Reflections on Comrade Mao Zedong’s Life of Reading

Books are the vehicle of human knowledge, the crystallization of human wisdom, and the ladder of human progress. General Secretary Xi Jinping has said, “I have many hobbies, but my greatest is reading; reading

书籍是人类知识的载体，是人类智慧的结晶，是人类进步的阶梯。习近平总书记说，“我爱好挺多，最大的爱好是读书，读书已成为我的一种生活方式”，“读书可以让人保持思想活力，让人得到智慧启发，让人滋养浩然之气”。总书记曾专门以读书为主题发表重要讲话，强调领导干部要爱读书、读好书、善读书；2022年4月23日首届全民阅读大会举办之际，总书记又专门致贺信，希望广大党员、干部带头读书学习，修身养志，增长才干。

In the history of our Party and even in Chinese and world history, Comrade Mao Zedong’s breadth of reading, depth of knowledge, and mastery in application are rarely seen. He spent his life amid the surging political storms of transforming society and promoting social progress, and also roamed throughout his life in the boundless ocean of books, setting for us a brilliant example of reading and learning. On the occasion of the convening of the Third National Conference on Reading for All, revisiting Comrade Mao Zedong’s life of reading holds positive significance for deeply advancing the construction of a书香社会 [n1] and for cultivating across the whole society a fine trend of loving reading, reading good books, and being good at reading.

在我们党历史上乃至中外历史上，毛泽东同志读书之广博、知识之渊博、运用之纯熟世所罕见。他在波澜壮阔的改造社会和推动社会进步的政治风云中度过了一生，也在浩瀚无垠的书海里遨游了一生，为我们树立了读书学习的光辉典范。在第三届全民阅读大会召开之际，重温毛泽东同志的读书生活，对于深入推进书香社会建设，在全社会涵育爱读书、读好书、善读书的良好风尚，具有积极意义。

An Ardent Love for Reading

酷爱读书

“Live until old, learn until old” — this was a phrase Comrade Mao Zedong often said. In a speech in Yan’an, he said that even the elderly must study; if he were to die in another ten years, then he would have to study for nine years and three hundred and fifty-nine days (calculated according to the lunar calendar, where one year is 360 days).

“活到老，学到老”，这是毛泽东同志常说的一句话。他在延安的一次演说中讲过，年老的也要学习，我如果再过十年死了，那么就要学九年零三百五十九天（是按阴历一年为360天计算的）。

From his youth, Comrade Mao Zedong had an ardent love for reading. While at the Dongshan Elementary School, his cousin once lent him a bound volume of the *Xinmin Congbao* [n2] that he had kept. He read it over and over, could almost recite some of the articles in it, and also wrote down some annotations. After entering the Hunan First Normal School, in order to seek the truth for saving the country and the people, he read assiduously and tirelessly all kinds of books in the Hunan Provincial Library and the library of the Hunan First Normal School. He later described his reading situation in his youth like this: at that time, it was like a cow barging into someone else’s vegetable patch, tasting the flavor of the vegetables, and eating with all its might! During the arduous years of leading the revolutionary war, whether in the Central Soviet Area or in northern Shaanxi, and even amidst the gunfire and smoke of the shifting battlefront, he tried every means to find books to read. Throughout his life, Comrade Mao Zedong and books could be said to be inseparable. After his death, the books retained in his residence in Zhongnanhai numbered over 10,000 titles, nearly 100,000 volumes. Besides these, the books he read but did not collect, as well as those he read and collected but later lost, are beyond count. In his bedroom, his office, the rest area of the swimming pool — everywhere — books were placed. Every time he went out on inspection tours, he also brought books, and when in other places he would borrow some books. The libraries of Hangzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Lushan, and other places all bear records of Comrade Mao Zedong borrowing books.

毛泽东同志从青年时代起就酷爱读书。在东山小学堂时，他的表哥曾借给他一套自己保存的《新民丛报》合订本。他读了又读，上面的一些文章差不多能背出来，还写下一些批注。进入湖南第一师范后，为了寻求救国救民的真理，在湖南省立图书馆、湖南第一师范图书馆里，孜孜不倦地阅读各种书籍。他后来这样叙述青年时读书的情形，那时，就像牛闯进了人家的菜园，尝到了菜的味道，拼命地吃！在领导革命战争的艰苦岁月里，无论是在中央苏区还是在陕北，甚至在炮火纷飞的转战途中，他都千方百计找书读。终其一生，毛泽东同志和书籍可以说是形影不离。他逝世后，在中南海住处留存的藏书达1万余种，近10万册。除此之外，读而未藏，以及读过藏过但后来丢失的书籍，更不知几何。他的卧室里、办公室里、游泳池休息室里……都放着书。每次外出考察也带着书，在外地还要借一些书。杭州、上海、广州、武汉、成都、庐山等地图书馆，都留下了毛泽东同志借书的记载。

“My greatest hobby in life is reading,” “One can go without eating for a day, go without sleeping for a day, but cannot go without reading for a day.” Comrade Mao Zedong said this many times. No matter how busy his work was, he always squeezed out time every day to persist in reading; books were his indispensable spiritual nourishment for each day. In 1972, when meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed to the books piled up in his study and said, “I have more books than I can finish reading. I cannot live without reading every day.” Before his death, he could no longer speak, but he still persisted in reading. Comrade Mao Zedong passed away at 00:10 on September 9, 1976. On September 8, while receiving emergency treatment, with intravenous infusion tubes inserted in his upper and lower limbs, an ECG monitoring lead attached to his chest, and a nasogastric tube inserted in his nose, he had his staff hold documents and books for him to look at 11 times throughout the day. The last time he looked at a document was at 4:37 PM; he passed away a little over seven hours later. Such a scene is very moving. Comrade Mao Zedong almost did not end his never-interrupted life of reading until the moment his heart was about to stop beating, truly embodying the steadfast conviction that as long as life continues, exploration does not cease, and reading does not cease.

