刘宾雁 在桥梁工地上 translation: At the Bridge Construction Site, Pt 5 (Liu Binyan)
This is Part 5 of 5 in a translation of the 1956 reportage fiction piece 在桥梁工地上 (At the Bridge Construction Sites) by the Chinese writer 刘宾雁 (Liu Binyan). Liu wrote the piece during Mao’s Hundred Flowers Campaign (百花运动), and was soon victimised for it and labelled a rightist in the following Anti-Rightist Movement (反右派运动).
在桥梁工地上 五
At the Bridge Construction Site
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在离开桥梁队以前，我来到河边和未完成的拱桥告别。 Before I left the bridge team, I went down to part with the uncompleted arch bridge.
这将是一座多么漂亮的桥梁啊！ What a beautiful bridge it would be!
从南岸扬起的第一个拱架，活像一只雄鹰的翅膀。 The first support that had been set up on the south bank was like the wing of an eagle.
如果一号墩修起来，那么另一只翅膀也该张开了。 If they built the second bridge block, the the other wing would spread too.
现在，在河心仅有的一个桥墩的北侧，露出几根钢筋，拱架却没有了，就像甚么人一刀砍断了这只翅膀，只剩下几根筋骨似的…… Now, on the north side of the only bridge block in the river, several steel supports were exposed, but the framework wasn't there, as if someone had cut off this wing with a knife, and there was only some muscle and bone left...
令人惋惜的，当然不仅是这一座桥梁。 But of course, it wasn't just the bridge that filled one with regret.
半年以后，被冲垮的桥墩仍然要树立起来。 Six months later, the bridge blocks that had been washed away still needed to be rebuilt.
火车仍然要从这桥上开过。 And the trains still needed to get across this bridge.
人们仍然有机会欣赏这座雄伟的大桥。 People still had the chance to appreciate this magnificent bridge.
另一件事远比这件更为重要。 And there was something else that was far more important than that.
我向罗队长、周主任告别。 I went to say goodbye to Captain Luo and Director Zhou.
天气已是黄昏时候，工地上一片寂静。 It was already dusk, and the whole construction site was quiet.
往常这个时候，工人们正来来往往交班，最热闹不过了。 Usually at this time the workers would be going to and fro, and it wouldn't get any livelier.
一号墩冲垮以后，各项工作大都停了下来，于是整个工地便沉陷在对于这个不幸事件的哀悼之中。 After the first bridge block had broken, all work halted, and then the whole construction site sunk into mourning over this incident.
看见这副景象，我不禁叹了口气。 Seeing this scene, I couldn't help but sigh.
罗立正跟着也叹了口气。 Luo Lizheng sighed immediately afterwards.
但是我知道，从最近他写给局里的报告看，他并不认为自己在一号墩事件上有甚么责任。 But I knew from the report he'd written for the office recently that he didn't believe in the slightest that the collapse of the first bridge block was his fault.
洪水来得太早，自然灾害，有甚么办法呀！…… The floods had come too early, it was a natural disaster - what could he do?
每逢提起一号墩的事，罗立正总是苦笑着摇头。 Every time the first bridge block was mentioned, Luo Lizheng would force a smile and shake his head.
起初闹不清他这笑和摇头是甚么意思，仔细看了几次才恍然大悟，这意思是：有甚么办法呢？ At first I couldn't tell what his smile and shaking his head meant, and only after looking closely a few times did I realise that it meant: what could I do?
倒霉事都叫我们摊上了。 Everyone has bad luck sometimes.
今天，叹气之后他又这样苦笑起来。 Today, he sighed and forced a smile again.
我忽然想起周主任最爱说的一句说，也苦笑着说：“造桥，不容易啊！” I suddenly thought of a phrase that Director Zhou loved to say, and said it with a forced smile: "Building bridges isn't easy!"
