Echoes from the past

    過去的60年里，中國那些年輕人可以說是路漫漫其修遠兮。 OVER the last 60 years, Chinese young people have come a long way.

    20世紀50年代，他們被稱為"祖國的花朵".因為他們是新中國培養起來的第一批年輕人。到了70年代，這些年輕人有了一個新的名字--"知青",他們走進農村向農民學習。80年代，那些文藝青年開始引導中國走向更富創造性的經濟。 In the 1950s, they were called the "flowers of the motherland" because they were the first young generation to make their way through the new China. In the 1970s, young people became known as the "educated youth", having learned from peasants in the countryside. During the 1980s, "literary and artistic" youth began ushering China toward a more creative economy.

    在下面的文章中，我們將重點介紹過去60年來的幾個重要表達。這些詞匯記錄了中國從強調政治掛帥到保護文化、發展經濟的巨大轉變。它們讓我們回想起中國經歷了怎樣翻天覆地的變化。它們讓我們可以更好地將中國的故事講給那些對中國感興趣的外國友人們聽。 In the following paragraphs, we will highlight several key expressions from the last six decades. These words and phrases document China`s shift from emphasizing politics to preserving culture and growing the economy. They remind us about how far we have come as a country. And they can help us better tell China`s story to foreigners interested in knowing more about our country.

    20世紀50年代 1950s

    好好學習，天天向上 study hard and move forward every day

    1951年，蘇州市一名8歲小學生陳永康幫助警察捉住了一名特務。事后，毛澤東主席為他題詞"好好學習，天天向上"作為獎勵。毛主席希望每個孩子都能好好學習，將來為祖國貢獻自己的力量。寫著這句標語的橫幅幾乎掛滿中國的每間教室。 Mao Zedong wrote to honor an 8-year-old boy, Chen Yongkang, who helped police catch a spy in Suzhou, in 1951. Mao asked all kids to study hard to do a better job for the country. Banners with this slogan could be seen in almost every classroom. 年輕人經常戲謔地說Good good study, day day up.它和"Long time no see"（好久不見）一樣逐漸成為部分老外能明白的中式英語。但這樣的直譯只是博君一笑的特例。

    糧票 food coupon

    計劃經濟體制下，糧票是人們購買某些糧食的必備憑證。較低的農業產出導致了食物供給的短缺和定額分配制度，而糧票恰恰解決了這一分配問題。這種定額分配制度一直持續到90年代早期。如今，它們已經成了收藏者們的摯愛。 This allowed people to get certain food supplies under the planned economy. Low agricultural production meant insufficient food supplies and a quota system and the coupons were a means of distribution. The quota system lasted to the early `90s. The tickets are now the stuff of collectors. 那時是國家統一定價（uniform pricing system）, 后來經濟發展了，市場上出現了國家供應糧之外的市場定價糧，通常高于國家牌價，叫做"議價糧".可以解釋為food that`s outside the quota system, which has a higher price.

    20世紀60年代 1960s

    毛主席語錄 quotations from Chairman Mao

    幾乎所有人都聽說過《紅寶書》。1964年至1976年，人們從毛澤東的演講和著作中摘選部分內容制成語錄并出版發行。人們被要求背誦其中的語句，并以此來指導他們的思想。西方人根據該書紅色的書皮和口袋書的大小將其命名為" Little Red Book". Practically everyone has heard of the Little Red Book. This collection of quotations from Mao Zedong`s speeches and writings was published from 1964 until about `76. People had to remember lines and use them to guide their thoughts. The title Little Red Book was coined by Westerners because of the red cover and pocket-book size.當年為了翻譯《毛主席語錄》，國家動用了強大的專家力量，因此據說英文版"紅寶書"是學習翻譯的好教材。

    紅衛兵 Red Guard

    在文化大革命時期，幾乎所有的中學生和大學生都是革命的"紅衛兵".在小學，小紅衛兵替代了少先隊員。"四人幫"利用紅衛兵來挑戰權威。他們是導致社會動亂的主要原因。1978年，"四人幫"終于被徹底粉碎，紅衛兵也不復存在。 Basically middle-school and college students during the "Cultural Revolution" that Chairman Mao allowed to act as revolutionaries. In primary schools, Little Red Guards replaced the Young Pioneers. The "Gang of Four" used Red Guards to challenge authority. They were a key cause of social disorder, but their reign ended in 1978. 紅衛兵的主要手段是貼"大字報"（wall posters using large Chinese characters as a means of protest or propaganda）,以及全國"大串聯"（red guards took public transportation for free across the country to exchange revolutionary ideas）.