“我一生最大的爱好是读书”，“饭可以一日不吃，觉可以一日不睡，书不可以一日不读”。毛泽东同志多次这样说过。他不管工作多忙，每天总要挤出时间坚持读书，书是他一日不可或缺的精神食粮。1972年会见日本首相田中角荣时，毛泽东同志指着堆积在书房里的书说：“我有读不完的书。每天不读书就无法生活。”逝世前，他已经说不出话来，但仍然坚持看书。毛泽东同志是1976年9月9日零时10分逝世的。9月8日那天，他在接受抢救，上下肢插着静脉输液导管，胸部安有心电监护导线，鼻子里插着鼻饲管的情况下，全天由工作人员用手托着文件和书阅看11次。最后一次看文件是下午4时37分，7个多小时后便辞世了。这样的情形很感人，毛泽东同志几乎是在心脏快要停止跳动的时候，才结束了他从未间断过的读书生活，真正体现了生命不息，探索不止、读书不止的执着信念。

Comrade Mao Zedong bore the heavy responsibilities of the Party and the state, and his work was extremely busy. Where did he find the time to read so many books? He summarized this with two words: “squeeze” and “drill.” In Yan’an, he advocated that amidst the myriad tasks of work and production, one should use the method of “squeezing” to obtain time for study, and the method of “drilling” to seek understanding and depth on issues. On May 31, 1945, in his concluding remarks at the Seventh National Congress of the Party, Comrade Mao Zedong recommended five Marxist-Leninist works to everyone, vividly illustrating how to “squeeze” and “drill”: “We can put these five books in our dry food bags, and after the battle is over, read them once or look at a sentence or two. If it has no flavor, put it aside; if it has flavor, read a few more sentences. Read it seven or eight times and you will find the flavor. If you can’t finish it in one year, read it over two years. If you read it once a year, in ten years you can read it five times. After each reading, note the date on the back: read on such-and-such a year, month, and day.” In his speech “Be Revolutionary Promoters” in October 1957, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “Some comrades spend their spare energy outside of work mainly on playing cards, mahjong, dancing — I think that is not good. They should spend their spare energy outside of work mainly on study and cultivate the habit of studying.” Comrade Mao Zedong himself was a model of diligent reading. For him, reading was a heartfelt, unremitting pursuit of knowledge and truth. He always squeezed out the spare time that others used for entertainment, idle chat, or even doing nothing, seizing every minute and second, forgetting food and sleep, to read.

毛泽东同志肩负党和国家重任，工作十分繁忙，哪来的时间去读这么多书呢？他将此概括为“挤”和“钻”两个字。在延安时他就提倡，要在工作、生产的百忙之中，以“挤”的方法获得学习的时间，以“钻”的方法求得问题的了解和深入。1945年5月31日，毛泽东同志在党的七大结论中向大家推荐5本马列著作，形象地说明了如何去“挤”和“钻”：“我们可以把这五本书装在干粮袋里，打完仗后，就读他一遍或者看他一两句，没有味道就放起来，有味道就多看几句，七看八看就看出味道来了。一年看不通看两年，如果两年看一遍，十年就可以看五遍，每看一遍在后面记上日子，某年某月某日看的。”在1957年10月所作的《做革命的促进派》讲话中，毛泽东同志指出：“有些同志把工作以外的剩余精力主要放在打纸牌、打麻将、跳舞这些方面，我看不好。应当把工作以外的剩余精力主要放在学习上，养成学习的习惯。”毛泽东同志自己就是勤奋读书的典范，对他来说，读书是发自内心的对知识、对真理的不懈追求。他总是挤出别人用来游乐、闲谈甚至无所事事的业余时间，分秒必争、废寝忘食地读书。

Wide and Extensive Reading

博览群书

The scope of Comrade Mao Zedong’s reading was extremely broad, from social sciences to natural sciences, from Marxist-Leninist works to Western bourgeois works, from ancient to modern and contemporary, from Chinese to foreign, including books on philosophy, economics, politics, military affairs, literature, history, geography, natural sciences, and many other fields. Of course, although Comrade Mao Zedong’s reading range was extensive, it was not aimless or without focus. The works he read most were those on Marxism-Leninism, philosophy, and history.