“是呢，不容易啊！”周主任马上发生了共鸣： "Yep, it's not easy!" Directory Zhou immediately agreed, saying:
“好在，这次没出人身事故。一个人也没有死。 "What's good is that no-one got hurt, and nobody died.
这么大的洪水！来得又那么突然！不死人，这不简单哪……” Such a big flood! And it came so suddenly! No-one dying - that's not easy...."
罗队长马上又把问题提到哲学的高度，说： Captain Luo immediately raised the question to a philosophical level, saying:
“就是，就是。不可避免。 "Exactly, exactly. It was unavoidable.
谁让老天爷不跟咱们商量呢！光凭主观愿望办事，就是行不通。 Who lets the Heavens not discuss it with us! If you just rely on subjective hopes to get things done, it will never work.
不可避免的，就是不可避免……” It was unavoidable, it was unavoidable..."
我想问：假如既不让桥墩冲垮，又不出人身事故，岂不是更好么？ I wanted to ask: if they hadn't let the bridge blocks break, and no-one had been hurt, wouldn't that be even better?
三分队的凌口大桥跟拱桥同在一条河上，不是也避免了“不可避免”的灾害么？ Unit 3's bridge at Lingkou was on the same river as the arch bridge, and hadn't they avoided the "unavoidable" disaster?
一路上，我的思想里不停地翻腾着这个问题。 The whole way, I constantly went over this problem in my mind.
是的，在我们建设初期，由于缺乏经验，不能不遭受一些不可避免的损失。 Yes, in the early stages of our construction, because we lacked experience, it was impossible to avoid some inevitable losses and damage.
今后，经验不足、自然灾害也是不能完全防止的。 From now on, if our experience is not enough, natural disasters will never be totally prevented.
但是，我们少炼出的每一吨钢水、少铺下的每一根钢轨、糟蹋掉的每一方木材和多耗费的每一元资金都是“不可避免”的么？ But every drop of steel that we don't make, every rod of steel rail we don't make, every bit of timber we waste and every dollar we waste - is it all "unavoidable"?
就在今天，条件完全一样的两个地方，事故次数、工作速度和成本与质量的高低悬殊很大，这又怎么解释呢？ Today, in two places with identical conditions, the difference in the number of accidents, the work rate, the cost and quality is huge, and how can that be explained?
五个月以后，一九五五年十月里，毛主席“关于农业合作化问题”的报告发表了。 Five months later, in 1955, Chairman Mao's report "About the Co-operatisation of the Countryside" was published.
随着农业合作化高潮的到来，随着资本主义工商业社会主义改造高潮的开始，工业建设战线上也发生了深刻的变化。 When the tide of rural co-operatisation came, along with the tide of capitalist and business reforms, the industrial construction front also underwent deep changes.
这一年年底，工人们听到了毛主席关于反对右倾保守、加快建设速度的指示。 At the end of that year, the workers heard that Chairman Mao's instructions on opposing rightism and conservatism.
工人们说，“毛主席给咱们撑腰了！” The workers said: "Chairman Mao has given us support!"
一个空前规模的劳动高潮首先从辽宁省、从抚顺的矿下和沈阳的车间里出现，紧接着就开始在全国各地形成。 A labour reform on an unprecedented scale that started in Liaoning, arising from the mines in Fushun and the workshops in Shenyang, immediately followed and took form across the entire nation.
群众的劳动热情像潮水一般，冲破保守主义者设下的堤防，卷走了许许多多据说是“祖传下来”因而“动不得”的东西。 The masses worked fervently in a tidal wave, overcoming the obstacles laid down by conservatives, sweeping away many things that were said to be "passed down".
工人们扬眉吐气，用自己的双手修改了计划和指标，扩大了先进生产者名单，打破了许许多多似是而非的迷信。 The workers raised their eyebrows and blew off steam, using their own hands to improve plans and directives, expanding the list of advanced producers, and breaking many superstitions that "seemed to be but were not".