    20世紀70年代 1970s

    知青 educated youth

    60年代中期到70年代末，約1700萬城市中學畢業生響應毛主席的號召來到農村。他們被告誡要尊敬農民，向農民學習。到了1979年，大多數知青返回城市。但是他們很難適應新的社會。 From the mid-`60s to the late-`70s, about 17 million urban middle school grads answered Mao`s call and flocked to the countryside. They were encouraged to pay respect to and learn from the peasants. By 1979, most educated youth were heading back to the cities but they had a hard time adapting to the changed world. 當代的"新知青"-村官，翻譯為student village officials.

    走后門 pull string

    "走后門"可直譯為"entering through the back door".該詞源自計劃經濟下人們利用自己的關系從國營商店的后門獲取商品這一行為。這種現象在70年代末知青絞盡腦汁返回城市時達到了高潮。 Literally, "entering through the back door". It originated under the planned economy when people used connections to get goods from the back door of a state-owned shop. This string-pulling reached a sort of climax in the late `70s when the "educated youth" tried everything possible to get back to the cities. pull strings來源于木偶戲，引申為幕后操縱，或利用關系進行幕后操縱。相關表達"拉關系"可翻譯成make social connections to gain favors.

    老外 laowai

    "老外"直譯就是"old foreigner"."老外"這一新詞出現在70年代末，改革開放后，大批外國人涌入中國。起初，該詞含有一種戲弄的口氣。如今，該詞多用為一種友好的昵稱。 Literally "old foreigner", the term was coined in the late 1970s as many foreigners came to China after the country`s reform and opening up. At first it carried a teasing tone. But now it`s more of a friendly nickname. 像大山這種在中國居住、工作或學習時間較久，精通中國文化的外國人常被稱作an old China hand中國通。

    20世紀80年代 1980s

    鐵飯碗 iron rice bowl

    "鐵飯碗"指由政府提供的有保證的終生制工作。因此，這些人永遠不愁失去工作。然而，到了80年代，在新的市場經濟體制下，就業競爭機制出現。存在了30多年之后，備受人們喜愛的"鐵飯碗"退出了歷史舞臺。 A secure, lifetime job assigned by the government. Where was no fear of losing the job. By the `80s, with the new market economy, there was a competitive model of employment. And the cherished iron rice bowl was gone after more than 30 years. 英語中，表示一份工作穩定通常用safe, stable或者reliable來形容。

    三好學生 all-round good student

    "三好學生"直譯為"thrice-good",指在德、智、體三方面都很優秀的學生。該詞最早在50年代由毛主席提出，旨在鼓勵年輕人強身健體、努力學習、勤奮工作。 Literally, "thrice-good", given to students who were virtuous, talented, and good at PE; first used in the `50s by Mao to encourage young people to keep fit, study well, and work hard. "三好"指的是德、智、體三方面，而英語中的 straight A student指的是每門功課都得A的學生。所以兩者并不完全對等。"三好學生"也不能翻成 three-goods student,因為goody-goody是指那種在老師面前掙表現的"好"學生。

    倒爺 profiteering

    在 1979年的市場經濟體制下，價格雙軌制開始實行。那時，某些特定商品的價格是固定的，這些商品不對外出售而是采取分配的方式。若生產量超出配額，工廠可以高價賣出這些剩余商品。如此一來，那些政府、工廠領導的"關系戶"就能以低價買進這些商品，然后再高價賣出。到了1987年，這種倒買倒賣的行為才被禁止。 For the market economy, a dual-pricing system was tried in 1979. The price of certain goods was fixed and they were distributed instead of sold. If a factory exceeded its quota, it could sell the surplus at a higher price. People close to government or factory officials got the low-priced goods and sold them at a higher price. This profiteering was outlawed in 1987. 官倒，是指官員利用職權進行倒買倒賣謀利，可譯為official profiteering.

