国内英语资讯:China Focus: For translators, Marxist works a lifetime labor of love_时事

国内英语资讯:China Focus: For translators, Marxist works a lifetime labor of love

GENERATIONS OF DEDICATION

Six decades ago, 18-year-old Gu Jinping became a translator for the CCTB, and his first mission was to translate the Soviet Union's "A Dictionary of Philosophy."

He recalled that as a young man who was not so good at Russian and knew little about Marxism, he had to work day and night.

"Everybody was so dedicated and passionate. The office building was often brightly lit at night," Gu said.

Today, all others who worked with him translating the dictionary have passed away. But the 85-year-old Gu is still working full time as a translator of Marxist classics.

"As long as my brain works, I would like to do as much as I can," he said.

Gu's colleague, 72-year-old Wei Jianhua, has also yet to retire.

"The best choice I have ever made in my life was to choose a carreer that I really love," he said, adding that his firm belief in Marxism has been a powerful driving force for his work.

At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, criticism of Marxism was rampant worldwide as drastic changes took place in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

"Many cast a doubtful eye on China's system at that time," Wei said. "But the great achievements our country has made during the past four decades demonstrated the strong vitality of Marxism."

Nowadays, more and more people are realizing the value of Marxism, and have been looking for inspiration in Marxist theories, especially when facing financial crisis and ecological degradation, he said.