大批大批昨天的“落后分子”挤入了最前列，一天干两个定额的青年突击手们越来越多了。 Huge numbers of "old-fashioned thinkers" were brought to modernity, and there were more and more youths who could complete two quotas in one day.
过去也有过劳动热潮，有过群众性的技术改革运动，但哪一次也没有这么广泛，没有这么迅速； In the past there had been such a crazes in labour and such a mass movements to reform techniques, but they had never been as wide-ranging and rapid as this one;
这是第一次，群众竞赛的矛头首先指向保守主义和官僚主义。 this was the first time that the masses had raced to work against conservatism and bureaucracy.
一再斟酌、壮着胆子拟出的规划，一拿到工人大会上就被更高的要求给突破了。 Repeatedly considering and strengthening the nerve behind their plans, whenever there was a meeting of workers they would be break through to even higher levels with this wave.
愁坏了计划工作者，忙坏了搞原材料供应的人…… It worried those who worked to the plan, and wore out those who handled the supply of materials...
二月里，我为一个采访任务去西北，路上忽然想起了老朋友罗立正和他的桥梁队。 In February, I went to Xibei to do an interview, and on the way I suddenly thought of my old friend Luo Lizheng and his bridge team.
这位仁兄今天在干些甚么？还是那么泰然自若么？还是在群众大会上擦着汗朗读自己修改了几次的检讨呢？ What was my dear friend up to these days? Was he still so calm and collected? Was he still wiping the sweat from his brow as he read self-criticisms and improvements at mass meetings?
想起这些，我忍不住要笑。 When I thought of that, I couldn't help smiling.
我决定顺便去看望看望他。 I decided to take the opportunity to go and visit him.
从高兰市乘公共汽车走二十多分钟，就到了西冈镇。 I took the bus for twenty or so minutes from Gaolan, and arrived in Xigang.
从这里，还要翻过几个山头，才是桥梁队队部的所在地。 From there, I still needed to get over a few mountains before I would get to the bridge construction site.
这里刚刚下过一场大雪。 A lot of snow had just fallen.
沿着路轨走那段平路还没有甚么，上山的时候可就有点艰难了。 There was nothing along that section of the road, but when we got into the mountains it was quite difficult.
我身上的老羊皮大衣骤然增加了十几斤分量。 The sheepskin coat I had on suddenly got several kilos heavier.
翻过两个山头，我就累得满头大汗了。 Once we'd got over a couple of peaks, I was so tired that my whole head was covered in sweat.
走上最后一个山头，我不由自主地站住了。 We got on to the last peak, and I couldn't help but stand still.
面前是一片迷人的雪景。 Before me was a stunning snow scene.
无边的白雪罩住了目所能及的一切。 Boundless snow covered all that could be seen.
黄河不见了。 The Yellow River was invisible.
没有风，缕缕炊烟从窑洞和土房的门前像条线般向空中升起。 There was no wind, and strands of smoke from the doors of dugouts and huts rose into the sky like threads.
在一片静穆之中，沐浴着阳光的枯树枝儿和一两声吱喳的鸟鸣，透露着分外强烈的生气。 In this quiet scene, with trees bathing in sunlight and the sound of one or two birds, there was an incredibly strong force of life.
我张开嘴，狠狠地吸了一口清鲜的、带着一股甜味的空气。 I opened my mouth, and sharply inhaled the sweet, fresh air.
春天要到了。 Spring was coming.
阳光在那屹立在河心的拱桥石墩上抹下了最浓的色彩。 The sunlight was strongest over the blocks of the arch bridge in the middle of the river.
这时我才看见，一群稀稀拉拉的黑影在河边雪地上来回移动。 It was only then that I saw a sparse group of shadows moving about in the snow by the edge of the river.
对岸也是一样。 There were also some on the other bank.
定睛看去，才知道这些工人们是在搬运木桩。 I fixed my gaze on them and then realised that these workers were transporting timber.
