13
0Cheng Yibin
Born in Baoying, Jiangsu Province, Cheng Yibin (1927-1949) received schooling at the Provincial Yangzhou Experimental Primary School, Nanjing Model High School, and entered National Central University in 1947. As the leading member of a progressive student club of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Cheng participated in the activities of the then-underground Communist Party of China and the New Democratic Youth Association to keep the university running for the coming liberation of Nanjing. He died on April 19, 1949, of serious injury after being beaten by the Nationalists at a demonstration held on April 1 against the scheme of war preparation in the name of peace-seeking of the Nationalist die-hards.
A Letter to Fiancee, in Early 1944
Dear Fen:
The words in my heart have been pent up for over a month now, and even without your urging, I can’t hold them in any longer. I want to tell you something, dear. Please stop what you are doing and take a few minutes to read a sweet letter from your lover in a faraway land!
Leaving distant future aside, let’s talk about 1944:
Three days of New Year holidays, give me a good opportunity to ponder over it. In these three days, I reflected on the past years, and at the same time, planned for the future. The past is the past, whether it’s sweet or sour. And we should pay attention to the future and grasp the present, so I think “self-revolution” is necessary. Here are ten principles which will make it possible for me to begin a new life this year:
1. Adopt a new outlook on life which is positive, optimistic and healthy.
2. Possess a wealth of knowledge, which is accumulated from careful observation and proper understanding.
3. Lead a regular life, being strict with myself and loyal to others.
4. Have a strong mind to make decisive decisions, biting the bullet and fighting with the dark ones tirelessly.
5. Be of noble character. Don’t deceive others and myself.
6. Be thrifty. What he can do alone, he must do by himself, and what he can save on expenses, he must save.
7. Be willing to help others. Whoever wants to begin a new life must be selfless and can always sacrifice themselves for the masses!
8. Be unpretentious. Never use grandiloquent language or high-sounding words. Instead, be practical and work hard to achieve career aspirations.
9. Love my country and nation. At the same time, love my parents, teachers, and anyone who is worthy of love.
10. Build a noble romance and be understanding and comforting with my lover.
Fen, how do you feel about these principles? Are they too vague or too broad? Or perhaps they are too exaggerated? It is doubtless difficult for me to meet these requirements altogether at the same time, but I am willing to use them as my guiding principles and work hard to begin a “new life”!
原文：雨花台烈士陵园管理局《雨花英烈家书》
初校：东南大学外国语学院英语语言文学研究生党支部、外国语言学及应用语言学研究生党支部
终校：东南大学外国语学院英语系党支部
配乐：穿越时空的思念（钢琴） — 昼夜 — 李勤舍
朗读：洪璟玥
