I’d seen pictures of the Great Hall of the People, of course. But no picture can measure up to entering the massive building for the first time, walking into that cavernous space and taking in the atmosphere. It’s a powerful thing, to stand where so many vital decisions and votes have taken place. All due respect to my home state of Texas and its pink granite capitol building, but I’m afraid China has it beat.
其實，我原來看到過坐落在天安門廣場西側的人民大會堂的照片，但只有第一次親眼所見并走進這座宏偉建筑時，我才真正體會到“百聞不如一見”這句話的含義。這是重要決策誕生的地方，也是進行關鍵性表決的場所，站在這里給我的感覺是強大和強烈。我來自美國得克薩斯州，那里也有一座用粉紅色花崗巖修建的議會大廈，但我必須承認，人民大會堂絕對更勝一籌。

And this was no ordinary tour. My inaugural trip to the hall came on the opening day of this year’s National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature and the highest organ of state power. I was there to hear Premier Li Keqiang deliver the Report on the Work of the Government over the past year on behalf of the State Council. As I watched NPC deputies take their seats, I was struck by the tenor of the occasion — this was the first national legislative meeting since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China — an important juncture that will determine the future of the country.
參加兩會對于我來說，是一次不平凡的經歷。中華人民共和國全國人民代表大會是中國最高國家權力機關，全國人民代表大會和全國人民代表大會常務委員會行使國家立法權，我的“兩會之旅”也正是從3月5日十三屆全國人大一次會議開幕當天開啟。會上，我聽取了中國國務院總理李克強作的政府工作報告。當幾千名全國人大代表們在會議大廳里就坐時，我被這一場面深深地震撼——這是“十九大”以來首次召開的兩會，是具有關鍵意義的轉折點，將決定整個國家的未來。

The work report reflected this period’s pivotal nature. At the cusp of what President Xi Jinping has called the “new era” for Chinese socialism, Premier Li made firm pronouncements on what the government has done and will do in the coming year. Along with the announced GDP growth target of 6.5 percent, the report included continued commitments to high-quality growth, economic modernization and “three critical battles”: forestalling and curbing risk, ending extreme poverty and reducing pollution.
今年的政府工作報告反映了這一時期的關鍵性。在習近平主席所說的中國特色社會主義“新時代”到來之際，李克強總理總結了過去五年的政府工作，并對未來的工作作出布置。在公布了國內生產總值（GDP）6.5%增長目標的同時，政府工作報告中還提出保持高質量增長，建設現代化經濟體系，打贏防范和控制風險、消除極端貧困、減輕污染“三大關鍵戰役”的承諾。

Li backed these statements of intent with more than words; he pointed to real-world results. With 68 million people lifted out of poverty since 2013, income growth constantly outpacing economic growth, an eye-poppingly low unemployment rate and higher levels of infrastructure spending than anywhere else on the planet, there has already been a great deal of success on these fronts. I personally experienced what were by all accounts the clearest winter skies Beijing has seen in years. The information in the report was, in essence, the supremely confident answer to a paramount question facing all governments: “Do you walk the walk, or merely talk the talk?”
報告中很多真實事例都說明了政府工作取得的成就。自2013年以來，中國先后有6800萬人口擺脫貧困，居民收入增長持續超過經濟增長，失業率保持在令人吃驚的低水平，而基礎設施投入則比世界上任何一個國家都要高。中國在這些方面都取得了巨大成就。我自己就經歷了北京多年以來空氣質量最好、天空最藍的一個冬天。報告中傳達出的信息，給各國政府所面臨的共同問題提供了一個信心十足的回答：“你是要付諸行動，還是僅僅只動動嘴而已?！?/p>

While listening to the work report, I occasionally ventured from my seat in the gallery and looked over the first floor, where the 2,980 NPC deputies sat. I saw representatives from all walks of life — according to demographic data, they come from diverse backgrounds. Farmers, workers and technical personnel have the same status as government officials at the two sessions; all are deputies, each with one vote. I saw members of ethnic minority groups in traditional costumes and people who’d traveled hundreds of miles to attend. In that one enormous room, I saw all of China.
在聽取工作報告的同時，我偶爾會看一看坐在一層的2970名人大代表。這些來自不同背景的代表，既包括農民、工人，也有技術領域的從業者，但在兩會期間，他們和政府官員是一樣的，都是人民代表，都握有神圣的一票。我還看到了許多身穿特色服飾的少數民族代表，還有很多不遠萬里趕來參會的代表。在這里，我看到了整個中國。

