一九四九年中华人民共和国建立，到现在快三十七年了。
It is almost 37 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
“文化大革命”结束以后，我们冷静地估计了形势，考虑今后的路怎么走。
After the "cultural revolution" we made a sober appraisal of the situation and thought over the course we were going to follow from then on.
界限的划分是我们党的十一届三中全会，这次会议确定了一系列新的方针和政策。
The turning point was marked by the Third Plenary Session of our Party's Eleventh Central Committee, which defined a series of new principles and policies.
我们的改革，我们的对外开放、对内搞活，是坚持社会主义道路的。
In carrying out the reform, opening to the outside world and invigorating the domestic economy, we are keeping to the socialist road.
社会主义的任务就是要发展社会生产力，增强社会主义国家的力量，使人民的生活逐步得到改善，然后为将来进入共产主义准备基础。
It is the task of socialism to develop the productive forces, build up the strength of the socialist state and gradually raise the people's living standards, thus laying the foundation for the realization of communism in the future.
过去很长一个时期，我们忽视了社会主义阶段要发展生产力。
For a very long time we neglected the need to develop the productive forces during the stage of socialism.
我们总结了经验，就是要对外开放，打破闭关自守，对内搞活，调动全国人民的积极性。
Now, after analysing our experience, we have decided to abandon the closed-door policy and open to the outside world, and to invigorate the domestic economy, so as to stimulate the initiative of the whole nation.
不这样，生产力发展不起来。
Otherwise, it will be impossible to develop the productive forces.
搞平均主义，吃“大锅饭”，人民生活永远改善不了，积极性永远调动不起来。
If we practise egalitarianism -- what we call letting everyone "eat from the same big pot", it will never be possible to raise the people's standard of living and stimulate their initiative.
我们现在采取的措施，都是为社会主义发展生产力服务的。
All the measures we are taking are designed to expand the productive forces in the interest of socialism.
对于我们党的十一届三中全会提出改革开放，当时国际舆论特别是西方世界的舆论，以为我们是搞资本主义，或者以为我们这样搞最终要走到资本主义。
When the policies of reform and opening to the outside world were adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of our Party, people all over the world, particularly in the Western countries, thought that we were going to adopt capitalism, or that our policies would ultimately lead to capitalism.
经过这几年改革的实践，他们慢慢懂得了，我们是坚持社会主义的。
But witnessing the realities of reform over the past few years, they have come to realize that we are keeping to socialism.
如果十亿人的中国走资本主义道路，对世界是个灾难，是把历史拉向后退，要倒退好多年。
If China, with its one billion people, took the capitalist road, it would be a disaster for the world.It would be a retrogression of history, a retrogression of many years.
如果十亿人的中国不坚持和平政策，不反对霸权主义，或者是随着经济的发展自己搞霸权主义，那对世界也是一个灾难，也是历史的倒退。
If China, with its one billion people, abandoned the policy of peace and opposition to hegemonism or if, as the economy developed, it sought hegemony, that would also be a disaster for the world, a retrogression of history.
十亿人的中国坚持社会主义，十亿人的中国坚持和平政策，做到这两条，我们的路就走对了，就可能对人类有比较大的贡献。
But if China, with its one billion people, keeps to socialism and adheres to the policy of peace, it will be following the right course and will be able to make greater contributions to humanity.