一定是一号墩的重新修建又要开始了。 It had to be for the reconstruction of the first bridge block.
我在编辑部看过来稿，说是五月的事故发生以后，在洪水的威胁下，半年多时间桥墩不能动工。 When I was editing my manuscript, it was five months after the accident, and even six months later work on the bridge block could not be started.
十二月才请来潜水工人，在河底把一百多根钢板桩一一拆开，有的还要一段段锯开，然后才慢慢打捞上来。 Only after twelve months did they bring in the divers to dismantle more than a hundred steel rods in the river one by one, some of which needed sawing, and only then could they gradually be salvaged.
看来这些工作都已经做完我身后传来吱吱咯咯的踏雪声。 When I saw that this work was being completed they heard the sound of footsteps creaking in the snow behind them.
回头一看，原来是两个工人赶上了我。 I turned to look and saw that it was two workers catching up with me.
那个子稍矮的一个，穿着一身染满了油垢的黄色棉大衣。 The shorter one was wearing a yellow overcoat covered with grease.
看见我，他忽然站了下来，然后就迈着大步跑来拉我的手。 He saw me and suddenly stood still, and then took great strides to take my hand.
原来他是起重工张广发，从前教过我认各种绳扣的。 It turned out it was the industrial worker Zhang Guangfa who had taught me all about knots.
我们一起朝队部走去。 We walked towards the headquarters together.
这三里地路上，他忽而兴奋、忽而气愤地对我追述着半年多时间里桥梁队发生的事情。 On that mile of road, he suddenly became animated, and indignantly recalled what had happened at the construction site over the last six months or so.
他的脸通红，冒着热气，眼睛显得分外地黑白分明，露着一股稚气。 His face was red, he was fuming, and his eyes were stark, revealing something childish.
我奇怪为甚么他一句也没提到他十分敬爱的曾工程师。 I wondered why he hadn't mentioned the highly respected Engineer Zeng.
问起曾工程师，他忽然站住，直瞪着我惊讶地问道： When I asked about Engineer Zeng, he suddenly stood still, and stared at me in surprise, asking:
“怎么，你还不知道曾工程师早就调走了？” "Why... Didn't you know that Engineer Zeng was transferred a while ago?"
这回是轮到我惊讶了。 Now it was my turn to be surprised.
他这才说道： Then he said:
“那还是六月的事，半年多了……” "That happened in June, more than six months ago..."
他的同伴，一路上一言未发的，这时忽然开口纠正他： His companion hadn't said anything the whole way, but at that moment suddenly made a correction:
“哪是六月，五月底么，棉衣还没脱下来呢……” "It wasn't June - it was the beginning of May, we were still wearing our padded clothes..."
“对，许是五月底，”张广发郑重其事地说下去。 "Yes, it might have been the beginning of May," Zhang Guangfa said seriously.
显然，这次人事调动在他们看来是桥梁队的一个大事件： Clearly the transfer had been a big event for the bridge construction team:
“抢修五号墩过去没几天，就给调走了。 "When they were rushing to repair the fifth bridge block, they transferred him out.
这都是咱们听说的。 That's what we heard.
那几天队部里成天开会，我们还以为是检查一号墩冲垮的事故呢。 For a few days the headquarters held meetings all day, and we thought they were investigating the accident with the first bridge block.
后来才知道是讨论曾工程师跟周主任的关系问题。 It was only afterwards we found out they were discussing the issues between Engineer Zeng and Director Zhou.
说是，两人都有缺点，曾工程师骄傲自满，周维本也有毛病…… They said that the two of them both had their faults - Engineer Zeng was arrogant and complacent, and that Zhou Weiben had flaws too...
最后领导上的意见是两个人里一定得调走一个。 Afterwards the leaders suggested that the two of them had to be transferred out.
我就不信曾工程师有缺点，可没想偏偏就把曾工程师给调走了……” I don't believe that Engineer Zeng had faults, and I didn't expect at all that they would transfer him out..."
