A U T H O R ' S   F O R E W O R D

    中国是一个神秘的国家。她不但在外国人眼里难以理解，在中国人心目中也
是一个谜。正因为她是一个谜，所以她才可爱。这本书向读者透露出了一点谜语
。请读者去猜测她。
                                        张贤亮／一九八六年十一月十八日

    China is a mysterious country.  Difficult to understand, it is an
egnima to foreigners, and also a riddle to the Chinese themselves.
Its very impenetrableness is what makes it so attractive.  This book
gives some hints to the answer to the riddle.  I hope its reader will
come to their own conclusions.
                                                        Zhang Xianliang
                                                        NOVEMBER 1986