从2003年《城记》中文版出版，到2010年英文版出版，我得到了很多人的帮助，请原谅在这里我只能提到其中很少的人。

我的大学同学胡陆军先生慷慨资助了《城记》的英文翻译。这些年来，他和罗锐韧先生——我们共同的学长，一直关心着我在大学毕业后完成的这第一本专著的情况，希望更多的读者能够读到。《城记》英文版是对他们的心愿最好的回报。

我尊敬的三位新华社前辈同仁——李竹润先生、金绍卿先生、熊蕾女士，在百忙之中，以优雅的英文，完成了本书的翻译。其中，前言和第一到第五章，由李竹润先生翻译；第六至第十章，由金绍卿先生翻译；最后由熊蕾女士编辑全部译文。他们的工作使这本书大大增色。

在城市规划方面给予我颇多启发的韩涛先生（Thomas H. Hahn）、苏解放先生（Jeffrey L. Soule）、柳元先生，还有哈维先生（Harvey Solomon）、黄振翔先生（Sidney Wong），一直关心着《城记》英文版的出版。离开他们的帮助，我真不知这本书何时才能面世。

我还要感谢林大伟先生、董黎熙女士和所有为本书的编辑出版做出贡献的人。

    I should acknowledge numerous people who have helped me so much with the publication of the English edition of Beijing Record, seven years after the initial Chinese edition came out in 2003. Forgive me, however, for mentioning only a few of them here.

Mr. Hu Lujun, my classmate at the Remin University of China, generously sponsored the translation of the book into English. He and Mr. Luo Ruiren — our senior alumni — admired this first book I authored upon graduation, and wished to bring it to more readers. This English edition of Beijing Record is a kind of reward of their desires.

My thanks also go to three of my senior colleagues at the Xinhua News Agency: Mr. Li Zhurun, Mr. Jin Shaoqing and Ms. Xiong Lei for their generous help despite their busy schedules. Li and Jin translated the book into graceful English: Mr. Li on the foreword and chapters 1–5, and Mr. Jin on chapters 6–10. Based on their work, Ms. Xiong Lei did the copyediting. Their work has tremendously enriched this English version.

I’m equally grateful to Thomas H. Hahn, Jeffrey L. Soule, Liu Yuan, Harvey Solomon and Sidney Wong, who enlightened me considerably on urban planning and offered much encouragement and advice about this English edition’s publication. Their help has been invaluable, and most appreciated.

Finally, I’d like to express thanks to two editors of World Scientific Mr. Lim Tai Wei and Ms. Dong Lixi, and to all the others who have made contributions to the publication of this book.

 

献给宽宽。

版权页上的大英图书馆图书在版编目。

华揽洪先生设计的北京儿童医院（建造时间：1952~1954年）是中国现代主义建筑的里程碑，其标志物——水塔烟囱，却在“为2008北京奥运会而进行的‘净空’工程”中遭到拆毁。此前，诸多人士吁停未果。这张摄于2002年的水塔烟囱相片成了遗照。

陈占祥、华揽洪先生1954年合作设计的月坛南街，当年被称为“社会主义大路”，是新中国成立后北京建成的第一条统一规划的街道。2009年，月坛南街东部路段在金融街西扩中遭到拆毁。

英文版全彩印刷。随《城记》首次公开的梁思成先生画于1955年的颐和园霁清轩，得现水彩真容。

采用轻型铜版纸，全书536页，却与358页的中文简体版厚度相当。

附中英文对照索引。

韩涛先生（Thomas H. Hahn）赐序。

苏解放先生（Jeffrey L. Soule）、刘香成先生赐封底推荐。

哥四个：中文简体版（北京三联，2003）、中文繁体版（台北高谈文化，2005）、日文版（集广舍，2008）、英文版（World Scientific, 2011）

出版社简介

世界科技出版公司（World Scientific）是当今亚太地区规模最大的英文科技出版公司，也是世界科技出版业的领导者之一。总部位于新加坡的“世界科技出版公司”旗下拥有“世界科技（WSPC）”、“帝国学院出版社（ICP）”两个科技出版的知名品牌，专职出版高科技书刊，内容涉及基础科学、计算机科学、工程技术、医学、生命科学、商业与管理等各学科领域。许多出版物被哈佛大学、加州理工学院、普林斯顿大学等知名学术机构列为教科书。诺贝尔奖基金会独家授权该出版公司在全球范围印行诺贝尔奖获得者演说集（英文版）。

封底推荐

“One decade into the urban century, with over half of the world's population living in cities, Wang Jun's masterful account of the modern history of planning in Beijing has given us a wise and cautionary tale for planners, policy makers and anyone interested in place-making. Unlike any other account, Wang combines his knowledge of the facts of past efforts to guide Beijing with the little-known political landscape behind the decisions. Wang Jun's Beijing Record sharply defines the choices 21st century cities all face — balancing culture, history and development — in an engaging and sobering account of this ancient city's ultimate failure in striking that balance.”

 

“Wang Jun is a rare breed among contemporary Chinese journalists. When he seizes upon a subject which he cares about profoundly, he delves tirelessly into it until he gathers all the facts and lets them speak incisively for themselves. As someone who lives in a courtyard house behind the Forbidden City for the past ten years, I am a witness to the state of this preservation of old Beijing which Wang Jun writes about with a powerful sense of urgency. He writes passionately without letting the research and facts overcome his sense of personal committment. This is a must-read for anyone who is interested in Chinese culture, history and environment.”