1985 was first published in Jintian in 1991, and later in English in Henry Chao and John Cayley, eds., Under-Sky, Underground: Chinese Writing Today.
Translated by Anne Wedell-Wedellsborg
Such was 1985: although various exciting events occurred, people did not think that this year had any special significance. Nor did they realise that in the future they would often look back at 1985 (or, to use a more popular and vivid Beijing expression: look back after each step). However, as time goes by, the uniqueness of 1985 and the profound significance of the changes that quietly took place that year, as well as their omnipresent influence on China, have become increasingly evident and exciting to consider. These days, the year 1985 has become a topic that can make the eyes of many mainland intellectuals shine with excitement. People ceaselessly ask and discuss the question: what was going on during that year? Why should so many changes all have happened then? How should we evaluate these changes?
However, I do not intend to answer or discuss these questions with a straight face right now as I write what will follow under the title '1985'. That would be too serious. I only want to talk about 1985 and randomly at that, but I do want to mix it with some memories to draw out the talk or rather, play it down. Certainly, no matter how randomly I do it, I know that it is hard for me to escape the fate of making a myth out of 1985. Yet I do not want to escape this fate. How can I escape it? Once a person realises that whatever they say actually has nothing to do with what is signified in their speech or writing, that this is a game of power, they should relax and play the game rather than look around in hesitation.