“那也不是，”那个个子稍微高一些的工人说，我这时才发觉他年纪要比张广发大得多，四十岁总有了： "It wasn't like that either," the short worker said, making me think he was a bit older than Zhang Guangfa, maybe forty:
“曾工程师也不是一点缺点都没有。 "Engineer Zeng wasn't totally perfect.
骄傲，大概也有点。 He probably was a bit proud.
可是人年轻，做事怎么能没有点不是？就说你，张广发，要挑毛病也总能挑出一篓子。 But he was young, so how would he not be? Take you, Zhang Guangfa - if we're picking out flaws then you've got plenty.
你别笑。 Don't laugh.
……我是说，不能光从这上看。 ... I mean, you can't overlook that.
凡事都得先把谁是谁非弄清楚。 As with everything, you've got to be clear on who's who.
主任跟工程师不和，不能说两人都不对。 The directors didn't get on with the engineers, but you couldn't say that neither side was right.
早先劝架的常说，一个巴掌拍不响，可是这一件跟吵嘴打架是两码事……” Before when they were mediating disputes they'd often say one hand clapping makes no sound, but this was different to a simple quarrel."
“就算是两人都不对，为什么单把曾工程师给调走呢？我想不通！”张广发说完把嘴一闭，脸更红了。 "It was like both of them were wrong, so why did they only transfer Engineer Zeng? I can't understand it!" Zhang Guangfa spoke and closed his mouth, his face reddening.
“吴书记的意思，是两个都不调。 "What Secretary Wu wanted was to not transfer either of them.
要调，就调主任走。 But if they were going to do a transfer, they should transfer the director.
局里说，闹关系，就得拆开。 The office said that their relationship was bad and they needed to be separated.
偏巧水泥成品厂缺人。 It so happened that the cement factory was lacking a worker.
也怪，偏巧就非曾工程师这样的人去不可……” So you wonder, it did it just so happen that it wasn't Engineer Zeng who was indispensable..."
我们已经走到最后的一个斜坡。 We were already at the final slope.
队部办公室屋顶上滴下的雪水，都看得清清楚楚了。 The snow on the roof of the office could be seen clearly.
我辞别了两位同伴，就朝队部走去。 I bid farewell to my companions and walked towards the office.
我推开门，就走进队长办公室。 I opened the door and went into the headquarters.
罗立正正伏在桌上，聚精会神地好像在写甚么。 Luo Lizheng was leaning on the desk and seemed to be concentrating on something he was writing.
仔细一看，原来他还在修理手表！ On closer inspection it turned out that he was repairing a watch!
见我进来，他惊呼一声，就过来用左手紧紧握住我的手——右手上尽是油泥。 When he saw that I'd come in, he let out a cry of surprise, and came over to shake my hand firmly, using his left hand - his right hand was covered in oil.
他满面笑容地和我寒暄。 He exchanged greetings with me with a broad smile.
他一点也没瘦，还是满面红光，倒还胖了点。 He hadn't lost weight at all, and his face was still ruddy; in fact he was a bit fatter.
忽然间，他非常严肃地板起面孔，小声问我： All of a sudden, his face became very serious, and he said quietly:
“听见中央的指示了么？” "Have you heard about the directive from the Centre?"
不等我回答，就一面沏着红茶，感慨不已地说： Without waiting for me to respond, he said ruefully whilst he steeped black tea:
“英明啊，党中央真是无限英明！你说，咱们怎么就那么迟钝呢？故步自封，故步自封啊！” "Wise, the Party Centre really is so wise! Eh? How are we so slow-witted? We're stubborn, stubborn!"
接连歌颂了几句党中央英明之后，他瞅瞅我，忽然妙不可言地大笑起来。 One after another he sung the praises of the Party Centre's wisdom, and then he looked at me, suddenly smiling as if he found it too wonderful for words.
