第1节：中文序言 在中国创新
微软公司在1991年成立了微软研究院，那是因为我们认识到投资于能够拓展知识疆界，并创造新技术“为前人所不能为”的基础研究的重要意义。
十年前，我和微软当时的CTO内森·梅尔沃德（Nathan Myhrvold）谈到，或许是时候扩展我们在基础研究方面的布局了——除了雷德蒙研究院之外，微软公司还应在欧洲及亚洲那些新兴的、拥有强劲创新潜力的国家部署研发团队、发掘和培育智力资源。
可以说，微软公司是最早认识到中国和亚洲的研发潜力的全球性企业之一。当我在1997年访问中国期间，中国学生身上所洋溢着的才智、激情和创造力，给我留下了深刻的印象。也正是缘于这次访问，对我们于1998年在北京成立基础研究院的决定起到了至关重要的作用。
时至今日，这所坐落在北京的研究院远远超出了我的最高期望——在创立的头几年，就已经为公司的技术知识和产品储备做出了巨大贡献。接着，这所研究院逐步壮大，吸引了来自亚太地区的顶尖研究员，并发展成为现在大家所熟知的微软亚洲研究院。过去10年间，她可谓功勋卓著，如今已经成为微软公司在美国本土以外规模最大的基础研究机构。
今天，微软亚洲研究院在洪小文博士的带领下继续为微软公司乃至整个计算机产业做出着重要贡献。在国际顶级学术会议上，每当业内专家聚集在一起讨论当前面临的艰难挑战时，总能听到来自微软亚洲研究院的研究员们宣布重大突破的声音。同时，在微软最重要的产品中，像Windows Vista、Office 2007、Xbox 360，大家都能发现来自微软亚洲研究院的关键性创新。
不仅如此，微软亚洲研究院及其主要创立者的影响已经扩展到了整个公司。现在，微软亚洲研究院的两位前院长——沈向洋博士和张亚勤博士，正在微软非常重要的部门——微软公司全球搜索产品开发部和微软中国——担任着掌门人的角色。
微软亚洲研究院给整整一代计算机研究者带来了积极的影响。通过与本地研究机构和大学的密切合作，研究院帮助提升了中国计算机科学研究的水平，并助力培养了数以千计的年轻科学家和工程师。
作为一家全球性企业，微软之所以成功的关键，主要取决于能够吸引来自世界各地的优秀人才聚集在一起。这也是微软亚洲研究院的根本愿景——建造一座了不起的计算机研究院，让全中国乃至全亚洲最聪明的人济济一堂。通过提供微软所独有的专业技能、理念和资源，让这些研究员专心致志地致力于划时代的突破和发现——正是由于他们的努力和鼓舞，我们当初的期望才取得了超乎想象的成功。
借此机会，我衷心地感谢一如既往地支持微软亚洲研究院的各界朋友、同仁和伙伴们。祝贺微软亚洲研究院10年来的出色工作。未来十年，我盼望着继续见证他们的创新，让这个世界变得更加美好。
第2节：英文序言
Preface
Innovating in China
We launched Microsoft Research back in 1991 because we recognized the importance of investing in work to expａｎｄ the boundaries of our knowledge ａｎｄ create new technologies that accomplish things that weren"t possible before.
Later I mentioned to then Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold that it might be a good idea to expａｎｄ our fundamental research layout – not only in Redmond but in emerging markets as well, like Europe ａｎｄ Asia, where I knew there was great potential for innovation … where we could set up RandD teams, discover talented minds, ａｎｄ train human resources.
We were one of the first global companies to recognize China ａｎｄ Asia’s RandD potential. When I visited China in 1997, I was deeply impressed by the talent, the enthusiasm, ａｎｄ the creativity of the Chinese university students I met. That trip played a pivotal role in our decision to establish a fundamental research lab in Beijing in 1998.
The Research lab in Beijing exceeded even my own high expectations by making significant contributions to our technical knowledge ａｎｄ products within its first few years of existence. As a result, the lab expanded to include the top researchers from the entire Asia Pacific region, ａｎｄ is now known as Microsoft Research Asia. It has achieved remarkable things in the past 10 years ａｎｄ it is now our largest research lab outside of the U.S.
Led today by Dr. Hsiao-Wuen Hon, Microsoft Research Asia has made important contributions to Microsoft ａｎｄ the computing industry. At conferences where researchers gather to discuss the difficult challenges in our industry, researchers from Microsoft Research Asia are announcing ａｎｄ publishing significant advances. In many of our most important products, from Windows Vista, to Office 2007 ａｎｄ Xbox 360, you’ll find key innovations that were developed here in this lab.
The impact of Microsoft Research Asia ａｎｄ the people who helped build it extends across the company. Today, two former managing directors of Microsoft Research Asia, Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang ａｎｄ Dr. Harry Shum, are running some of Microsoft’s most important groups—our technical teams in Search ａｎｄ in Microsoft China.
Microsoft Research Asia has also had an important positive impact on an entire generation of researchers in computer science. By working closely with local research institutes ａｎｄ universities to advance the state of computer science research, the lab has helped train thousands of young scientists ａｎｄ engineers from across the region.
Microsoft is a global company ａｎｄ our success depends upon our ability to attract the best talent from around the world. That"s the basic idea behind Microsoft Research Asia—to create a great research lab where we can bring together the very brightest people from across China ａｎｄ Asia. We then provide them with the expertise, the ideas, ａｎｄ the resources that only Microsoft can offer, so they can focus on a new generation of breakthroughs ａｎｄ discoveries. Because of your hard work ａｎｄ inspiration, this approach has been even more successful than we could have hoped.
To my friends, colleagues, ａｎｄ partners at Microsoft Research Asia, I want to extend my thanks for your incredible contributions. Congratulations for 10 years of great work. I look forward to seeing how the innovations you will deliver in the next decade will continue to make the world a better place.
Bill Gates