毛泽东同志读书的范围十分广泛，从社会科学到自然科学，从马列主义著作到西方资产阶级著作，从古代的到近现代的，从中国的到外国的，包括哲学、经济、政治、军事、文学、历史、地理、自然科学等多个方面的书籍。当然，毛泽东同志的阅读范围虽然广博，但也不是漫无目的、没有重点的，他阅读较多的是马列主义、哲学和历史方面的著作。

The Pursuit of Truth: Reading Marxist-Leninist Works. Comrade Mao Zedong’s life was a life of tirelessly studying Marxist-Leninist works. Starting from reading the *Communist Manifesto* in 1920, Marxist-Leninist works became the main content of Comrade Mao Zedong’s reading life. In 1926, he read parts of Lenin’s *State and Revolution*. In 1932, when the Red Army captured Zhangzhou in Fujian, they obtained some Marxist-Leninist works, including Engels’ *Anti-Dühring*, Lenin’s *Two Tactics of Social-Democracy in the Democratic Revolution* and *“Left-Wing” Communism: An Infantile Disorder*. Later, Comrade Mao Zedong recalled the period of the Agrarian Revolutionary War, saying that it was very difficult to get hold of Marxist-Leninist works at that time; on the Long March, when he was ill, he still read Marxist-Leninist books while lying on a stretcher. During the Yan’an period, he devoted himself to reading *Capital*, *Socialism: Utopian and Scientific*, *Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin on Art*, and others. After the founding of New China, when the focus of the Party’s work shifted to large-scale economic construction, in 1954, he read *Capital* once again, and later read *A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy*, *Thirteen Essays by Lenin on Political Economy*, and others many times.

真理的探求：读马列著作。毛泽东同志的一生，是孜孜不倦学习马列著作的一生。从1920年读《共产党宣言》起，马列著作就成为毛泽东同志读书生活的主要内容。1926年，他读了列宁《国家与革命》中的部分内容。1932年红军打下福建漳州，得到一些马列著作，其中有恩格斯的《反杜林论》，列宁的《社会民主党在民主革命中的两种策略》、《共产主义运动中的“左派”幼稚病》等。后来，毛泽东同志回忆土地革命战争时说，那个时候能读到马列著作很不容易，在长征路上，他患病的时候躺在担架上还读马列的书。延安时期，他潜心读了《资本论》、《社会主义从空想到科学的发展》、《马克思恩格斯列宁斯大林论艺术》等。新中国成立后，在党的工作重心转到大规模经济建设的时候，1954年，他又一次阅读《资本论》，以后又多次阅读《政治经济学批判》、《列宁有关政治经济学论文十三篇》等。

The purpose of reading lies in application. Comrade Mao Zedong hoped that through reading Marxist-Leninist works, he could master Marxism, integrate the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities, and thereby achieve new theoretical and practical creations in the process of China’s revolution and construction. In 1938, he proposed that within the Party there should be “one hundred to two hundred comrades who have systematically, not fragmentarily, and practically, not hollowly, learned Marxism-Leninism, which would greatly enhance our Party’s fighting capacity”; in 1949, in his summary at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee, he recommended twelve books as required reading for cadres, stating, “If in the next three years, 30,000 people finish reading these twelve books, and 3,000 people thoroughly understand these twelve books, that would be very good”; in 1963, he again proposed studying thirty Marxist-Leninist works; in 1970, he instructed senior Party cadres that “no matter how busy the work is, they must squeeze out time to read some Marxist-Leninist books.”

读书的目的在于运用。毛泽东同志希望通过阅读马列著作，精通马克思主义，把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际结合起来，进而在中国革命和建设过程中，有理论和实践上的新创造。1938年，他提出党内要“有一百个至二百个系统地而不是零碎地、实际地而不是空洞地学会了马克思列宁主义的同志，就会大大地提高我们党的战斗力量”；1949年，在党的七届二中全会上的总结中，他推荐了12本干部必读的书，提出“如果在今后三年之内，有三万人读完这十二本书，有三千人读通这十二本书，那就很好”；1963年，他又提出学习30本马列著作的意见；1970年，他指示党的高级干部“不管工作多忙，都要挤时间，读一些马、列的书”。

“Research on tools”: reading philosophical works. Throughout his life Comrade Mao Zedong read and annotated a large number of Chinese and foreign philosophical works, and on this basis formed a distinctive Mao Zedong philosophical thought. In 1939, in a letter to He Ganzhi, a professor at the Northern Shaanxi Public School, Comrade Mao Zedong wrote: “My tools are insufficient; this year I can only do research on tools, that is, study philosophy, economics, Leninism, with philosophy as the main focus…” During the Yan’an period, Comrade Mao Zedong read a large number of philosophical works, such as *A Course in Dialectical Materialism*, *Selected Philosophical Works*, *Methodology of Thought*, *An Outline of Philosophy*, *A Brief History of Western Philosophy*, *An Introduction to Hegel’s Philosophy*, *Lange’s History of Materialism*, and so on. Edgar Snow said in *Red Star Over China*: “Mao Zedong was a serious student of philosophy. For a period I went to see him every evening to interview him on the history of the Communist Party. Once a visitor brought him several new books on philosophy, and Mao Zedong asked me to postpone our talk. He spent three or four nights concentrating on reading these books, and during that time he seemed to ignore everything else.”

