Check in counters might be the oddest of places to hold an anniversary celebration for 45 years of ties between Jiangsu and the state of Victoria in Australia. But not when the first flight to Melbourne from Nanjing in a very long time is about to depart.
值机柜台可能是江苏省与澳大利亚维多利亚州建交45周年庆典最奇怪的地方。但当很长一段时间以来首个从南京飞往墨尔本的航班即将起飞时，情况就不同了。
The evening of yesterday, 28 June, saw China Eastern Airlines take to the skies for the long flight south-southeastward to the capital of Victoria. That was right after an inaugural flight ceremony for the Nanjing-Melbourne route was held at Nanjing Lukou International Airport.
昨天6月28日晚，东航执飞长航，飞往东南偏南方向，飞往维多利亚州首府。就在此时，南京-墨尔本航线首航仪式在南京禄口国际机场举行。
Among those present were Jiangsu Vice Governor Xia Xinmin, Australian Consul General in Shanghai William Zhang and Victorian Government Special Commissioner to Greater China Shi Wen.
江苏省副省长夏新民、澳大利亚驻上海总领事张威廉、维多利亚州政府大中华区特派员施文等出席。
208 passengers boarded the Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft that has a capacity for 232 people, proving there is much demand for the service. Indeed, there today is many a Nanjinger who completed their higher education in Melbourne.
208名乘客登上了可容纳232人的空客A330宽体飞机，证明了对该服务的巨大需求。事实上，今天有许多南京人在墨尔本完成了高等教育。
That is in part down to those sister-state relations, which are arguably responsible for Victoria being home to roughly a quarter of all Chinese investment in Australia.
这在一定程度上要归功于姐妹州关系，可以说正是这种关系使得维多利亚州占据了中国对澳大利亚投资总额的大约四分之一。
Former Austrian Premier Daniel Andrews visited Nanjing for a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of ties in 2019. He has said, “Victoria is the gateway for Chinese investment and trade in Australia, and we are proud of the strong and lasting relationship we have built with our largest trading partner”.
2019年，奥地利前总理丹尼尔·安德鲁斯访问南京，出席中澳建交40周年纪念活动。他表示，“维多利亚州是中国在澳大利亚投资和贸易的门户，我们为与最大贸易伙伴建立的牢固而持久的关系感到自豪”。
Among its many other sister states, Jiangsu is twinned with Ontario in Canada, Free State in South Africa, Essex in the UK, and both California and the State of New York in the USA.
在许多其他友好州中，江苏省与加拿大安大略省、南非自由州、英国埃塞克斯州以及美国加利福尼亚州和纽约州结为友好州。
On the flight which resumed last night was a Mr Wu who spoke with Modern Express prior to boarding. He said, “In the past, I had to transfer in Shanghai and arrive there 1 day in advance. Now I can fly directly from Nanjing to Melbourne, which is equivalent to saving a day”.
On the flight which resumed last night was a Mr Wu who spoke with Modern Express prior to boarding.他说，“以前必须在上海转机，提前1天到达。现在可以从南京直飞墨尔本，相当于节省了一天”。
China Eastern flies a thrice weekly service to and from Melbourne; outbound on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays as MU851, departing 21:15, arriving 10:00; inbound on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays as MU852, departing 12:00, arriving 21:05.
中国东方航空每周有三次往返墨尔本的航班；周三、周五、周日去程为MU851，21:15出发，10:00到达；每周一、周四、周六入境为 MU852，12:00 出发，21:05 到达。
The Nanjinger also maintains a list of all international and regional flights out of Lukou which can be accessed via this link.
南京人还保留着从禄口出发的所有国际和地区航班的列表，可通过此链接访问。
