Historical links between a railway line and an American hero are being highlighted these days in Jiangsu Province, as a new high-speed-train track begins its replacing of what was a critical wartime link dating from 80 years ago.
On 30 November, construction got underway on the Jiangsu and Zhejiang sections of the Tongsu Jiayong Railway. The line is a new north-south link which shall eventually connect Nantong in Jiangsu with Ningbo in Zhejiang.
11月30日，通苏嘉甬铁路江浙段开工。该线路是一条新的南北连接线，最终将连接江苏南通和浙江宁波。
Upon completion, the new line will will greatly shorten journey times between Nantong, Suzhou, Jiaxing, Ningbo and other cities, reports the Yangtze Evening News.
据扬子晚报报道，新线建成后，将大大缩短南通、苏州、嘉兴、宁波等城市之间的行车时间。
But the line is just as significant for it being, in part, a replacement for the Suzhou-Jiaxing Railway, dating from 1936.
但这条线路同样重要，因为它在一定程度上取代了 1936 年的苏嘉铁路。
A full 2 years after deciding to proceed on the project intended to resist further Japanese invasion and facilitate the mobilisation of troops in wartime, ground was broken for the new line on 22 February, 1936.
在决定继续进行旨在抵御日本进一步入侵和促进战时部队动员的项目整整两年后，新线于 1936 年 2 月 22 日破土动工。
As ever in China, the date was chosen for a reason. It was the fourth anniversary of the death of American pilot, Robert McCawley Short, an event which still carries a strong significance in China today.
与中国历来一样，选择这个日期是有原因的。今年是美国飞行员罗伯特·麦考利·肖特逝世四周年纪念日，这一事件在今天的中国仍然具有重要意义。
For Short was the first pilot to die in the Second Sino-Japanese War in China and the the first American casualty in that country’s operations against Japan. Just 2 days earlier, he had also become the first pilot to shoot down a Japanese plane in that same War.
肖特是第二次中日战争中第一位在中国阵亡的飞行员，也是中国对日作战中第一位伤亡的美国人。就在两天前，他还成为同一场战争中第一位击落日本飞机的飞行员。
According to the Archives at The Museum of Flight, Short worked in China for the L. E. Gale Company, marketing American-made planes in Asia. In this capacity, he became acquainted with T. V. Soong, then Chinese Minister of Finance. Song was to appoint Short as advisor to the Chinese Air Force and hire him as the School for Military Air Tactics’ Chief Instructor.
根据飞行博物馆的档案，肖特曾在中国的 L. E. Gale 公司工作，在亚洲销售美国制造的飞机。在此期间，他结识了时任中国财政部长的宋子文。宋将任命肖特为中国空军顾问，并聘请他为军事航空战术学院总教官。
In the battle that would cost Short his life, on 22 February, 1932, Short watched a train attempt to evacuate citizens from Nanjing and the subsequent Japanese arial bombardment thereof.
1932 年 2 月 22 日，在这场导致肖特丧生的战斗中，肖特目睹了一列试图从南京疏散公民的火车以及随后日军的空中轰炸。
Springing into action, Short took to the Boeing Model 218 plane he had just delivered to Nanjing and to the air to defend the Chinese civilians aboard the train.
肖特立即采取行动，驾驶刚刚交付南京的波音218型飞机飞向空中，保护火车上的中国平民。
As the Archives note, “Accounts of the ensuing battle differ, but it is certain that Short was outnumbered at least three to one and the leader of the attack, Susumu Kotani, did die of injuries sustained during the battle. Short was shot down and died of his injuries, which he sustained both during the attack and in the crash”.
正如档案馆所指出的那样，“对随后的战斗的记载有所不同，但可以肯定的是，肖特在人数上至少处于三比一的劣势，而袭击的领导者小谷进确实在战斗中受伤而死亡。肖特被击落并因在袭击和坠机中受伤而死亡”。
Short received a hero’s funeral in Shanghai, attended by tens of thousands of local people, together with many Chinese officials, as well as Short’s own mother and brother.
肖特在上海接受了英雄葬礼，数万名当地民众、许多中国官员以及肖特自己的母亲和兄弟参加了葬礼。
According to the Party History Office of the CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee, on 28 April, 1932, more than 10,000 people participated in a memorial meeting for Short, held in Suzhou Public Stadium, in the process raising funds to build a monument to him. Meanwhile, the people of Chefang in Suzhou erected a commemorative granite column on the very spot where Short died, so as to never forget.
据中共苏州市委党史办公室介绍，1932年4月28日，万余人参加了在苏州市公共体育场举行的肖特追悼会，并筹集资金为他修建纪念碑。与此同时，苏州车坊人民在肖特去世的地方立起了花岗岩纪念柱，以永远铭记。
In his honour, so the building of the Suzhou-Jiaxing Railway commenced. Today, more than 80 years later, the new high-speed line now under construction connects not only more and more cities in the Yangtze River Delta, but also both the past and future.
为了纪念他，苏嘉铁路开始修建。 80多年后的今天，正在建设中的新高铁不仅连接着长三角越来越多的城市，也连接着过去和未来。