“作工具的研究”：读哲学书籍。毛泽东同志一生阅读并批注过大量中外哲学书籍，并在此基础上形成了独具特色的毛泽东哲学思想。1939年，毛泽东同志在给陕北公学教授何干之写的一封信中说：“我的工具不够，今年还只能作工具的研究，即研究哲学，经济学，列宁主义，而以哲学为主……”延安时期，毛泽东同志阅读了大量哲学书籍，如《辩证法唯物论教程》、《哲学选辑》、《思想方法论》、《哲学概论》、《西洋哲学史简编》、《黑格尔哲学入门》、《朗格唯物论史》，等等。埃德加·斯诺在《西行漫记》中说：“毛泽东是个认真研究哲学的人。我有一阵子每天晚上都去见他，向他采访共产党的党史。有一次一个客人带了几本哲学新书来给他，于是毛泽东就要求我改期再谈。他花了三、四夜的工夫专心读了这几本书，在这期间，他似乎是什么都不管了。”

As for philosophical works, Comrade Mao Zedong’s reading was extremely broad throughout his life. He read not only philosophical books among the Marxist-Leninist classics, but also books by Chinese and foreign scholars such as Ai Siqi, Li Da, Plekhanov, Eisenberg, Shirokov, Mitin, Yudin, and Kawakami Hajime; he read not only works by Western philosophers such as Plato, Kant, Hegel, Dewey, and Russell, but also the philosophical treatises of ancient Chinese thinkers such as Laozi, Confucius, Mozi, Zhuangzi, Mencius, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Wang Chong, Zhang Zai, Zhu Xi, and Wang Yangming, as well as the works of modern and contemporary scholars such as Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, Zhang Shizhao, Yang Changji, Liang Shuming, Feng Youlan, Pan Zinian, Zhou Gucheng, and Ren Jiyu who studied philosophy and logic.

对于哲学书籍，毛泽东同志一生涉猎十分广泛，既读马列经典中的哲学书，也读艾思奇、李达、普列汉诺夫、爱森堡、西洛可夫、米丁、尤金、河上肇等中外学者的书；既读柏拉图、康德、黑格尔、杜威、罗素等西方哲学家的书，也读中国古代老子、孔子、墨子、庄子、孟子、荀子、韩非子、王充、张载、朱熹、王阳明等的哲学论著以及近代以来康有为、梁启超、章士钊、杨昌济、梁漱溟、冯友兰、潘梓年、周谷城、任继愈等人研究哲学和逻辑学的论著。

Why did Comrade Mao Zedong like to read philosophy? According to his relevant discussions, there are four main reasons: First, he regarded philosophy as a worldview and methodology, considering this the fundamental prerequisite for shaping people’s souls and thoughts. Second, philosophy is the theoretical foundation of Marxism; without understanding philosophy it is difficult to grasp Marxism thoroughly. Third, philosophy is the “tool of thought” for people to understand and transform the world, sum up practical experience, and solve all problems. In the Party’s infancy, the Chinese Communist Party repeatedly made mistakes, and a very important reason was that its methods of thinking were incorrect. Comrade Mao Zedong demanded that “the whole Party must learn dialectics and advocate handling affairs according to dialectics.” Fourth, Comrade Mao Zedong was a theorist; from his youth he liked to read philosophy. This was both a personal interest and a necessary prerequisite for theoretical work. He once said: “Marx was able to write *Capital*, and Lenin was able to write *Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism*, because they were also philosophers, with a philosopher’s mind and the weapon of dialectics.”

毛泽东同志为什么喜欢读哲学？根据他的有关论述，主要原因有四：第一，他把哲学归结为世界观和方法论，认为这是塑造人们灵魂和思想的根本前提。第二，哲学是马克思主义的理论基础，不懂哲学很难弄通马克思主义。第三，哲学是人们认识世界和改造世界、总结实践经验、解决一切问题的“思想工具”。中国共产党在幼年时期曾经屡次犯错误，很重要的原因是思想方法不对头。毛泽东同志要求“全党都要学习辩证法，提倡照辩证法办事”。第四，毛泽东同志是理论家，从青年时代起就喜欢读哲学，这既是个人兴趣，也是进行理论工作的必要前提。他说过：“马克思能够写出《资本论》，列宁能够写出《帝国主义论》，因为他们同时是哲学家，有哲学家的头脑，有辩证法这个武器。”

“Inherit this precious legacy”: reading historical works. History is an encyclopedia of humanity’s past experience, encompassing economic, political, military, philosophical, scientific, literary, artistic, and other aspects. Therefore, reading history is actually a broad concept. When Comrade Mao Zedong read history, he did not neglect any aspect; he paid close attention to the principles of governance, military campaigns, economic policies, and laws of order and chaos recorded in historical texts. In 1938, in his political report to the Enlarged Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “Our nation has a history of several thousand years, with its own characteristics and many precious things. Regarding these, we are still primary school students. Today’s China is a development of historical China; we are Marxist historical materialists, and we should not cut off history. From Confucius to Sun Yat-sen, we should sum up and inherit this precious legacy.” This passage was a requirement Comrade Mao Zedong put forward to the whole Party, and it also ran through his own reading process.