And before the report was read, I stood with the rest of the chamber as the national anthem played. I am, of course, not Chinese. But as the music swelled and thousands of voices rose in unison, I couldn’t help but be moved by the gravity of the moment. This spirit of consensus continued through the opening plenary, as deputies made clear their approval for the report through applause and engaged in friendly conversation before and after the meeting. Disagreements no doubt exist within such a large and sundry group, but at its core this is an assembly unified on a mission of sustained national development, able to resolve differences amicably and ready to take on the vital responsibility it has been given by its electoral units.
《政府工作報告》開始之前，國歌奏響，我和全體在場人員一起起立。當然，我不是中國人。但隨著國歌聲越來越大，上千人齊聲高唱時，我不禁被這莊重的時刻感動了。這種尋求共識的精神貫穿大會全程，代表們用掌聲明確表明了他們對報告的贊同，并在會議前后進行友好交談。毫無疑問，這樣龐大而人數眾多的集體中必然存在分歧，但大會的本質是追求國家可持續發展團結一致，友好解決分歧，并準備承擔選舉單位所授予的重大職責。

Such a culture of common purpose is altogether alien compared with my time on the sidelines of United States politicking. Where was the factionalism? Where was the partisan rancor? Legislation in my home country is characterized by bickering and obstruction, most recently observed with multiple instances of government funding gaps. Such gaps can lead to total shutdowns, as was the case for a few days in January. With such incidents growing all too common, is there a better word for the state of affairs there than “dysfunction”? I have my doubts.
相比之下，中國這種同心協力的文化與我從美國政治活動中觀察到的完全不同。派系斗爭在哪兒？黨派恩怨在哪兒？爭吵和阻撓幾乎成了美國立法的特色，最近還多次出現了政府資金短缺的情況。這些資金缺口可能導致政府無法運轉，正如今年1月聯邦政府部門關門那幾天一樣。隨著這些事件越來越普遍，對這種事態有沒有比“功能障礙”更好的解釋呢？我對此表示懷疑。

Expectations will continue to run high among the Chinese people for an improved standard of living, and the difficulties the CPC and government face in meeting those expectations are the greatest any country has ever known. Ensuring prosperity for nearly a billion and a half people is a governance challenge I could never hope to understand. Yet the mood everywhere I’ve gone is optimistic. It would be foolish to deny there are problems in China — no place is perfect, after all. But people here acknowledge those problems while understanding they take time to fix. And, perhaps most importantly, they believe their government will do so. With the accomplishments over the last five years, and in the nearly 70 since the PRC was founded, that belief is well-placed.
中國人民的生活水平已經提高了，他們的期待也會越來越高，中國共產黨和中國政府要滿足人民期望的難度是任何國家都體會不到的。要確保近14億人民過上富足的生活，這樣的治理挑戰是我永遠無法理解的。然而，我去過的每個地方的人們對此都很樂觀。否認中國存在問題是愚蠢的，畢竟沒有任何國家是完美的。但是，這里的人們正視這些問題，并理解要解決問題需要時間。而也許最重要的是，他們相信中國政府會解決問題。過去五年以及中華人民共和國自成立近70年來，中國所取得的成就讓這一信念生根。

It’s hard not to contrast that with life in the US — where everyone knows what the problems are, has been dealing with them for decades and has no faith their government can or will do anything to help. Back home, my heart broke every time I spoke to people unable to afford basic necessities like housing or health care, and it only got worse when I asked officials what their solutions were. Across the board, the answers were the same: variations on “nothing we can do”.
我很難不拿美國的生活與中國對比，所有美國人都知道這個國家的問題所在，幾十年來一直與這些問題打交道，而他們不相信政府可以或愿意有所作為。每當我回國后和那些負擔不起住房、醫療等基本生活需求的人們聊天時，我都十分痛心，而當我問過政府官員們他們有什么對策后，只會更加難受。總而言之，答案就是“我們無能為力”。

With the Party and government’s unwavering determination to uplift the people and provide Chinese citizens with a better life, I’d be surprised to learn anyone here has “nothing we can do” in their vocabulary.
由于中國共產黨和中國政府堅定不移地致力于提高人民的生活水平，讓人民過上更好的日子，我驚訝地發現，在中國人的字典里沒有“無能為力”這個詞。

作者系中國日報美籍記者伊谷然
編譯：高琳琳 董靜
編輯：黃碩 程爾凡