這樣的數據還可以列舉很多。根據一項調查，80%的中國人不認為中國已經是世界強國。這是毫不奇怪的。中國人常說，家家有本難念的經，其中的復雜性只有家人自己最知曉。在中國這樣的人口大國，任何小的困難只要乘以13億就會成為大難題，任何成就除以13億就變得微不足道。

The list can go on and on. That is why, as survey shows, 80% of Chinese disagree that we have achieved the status of a global power. As an old Chinese saying goes, only the family members can appreciate the complexities and difficulties within the family. The Chinese Premier once remarked: any small problem in China can grow into a huge one if multiplied by 1.3 billion. A big achievement can become too tiny to notice once divided by that number.

那么，中國的目標是什么？中國人心中的追求又是什么呢？

Then, what is China’s target? What are we trying to achieve?

這個問題不太好一概而論。簡而言之，我們希望把中國建設成為一個繁榮昌盛、民主法治的國家，一個在世界上推進和平合作的國家。

It is hard to generalize. To put in a simple term, we are hoping to develop China into a country with prosperity, democracy and rule of law and a country that works for peace and cooperation in the world.

中國人所追求的繁榮就是人人居有其所、幼有所教、病有所醫、老有所養的社會。現在，這個目標的實現已經不那么遙遠了。

The Chinese pursuit of prosperity is to enable everyone to have a roof over the head, every child in school, the sick having access to medical care and the elderly taken care of. That is now within grasp.

中國歷史上第一次擺脫了饑餓。記得在我上大學的時候，人們彼此的問候不是“你好嗎”，而是“吃了嗎？”溫飽曾經是中國家庭和中國政府最關心的大問題。

For the first time in history, people are not dying of hunger in China. Even when I was in college, the greeting words for people meeting each other on the street was not: how are you? But: have you had your meal? Food was the biggest concern of the families and of the government.

但是現在，如果你問我女兒這代人“吃了嗎？”，他們會懷疑你是不是有毛病。我遇到一對剛剛從上海回來的美國夫婦，他們說上海的天際線美得如夢如幻。

Now you ask the young people like my daughter: have you had your meal? They would wonder if you have a problem. I met an American couple from the States who just came back from Shanghai and they think the Shanghai skyline is like surreal.

但是中國最大的變化不僅僅發生在上海這樣的大城市，而且發生在廣大的農村地區。不知道大家有沒有注意到，從2006年第一天起，中國政府取消了農業稅。在過去長達2600年漫長的歲月里，中國歷代封建王朝和后來的許多屆政府的主要財政收入都來自于農民的稅賦。農業稅的取消，標志著中國從農業社會邁入了工業社會。

But the most significant changes in China in not only in big cities like Shanghai, but in the vast rural China. I wonder how many people noticed that in the first day of 2006 China abolished agricultural tax. For 2600 years the central kingdoms and successive governments mainly depended on taxing the farmers. This move marks the transition of China from an agrarian to industrial society.