我们党的十三大和全国人大七届一次会议，精神都是进一步解放思想，进一步解放生产力。
The central theme of both the Thirteenth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and the First Plenary Session of the Seventh National People's Congress [March 25-April 13, 1988] was that we must further emancipate our minds and liberate the productive forces.
理顺物价，改革才能加快步伐。
We cannot speed up the reform without rationalizing prices.
物价问题是历史遗留下来的。
The problem of prices has remained unsolved for many years,
过去，物价都由国家规定。
during which the state set all the prices.
例如粮食，还有各种副食品，收购价格长期定得很低，这些年提高了几次，还是比较低，而城市销售价格又不能高了，购销价格倒挂，由国家补贴。
For example, for a long time the purchasing prices of grain and non-staple foods were too low.Although we raised them several times in the past few years, they were still too low.
In the cities, however, we could not raise the selling prices beyond a certain point.
This led to a disparity between the purchasing and selling prices, so the state had to make up the difference.
这种违反价值规律的做法，一方面使农民生产积极性调动不起来，另一方面使国家背了一个很大的包袱，每年用于物价补贴的开支达几百亿元。
This is contrary to the law of value.
On the one hand, we cannot arouse the enthusiasm of the peasants for production, and on the other hand the state bears a heavy burden -- that is, every year it must use tens of billions of yuan for subsidies.
这样，国家财政收入真正投入经济建设的就不多了，用来发展教育、科学、文化事业的就更少了。
Consequently, the state doesn't have enough money for economic development, let alone for educational, scientific and cultural undertakings.
所以，不解决物价问题就不能放下包袱，轻装前进。
So if we want to lighten our burden and move forward, we have to solve the price problem.
最近我们决定放开肉、蛋、菜、糖四种副食品价格，先走一步。
Recently we decided to take the first step and to lift controls over the prices of four kinds of non-staple foods: meat, eggs, vegetables and sugar.
中国不是有一个“过五关斩六将”的关公的故事吗？
In ancient China there was a story about Guangong [a famous third-century warrior of the Shu Han Kingdom], who fought his way through five passes and killed six enemy generals.
We may have more ``passes'' to go through and more ``enemy generals'' to behead.
我们可能比关公还要过更多的“关”，斩更多的“将”。
In ancient China there was a story about Guangong [a famous third-century warrior of the Shu Han Kingdom], who fought his way through five passes and killed six enemy generals.
We may have more ``passes'' to go through and more ``enemy generals'' to behead.
这次副食品价格一放开，就有人抢购，议论纷纷，不满意的话多得很，但是广大人民群众理解中央，这个决心应该下。
As soon as we lifted price controls on non-staple foods, there was a rush of panic buying.
Everybody is talking about prices, and there are a lot of complaints.However, I think the masses understand the decision of the Central Committee and the State Council and believe it was correct.
这就要求我们每走一步，都兢兢业业，大胆细心，及时总结经验，发现问题就做些调整，使之符合实际情况。
This means that when we take each step, we should work hard, be daring but act prudently.
We should also review our experience frequently and, when we find problems, make adjustments in light of the conditions.
要让全党和全国人民懂得，这是很艰苦的工作，十全十美的方针、十全十美的办法是没有的，面临的都是新事物、新问题，经验靠我们自己创造。
We should make it clear to the Party membership and the people that the reform is a hard task, that there are no perfect policies or methods, that we are dealing with new problems and that we have to learn from experience.
我们讲实践是检验真理的唯一标准，放开物价、加速改革正确不正确，也要看实践。
We say that practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.
Practice will prove whether it is right for us to lift price controls and accelerate the reform.
我们现在既有顺利的情况，又有风险的情况。
Some of our measures may go well while others may not.
好在这十年来中国有了可喜的发展，人民生活有所改善，对风险的承受能力有一定的增强。
Fortunately, over the past ten years China has made gratifying progress in economic development, the standard of living has risen and the people can tolerate some price rises.
中国经济发展的速度不会太慢。
The Chinese economy will not grow too slowly.
一九八八年尽管有风浪，速度仍然可能超过百分之十。
Although we are having difficulties, the growth rate for 1988 may still exceed 10 per cent.
天天在风浪中前进，但翻两番的任务一定能完成。
Every day we have to brave winds and waves, but I am convinced that we can reach the goal of quadrupling the GNP.
这就是我们的现状和前景。
That is the present situation and those are our plans.