Safeguarding stability

On the morning of March 12, Chan Ping-yuk, 66, signed her name carefully in an autograph book at a promotional booth set up on Nathan Road in Hong Kong.
3月12日上午，在香港弥敦道的一个街站前，66岁的陈炳玉在签名簿上一笔一画写下了自己的姓名。

One day before, the decision to improve the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was passed at the fourth session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC).
就在一天前，十三届全国人大四次会议表决通过了《全国人民代表大会关于完善香港特别行政区选举制度的决定》（下称《决定》）。

Chan was one of many Hong Kong residents who joined a campaign launched on March 12 in Hong Kong in support of the decision. By the afternoon of March 14, the signature campaign had collected more than 500,000 signatures.
3月12日，香港各界发起签名行动以支持这一决定，陈炳玉便是参与行动的众多香港市民之一。截至3月14日下午，签名行动已经收集了超过50万个签名。

“I was born and [grew up] here. The (decision of the) nation is for Hong Kong’s good. Why shouldn’t I support (it)?” the retired woman told Xinhua.
“我是土生土长的香港人，国家为香港好，我为什么不支持？”这位退休女士在接受新华社采访时如此说道。

The decision unveiled a series of measures that will reform how the region’s chief executive and local lawmakers are elected to ensure Hong Kong is run by patriots.
《决定》公布了一系列完善香港行政长官和立法会的产生办法的措施，确保爱国爱港者治港。

According to the decision, the Election Committee of the HKSAR will be reformed in its size, composition and formation method, and will be given more power. A new committee will also be set up to review the qualifications of election candidates.
《决定》规定，调整优化选举委员会的规模、组成和产生办法，并赋予新职能，还将成立香港特区候选人资格审查委员会，负责审查并确认选举委员会委员候选人、行政长官候选人和立法会议员候选人的资格。

Premier Li Keqiang said at a news conference on March 11 that the adoption of the decision had the clear purpose of ensuring the steady development of “one country, two systems”.
3月11日，国务院总理李克强在新闻发布会上表示，《决定》很明确，就是为了确保“一国两制”行稳致远。

It came months after the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR was enacted in June 2020, which has helped Hong Kong make the transition from chaos to stability. The passed decision is a further step toward safeguarding Hong Kong’s long-term stability and prosperity, noted China Daily.
去年6月，《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区维护国家安全法》公布生效，帮助实现香港由乱及治的重大转折。《中国日报》指出，此次通过的《决定》进一步保障了香港长期繁荣稳定。

“The decision will help form a new democratic electoral system suited to Hong Kong’s realities and with Hong Kong characteristics,” said Qi Pengfei, a researcher on Hong Kong at the Renmin University of China.
中国人民大学香港研究学者齐鹏飞表示，“《决定》有助于形成一套符合本地实际需要、有香港特色的新的民主选举制度”。

According to a survey by the think tank Bauhinia Institute, more than 70 percent of Hong Kong residents support the NPC decision and believe that the move will create better conditions for the HKSAR government to focus on developing the economy and improving people’s livelihood.
智库香港紫荆研究院一份调查显示，超七成香港市民对《全国人民代表大会关于完善香港特别行政区选举制度的决定》表示支持，相信该举措可为特区政府集中精力发展经济、改善民生创造更好条件。

Shi Zhu, chairman of the China Culture Foundation, said that he hopes Hong Kong will complete the related legal work so that Hong Kong’s politics can return to a healthy track, which will provide a guarantee for resolving the deep-seated problems in housing, economic structure and youth development, among others.
中国文化基金会主席石柱表示，希望香港尽快完成本地立法工作，在政治层面将香港带回正常健康的轨道，为解决住房、经济结构和青年发展等重大问题提供保障。

Chim Shing, vice-president of the Hong Kong United Youth Association, also counted on the improved electoral system to be an inspiration to patriots who would carry out patriotic education in Hong Kong, including reforming local textbooks and curriculum design.
香港青年联会副主席詹胜也希望，完善的选举制度能够鼓舞爱国者们通过重编学校课程、教材等方式，在香港开展爱国主义教育。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高三743期