“承继这一份珍贵的遗产”：读历史书籍。历史是人类过去经历的百科全书，包括经济、政治、军事、哲学、科技、文学、艺术等各方面的内容。因此，读历史其实是个大概念。毛泽东同志读史，对各方面的内容均不偏废，很注意史书所载的理政之道、军事战例、经济政策、治乱规律等。1938年，毛泽东同志在中国共产党第六届中央委员会扩大的第六次全体会议上的政治报告中指出：“我们这个民族有数千年的历史，有它的特点，有它的许多珍贵品。对于这些，我们还是小学生。今天的中国是历史的中国的一个发展；我们是马克思主义的历史主义者，我们不应当割断历史。从孔夫子到孙中山，我们应当给以总结，承继这一份珍贵的遗产。”这段话是毛泽东同志对全党提出的要求，同样贯穿在他本人的阅读过程中。

Comrade Mao Zedong attached great importance to reading Chinese historical works throughout his life. In 1952, staff procured for Comrade Mao Zedong a set of the *Twenty-Four Histories* [n3] in the Qing dynasty Qianlong reign Wuying Hall edition, which became one of his favorite books to read. This set of the *Twenty-Four Histories* comprises over 3,200 volumes, more than 40 million characters, and over 800 fascicles; Comrade Mao Zedong read through almost all of it, and some chapters he read repeatedly. The *Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government* [n4] was also a historical work that Comrade Mao Zedong greatly liked and repeatedly recommended to others. In the winter of 1954, when talking with the historian Wu Han, Comrade Mao Zedong said that the *Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government* was well written; although its standpoint and viewpoint were those of the feudal ruling class, its narrative had method, and the rise and fall, order and chaos of successive dynasties were fully presented. We could read this book critically, thereby familiarizing ourselves with historical events and drawing lessons from them.

毛泽东同志毕生重视阅读中国历史著作。1952年，工作人员为毛泽东同志购置到一套清乾隆武英殿版的《二十四史》，这成为他最爱读的书之一。这部《二十四史》共有3200多卷，4000多万字，800多册，毛泽东同志几乎全部通读过，有些章节还反复多次读过。《资治通鉴》同样是毛泽东同志十分喜爱并多次向人们推荐的一部史著。1954年冬，毛泽东同志在和历史学家吴晗谈话时说，《资治通鉴》这部书写得好，尽管立场观点是封建统治阶级的，但叙事有法，历代兴衰治乱本末毕具，我们可以批判地读这部书，借以熟悉历史事件，从中吸取经验教训。

China’s traditional scholarship emphasizes that literature and history are not separated. Comrade Mao Zedong carefully read a large number of ancient literary works, such as poetry, ci, and fu [n5], prose and fiction, memorials and policy essays, and notebooks and records of anomalies, which gave him an extremely high level of literary and historical cultivation. At the same time, Comrade Mao Zedong not only thoroughly read Chinese history and culture, but also read a large number of foreign historical works. The former French ambassador to China, Manac’h, once said: “Mao Zedong had a profound understanding of French history since the 18th century, of the French Revolution, of the successive revolutions in the 19th century, and of the Paris Commune. He believed that the French Revolution was the starting point of a very important historical movement.”

我国传统治学，讲究文史不分家，毛泽东同志对古代文学作品，诸如诗词曲赋、散文小说、疏策政论、笔记志异，均精读不少，这使他拥有极高的文史素养。同时，毛泽东同志不仅熟读中国历史文化，还读过大量外国历史著作。法国前驻华大使马纳克曾说：“毛泽东对法国18世纪以来的历史，对于法国革命，对于19世纪相继进行的革命，对于巴黎公社，都有深刻的理解，他认为法国革命是一个很重要的历史性运动的起点。”

Why did Comrade Mao Zedong advocate studying history? Because without understanding and summing up history, it is impossible to truly understand today’s China; it is equivalent to discarding the experience and wisdom one should possess, and it becomes difficult to correctly move toward the future. Some of Comrade Mao Zedong’s famous sayings and views directly reveal why he loved reading history: “Reading history is a matter of wisdom,” “Those who read history are not necessarily conservatives,” “Only by speaking of history can one convince people,” “Look at history, and you will see the future,” “Marxists are good at learning from history.”

毛泽东同志为什么要倡导学习历史？因为不了解、不总结历史，就不可能真正读懂今天的中国，也等于是割舍了应该拥有的经验和智慧，也就难以正确地走向未来。毛泽东同志的一些名言和观点，更是直接道出他酷爱读史的缘由：“读历史是智慧的事”、“读历史的人，不等于是守旧的人”、“只有讲历史才能说服人”、“看历史，就会看到前途”、“马克思主义者是善于学习历史的”。

Being Good at Reading

善于读书

Comrade Mao Zedong was not only diligent in reading, but also good at reading. He used his mind and brain to truly read, truly learn, and truly think. One very important reason why he stood high, saw far, and had a broad and profound strategic vision was that through extensive reading he had acquired rich knowledge.

毛泽东同志不仅勤于读书，而且善于读书，是用心用脑去真读、真学、真思考。他之所以站得高、看得远，战略眼光宽广深邃，一个很重要的原因，就是通过大量读书掌握了丰富的知识。

Read classic and important works repeatedly. For Marxist-Leninist works, Comrade Mao Zedong always found new insights each time he read them. In Yan’an, he once talked about his reading of the *Communist Manifesto*: “I have read it no fewer than a hundred times. Whenever I encounter a problem, I turn to Marx’s *Communist Manifesto*; sometimes I read only a paragraph or two, sometimes the whole text. Every time I read it, I gain new inspiration. When I wrote *On New Democracy*, I consulted the *Communist Manifesto* many times. Reading Marxist theory lies in application; to apply it, one must read it frequently and focus on key points.” For his favorite classics in literature, history, and philosophy, Comrade Mao Zedong also often read them repeatedly. In the 1950s, he told people that he had already read *Dream of the Red Chamber* five times, and later asked for it fifteen more times, as clearly recorded in the staff’s records. Comrade Mao Zedong believed that *Dream of the Red Chamber* contained extremely rich social historical materials, and once pointed out: “*Dream of the Red Chamber* should not only be read as a novel, but also as history. It writes about very detailed and meticulous social history.” Reading the same book repeatedly, because each reading has a different background, task, and mood, the understanding and discoveries will also differ, thus the value of the book is maximally explored.

