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The Flavor of Living

第一个人说：活得太累了。没完没了的解释，无休无止的小心，成年累月为别人活着。为人子、为人夫、为人父、为人同事、为人哥儿们、为人“喽喽”、为人“头头”。看别人的脸色，讨别人的喜欢，避别人的忌讳，给别人以好感。摇旗呐喊，插科打诨，不想笑要笑，哭不出来要哭……累了，太累了。

The first one says: life is such a drag… a round of self justifying explanations, a ceaseless tiptoeing around, of living for the sake of other people, as somebody’s son, somebody’s husband, somebody’s father, somebody’s colleague, somebody’s buddy, somebody’s underdog, somebody’s boss. You’re always on the watch for somebody else’s change of mood, always trying to please, careful not to step on toes, chanting other people’s slogans, laughing and crying on cue…I’m tired, oh so tired.

第二个人说：活腻味了。爱过了，恨过了，哭过了，笑过了，乐过了，苦过了。金银财宝，身外之物。功名利禄，过眼云烟。香酥鸡、肯德鸡、道口烧鸡，大同小异。长城饭店、昆仑饭店、建国饭店，千篇一律。台球、保龄球、高尔夫球，无非是球。人生不过如此，该收场了。游戏人生，我够了。你们爱玩儿玩去吧，别拉扯上我。

The second one chimes in: I’m sick of it all. I’ve loved, I’ve hated, I’ve cried and I’ve laughed, I’ve enjoyed myself and I’ve suffered. What’s gold and silver? Mere dross. What’s position and privilege? Passing clouds that come and go. Dining off crispy chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Daokou braised chicken, what’s the difference? The Great Wall Hotel, the Kunlun Hotel, the Jianguo Holiday Inn, they just repeat each other. Playing billiards, golf or bowling, isn’t it just pushing balls around? So much for the game of life. It’s time to call a stop. I’ve had enough. You guys go on playing, but count me out. 

第三个人说：怎么能这样对待生活？怎么能说活得太累，怎么能说活得太腻？在这大变革的年代，难道你们就没有一点社会责任感？人生在世，难道就为自己活着？我们的国家能有今天，这容易吗？同志们，振兴中华，匹夫有责；开放改革，重担就落在你、我、他身上。我们应该对社会负责，对国家负责，对后代负责，否则就是犯罪。振作起来啊，前进！

A third protests: how can you treat life like that! How can you say you’re tired, that you’re sick of life! Nowadays in such a time of change, where’s your sense of social commitment? Do you mean to say that one lives for self alone? Have you thought of the price our country has paid to be where it is today? Comrades, each and everyone of us is responsible for the Strengthening of China. The burden of Opening-Up and Reform is on our shoulders, yours and mine and his. We must fulfill our duty to the country, and to the next generation. Anything less is criminal negligence. Pick yourself up! March onward! 

第四个人说：你有什么资格教训别人？你是活得有滋有味，轻松活泼。坐着公家的小车，住着公家的小楼，吃着公家的宴会，三天两头上电视，仨月俩月出趟国。你当然可以大谈社会责任感。可你自己呢？你有多少社会责任感？

The fourth steps in: now by what right do you lecture us? Of course your life is a piece of cake, living in government villas, riding in official cars, banqueting at government expense, making weekly TV appearances and taking monthly trips abroad. Of course you preach social commitment. But you yourself, what social commitments are you making? 

第五个人说：何必那么激动！你以为当官那么愉快？你以为当官的都活得挺舒坦？没有那事儿。官场不好混。左右逢源，上下照应，按下葫芦起来瓢，没金刚钻还真揽不了这瓷器活儿。别瞧着当官的就有气，别听着当官的号令就腻烦，人家也有一本难念的经。就说社会责任感吧，他当官的不说谁说？

The fifth expostulates: why get all worked up? An official’s life is not a bed of roses! Steering through official waters, placating right and left, attending to the high and the low. It’s no joke, I’m telling you! Get rid of one thorny problem and another crops up. It’s not any diamond that can work on such delicate china. Don’t pick on officials, don’t snort at their preachings. They have their problems too. Take, for instance, this “social commitment” business, now who is going to preach it if not their sort? 

第六个人说：算了，都别嚷嚷了。树林子大了，什么鸟都有，人跟人哪能都一样？不把社会责任感挂嘴上的，有的未必没有社会责任感，有的也确实没有社会责任感。把社会责任感挂嘴上的，有的确实有社会责任感，有的也未必有社会责任感。

The sixth one said: well, well, why don’t you all drop the subject. It takes all kinds to make a world. How can you expect everybody to be the same? There are those who don’t parade theirs sense of social responsibility, yet it doesn’t follow that they are totally devoid of the civic virtues, though some of them might indeed be totally devoid. And then there are those who spew all that cant about social commitment, but it doesn’t follow that they are paragons of civic virtues, though you can’t rule out that there may be some among their number who are indeed public-minded. 

第七个人说：算了，算了，管它呢，反正都得活着。活着就得吃喝，吃喝就是消费，消费就刺激生产。更何况，吃了喝了还得拉、还得撒，拉了撒了就为社会增加了肥料。走，喝二两去。

The seventh one sums it all up: let’s not worry our head over it. When everything’s said and done, we all must live. To live, we’ve to eat. Eating is consumption, and consumption stimulates production, not to mention the fact that eating and drinking also stimulates shitting an pissing, and shitting and pissing is accumulating fertilizers for the society at large. Come on, let’s go and have a drink on it. 

第八个人说：……

The eighth was going to say… ​​​​​ 

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