美国国家公共电台 NPR China Is My Home: British-born CPC Member Liu Daorui

 

Liu Daorui's English name is Dorothy Maysmith. She was born in London in 1918 in an British migrant worker's family. Like many other of her colleagues from that generation, she witnessed the hard times during the war.

"When the World War II started, I was just 20, their planes came to bomb London. My home was in ruins."

Liu had to find a new job for a living. In 1940, she joined China Bank's London Branch. There she met a young Chinese man, Liu Benkun. They got married in 1949, the same year of the founding of the new China.

"When we were in London, we often went to the Chinese embassy¹, so we saw many films about China, food was shortage², it's very difficult for the people in China."

At that time the couple had a steady income and lived a comfortable and leisurely³ life in London. But they decided⁴ to give it up and went to China. They sold their apartment at a relatively⁵ low price of 12-thousand pounds, and donated it to the people in need.

"We didn't need that money in China. We thought that we would better to give that money to the country, through Premier⁶ Zhou. We were not sure about the others, but we were sure about Premier Zhou."

Liu Daorui took on Chinese nationality. After the couple returned to China, they worked at the Bank of China headquarters in Beijing.

"I have worked under both the Community Party and the Kuomintang. My work and living under the Communist Party has really been much happier."

She applied⁷ to join the CPC twice. In 1986, in her 60s, Liu Daorui's wish was realized. She became a CPC member.

Discipline and commitment, is a common impression Liu has left on her colleagues. Zhao Yuzhen is a former Bank of China staff, who had worked with Liu Daorui.

"Sometimes I think she needn't to be so hard-working and dedicated⁸, and so strict to herself. She loves her husband, her husband is a Chinese. She loves his husband's homeland, China. She is willing to devote herself to her husband and this country."

Liu Daorui has experienced a lot and witnessed huge changes during her nearly half a century's stay in China. Some of them are good, while others are not. The elderly lady says people should hold an objective⁹ view about the CPC.

"You can never expect a party such as Chinese Community Party, or any party, not to make mistakes. They all make mistakes. And the biggest mistake, I think, was the Cultural Revolution. Since then I have seen many changes, most of them have been successful."

Liu Daorui says she's confident about the future of the CPC.

"If the party continues working for serving the people, if they can continue to have that in mind, and they will have no problem. The more they pay attention to people's well-being¹⁰, the more people will follow them and be satisfied."

Liu Daorui says she loves China and China is her home.

"China is our home. We're all Chinese, I am Chinese."

For Studio+, I'm Xu Fei.

1 embassy   

n.大使馆，大使及其随员

参考例句：

• Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
• He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。

2 shortage   

n.缺少，缺乏，不足

参考例句：

• The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
• The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。

3 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

8 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

9 objective   

adj.客观的；n.目标，目的

参考例句：

• He tried to take an objective view of the situation.他试图对形势有个客观的看法。
• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。

10 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。