经典的和重要的书反复读。对马列著作，毛泽东同志总是常读常新。在延安，他曾讲到自己读《共产党宣言》的情况：“我看了不下一百遍，遇到问题，我就翻阅马克思的《共产党宣言》，有时只阅读一两段，有时全篇都读，每读一次，我都有新的启发。我写《新民主主义论》时，《共产党宣言》就翻阅过多次。读马克思主义理论在于应用，要应用就要经常读，重点读。”对喜欢的文史哲经典，毛泽东同志同样经常反复读。20世纪50年代，他对人说自己已经读了5遍《红楼梦》，此后又15次要过《红楼梦》，这在工作人员的记录中有明确记载。毛泽东同志认为，《红楼梦》有极丰富的社会史料，曾指出：“《红楼梦》不仅要当作小说看，而且要当作历史看。他写的是很细致的、很精细的社会历史。”同一本书反复读，因每次阅读背景不同、任务不同、心境不同，理解和发现也会有所不同，这样书的价值也就得到最大限度的发掘。

For works on the same subject matter, read different or even opposing views in comparison. For example, when Comrade Mao Zedong read books on American history, he had people borrow them from the Beijing Library and Peking University Library, specifically writing a note saying that not only works by Marxist scholars but also those by bourgeois scholars should be included. Regarding books on Napoleon, he simultaneously obtained biographies and related works by Soviet, French, and British scholars and read them in comparison. Regarding works on *The Songs of Chu* [n6], in December 1957 he once sought out more than fifty kinds of valuable commentaries and research books on *The Songs of Chu* from ancient and modern times. Regarding works on *Laozi*, among the books he took with him when he went out on October 23, 1959, there were “more than ten kinds of books on *Laozi*.”

相同题材内容的书，把不同的甚至是观点相反的著述对照起来读。比如，毛泽东同志读美国历史的书，就让人到北京图书馆、北京大学图书馆去借，专门写条子说，不光是马克思主义学者写的，也要有资产阶级学者写的。关于研究拿破仑的书，他同时找来苏联、法国和英国学者写的《拿破仑传》和有关著述，对照起来读。关于研究《楚辞》的著作，1957年12月一次就找了50余种古今对《楚辞》有价值的注释和研究书籍。关于研究《老子》的著作，在1959年10月23日外出时带走的书籍中，就有“关于《老子》的书十几种”。

His reading habit was to “use the hand” and to emphasize discussion. The ancients stressed that reading should involve “using the eyes, using the mouth, using the hand, and using the mind.” What is called “using the hand” means taking the initiative to write notes and marginalia, thereby embodying “using the mind.” The published *Collected Marginalia on Mao Zedong’s Philosophical Readings* contains his marginalia on ten books and one reading excerpt. *Collected Marginalia on Mao Zedong’s Readings of Literary and Historical Classics* contains his comments on thirty-nine literary and historical classics and two *ci* poems by Fan Zhongyan. *Mao Zedong’s Annotations on the Twenty-Four Histories* (Complete Annotated Edition) collects all the marginalia and comments he wrote in the books while reading the *Twenty-Four Histories*. *Selected Hand-Copied Ancient Poems by Mao Zedong* and *Mao Zedong’s Hand-Copied Collection of Poems, *Ci*, and *Qu* Through the Ages* reflect his practice of casually transcribing passages while reading ancient literary works. *Mao Zedong’s Manuscripts Since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China* contains a large number of his instructions, marginalia, and comments made while reading various books, periodicals, and articles. In addition, Comrade Mao Zedong also had a practice of “using the ear” when reading, that is, organizing reading groups where one person would read aloud, everyone would listen, and then they would discuss together. In his youth, he organized reading groups; during the Yan’an period, he organized a reading group on Clausewitz’s *On War*; from the end of 1959 to the beginning of 1960, he organized a reading group to go to Hangzhou and other places to intensively study the Soviet *Political Economy (Textbook)*.

