§近月以来，中国抗日阵营内部，发生了一个很不经常很可骇怪的事实，这就是中国国民党领导的许多党政军机关发动了一个破坏团结抗战的运动。
#§The last few months have witnessed a most unusual and shocking event inside China's anti-Japanese camp, namely, the campaign launched by many Kuomintang-led party, government and army organizations to wreck unity and undermine the War of Resistance.
这个运动是以反对共产党的姿态出现，而其实际，则是反对中华民族和反对中国人民的。
# It assumes the form of an attack on the Communist Party, but is in fact directed against the whole Chinese nation and people.
§首先看国民党的军队。
#§Consider first the Kuomintang armies.
国民党领导的全国军队中，位置在西北方面的主力就有第三十四、第三十七、第三十八等三个集团军，都受第八战区副司令长官胡宗南指挥。
# Of the Kuomintang-led armies throughout the country, as many as three group armies from the main forces are stationed in the Northwest--the 34th, 37th and 38th Group Armies, all under Hu Tsung-nan, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the 8th War Zone.
其中有两个集团军用于包围陕甘宁边区，只有一个用于防守从宜川至潼关一段黄河沿岸，对付日寇。
# Of these, two have been used to encircle the Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia Border Region, while only one has been assigned defence duty along the Yellow River, from Yichuan to Tungkuan, against the Japanese invaders.
这种事实，已经是四年多了，只要不发生军事冲突，大家也就习以为常了。
# This has been the situation for more than four years, and people became accustomed to it so long as there was no military clash.
不料近日却发生了这样的变化，即担任河防的第一、第十六、第九十等三个军中，开动了两个军，第一军开到彬县、淳化一带，第九十军开到洛川一带，并积极准备进攻边区，而使对付日寇的河防，大部分空虚起来。
# But in the last few days an unexpected change has taken place.
Of the three army corps on defence duty along the river--the 1st 16th and 90th Army Corps-- two have been removed, the 1st Army Corps to the area of Pinchow and Chunhua and the 90th to the area of Lochuan, and both are actively preparing to attack the Border Region, while the greater part of the river defences is left unmanned against the Japanese invaders.
§这不能不使人们发生这样的疑问，这些国民党人同日本人之间的关系，究竟是怎样的呢？
#§This inevitably makes people ask: What exactly are the relations between those Kuomintang people and the Japanese?
§许多国民党人肆无忌惮地天天宣传共产党“破坏抗战”、“破坏团结”，难道尽撤河防主力，倒叫做增强抗战吗？
#§Day in day out many Kuomintang people have been brazenly spreading propaganda that the Communist Party is "sabotaging the War of Resistance" and "wrecking unity".
Can the withdrawal of the main forces defending the river be called strengthening the War of Resistance?
难道进攻边区，倒叫做增强团结吗？
#Can attacks on the Border Region be called strengthening unity?
§请问干这些事的国民党人：你们拿背对着日本人，日本人却拿面对着你们，如果日本人向你们的背前进，那时你们怎么办呢？
#§We should like to ask the Kuomintang people who are doing all this: You are turning your backs on the Japanese while they are still facing you. “What is going to happen if the Japanese start advancing on your heels?
§如果你们将大段的河防丢弃不管，而日本人却仍然静悄悄地在对岸望着不动，只是拿着望远镜兴高采烈地注视着你们愈走愈远的背影，那末，这其中又是一种什么缘故呢？
What is the meaning of your abandonment of large sections of the river defences while the Japanese quietly look on from the other bank, without making any move other than to watch with glee through their field-glasses the gradually receding view of your backs?
为什么日本人这样欢喜你们的背，而你们丢了河防不管，让它大段地空着，你们的心就那么放得下去呢？
#Why do the Japanese so greatly prefer seeing your backs? # And what makes you fed so much at ease after abandoning the river defences and leaving large sections unmanned?
§在私有财产社会里，夜间睡觉总是要关门的。
#§In a society based on private property, people usually bolt their doors at night before going to bed.
现在你们将大门敞开，不怕贼来吗？
# Now, having left the front door wide open, are you not afraid of burglars coming?
假使敞开大门而贼竟不来，却是什么缘故呢？
#And if the front door is left wide open without the burglars coming, what then is the reason?
§照你们的说法，中国境内只有共产党是“破坏抗战”的，你们则是如何如何的“民族至上”，那末，背向敌人，却是什么至上呢？
#§According to you, in China it is the Communists who are "sabotaging the War of Resistance", while you yourselves are most devoted to "the nation above all".
Well now, what are you placing "above all" when you turn your backs on the enemy?
§照你们的说法，“破坏团结”的也是共产党，你们则是如何如何的“精诚团结”主义者，那末，你们以三个集团军（缺一个军）的大兵，手持刺刀，配以重炮，向着边区人民前进，这也可以算作“精诚团结”吗？
#§According to you, it is also the Communists who are "wrecking unity", while you are so very devoted to "unity in good faith".
Well, you have sent a huge force of three group armies (minus one army corps), with fixed bayonets and heavy artillery, to march against the people of the Border Region; can this be counted as "unity in good faith"?
§或者照你们的另一种说法，你们并不爱好什么团结，而却十分爱好“统一”，因此就要荡平边区，消灭你们所说的“封建割据”，杀尽共产党。
# §Or take another of your assertions--that you are very keen not on "unity" but on "unification"--and you therefore want to wipe out the Border Region, liquidate "feudal separatism" and kill off every Communist.
那末，好吧，为什么你们不怕日本人把中华民族“统一”了去，并且也把你们混在一起“统一”了去呢？
# Very well!
How is it then you are not afraid that the Japanese will "unify" the Chinese nation, including you, out of existence?
§如果事变的结果，只是你们旗开得胜地“统一”了边区，削平了共产党，而日本人却被你们的什么“蒙汗药”蒙住了，或被什么“定身法”定住了，动弹不得，因此民族以及你们都不曾被他们“统一”了去，那末，我们的亲爱的国民党先生们，可否把你们的这种什么“蒙汗药”或“定身法”给我们宣示一二呢？
#§Supposing that while you triumphantly "unify" the Border Region at one stroke and wipe out the Communists, you are able to keep the Japanese stupefied by some "sleeping-draught" or by some "spell" of yours, so that the nation and you yourselves both escape "unification" by them.
Well, dear gentlemen of the Kuomintang, won't you give us some inkling of the secret of your sleeping-draught or spell?
§假如你们也没有什么对付日本人的“蒙汗药”、“定身法”，又没有和日本人订立默契，那就让我们正式告诉你们吧：你们不应该打边区，你们不可以打边区。
#§But if you have no sleeping-draught or spell for dealing with the Japanese, and if you have not reached a secret understanding with them, then let us tell you plainly and formally: you should not and must not attack the Border Region.
“鹬蚌相持，渔人得利”，“螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后”，这两个故事，是有道理的。
# "When the snipe and the clam grapple, it is the fisherman who profits", "The mantis stalks the cicada, but behind them lurks the oriole"--there is truth in these two parables.
你们应该和我们一道去把日本占领的地方统一起来，把鬼子赶出去才是正经，何必急急忙忙地要来“统一”这块巴掌大的边区呢？
# The proper thing for you to do is to join forces with us to "unify" the territory occupied by the Japanese and drive the devils out. “What is the reason for your anxiety and hurry to "unify" the span of land forming the Border Region?