Serving the People

We should be modest and prudent, guard against arrogance and rashness, and serve the Chinese people heart and soul…

Source: "China's Two Possible Destinies" (April 23, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. III p. 253.

我們應該謙虛，謹慎，戒驕，戒躁，全心全意地為人民服務，……

Our point of departure is to serve the people whole-heartedly and never for a moment divorce ourselves from the masses, to proceed in all cases from the interests of the people and not from one's self-interest or from the interests of a small group, and to identify our responsibility to the people with our responsibility to the leading organs of the Party.

Source: "On Coalition Government" (April 24, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 315.*

全心全意地為人民服務，一刻也不脫離群衆；一切從人民的利益出發，而不是從個人或小集團的利益出發；向人民負責和向黨的領導機關負責的一致性；這些就是我們的出發點。

On Coalition Government — April 1945 political report to the 7th Congress; many quotations on party and masses come from it.

The organs of state must practise democratic centralism, they must rely on the masses and their personnel must serve the people.

Source: On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People (February 27, 1957), 1st pocket ed., p. 8.*

國家機關實行民主集中制，國家機關必須依靠人民群衆，國家機關工作人員必須為人民服務。

Comrade Bethune's spirit, his utter devotion to others without any thought of self, was shown in his boundless sense of responsibility in his work and his boundless warm-heartedness towards all comrades and the people. Every Communist must learn from him. … We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him. With this spirit everyone can be very useful to the people. A man's ability may be great or small, but if he has this spirit, he is already noble-minded and pure, a man of moral integrity and above vulgar interests, a man who is of value to the people.

Source: "In Memory of Norman Bethune" (December 21, 1939), Selected Works, Vol. II, pp. 337-38.*

白求恩同志毫不利己專門利人的精神，表現在他對工作的極端的負責任，對同志對人民的極端的熱忱。每個共產黨員都要學習他。……我們大家要學習他毫無自私自利之心的精神。從這點出發，就可以變為大有利於人民的人。一個人能力有大小，但只要有這點精神，就是一個高尚的人，一個純粹的人，一個有道德的人，一個脫離了低級趣味的人，一個有益於人民的人。

In Memory of Norman Bethune — December 1939, eulogy for the Canadian doctor Norman Bethune.

Our Communist Party and the Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies led by our Party are battalions of the revolution. These battalions of ours are wholly dedicated to the liberation of the people and work entirely in the people's interests.

Source: "Serve the People" (September 8, 1944), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 227.

我們的共產黨和共產黨所領導的八路軍、新四軍，是革命的隊伍。我們這個隊伍完全是為著解放人民的，是徹底地為人民的利益工作的。

Serve the People — 8 Sept 1944 eulogy for Zhang Side; very short, the source of Chapter 17's first entry.

All our cadres, whatever their rank, are servants of the people, and whatever we do is to serve the people. How then can we be reluctant to discard any of our bad traits?

Source: "The Tasks for 1945" (December 15, 1944).

我們一切工作幹部，不論職位高低，都是人民的勤務員，我們所做的一切，都是為人民服務，我們有些什麼不好的東西捨不得丟掉呢？

Our duty is to hold ourselves responsible to the people. Every word, every act and every policy must conform to the people's interests, and if mistakes occur, they must be corrected - that is what being responsible to the people means.

Source: "The Situation and Our Policy After the Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan" (August 13, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 16.

我們的責任，是向人民負責，每句話，每個行動，每項政策，都要適合人民的利益，如果有了錯誤，定要改正，這就叫向人民負責。

The Situation and Our Policy After the Victory in the War of Resistance — 13 Aug 1945, the judgement just after Japan's defeat; source of Chapter 21's first entry.

Wherever there is struggle there is sacrifice, and death is a common occurrence. But we have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at heart, and when we die for the people it is a worthy death. Nevertheless, we should do our best to avoid unnecessary sacrifices.

Source: "Serve the People" (September 8, 1944), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 228.

要奮鬥就會有犧牲，死人的事是經常發生的。但是我們想到人民的利益，想到大多數人民的痛苦，我們為人民而死，就是死得其所。不過，我們應當儘量地減少那些不必要的犧牲。

Serve the People — 8 Sept 1944 eulogy for Zhang Side; very short, the source of Chapter 17's first entry.

All men must die, but death can vary in its significance. The ancient Chinese writer Szuma Chien said, "Though death befalls all men alike, it may be weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather." To die for the people is weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the fascists and die for the exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather.

Source: Ibid., p. 227.*

人總是要死的，但死的意義有不同。中國古時候有個文學家叫做司馬遷的說過：「人固有一死，或重於泰山，或輕於鴻毛。」為人民利益而死，就比泰山還重；替法西斯賣力，替剝削人民和壓迫人民的人去死，就比鴻毛還輕。