艰难的转型：一九七八年中央工作会议的农业议题

Difficult Transition: The Agricultural Topic on the Agenda of the Working Conference of the CPC Central Committee in 1978

1978年的中共中央工作会议,因为是中共十一届三中全会的"前奏"或"准备",向来为人们高度评价。但是对会议的农业议题,学界看法不一:有人称其启动了中国农村的改革;也有人认为很保守,没有改革精神。两种观点其实都过分注重了会议文件,而忽略了与会者的讨论。梳理与会者的讨论,人们会发现当年既有对陈规的突破,也有对陈规的因袭。这其实才是那个社会开始转型年代的原貌和特征。历史是一个复杂的过程,任何简单的判断和结论,都会把斑斓和绚烂的已逝过程变成毫无生气的单色调图景。历史研究的基本功能,恰恰是还原和揭示这种复杂性,而不是以简约的结论去遮蔽它。

The Working Conference of the CPC Central Committee in 1978 has always been highly valued by the people. But the academic circles are divided in their opinions about the agricultural topic on the agenda of this conference. Some scholars hold it initiated the rural reform in China while others think it was very conservative and did not display the spirit of reform. In fact, both views pay too much attention to the conference documents and ignore the discussions among the participants. Studying the speeches of the participants one would discover there were both new breakthroughs and views sticking to the old ways of thinking at the conference. In fact, this is the original appearance and features of the society at that time when the transition had just begun. History is a complex process and any simplified judgment and conclusion will transform the gorgeous and magnificent view into a lackluster process. The basic function of historical research consists just of restoring and revealing the complexi- ty of historical events rather than hiding it from view with a simple conclusion.