读了玄珠同志的《谈独立思考》，我有点感想。

　　The text, "On Independent Thought" of Xuan Zhu has set me thinking a little bit.

　　现在是不是我们就不知道怎样独立思考呢？现在是不是我们就丧失了独立思考的能力呢？

　　Nowadays, we all do not know how to think independently, do we? Don't we unlearn how to think in an independent way?

　　我想，绝不是。我们并没有丧失独立思考的能力。

　　I think: no, we have not forgotten to think independently.

　　问题在于：有些人自己不习惯"独立思考"，也不习惯别人"独立思考"。他们把自己装在套子里面，也喜欢硬把别人装在套子里面。他们拿起教条的棍子到处巡逻，要是看见有人从套子里钻出来，他们就给他一闷棍，他们听见到处都在唱他们听惯了的那种没有感情的单调的调子，他们就满意地在套子里睡着了。

　　The problem is, that some are not used to "thinking differently", and they are also not used to the fact, that others have independent thoughts. They are wrapped up in layers like coats and they may also wrap up others. They take out the stick of dogmatism, patrol with it everywhere, and if they see somebody piercing his coat, they hit him hard. They are not satisfied and cannot fall asleep in their coats, before they not hear from everywhere that usual emotionless talk.

　　他们的棍子造成了一种舆论，培养出来一批应声虫，好像声势很浩大，而且也的确发生过起哄的作用。可是这种棍子并没有打掉人们的独立思考的能力。事实上单调的调子中间一直有各种各样的声音，不过教条主义者没有听见或者不去听罢了。有些在套子里住惯了的编辑同志喜欢把别人的文章改来改去，一定要改得可以装进套子才甘心，但是写稿的人仍然要从套子里钻出来。打闷棍，头一次也许有用处，我再来，别人早已提防了。谁都知道，教条是死的，人是活的，所以教条代替不了"独立思考"。

　　Their sticks have generated a kind of public opinion, and created a chorus of yes-men, that obviously have loud voices and really could drown out everything. But these sticks were not able to stop the ability of the people to think independently. Actually, among these monotonous remarks there have always been different voices, but the dogmatists haven't heard them or simply don't want to hear them. Some editors have already gotten used to a life in coats. They do not rest, until they have revised your essay so often that it fits into the coats, only then they are willing to publish it. But the authors of those essays still want to pierce through their coats as usual. A powerful hit will perhaps be effective already for the first time. To avoid the second one, they dodge in ahead-running obediently. Everyone knows, that people are living human being, and therefore, the "independent thought" cannot be represented by dogmatists.

　　在中国能够独立思考的人还是占大多数，他们对大小事情都有他们自己的看法。他们并不习惯别人代替他们思考，但是他们也不习惯公开发表自己的意见，却喜欢暗地里吱吱喳喳（这倒有助于教条主义者的虚张声势）。所以"百家争鸣"的号召对他们是有很大的作用的。他们需要"鸣"，也应当鼓励他们大"鸣"。要是他们真的大"鸣"起来，教条主义者的棍子就只好收起来了。

　　Most people can still think independently in China. They have their own opinions on everything. In no way would they come to terms with the cast that other people thought for them, but they are also not used to expressing their opinions publicly. Instead of this, they like to chatter in the dark, which has the opposite effect. It helps the exaggerating of the dogmatists. Therefore, the slogan of the "free completion of the 100 schools" would especially apply to them. They must "make themselves heard." We should encourage them also to do this loudly. If they would really "cry out," the dogmatists could pack up their sticks and leave.