喝了口红茶，才说： He took a sip of black tea, and then said:
“小脚女人，哈，小脚女人，我们都是工业方面的小脚女人啦！哈……没长犄角，我们都没长犄角啊……” "Women with bound feet - ha! - women with bound feet, we're women with bound feet in industry! Heh, we haven't grown horns, we haven't grown horns..." *[???]*
一阵笑声过去以后，他擦着眼泪，慷慨激昂地说： He laughed, and then rubbed his eyes, and said vehemently:
“豁然开朗，真叫是豁然开朗啊！谁说不保守？谁说中国没有官僚主义？啊？我们不就是？……” "Suddenly all becomes clear - it really is 'everything becoming clear'! Who says we're not conservative? Who says China doesn't have bureaucracy? Eh? Isn't that what we are...?"
我忽然想起一个熟识的厂长。 I suddenly thought of a factory director that I knew well.
这人平日矢口否认他有资本主义经营思想。 This person would always flatly deny that he was engaging in capitalist roader thought.
为了我们报纸上的一篇批评稿里有这个字样，他竟争辩到面红耳赤，不肯退让，官司一直打到党省委工业部。 Over the draft of an article in our newspaper criticising this model, he got very angry, and was unwilling to back down, taking out lawsuits against the Industry Office of the Provincial Party Committee.
可是上面一批判这类现象，大家都或多或少地检查出这一类思想的时候，他又逢人便说自己就是“最典型”的资本主义经营思想的代表，而且作了“深刻”的检查。 But it criticised that kind of phenomenon, and when everyone investigated that kind of thinking, when he met people he would say that he himself was "the most typical" representative of capitalist roader thought, having made a "far-reaching" investigation.
这次反保守斗争，他又是奋勇承认自己是“最典型”的一个。 In this anti-conservatism struggle he once again bravely claimed that he himself was "typical".
而且多么巧，这人在谈到这些话的时候，也像今天罗立正这样大笑。 And as it happened, when he was talking about these things, he seemed just like Luo Lizheng smiling today.
连笑的声音都那么相似！ Even the sound of their laughter was similar!
罗立正接着又谈了许多事例，证明“我们”过去是如何保守。 Luo Lizheng went on to give many examples that proved how conservative "we" were.
他说了那么多“我们”，从话音里看，他这“我们”里既包括了他，也有全体干部和一切工人，好像除了党中央，大家都保守，而罗立正只不过是其中的一个而已。 He said "us" so many times that it seemed that his "us" included himself and all of the cadres and workers, as if apart from the Party Centre, everyone was conservative, and Luo Lizheng was merely one among many.
我提醒他，不久以前就在这个桥梁队，有人反对过保守，可是保守主义者不仅自己不长“犄角”，也不许别人头上长这类东西，把一切意见、建议都给打回去了。 I reminded him that not long ago in this bridge team there was someone who opposed conservatism, but the conservatives not only had not grown "horns" themselves, but did not allow others to develop such things, rejecting all ideas and suggestions.
他不笑了，可也没怎么介意，随便说道： He didn't smile, but didn't mind either, saying casually:
“那时节，还不是谁都一样？没有中央的指示嘛……” "At that time who wasn't like that? There weren't any directives from the Centre..."
沉思了一会儿，他忽然若有所感，激动地说： He pondered for a while, and suddenly seemed moved, saying animatedly:
“这就叫党的领导啊！有了党的领导，我们还怕甚么？啊？ "That's the Party leaders! With the Party leaders, what are we afraid of? Eh?
还怕甚么？无论甚么问题，中央都想得周周到到，迟早总要解决的。” What are we afraid of? No matter what the problem is, the Party Centre will consider it thoughtfully and deal with it sooner or later."
说完，他又笑了。 He spoke and then laughed again.
不知是因为黄土墙上那只大钟的响声太单调了呢，还是因为罗立正的笑容过于熟悉了，我觉得烦闷起来。 I didn't know whether it was because of the monotonous chiming of the clock on the loess wall or because Luo Lizheng's smile was too familiar, but I started to feel gloomy.
