Red Guard 紅衛兵

Basically middle-school and college students during the "Cultural Revolution" that Chairman Mao allowed to act as revolutionaries. In primary schools, Little Red Guards replaced the Young Pioneers. The "Gang of Four" used Red Guards to challenge authority. They were a key cause of social disorder, but their reign ended in 1978.
在文化大革命時期，幾乎所有的中學生和大學生都是革命的“紅衛兵”。在小學，小紅衛兵替代了少先隊員。“四人幫”利用紅衛兵來挑戰權威。他們是導致社會動亂的主要原因。1978年，“四人幫”終于被徹底粉碎，紅衛兵也不復存在。

1970s 20世紀70年代

educated youth 知青

From the mid-1960s to the late-1970s, about 17 million urban middle school grads answered Mao's call and flocked to the countryside. They were encouraged to pay respect to and learn from the peasants. By 1979, most educated youth were heading back to the cities but they had a hard time adapting to the changed world.
60年代中期到70年代末，約1700萬城市中學畢業生響應毛主席的號召來到農村。他們被告誡要尊敬農民，向農民學習。到了1979年，大多數知青返回城市。但是他們很難適應新的社會。

pull string 走后門

Literally, "entering through the back door". It originated under the planned economy when people used connections to get goods from the back door of a state-owned shop. This string-pulling reached a sort of climax in the late 1970s when the "educated youth" tried everything possible to get back to the cities.
“走后門”可直譯為"entering through the back door"。該詞源自計劃經濟下人們利用自己的關系從國營商店的后門獲取商品這一行為。這種現象在70年代末知青絞盡腦汁返回城市時達到了高潮。

laowai 老外

“老外”直譯就是"old foreigner"。“老外”這一新詞出現在70年代末，改革開放后，大批外國人涌入中國。起初，該詞含有一種戲弄的口氣。如今，該詞多用為一種友好的昵稱。比如大山這種在中國居住、工作或學習時間較久，精通中國文化的外國人常被稱作an old China hand中國通。

1980s 20世紀80年代

iron rice bowl 鐵飯碗

A secure, lifetime job assigned by the government. Where was no fear of losing the job. By the 1980s, with the new market economy, there was a competitive model of employment. And the cherished iron rice bowl was gone after more than 30 years.
“鐵飯碗”指由政府提供的有保證的終生制工作。因此，這些人永遠不愁失去工作。然而，到了80年代，在新的市場經濟體制下，就業競爭機制出現。存在了30多年之后，備受人們喜愛的“鐵飯碗”退出了歷史舞臺。

all-round good student 三好學生

Literally, "thrice-good", given to students who were virtuous, talented, and good at PE; first used in the 1950s by Mao to encourage young people to keep fit, study well, and work hard.

“三好學生”直譯為"thrice-good"，指在德、智、體三方面都很優秀的學生。該詞最早在50年代由毛主席提出，旨在鼓勵年輕人強身健體、努力學習、勤奮工作。