Liang Xiaosheng on the Cultural Revolution

Like many who were swept up in the throes of the Cultural Revolution, Chinese writer Liang Xiaosheng (梁晓声) often recalled those heady days with a dose of nostalgia tinged with sadness. (自白, or Self Confession, Jingji Ribao Publishing Press, 1997)

He noted that the tragedy of his generation was that their fervor in pursuing revolution far exceeded their fervor in pursuing knowledge and education. He added that without knowledge and education as the foundation, revolutionary ideology would be no different from blind religious fervor.

He also added:

"我们这一代人, 都是唱这首歌长大的. 红领巾是我们的骄傲. 少先队队礼表达着我们对美好事物的崇高敬意. 少先队队鼓使人们的童心激动无比. 我们这一代中的大多数幼年, 童年, 乃至青少年时期不知巧克力为何物. 五十个人的玩具加在一起也没有儿子的玩具多. 一件新衣服会使我们欢欣雀跃. 新衣服是爸爸或者妈妈买的, 可是我们都普遍地认为最应该感激的是毛主席和共产党. 没有毛主席, 就没有共产党. 没有共产党, 就没有新衣服. 我们的父辈虔诚地在我们的心头脑中打上这种 "胎记". 全社会惟恐我们忘却了我们来到这个世界上并且生存下来的意义只有一个 - 知恩图报."

(Our generation grew up singing this song. The red scarf is our pride. The salute of the youth league represents our utmost respect for the beautiful things in life. The drum beats of the youth league had stirred up the passions within our innocent hearts. Most of us - from early childhood, childhood to even our teens - had not heard about chocolates. If 50 of us were to combine our toys, the toys would be nowhere as numerous as my son's. When we obtained a new piece of clothing, we would leap for joy. The new clothes were purchased by either father or mother. But we generally felt that we should be most grateful to Chairman Mao and the Communist Party. Without Chairman Mao, there would be no Communist Party. Without the Communist Party, there would be no new clothes. Our father's generation religiously indoctrinated this "birthmark" in our hearts and our minds. The entire society seemed to be worried that we would forget the one sole reason why we were brought into this earth and the reason for our survival - and that is, to know who our benefactors were and to repay their kindness.")

"这是整整一代人的狂热, 整整一代人的迷乱. 而整整一代青年的迷乱与狂热, 是飓风, 是火, 是大潮, 是一泻千里的狂瀾, 是冲决一切的能量! 当这一切都过去之后我们累了. 当我们感到累了的时候, 我们才开始严峻的思考. 当我们思考的时候, 我们才开始真正长大成人. 当我们真正长大成人了, 我们才感到失落. 当我们失落了, 我们才感到愤怒了, 我们才感到失望. 当我们感到失望了, 我们才觉醒. 当我们觉醒了, 我们才认为有权谴责!"

(This is the zeal of an entire generation of people, the chaotic loss of a whole generation of people. And this zeal and chaotic loss of a whole generation of people is a typhoon, is fire, is a forceful and ferocious wave, and is the strength that will sweep everything away! When everything was over, we were tired. And when we began to feel tired, we began to think critically. When we began to think, we began to fully grow up. And when we were fully grown up, we began to feel a sense of loss. And when we felt a sense of loss, we became furious and disappointed. When were disappointed, we began to wake up. And it is only when we have woken up, that we have the right to castigate!")

"试问, 有谁比这一代人精神上所造成的失落更空洞? 有谁比这一代人所感到的失望更巨大? 有谁比这一代人的谴责更激烈?"

("Just ask yourself, who else feels more emotionally lost and hollow as compared to this generation of people? Who else harbors even greater disappointments as compared to this generation of people? And whose castigations are stronger than this generation of people?")

"然而今天, 当中国的历史又翻到崭新一页的时候, 我与我的同龄人谈到毛主席的时候, 几乎所有的人都说过这样的话: "毛主席毕竟是一个伟大的人物."

("But today, when China's history is flipped to a brand new page, and when my contemporaries and I talk about Chairman Mao, almost every one said this same thing: "No matter what, Chairman Mao was indeed a great man.")