房宁：从实际出发推进中国民主政治建设（中英对照）

从实际出发推进中国民主政治建设

Developing Democracy on the Basis of China’s Reality

房宁

Fang Ning

民主政治是人类政治文明发展的成果。根据本国的历史和国情，探索和建设符合本国社会发展要求的民主制度，是许多国家面临的重大课题。中国的现代化和民族复兴伴随着对民主政治的追求和探索，民主政治是推动中国历史发展的重要动力。由于中国历史与国情的特殊性，中国的民主具有自己鲜明的特色。随着中国的发展、国际地位的提高，中国的发展经验和模式日益引起世界的关注，系统地总结中国民主政治发展的经验，既是继续发展和完善中国民主政治的需要，也是对于外部关注中国民主政治的一种回应。

Democracy can be described as a product of political progress. At present, many countries face the major task of exploring and developing a democratic system which, by virtue of being based on their historical traditions and national conditions, is geared towards the needs of their social development. China’s modernization and national rejuvenation have been accompanied by its pursuit and exploration of democracy. In fact, democracy can be said to be one of the most important driving forces behind China’s historical progression. China’s democracy demonstrates its own distinctive characteristics, which are attributable to the country’s unique history and national conditions. As China develops and comes to enjoy a higher international standing, its experiences in development and its model of development are becoming the subject of increasing world interest. Systematically summarizing China’s experiences in the development of democracy at this point is not only a necessary requirement for the continued development and improvement of democracy in China, but also serves as a response to the international attention that has been given to China’s democracy.

一

I

西方宣扬民主是“普世价值”，刻意回避各国民主政治实践之间的差异。实际上，各国的民主制度都是与自己的历史传统和现实国情紧密结合的，各国走上民主政治道路的原因是具体的，有差别的，民主政治在各国近现代历史发展进程中所起的作用也不尽相同。

In hailing democracy as a “universal value,” Western countries deliberately evade the fact that differences exist in the way that different countries practice democracy. In fact, the democratic systems that different countries employ are closely linked to the historical traditions and contemporary conditions of those countries. Each country that takes the path of democracy has its own specific reasons for doing so. At the same time, the role that democracy has played in the modern history of different countries has also varied considerably.

英国民主政治最早起源于统治集团内部的政治斗争。因此，“权利保护”成为英国民主的起点和重点。法国民主政治起源于法国社会内部各阶级阶层之间的矛盾，发端于下层阶级反抗上层阶级的斗争之中。因此，争取自由成为法国民主长久的主题与特色。美国民主诞生于独立战争，由于历史和地理条件等特殊因素，美国独立建国时较之欧洲国家有更大的制度选择和建构空间，使得许多源于欧洲的民主观念与政治原则在新大陆上表现更为突出。

British democracy grew out of political struggles that took place within the ruling clique. As a result, the “protection of rights” became the starting point and focus of British democracy. French democracy originated from conflicts between different classes and strata in French society, finding its beginnings in the struggle of the lower classes against the upper class. This is why the pursuit of freedom has always been a constant theme and feature of French democracy. American democracy was born out of the American War of Independence. In contrast to European countries, unique historical and geographical conditions gave the US greater room for maneuver in the choice and formation of national institutions after declaring independence. Consequently, many democratic ideas and political principles that originated in Europe exhibited greater vitality in the New World.

中国民主政治的起点是外来殖民主义侵略引发的民族生存危机，救亡图存是中国近现代包括民主在内的一切政治建设的历史起点和逻辑原点。在挽救民族危亡和争取民族独立的斗争中，产生了民主政治的诉求，出现了最初的民主实践。新中国建立后，寻求国家的快速工业化，建立富强的新国家成为新的历史任务，民主政治成为调动人民建设国家的积极性、主动性、创造性的政治机制，民主政治建设的主题从救亡图存转变为建设社会主义强国。

China’s democracy was born out of a crisis of national survival that was instigated by colonial invasion. For this reason, saving the nation from subjugation and ensuring its survival became the historical starting point and logical origin of all initiatives to advance political development in modern China, including the development of democracy. It was in the struggles to save the nation from peril and gain national independence that appeals for democracy and the earliest democratic practices emerged. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese people turned their attention to a new historical task: pursuing rapid national industrialization and establishing a prosperous and strong country. Democracy was employed as a political mechanism to encourage the enthusiastic, active, and creative involvement of the people in national development. Accordingly, the underlying theme of democratic advancement shifted from saving the nation to building a strong socialist country.

民主政治是人民的选择，但选择不是任意的，人们只能在历史任务和国情条件等客观因素设定的可能性空间中进行选择。中国的历史和基本国情深刻地影响和决定着当代中国的政治制度，当代中国面临的根本任务仍然是快速实现国家的工业化、现代化。中国的基本国情要求在工业化、现代化阶段的政治制度与体制，必须能调动和发挥广大人民群众建设国家、追求幸福美好生活的积极性、主动性、创造性；同时又能集中民力和民智，有利于在全国范围内合理有效调配资源，保卫国家安全和保障社会安定团结。对于当代中国的政治制度来说，只有满足国家与社会发展所需要的这两方面基本需求，才是一个可供选择和有生命力的制度，才是一个真正为中国人民所需要的制度，因而也才是一个真正民主的制度。

While democracy is most certainly the choice of the people, it should be noted that this choice is by no means made randomly. The choices that people make are confined to a scope of possibility that is defined by certain objective factors, such as a historical task or a country’s national conditions. The political systems that China employs are heavily influenced and determined by China’s history and its basic national conditions. At present, China’s fundamental task continues to be the rapid achievement of industrialization and modernization. As China’s basic national conditions dictate, the political institutions and systems that China employs during this phase must be capable of encouraging the enthusiastic, active, and creative efforts of the people in developing the country and pursuing a better life. At the same time, with a view to safeguarding national security and guaranteeing social stability and solidarity, these political institutions and systems also need to be adept at pooling the strength and wisdom of the people and facilitating the rational and effective allocation of resources nationwide. For the China of today, the only political systems that can be regarded as feasible and viable options are those that can bring about national and social development. These are the only systems that the Chinese people genuinely need, and the only ones that can truly be called democratic.