这是发生在美国华盛顿国家动物园中的动人一幕：全美乃至全世界成千上万的人前来和这里最受欢迎的居民告别。他们不是在和一个人道别，而是和一只熊猫。

　　BaoBao, the zoo’s beloved (受宠爱的) giant panda, left for her new home in Chengdu, China on Feb 22. She’s the first female giant panda born in the US National Zoo and has won the hearts of many Americans since her birth three and a half years ago.

　　2月22日，动物园内备受宠爱的大熊猫宝宝启程前往她位于中国成都的新家。她是在美国国家动物园内诞生的第一只雌性大熊猫，从三年半前她出生开始，便俘获了不少美国人的心。

　　A series of goodbye events were held, including a dumpling party and cake feedings (喂食). Information about her flight was even made available online so that people could keep track of her journey.

　　动物园举办了如饺子派对、喂食蛋糕等一系列欢送活动，甚至还在网上公布了宝宝的飞机航班信息。这样，人们就能时刻了解她的旅途动态了。

　　“It’s something that, especially with the giant pandas, you know exactly when this is coming,” keeper Stacey Tabellario told the Washington Post. She had helped take care of BaoBao since the panda was born at the zoo.

　　“尤其是对于大熊猫而言，我们很确切地知道这一时刻什么时候会来临，”饲养员Stacey Tabellario在接受《华盛顿邮报》采访时表示。从宝宝在动物园出生那天起，她一直在帮忙照顾她。

　　“We know that they’re going … by the age of four. So we can prepare for it. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t get attached,” she added.

　　“我们知道到了四岁……它们就得离开。所以我们可以有所准备，但这并不意味着我们没有建立起感情，”她补充道。

　　BaoBao was destined (命中注定的) to return to her ancestral home due to an agreement between China and the US. In fact, most giant pandas around the world are on loan (租借) from China and cubs (幼崽) born abroad will be sent back before they turn four.

　　由于中美之间的协议，宝宝注定要回到她的故乡。事实上，全球大部分的大熊猫都是从中国租借的，出生在海外的幼崽将会在四岁时被送回国内。

　　Native to China and adored (喜爱) around the world, the furry black-and-white animals have played an important role in the country’s diplomacy (外交). This is known as “Panda Diplomacy”.

　　这种毛茸茸、黑白相间的动物是中国的本土物种，受到了全世界的喜爱。它在我国外交中扮演着重要的角色，被称为“熊猫外交”。

　　The practice dates back to the Tang Dynasty, when Empress Wu Zetian sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese emperor.

　　这一做法可追溯到唐朝，当时，武则天将一对熊猫送给了日本天皇。

　　China revived (重启) panda diplomacy in the 1950s when China sent two pandas to the Moscow Zoo. By 1982, China had given 23 pandas to nine different countries. The most famous one was China’s gift of two pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, to the United States in 1972 after former President Richard Nixon’s visit to China.

　　上世纪50年代，我国重新开始了熊猫外交，将两只大熊猫送往莫斯科动物园。到了1982年，中国已经将23只大熊猫送往9个不同的国家。其中最著名的，是我国在美国前总统理查德?尼克松1972年访华后送给美国的两只大熊猫 —— 玲玲和兴兴。

　　However, since the early 1980s, China has stopped giving away pandas for free because of their decreasing numbers. Instead, the animals are loaned to other countries.

　　然而，自上世纪80年代初开始，由于大熊猫数量不断减少，中国已经停止向外免费赠送熊猫，而是改为租借形式。

　　For example, zoos in the US, UK and France “rent” pandas from China. The money they pay for the pandas, which ranges from tens of thousands to millions of US dollars, was used to fund conservation (保护) and breeding programs of the endangered (濒危的) species.

　　比如，美国、英国以及法国的动物园都从中国“租借”了熊猫。他们的租借费从上万到上百万美元不等。这些钱会被用于资助该濒危物种的保护繁育项目。

　　The panda is by no means the only animal serving as an “ambassador of friendship”. Elephants and dogs have also been given as diplomatic gifts. In 1953, Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh sent Chairman Mao Zedong two Asian elephants as gifts as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries.

　　大熊猫绝不是作为“友谊大使”的唯一一种动物。大象和狗也会被作为外交礼物进行赠送。1953年，越南领导人胡志明送给了毛泽东主席两头亚洲象，作为礼物和两国友谊的象征。