这八年多，我们的事情干得比较好。
Over the last eight years we have done relatively good work.
过去耽误太多，特别是“文化大革命”的十年，自己找麻烦，自己遭灾，不过教训总结起来很有益处。
Before that we lost too much time, especially the decade of the ``cultural revolution'', when we created troubles for ourselves with disastrous results.
But we have learned from experience:
现在的方针政策，就是对“文化大革命”进行总结的结果。
these principles and policies are the product of the lessons we learned from the ``cultural revolution''.
最根本的一条经验教训，就是要弄清什么叫社会主义和共产主义，怎样搞社会主义。
The fundamental thing we have learned is that we must be clear about what socialism and communism are and about how to build socialism.
搞社会主义必须根据本国的实际。
The way to build socialism must be determined by the particular conditions in each country.
我们过去固守成规，关起门来搞建设，搞了好多年，导致的结果不好。
In the past we stayed in a rut, engaging in construction behind closed doors, and many years of hard work did not produce the desired results.
经济建设也在逐步发展，也搞了一些东西，比如原子弹、氢弹搞成功了，洲际导弹也搞成功了，但总的来说，很长时间处于缓慢发展和停滞的状态，人民的生活还是贫困。
It is true that our economy was gradually expanding and that we succeeded in developing certain things, such as the atomic bomb, the hydrogen bomb and even intercontinental ballistic missiles.
But on the whole, the economy grew slowly or remained at a standstill for long periods, and our people were still living in poverty.
“文化大革命”当中，“四人帮”更荒谬地提出，宁要贫穷的社会主义和共产主义，不要富裕的资本主义。
During the ``cultural revolution'' the Gang of Four raised the absurd slogan, ``Better to be poor under socialism and communism than to be rich under capitalism.”
不要富裕的资本主义还有道理，难道能够讲什么贫穷的社会主义和共产主义吗？
It may sound reasonable to reject the goal of becoming rich under capitalism.
But how can we advocate being poor under socialism and communism?
It was that kind of thinking that brought China to a standstill.
结果中国停滞了。
It may sound reasonable to reject the goal of becoming rich under capitalism.
But how can we advocate being poor under socialism and communism?
It was that kind of thinking that brought China to a standstill.
这才迫使我们重新考虑问题。
That situation forced us to re-examine the question.
考虑的第一条就是要坚持社会主义，而坚持社会主义，首先要摆脱贫穷落后状态，大大发展生产力，体现社会主义优于资本主义的特点。
Our first conclusion was that we had to uphold socialism and that to do that we had, above all, to eliminate poverty and backwardness, greatly expand the productive forces and demonstrate the superiority of socialism over capitalism.
要做到这一点，就必须把我们整个工作的重点转到建设四个现代化上来，把建设四个现代化作为几十年的奋斗目标。
To this end, we had to shift the focus of our work to the drive for modernization and make that our goal for the next few decades.
同时，鉴于过去的教训，必须改变闭关自守的状态，必须调动人民的积极性，这样才制定了开放和改革的政策。
At the same time, experience has taught us that we must no longer keep the country closed to the outside world and that we must bring the initiative of our people into full play.Hence our policies of opening up and reform.
我们首先开放农村，很快见效。
We began with the countryside, applying the open policy there, and we achieved results very quickly.
农村取得经验之后，转到城市。
After accumulating the necessary experience in the countryside, we shifted the focus of reform to the cities.
现在城市改革已经搞了近三年的时间，要做的事情还多得很。
The urban reform has been under way for nearly three years, but much remains to be done.
对外开放，也很快收到成效。
We also obtained quick results from the open policy internationally.
中国科学技术落后，困难比较多，特别是人口太多，现在就有十亿五千万，增加人民的收入很不容易，短期内要摆脱贫困落后状态很不容易。
China lags behind in science and technology.
We have quite a few problems to solve, especially the problem of our huge population, which already stands at 1.05 billion.
This makes it very difficult for us to raise the people's income and to eliminate poverty and backwardness in a short time.
必须一切从实际出发，不能把目标定得不切实际，也不能把时间定得太短。
In everything we do we must proceed from reality, seeing to it that our targets are realistic and that enough time is allowed to fulfil them.
一九八四年第四季度到一九八五年，发展速度比较快，但也带来一些问题。
In the last quarter of 1984 and throughout 1985 our economy grew at quite a rapid rate, and that caused us some problems.
这也是好事情，我们取得了经验。
But this had its good side too, because we learned from the experience.
总的来说，我们确定的目标不高。
On the whole, our goals are not too ambitious.
从一九八一年开始到本世纪末，花二十年的时间，翻两番，达到小康水平，就是年国民生产总值人均八百到一千美元。
We give ourselves 20 years -- that is, from 1981 to the end of the century -- to quadruple our GNP and achieve comparative prosperity, with an annual per capita GNP of US$800 to $1,000.