我信步走到窗边，向外面看去。 I wandered to the window and looked outside.
拱桥附近燃起的灯火，像星星似地在蓝色的黄河上颤抖。 Lamps had been lit near the arch bridge, and flickered like blue stars over the Yellow River.
这个劳动日的第三班开始了。 The third shift for that work day had begun.
这些将要在零下十几度的严寒里工作的共产党员、青年团员和普通工人们，是不是也在想“反正有了党的领导，一切都没有问题”呢？…… When these Communist Party members, Youth Brigade members and ordinary workers were going to work in the bitter cold several degrees below zero, were they also thinking "we've got the Party leaders in any case, so everything is OK"...?
在这里再坐下去，已经无聊，可是我还是随便问了一句： I sat down again, already bored, but I casually asked:
“队里的反保守进行得怎么样了？” "How has anti-conservatism been put into practice in the team?"
“自下而上，”看来他非常乐于回答这个问题：“我们是自下而上地搞，群众性的。 "From the bottom up," he seemed very happy to answer this question: "We've done it from the bottom up, as a mass effort.
先由工人、技术人员检查自己的保守思想，领导上加以批判，再由小队长、领工员检查——这些干部，保守思想最严重。 First the workers and technicians examined their own conservative though, and the leaders added criticism, and then the team leaders and work leaders examined it - these cadres, their conservative thinking is the most serious.
然后，各分队、各科室的干部再作自我检查……” Then the cadres of every unit and every lab examined themselves..."
我打断他，问道：“队长甚么时候才检查呢？” I interrupted him, asking: "And when will the captain be examined?"
他又笑了，拉开抽屉，拿出一大本文件递给我，胸有成竹地说：“呶，都在这里头了，两年规划。” He laughed again and opened the drawer, took out a large document and handed it to me, saying: "Look, it's all in here, the plans of two years."
他走过来，拉住我的胳臂亲热地说：“写篇文章，报道报道我们罢。 He walked over, and held my arm warmly saying: "Just write an article reporting us.
写罢，写我们的保守也行。 Write it, write that we're conservative, that's OK too.
嘿，对，我可以给你找个典型，周主任！技术室的周主任！” Heh, yeah, I can find you a representative - Director Zhou! Director Zhou from the tech lab!"
一股十分激烈的失望感忽然在我心头升起。 A feeling of intense disappointment rose in my heart.
又觉得懊丧而气愤。 I felt dejected and angry again.
我曾以为，在今天这样全国性的高潮正在形成的时候，反掉保守、至少使保守者清醒过来该不是太难的事。 I used to think that today, when this kind of national wave was taking shape, that fighting against conservatism, or at least making conservatives wake up, would not be too hard.
我想错了。 I was wrong.
困难恰恰在于罗立正这样的人并不抵抗这个浪潮，困难在于问题不仅是个保守思想…… The problem was precisely with people like Luo Lizheng who would not resist this wave; the problem was not just conservative thinking.
外面，暴风从夜的黄河上呼啸着、翻腾着飞过。 Outside, the storm whistled in the night over the Yellow River, surging over.
透过窗子，好像也能闻到春天的充满生命的气息。 It came through the window, and it seemed as if we could smell the breath of spring, filled with life.
北方的春天派狂风为春天扫路来了。 Spring in the north sends gales to sweep the roads.
我的朋友呢，还坐在那里，眼里凝结着睡意。 As for my friend, he still sat there, his eyes accumulating fatigue.
春风啊，你几时才吹进这个办公室呢？ Spring wind - when will you blow into this office?
[← Part 4](/china/liu-binyan-bridge-sites-4/” rel="prev “刘宾雁 在桥梁工地上 translation: At the Bridge Construction Site, Pt 4 (Liu Binyan)") · Part 5
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