1950s 20世紀50年代
study hard and move forward every day 好好學習，天天向上
Mao Zedong wrote to honor an 8-year-old boy, Chen Yongkang, who helped police catch a spy in Suzhou, in 1951. Mao asked all kids to study hard to do a better job for the country. Banners with this slogan could be seen in almost every classroom.
1951年，蘇州市一名8歲小學生陳永康幫助警察捉住了一名特務。事后，毛澤東主席為他題詞"好好學習，天天向上"作為獎勵。毛主席希望每個孩子都能好好學習，將來為祖國貢獻自己的力量。寫著這句標語的橫幅幾乎掛滿了中國的每間教室。
food coupon 糧票
This allowed people to get certain food supplies under the planned economy. Low agricultural production meant insufficient food supplies and a quota system and the coupons were a means of distribution. The quota system lasted to the early 90s. The tickets are now the stuff of collectors.
計劃經濟體制下，糧票是人們購買某些糧食的必備憑證。較低的農業產出導致了食物供給的短缺和定額分配制度，而糧票恰恰解決了這一分配問題。這種定額分配制度一直持續到90年代早期。如今，它們已經成了收藏者們的摯愛。
1960s 20世紀60年代
quotations from Chairman Mao 毛主席語錄
Practically everyone has heard of the Little Red Book. This collection of quotations from Mao Zedong's speeches and writings was published from 1964 until about 1976. People had to remember lines and use them to guide their thoughts. The title Little Red Book was coined by Westerners because of the red cover and pocket-book size.
幾乎所有人都聽說過《紅寶書》。1964年至1976年，人們從毛澤東的演講和著作中摘選部分內容制成語錄并出版發行。人們被要求背誦其中的語句，并以此來指導他們的思想。西方人根據該書紅色的書皮和口袋書的大小將其命名為 "Little Red Book"。
Red Guard 紅衛兵
Basically middle-school and college students during the "Cultural Revolution" that Chairman Mao allowed to act as revolutionaries. In primary schools, Little Red Guards replaced the Young Pioneers. The "Gang of Four" used Red Guards to challenge authority. They were a key cause of social disorder, but their reign ended in 1978.
在文化大革命時期，幾乎所有的中學生和大學生都是革命的"紅衛兵"。在小學，小紅衛兵替代了少先隊員。"四人幫"利用紅衛兵來挑戰權威。他們是導致社會動亂的主要原因。1978年，"四人幫"終于被徹底粉碎，紅衛兵也不復存在。
1970s 20世紀70年代
educated youth 知青
From the mid-1960s to the late-1970s, about 17 million urban middle school grads answered Mao's call and flocked to the countryside. They were encouraged to pay respect to and learn from the peasants. By 1979, most educated youth were heading back to the cities but they had a hard time adapting to the changed world.
60年代中期到70年代末，約1700萬城市中學畢業生響應毛主席的號召來到農村。他們被告誡要尊敬農民，向農民學習。到了1979年，大多數知青返回城市。但是他們很難適應新的社會。
pull string 走后門
Literally, "entering through the back door". It originated under the planned economy when people used connections to get goods from the back door of a state-owned shop. This string-pulling reached a sort of climax in the late 1970s when the "educated youth" tried everything possible to get back to the cities.
"走后門"可直譯為"entering through the back door"。該詞源自計劃經濟下人們利用自己的關系從國營商店的后門獲取商品這一行為。這種現象在70年代末知青絞盡腦汁返回城市時達到了高潮。
laowai 老外
“老外”直譯就是"old foreigner"。“老外”這一新詞出現在70年代末，改革開放后，大批外國人涌入中國。起初，該詞含有一種戲弄的口氣。如今，該詞多用為一種友好的昵稱。比如大山這種在中國居住、工作或學習時間較久，精通中國文化的外國人常被稱作an old China hand（中國通）。
1980s 20世紀80年代
iron rice bowl 鐵飯碗
A secure, lifetime job assigned by the government. Where was no fear of losing the job. By the 1980s, with the new market economy, there was a competitive model of employment. And the cherished iron rice bowl was gone after more than 30 years.
“鐵飯碗”指由政府提供的有保證的終生制工作。因此，這些人永遠不愁失去工作。然而，到了80年代，在新的市場經濟體制下，就業競爭機制出現。存在了30多年之后，備受人們喜愛的“鐵飯碗”退出了歷史舞臺。
all-round good student 三好學生
Literally, "thrice-good", given to students who were virtuous, talented, and good at P.E.; first used in the 1950s by Mao to encourage young people to keep fit, study well, and work hard.
“三好學生”直譯為"thrice-good"，指在德、智、體三方面都很優秀的學生。該詞最早在50年代由毛主席提出，旨在鼓勵年輕人強身健體、努力學習、勤奮工作。
profiteering 倒爺
For the market economy, a dual-pricing system was tried in 1979. The price of certain goods was fixed and they were distributed instead of sold. If a factory exceeded its quota, it could sell the surplus at a higher price. People close to government or factory officials got the low-priced goods and sold them at a higher price. This profiteering was outlawed in 1987.
在 1979年的市場經濟體制下，價格雙軌制開始實行。那時，某些特定商品的價格是固定的，這些商品不對外出售而是采取分配的方式。若生產量超出配額，工廠可以高價賣出這些剩余商品。如此一來，那些政府、工廠領導的"關系戶"就能以低價買進這些商品，然后再高價賣出。到了1987年，這種倒買倒賣的行為才被禁止。
youth waiting for job 待業青年
The unemployed young people of the 1980s, after the government stopped assigning jobs to middle school grads, at State-owned enterprises or government offices. Some unemployed youth could "inherit" a post from a retired parent. Others tried small businesses.
80年代，政府停止為中學畢業生提供國企及政府機關的工作機會，致使社會上出現大批待業青年。其中，一部分人能從退休父母那里繼承工作；另一部分人則只能選擇小型企業。