    待業青年 youth waiting for job

    80年代，政府停止為中學畢業生提供國企及政府機關的工作機會，致使社會上出現大批待業青年。其中，一部分人能從退休父母那里繼承工作；另一部分人則只能選擇小型企業。 The unemployed young people of the `80s, after the government stopped assigning jobs to middle school grads, at State-owned enterprises or government offices. Some unemployed youth could "inherit" a post from a retired parent. Others tried small businesses. 待業只是失業的好聽說法，英語叫between jobs.現在有些年輕人畢業后take a gap year,四處旅游或學習更多技能后再來找工作。

    20世紀90年代 1990s

    炒股 speculate in stock

    90年代，上海、深圳交易所創立后，股票市場投資大行其道。根據其不穩定的特征，中國人用烹飪中的"炒"（翻炒）來形容炒股交易，該詞還包含了保持股票不斷買賣交易、維持股票熱度的含義。 Investing in the stock market was the order of the day in the late `90s after the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges opened. Chinese used a word from cooking, "chao" （stir-fry）, to describe the unstable nature of the trading, which involved keeping the shares moving （buying and selling） to keep it hot. "炒"后來被廣泛用于口語，炒房、炒樓都可以用speculate.

    包二奶 keeping a mistre

    "包二奶"一詞源自廣東話，指一個已婚男人的長期婚外戀行為。通常，他要為對方提供金錢、車子甚至別墅。到了90年代，人們的收入足以負擔這些花費后，"包二奶"現象更加普遍。 Originally, Cantonese for a married man with a long-term extramarital affair, where he kept a woman by giving her money, a car, or a flat. This became more common in the late `90s when people got rich enough to afford such costs. 包二奶的男人叫sugar daddy,"傍大款"就是 find a sugar daddy."包養":pay for a mistress ."被包養": financially dependent on a man who`s having an affair with her.

    2000年 2000s

    小康 well-off

    所謂小康，是指一種相對舒適的生活標準。該詞源自孔子，80年代末鄧小平在改革開放時期重申該詞。小康社會不僅要解決溫飽問題，還要將人們的生活標準提升到一個較高的水平，在文化和教育方面都有所提升。 This refers to a standard of living that`s considered relatively comfortable. It`s originally from Confucius and was used by Deng for the reforms by the end of the `80s. A well-off society would not only solve the clothing and food problems, but would also push the standard of living to a higher level, culturally and intellectually. well-off是指具備充足的物質條件，可以過上愜意舒適的生活。按照該定義，如果說一個人well off,他就應該有自己的房子和汽車，衣食住行游，樣樣不用愁。但從我國總體情況來看，我們所說的"小康"依然夠不上這樣的標準。

    囧 sunk

    "囧" 是個不常見的詞。在傳統意義上，其意思是"光明".2008年，網友將其作為最佳在線聊天的表情符號，該詞再度被廣泛運用。由于該字看起來很像一個失望的表情，它還被賦予一個新含義：尷尬和困窘。此外，在口語中它還能用作形容詞。有時，它還和"orz"一起用作"囧rz",表示一個人跪在地上，象征絕望、失敗的樣子。 This uncommon character means "brightness" in its classical sense. Around 2008, netizens brought it back to life as a perfect emoticon for online chatting. It has a look of disappointment, so it`s gained a new meaning: embarrassment or awkwardness. It is also used in spoken language as an adjective. Sometimes it`s used in conjunction with "orz", as "囧rz", to represent a person on hands and knees, a symbol of despair or failure. 英文當中有一些常用的詞組或用法，可以表達"囧",比如 turn red in the face,從字面意思就可看出是因為尷尬，害羞而臉紅；或I just died,意思是 I was so embarrassed I really wanted to"die".