ChinesePod
aChinesePod
@ 40502 The Glory of Labor
A 終於盼到五一黃金週了。我們勞動人民辛苦了一年，總算可以好好休息一下了。
zhōngyú pàndào Wǔyī huángjīnzhōu le. wǒmen láodòng rénmín xīnkǔ le yī nián, zǒngsuàn kěyǐ hǎohāo xiūxi yīxià le.
The Golden Week we've been looking forward to is here at last. Us the working people have sweat it out for yet another year, and now we can finally get a little rest.
B 有那麼誇張嗎？現在一年有三個黃金週，不知道有多幸福呢。不過話說回來，大家現在好像都一門心思地關心放假，沒人重視勞動節的勞動意義了。以前大家老把“勞動最光榮”掛在嘴邊，現在還有幾個記得啊？
yǒu nàme kuāzhāng ma? xiànzài yī nián yǒu sān ge huángjīnzhōu, bù zhīdào yǒu duō xìngfú ne. bùguò huà shuō huílai, dàjiā xiànzài hǎoxiàng dōu yīménxīnsi de guānxīn fàngjià, méirén zhòngshì Láodòngjié de láodòng yìyì le. yǐqián dàjiā lǎo bǎ `` láodòng zuì guāngróng" guà zài zuǐbiān, xiànzài hái yǒu jǐ ge jìde a?
Is it that bad? Now there are three golden weeks a year, and I can't tell you how great that is. On the other hand, though, it does seem like everyone is focused on the vacation. No one puts any importance on the labor-related meaning. Before, everyone was always using the phrase ``labor is the most glorious," but how many people remember it now?
A 哎，時代不同了嘛。剛建國的時候，不管什麼行業、什麼工作，大家都一條心，爭著去勞動，個個都想為國家作貢獻。
āi, shídài bùtóng le ma. gāng jiànguó de shíhou, bùguǎn shénme hángyè, shénme gōngzuò, dàjiā dōu yī tiáo xīn, zhēng zhe qù láodòng, gègè dōu xiǎng wèi guójiā zuò gòngxiàn.
Ah, it's a different era. When the state had just been established, no matter what your industry or job was, you and everyone else were of one mind, all striving to make a contribution to the nation through labor.
B 那倒是。過去勞動人民一直受壓迫，直到新中國成立，才翻身做了主人了。你說，能不興奮嗎？
nà dàoshì. guòqù láodòng rénmín yīzhí shòu yāpò, zhídào xīn Zhōngguó chénglì, cái fānshēn zuò le zhǔrén le. nǐ shuō, néng bù xīngfèn ma?
That's true. In the past the working people were always oppressed, up until the establishment of the new government, when the roles were reversed and they could take control. Tell me, how could that not be exciting?
A 那當然。所以，新中國一成立，政府就把國際勞動節定為法定假日，全國放假一天。
nà dāngrán. suǒyǐ, xīn Zhōngguó yī chénglì, zhèngfǔ jiù bǎ Guójì Láodòngjié dìng wéi fǎdìng jiàrì, quánguó fàngjià yī tiān.
Of course it is. So when the new government was established, it declared International Labor Day a state holiday, giving the whole nation the day off.
B 我想起來了，前幾天我看了一個紀錄片，說的就是五十年代，人們怎麼慶祝五一的。那時候全國歡慶，就跟過年一樣。
wǒ xiǎng qilai le , qián jǐ tiān wǒ kàn le yī ge jìlùpiàn, shuō de jiùshì wǔshí niándài, rénmen zěnme qìngzhù Wǔyī de. nà shíhou quánguó huānqìng, jiù gēn guònián yīyàng.
I just remembered something. I watched a documentary a few days ago and it was about how the people celebrated May first in the fifties. Back then the entire nation really got into it, just like Chinese New Year.
A 是啊，我到現在還記得爸爸媽媽單位裡組織的五一聯歡會。每年都會評選勞動模範，每個人胸前還戴上一朵大紅花。可有意思了。
shì a, wǒ dào xiànzài hái jìde bàba māma dānwèi lǐ zǔzhī de Wǔyī liánhuānhuì. měinián dōu huì píngxuǎn láodòng mófàn, měi ge rén xiōng qián hái dàishàng yī duǒ dà hónghuā. kě yǒuyìsi le.
Yeah, even now I can remember the celebration that my parents' work unit organized. Every year they would select model workers, and each one would wear a large red corsage on his chest. It's really interesting.
B 沒錯、沒錯，還會評全國勞模。要知道能評上這個稱號是很光榮的。所以大家的工作積極性都很高。
méicuò, méicuò, hái huì píng quánguó láomó. yào zhīdào néng píngshàng zhège chēnghào shì hěn guāngróng de. suǒyǐ dàjiā de gōngzuò jījíxìng dōu hěn gāo.
Yup, yup. And they'd choose a national model worker too. You have to understand that being given this title was really an honor. So everyone's enthusiasm for work was really high.
A 嗯，聽說那時還練出很多絕活。比如售貨員，抓一把就知道東西有多重，準極了。
ng4, tīngshuō nàshí hái liàn chū hěn duō juéhuó. bǐrú shòuhuòyuán, zhuā yī bǎ jiù zhīdào dōngxi yǒu duō zhòng, zhǔn jí le.
Yeah, I've heard that back then a bunch of people mastered some weird talents as well. For example, vendors could grab a handful of something and know how much it weighed, extremely accurately.
B 對啊，真讓人佩服。現在可沒人這麼做了，大家都忙著賺錢。
duì a, zhēn ràng rén pèifú. xiànzài kě méirén zhème zuò le, dàjiā dōu máng zhe zhuànqián.
Right, it's really impressive. Now there's just no one doing it. Everyone's too busy making money.
A 賺錢也是勞動啊。這就叫有中國特色的社會主義。
zhuànqián yě shì láodòng a. zhè jiù jiào yǒu Zhōngguó tèsè de shèhuìzhǔyì.
Making money is also labor. This is what is called ``socialism with Chinese characteristics."
Key Vocabulary
心思 xīnsi
光榮 guāngróng
貢獻 gòngxiàn
壓迫 yāpò
法定 fǎdìng
歡慶 huānqìng
聯歡會 liánhuānhuì
模範 mófàn
絕活 juéhuó
Supplementary Vocabulary
表彰 biǎozhāng
無私 wúsī
自私 zìsī
天翻地覆 tiānfāndìfù
漠不關心 mòbùguānxīn
------
======