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.
其实，我原来看到过坐落在天安门广场西侧的人民大会堂的照片，但只有第一次亲眼所见并走进这座宏伟建筑时，我才真正体会到“百闻不如一见”这句话的含义。这是重要决策诞生的地方，也是进行关键性表决的场所，站在这里给我的感觉是强大和强烈。我来自美国得克萨斯州，那里也有一座用粉红色花岗岩修建的议会大厦，但我必须承认，人民大会堂绝对更胜一筹。

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.
参加两会对于我来说，是一次不平凡的经历。中华人民共和国全国人民代表大会是中国最高国家权力机关，全国人民代表大会和全国人民代表大会常务委员会行使国家立法权，我的“两会之旅”也正是从3月5日十三届全国人大一次会议开幕当天开启。会上，我听取了中国国务院总理李克强作的政府工作报告。当几千名全国人大代表们在会议大厅里就坐时，我被这一场面深深地震撼——这是“十九大”以来首次召开的两会，是具有关键意义的转折点，将决定整个国家的未来。

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.
今年的政府工作报告反映了这一时期的关键性。在习近平主席所说的中国特色社会主义“新时代”到来之际，李克强总理总结了过去五年的政府工作，并对未来的工作作出布置。在公布了国内生产总值（GDP）6.5%增长目标的同时，政府工作报告中还提出保持高质量增长，建设现代化经济体系，打赢防范和控制风险、消除极端贫困、减轻污染“三大关键战役”的承诺。

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?”
报告中很多真实事例都说明了政府工作取得的成就。自2013年以来，中国先后有6800万人口摆脱贫困，居民收入增长持续超过经济增长，失业率保持在令人吃惊的低水平，而基础设施投入则比世界上任何一个国家都要高。中国在这些方面都取得了巨大成就。我自己就经历了北京多年以来空气质量最好、天空最蓝的一个冬天。报告中传达出的信息，给各国政府所面临的共同问题提供了一个信心十足的回答：“你是要付诸行动，还是仅仅只动动嘴而已。”

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.
在听取工作报告的同时，我偶尔会看一看坐在一层的2970名人大代表。这些来自不同背景的代表，既包括农民、工人，也有技术领域的从业者，但在两会期间，他们和政府官员是一样的，都是人民代表，都握有神圣的一票。我还看到了许多身穿特色服饰的少数民族代表，还有很多不远万里赶来参会的代表。在这里，我看到了整个中国。

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.
《政府工作报告》开始之前，国歌奏响，我和全体在场人员一起起立。当然，我不是中国人。但随着国歌声越来越大，上千人齐声高唱时，我不禁被这庄重的时刻感动了。这种寻求共识的精神贯穿大会全程，代表们用掌声明确表明了他们对报告的赞同，并在会议前后进行友好交谈。毫无疑问，这样庞大而人数众多的集体中必然存在分歧，但大会的本质是追求国家可持续发展团结一致，友好解决分歧，并准备承担选举单位所授予的重大职责。

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，中国这种同心协力的文化与我从美国政治活动中观察到的完全不同。派系斗争在哪儿？党派恩怨在哪儿？争吵和阻挠几乎成了美国立法的特色，最近还多次出现了政府资金短缺的情况。这些资金缺口可能导致政府无法运转，正如今年1月联邦政府部门关门那几天一样。随着这些事件越来越普遍，对这种事态有没有比“功能障碍”更好的解释呢？我对此表示怀疑。

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.
中国人民的生活水平已经提高了，他们的期待也会越来越高，中国共产党和中国政府要满足人民期望的难度是任何国家都体会不到的。要确保近14亿人民过上富足的生活，这样的治理挑战是我永远无法理解的。然而，我去过的每个地方的人们对此都很乐观。否认中国存在问题是愚蠢的，毕竟没有任何国家是完美的。但是，这里的人们正视这些问题，并理解要解决问题需要时间。而也许最重要的是，他们相信中国政府会解决问题。过去五年以及中华人民共和国自成立近70年来，中国所取得的成就让这一信念生根。

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”.
我很难不拿美国的生活与中国对比，所有美国人都知道这个国家的问题所在，几十年来一直与这些问题打交道，而他们不相信政府可以或愿意有所作为。每当我回国后和那些负担不起住房、医疗等基本生活需求的人们聊天时，我都十分痛心，而当我问过政府官员们他们有什么对策后，只会更加难受。总而言之，答案就是“我们无能为力”。

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.
由于中国共产党和中国政府坚定不移地致力于提高人民的生活水平，让人民过上更好的日子，我惊讶地发现，在中国人的字典里没有“无能为力”这个词。