲版。
And we were pioneers in embracing technology as well as the first newspaper in the country to go online.
中國日報在技術方面是報紙行業的先鋒，我們也是國內第一份推出網絡版的報紙。
We are proud to have more than 500 foreign and Chinese reporters and editors spread over the headquarters in Beijing, 35 bureaus across China and 18 overseas bureaus in major cities including New York, London, Paris and Brussels. We have 14 printing sites on the Chinese mainland and 34 overseas.
我們擁有500多名中外記者和編輯，分布在北京總部、全國35個記者站，18個海外分社，包括紐約、倫敦、巴黎和布魯塞爾等世界主要大城市，對此我們頗感自豪。同時，我們還擁有14個國內印點和34個海外印點。
Today, we have a global print circulation of 900,000 and more than 40 million followers online. Our China Watch, published by leading newspapers including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the Daily Telegraph, has a circulation of 4 million. It is also published in German, French and Spanish and the aim is to have editions in all the six working languages of the United Nations.
現在，我們的全球發行量為90萬，並有超過4000萬的在線讀者。我們的子刊《中國觀察報》與包括《華盛頓郵報》、《華爾街日報》、《每日電訊報》在內的世界眾多主要報紙合作出版，擁有400萬的發行量。《中國觀察報》還同時以德語、法語和西班牙語發行，我們的目標是能夠以聯合國的六種工作語言出版。
On social media, we have 22 million followers on microblogging site Weibo, 6 million downloads on Apple and Android, and more than 5 million followers on Facebook.
在社交媒體上，中國日報的官方微博已有2200萬粉絲，中國日報客戶端在蘋果和安卓應用平臺的下載量達600萬，在Facebook臉譜帳號有超過500萬粉絲。
We have been the official publication for major events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 Shanghai Expo and the 2014 APEC meeting in Beijing; and we are covering in detail the upcoming G20 summit in Hangzhou.
我們承辦了2008年北京奧運會、2010年上海世博會和北京2014年亞太經合組織會議等重大活動的官方會刊；對於即將在杭州召開的G20二十國集團峰會，我們也將派出專門團隊進行詳細報導。
China Daily is a member of Asia News Network, which comprises 21 major English newspapers from 19 countries or regions. ANN aims to challenge the domination of Western media so that Asian news is covered by Asian media.
中國日報是亞洲新聞聯盟的成員，亞洲新聞聯盟由來自19個國家和地區的21家主要英文報紙組成。亞洲新聞聯盟旨在打破西方媒體的新聞壟斷，實現「亞洲人報導亞洲」的理想。
In the process, we have made China much more accessible to the rest of the world — facts and foibles, warts and all. We lend context and perspective, and explain how the big stories impact China and the world. In particular, we take pride in presenting balanced and nuanced coverage of national and international news.
在這個過程中，我們讓中國更多地被世界所了解——無論事實真相，還是缺點與不足，都毫不諱言。我們提供背景和視角，並闡釋那些大事件是如何影響中國和世界的。我們為能將國內國際的新聞公正客觀、細緻入微地報導出來而感到自豪。
Today, as we mark our 35th anniversary, we reflect on the three-and-half decades in this commemorative issue.
今天，我們一同紀念中國日報創刊三十五周年，我們藉此專刊回顧這三十五年來的歷程。
The theme is simple: 10 issues which have had the most bearing on the changing face of China. Senior colleagues in the paper provide personal insights into the topics.
主題很簡單：10個最能反映中國社會發展的議題。中國日報的資深同事將對這些議題深入闡述個人見解。
All of this, of course, would not have been possible without you, the reader. You have been unstinting in your support, and liberal with your criticism. We welcome your response and thank you for it.
當然，中國日報現有的一切，都離不開你們，每一位讀者。感謝你們慷慨的支持，也感謝你們不吝惜批評與建議。我們歡迎並由衷地感謝您的反饋。
I thank my colleagues, past and present — from the pioneers who braved the odds to give shape to the paper to those who have contributed, in ways big and small, to help it thrive.
我感謝我的每一位新老同事，包括竭盡全力使這份報紙走上正軌的前輩們，還有每一位通過不同的方式為中國日報茁壯成長做出貢獻的人們。
On a personal note, I feel particularly proud for I started as a rookie reporter soon after the launch and have seen it grow to what it is today.
就個人而言，能在中國日報創刊伊始就作為一個新兵加入，並伴隨其共同成長，見證其今日的成就，我深感自豪。
And we continue to cover pandas.
當然，我們還是會繼續報導大熊貓的。