这个报告是要讲我们人民解放军第二野战军、第三野战军从渡江到占领上海以及到上海后的情况和工作。
on how the Second and Third Field Armies of our People's Liberation Army crossed the Yangtze River and captured Shanghai and what they have done there since.
渡江作战是从四月二十日夜里发起的。
The campaign to cross the river was launched on the night of April 20.
因为反动的南京政府拒绝了人民的八项和平条件，人民解放军一部，即由刘伯承同志领导的第二野战军和由陈毅同志领导的第三野战军，奉命渡江作战。
Due to the fact that the reactionary Nanjing government had rejected the people's eight peace terms, part of the People's Liberation Army, namely, the Second Field Army, under the command of Comrade Liu Bocheng, and the Third Field Army, under the command of Comrade Chen Yi, were ordered to fight across the river.
在漫长的一千多里的战线上，所有部队都无例外地顺利地完成了渡江任务。
All our troops successfully crossed the Yangtze along the long battle line of more than 500 kilometers.
我们发动战斗以前，曾经给过反动的南京国民党政府最后考虑的时间。
Before launching the battle, we gave the reactionary Nanjing government one last chance to reconsider.
当他们不愿接受人民的极其宽大的和平条件的时候，我们只有给他们再一次的教训和打击。
When they rejected the people's generous terms for peace, we had to teach them another lesson by dealing them one more blow.
我们发起渡江作战后遇到的抵抗可以说很小。
It could be said that we met with little resistance during the battle to cross the river.
在一千多里的战线上，国民党军队摆在湖口至上海段的有四十五万人（包括宜昌至湖口段的共有七十万人）。
Along the battle line, extending 500 kilometers from Hukou to Shanghai, 450,000 Kuomintang troops were deployed there (700,000 if those stationed along the Yichang-Hukou sector are included),
四十五万人不能阻挡人民解放军渡江。
which failed to prevent the People's Liberation Army from crossing the river.
其实，我们的船不是从水路出去的，而是从旱路出去的。
Actually, we took our boats to the river overland instead of by water,
我们是把船拖出去的。
through which we pulled our boats to the river.
有时为疏通一条渠道使船出去，要掘几十里（最长的有六十里）的小河沟。
Sometimes we had to dig ditches many kilometers long, the longest being 30 kilometers.
这样巨大的工程是在一个半月的准备时间中完成的，是我们几十万士兵、指挥员包括师长、团长亲自参加这个劳作，以及几十万民工劳作才完成的。
It took several hundred thousand officers and men, including divisional and regimental commanders, plus the same number of laborers, six weeks to complete that enormous project.
渡江使用的船有一万只左右，所以我百万大军能够渡过长江。
We had about ten thousand boats on hand, enabling our one million soldiers to cross the river.
再就是我们的人是北方人，北方人怕水。
In addition, most of our troops were northerners, who are unaccustomed to water.
在水中习惯了，有把握了，又考虑到船在江心中弹怎么办？
After becoming accustomed to the boats, we began to think about being shot at on the river.
许多战士想出了用草圈作救生圈的办法。
Many soldiers got the idea of making life preservers out of straw,
草圈比橡皮圈好，橡皮圈一打就破了，草圈不怕打。
because the rubber ones would deflate if short.
虽然实际过江时没有用着，这准备是“浪费”了。
In fact, we did not use them when crossing the river, so this preparation was “wasted”.
我们认为长江并不比黄河厉害。
in the belief that the Yangtze River was no more turbulent than the Yellow River.
从实际体验中，我们知道了渡江并不困难。
From practical experience we learned that the Yangtze River was not too difficult to cross.
第二，群众支援，地下党和游击队之配合。
Second, we had the support of the masses and the co-operation of underground Party members and guerrilla fighters.
有的游击区我们过去有过工作，有些地方过去没有过，但人民都一致支援我们。
We had worked only in some of the guerrilla areas, yet all the people supported us,
掘渠翻坝有一半是人民的劳作。
digging half the ditches, for example.