读书习惯于“手到”并注重讨论。古人强调读书要“眼到”、“口到”、“手到”、“心到”。所谓“手到”，就是动手写笔记、写批注，由此体现“心到”。已编辑出版的《毛泽东哲学批注集》收录了他读10本书的批注和1篇读书摘录。《毛泽东读文史古籍批语集》收录了他读39部文史古籍和范仲淹两首词的批语。《毛泽东评点二十四史》（评文全本）收集了他阅读《二十四史》时在书中写下的全部批注和批语。《毛泽东手书古诗词选》、《毛泽东手书历代诗词曲赋典藏》等，反映了他读古代文学作品时随手书录的情况。《建国以来毛泽东文稿》收录了他大量的读各种书刊和文章的批示、批注和批语。此外，毛泽东同志读书，还有一个“耳到”，即组织读书小组，由人念、大家听，再一起讨论。青年时代，他组织过读书小组；延安时期组织过关于克劳塞维茨《战争论》的读书小组；1959年底至1960年初，组织读书小组到杭州等地研读苏联《政治经济学（教科书）》。

He closely linked reading with reality, bringing books to “life.” What is called bringing books to “life” means transforming book knowledge into understanding and ability, and thereby making creative contributions in practice. Comrade Mao Zedong always opposed the dogmatic method of reading and applying that mechanically copied from books, and he repeatedly pointed out: “The whole purpose of mastering it lies in its application.” He did not follow books slavishly step by step, but was adept at stepping beyond the book, starting from his own knowledge background and practical needs, to creatively develop and apply book knowledge. While extensively reading “books with words,” Comrade Mao Zedong also placed great emphasis on reading “society,” that larger and thicker “book without words,” and was able to integrate what he learned from both aspects, perceiving subtleties rarely seen by ordinary readers, truly bringing books to “life.”

紧密联系实际，把书读“活”。所谓读“活”，就是把书本知识转化为认识和能力，进而在实践中有所创造。毛泽东同志历来反对本本主义的照搬照套的读法和用法，曾经多次指出：“精通的目的全在于应用”。他不是跟在书本后面亦步亦趋，而是善于跳出书本，从自己的知识背景和实践需要出发，对书本知识进行创造性的发挥和运用。在大量阅读有字之书的同时，毛泽东同志还非常注重阅读“社会”这本更大更厚的“无字之书”，并能把这两方面所学融会贯通，见识到一般读书人所难见到的精妙，真正把书读“活”。

Comrade Mao Zedong’s experience, wisdom, and ability originated from the rich practice of China’s revolution and construction, from his investigative research into China’s history and reality, and also from his tireless reading, understanding, and creative application of ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign books. In Comrade Mao Zedong’s view, reading was always a required course for revolutionaries and builders. He once pointed out: “If you have learning, it is like standing on a mountain; you can see many things very far away. If you have no learning, it is like walking in a dark ditch, groping about without finding your way; that will be bitterly hard on a person.” Comrade Mao Zedong’s reading and his advocacy of reading established a fine tradition of the Chinese Communist Party: regarding reading and study as a necessary and important way for Party cadres to improve their theoretical literacy and enhance their work capabilities.

毛泽东同志的经验、智慧和才能，来源于中国革命和建设的丰富实践，来源于他对中国历史和现实的调查研究，也来源于他对古今中外书籍孜孜不倦地阅读、理解和发挥运用。在毛泽东同志看来，读书始终是革命者、建设者的必修功课，他曾经指出：“有了学问，好比站在山上，可以看到很远很多东西。没有学问，如在暗沟里走路，摸索不着，那会苦煞人。”毛泽东同志的读书和倡导读书，奠定了中国共产党的一个优良传统，这就是把读书学习当作党员干部提高理论素养和增强工作本领的必需且重要的途径。

The fragrance of books carries one farthest. In terms of reading and study, Comrade Mao Zedong can be considered a model. General Secretary Xi Jinping likewise sets an example by example, treating reading and study as his “greatest hobby” and “lifelong hobby.” When he was an educated youth working in the countryside in northern Shaanxi, he once walked thirty *li* to borrow *Faust*, and also “tried every means to find Shakespeare’s works, reading plays such as *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*, *The Merchant of Venice*, *Twelfth Night*, *Romeo and Juliet*, *Hamlet*, *Othello*, *King Lear*, and *Macbeth*.” General Secretary Xi Jinping later recalled: “When I went up the mountain to herd sheep, I tucked a book in my pocket, tied the sheep to the hillside, and started reading. When I was hoeing in the fields and took a break, I would take out the *Xinhua Dictionary* to memorize the multiple meanings of a character, accumulating bit by bit.” From the northern Shaanxi countryside to Zhongnanhai, from working at the grassroots to steering China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has always attached great importance to reading and study, drawing from it the experience and wisdom for governing the country. He not only practices what he preaches and leads by example, but also promotes and guides the vast number of Party cadres in reading and study. For example, in Ningde, Fujian, he organized local county Party secretaries to participate in the prefectural Party committee study center’s reading class, leading everyone to study and read together; in Zhejiang, he required leading cadres in Shaoxing to recite the *Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection* and *Phoenix Hairpin* to enhance their understanding of local history and culture; and so on.

最是书香能致远。在读书学习方面，毛泽东同志堪称典范。习近平总书记同样也以身示范，把读书学习作为自己的“最大的爱好”和“终身的爱好”。在陕北农村插队时，他曾经走了30里路去借《浮士德》，还“想方设法寻找莎士比亚的作品，读了《仲夏夜之梦》、《威尼斯商人》、《第十二夜》、《罗密欧与朱丽叶》、《哈姆雷特》、《奥赛罗》、《李尔王》、《麦克白》等剧本”。习近平总书记后来回忆说：“上山放羊，我揣着书，把羊拴到山坡上，就开始看书。锄地到田头，开始休息一会儿时，我就拿出新华字典记一个字的多种含义，一点一滴积累。”从陕北农村到中南海，从躬耕基层到领航中国，习近平总书记始终高度重视读书学习，从中汲取治国理政的经验和智慧。他不仅自己身体力行、率先垂范，还推动引领广大党员干部读书学习。比如，在福建宁德，组织当地县委书记参加地委学习中心组读书班，带着大家一起学、一起读；在浙江，要求绍兴领导干部背诵《兰亭集序》、《钗头凤》，增进对当地历史文化了解；等等。

Chinese Communists have relied on study to get to where they are today, and they must inevitably rely on study to move toward the future. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has consistently emphasized reading and study from the height of governing the country, delivering a series of important discourses on reading and study on various occasions. For instance, regarding the importance of reading and study, General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that only by being eager to learn can one make progress, and only by being eager to learn can one have ability; if we do not strive to improve our knowledge in all areas, do not consciously learn various scientific and cultural knowledge, do not actively accelerate knowledge updating, optimize knowledge structures, and broaden our horizons and perspectives, then it will be difficult to enhance our capabilities, and we will have no way to win the initiative, win advantages, or win the future. Regarding the content and direction of reading and study, the General Secretary points out that we must earnestly study Marxist theory, study the Party’s line, principles, policies, and national laws and regulations, and study knowledge in all fields; we must study according to the needs of our work, learning what we do and making up for what we lack, striving to truly become experts and competent leaders in our fields. Regarding the methods and approaches of reading and study, the General Secretary emphasizes that we must be diligent in learning and keen in thinking, adhere to “learning extensively, inquiring carefully, pondering thoroughly, discerning clearly, and practicing earnestly,” [7]7 A classical formulation of the learning process from *The Doctrine of the Mean* (*Zhongyong*), one of the Four Books of Confucianism. using learning to increase wisdom, using learning to cultivate oneself, and using learning to enhance ability. Regarding the purpose and style of reading and study, the General Secretary points out that the fundamental purpose for leading cadres to strengthen their study is to enhance their work capabilities and improve their ability to solve practical problems; we must promote the Marxist style of study that integrates theory with practice, learn with problems in mind, learn from the people, and achieve learning by doing, doing by learning, applying what we learn, using application to promote learning, and making learning and application reinforce each other; and so on.

中国共产党人依靠学习走到今天，也必然要依靠学习走向未来。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记始终是站在治国理政的高度上强调读书学习，在不同场合对读书学习作出一系列重要论述。比如，关于读书学习的重要性，习近平总书记指出，好学才能上进，好学才有本领，如果我们不努力提高各方面的知识素养，不自觉学习各种科学文化知识，不主动加快知识更新、优化知识结构、拓宽眼界和视野，那就难以增强本领，也就没有办法赢得主动、赢得优势、赢得未来。关于读书学习的内容方向，总书记指出，要认真学习马克思主义理论，学习党的路线方针政策和国家法律法规，学习各方面知识；要结合工作需要学习，做到干什么学什么、缺什么补什么，努力使自己真正成为行家里手、内行领导。关于读书学习的方式方法，总书记强调，要勤于学、敏于思，坚持博学之、审问之、慎思之、明辨之、笃行之，以学益智，以学修身，以学增才。关于读书学习的目的和学风，总书记指出，领导干部加强学习，根本目的是增强工作本领、提高解决实际问题的水平；要发扬理论联系实际的马克思主义学风，带着问题学，拜人民为师，做到干中学、学中干，学以致用、用以促学、学用相长；等等。

To achieve success in one’s work, one must achieve success in learning; to achieve success in learning, one must achieve success in reading. Reading and study are important ways for Party cadres to strengthen Party spirit, enhance their spiritual realm, and improve their abilities and talents. At present, we are comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. The road ahead cannot be smooth sailing; we will inevitably encounter various difficulties and obstacles, and we must prepare to withstand major tests of high winds and choppy waters, even raging waves. This places new and higher demands on the capabilities and qualities of the vast number of Party cadres, especially leading cadres at all levels. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “Whether leading cadres study or not is not just their own personal affair, and whether their abilities are great or small is not just their own personal affair, but a major matter concerning the development of the Party and the country’s cause.” We should draw beneficial inspiration from Comrade Mao Zedong’s reading life, truly regard reading and study as a way of life, a work responsibility, and a spiritual pursuit, strive to learn knowledge in all fields, and in loving reading, being diligent in reading, reading good books, and being good at reading, improve our ideological level, solve practical problems, and achieve self-transcendence.

事有所成，必是学有所成；学有所成，必是读有所成。读书学习是党员干部加强党性修养、提升精神境界、增强本领才干的重要途径。当前，我们正在以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴，前进道路上不可能一帆风顺，必然会遇到各种艰难险阻，要准备经受风高浪急甚至惊涛骇浪的重大考验，这对广大党员干部特别是各级领导干部的能力素质提出了新的更高要求。习近平总书记指出：“领导干部学习不学习不仅仅是自己的事情，本领大小也不仅仅是自己的事情，而是关乎党和国家事业发展的大事情。”我们要从毛泽东同志的读书生活中获取有益启示，真正把读书学习当成一种生活态度、一种工作责任、一种精神追求，努力学习各方面知识，在爱读书、勤读书、读好书、善读书中提高思想水平、解决实际问题、实现自我超越。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