毛泽东反对过生日，但是卫士长有办法。就是敲竹杠的办法。他说：“主席，今天是您生日。大家辛辛苦苦跟您干了一年，您也应该有所表示呀。”
Mao Zedong objected to celebrating birthday, but the chief bodyguard had the solution, namely fleecing. He said, “Chairman, today is your birthday. We have all worked hard with you for one year, you should show us something.”
休息时，毛泽东身边的工作人员跟他谈话都是很随便的，开玩笑不必担心出格。毛泽东这时总是宽厚地一笑，说：“你们就是变着法子敲我的竹杠啊？”
When having a rest, the working staff around Mao Zedong talked with him informally, and needn’t worry about any inaptitude in joking. At that time, Mao Zedong always smiled mercifully, and said, “You are changing methods to fleece me.”
于是，卫士长便笑哈哈地跑回来，吩咐厨师用面做了一个大寿桃。吃饭时，摆在餐桌中央。那次还准备了不少酒。卫士长首先举杯说：“今天是主席生日。我代表同志们祝主席生日愉快，健康长寿。”毛泽东微笑举杯，说：“一年了，同志们工作辛苦，祝同志们身体健康。”
Then the chief bodyguard ran back laughingly, and told the chief to make a big peach-shaped birthday cake. They put it on the center of the table and prepared lots of wine at meals. First of all, the chief bodyguard proposed the toast and said, “Today is the chairman’s birthday. I represent the comrades to wish the chairman happy birthday with good health and a long life.” Mao Zedong proposed the toast smilingly and said, “You have worked hard for one year, wish comrades good health.”
杯子都伸出去，同志们逐一同毛泽东碰了杯。卫士长豪放地将杯一倾，咕咚一声吞下。将空杯子向卫士们示意：“干！会喝不会喝，这一杯一定要干！”
The comrades stretched out the glasses and clinked glasses with Mao Zedong one by one. The chief bodyguard tilted the glass and drank it up unconstrained, then he showed his empty glass and said, “Cheers, whether you are good at drinking or not, cheers for this glass!”
卫士们像听到命令，轮流举杯，一饮而尽。
The bodyguards seemed to hear the order, and they proposed the toast in turn and drank it up.
——酒 Wine
毛泽东不能喝酒，喝一口脸就红得发紫。他将杯子在嘴唇上沾一沾，那紫红的葡萄酒浆几乎没见少，便放下杯，毛泽东带着歉意的微笑，说：“这样吧，咱们定个协议。白酒辣也辣不过辣椒。你们喝酒我吃辣子。”
Mao Zedong was not good at drinking. When he drank a little wine, his face would become very red. He wet his mouth with the glass and then put it down, with the amaranthine wine almost as much as before. Mao Zedong smiled apologetically, and said, “All right, let’s make an agreement. The wine is less spicy than capsicum, and while you are drinking, I would eat capsicum.
有人说：“酒和辣椒不是一回事。”
Someone said, “That is not the same thing.”
毛泽东小声说：“多吃辣子能成事，喝酒多了可是会误事。”这句话大家也听到了。他便直起身大声说：“今天可以多喝，误了事不怪罪。”
Mao Zedong whispered, “Eating more capsicum can make a success, however, drinking more may delay the work.” People also heard his words. Then he straightened up and said loudly, “Today you can drink more and will not be punished for delaying work.”
于是，毛泽东没少吃辣椒，同志们没少喝白酒。卫士长喝醉了，摇晃着，笑着，张大嘴巴呕吐。后来又抱起痰盂吐。吐完又呵呵笑，笑过了又吐。毛泽东毫不怪罪，和大家一道张罗着给他递茶水和毛巾。
Hence, Mao Zedong ate many capsicums and the comrades drank much wine. The chief bodyguard got drunk, staggered, laughed and opened up to throw up. Later he took the spittoon to throw up, then laughed, afterward threw up again. Mao Zedong didn’t blame him at all, and passed the tea and tower to him along with others.
十几年接触中，卫士长李银桥只醉过这么一次。
For over ten years, the chief bodyguard only got drunk this time.
Mao Zedong objected to celebrating birthday, but the chief bodyguard had the solution, namely fleecing. He said, “Chairman, today is your birthday. We have all worked hard with you for one year, you should show us something.”
休息时，毛泽东身边的工作人员跟他谈话都是很随便的，开玩笑不必担心出格。毛泽东这时总是宽厚地一笑，说：“你们就是变着法子敲我的竹杠啊？”
When having a rest, the working staff around Mao Zedong talked with him informally, and needn’t worry about any inaptitude in joking. At that time, Mao Zedong always smiled mercifully, and said, “You are changing methods to fleece me.”
于是，卫士长便笑哈哈地跑回来，吩咐厨师用面做了一个大寿桃。吃饭时，摆在餐桌中央。那次还准备了不少酒。卫士长首先举杯说：“今天是主席生日。我代表同志们祝主席生日愉快，健康长寿。”毛泽东微笑举杯，说：“一年了，同志们工作辛苦，祝同志们身体健康。”
Then the chief bodyguard ran back laughingly, and told the chief to make a big peach-shaped birthday cake. They put it on the center of the table and prepared lots of wine at meals. First of all, the chief bodyguard proposed the toast and said, “Today is the chairman’s birthday. I represent the comrades to wish the chairman happy birthday with good health and a long life.” Mao Zedong proposed the toast smilingly and said, “You have worked hard for one year, wish comrades good health.”
杯子都伸出去，同志们逐一同毛泽东碰了杯。卫士长豪放地将杯一倾，咕咚一声吞下。将空杯子向卫士们示意：“干！会喝不会喝，这一杯一定要干！”
The comrades stretched out the glasses and clinked glasses with Mao Zedong one by one. The chief bodyguard tilted the glass and drank it up unconstrained, then he showed his empty glass and said, “Cheers, whether you are good at drinking or not, cheers for this glass!”
卫士们像听到命令，轮流举杯，一饮而尽。
The bodyguards seemed to hear the order, and they proposed the toast in turn and drank it up.
——酒 Wine
毛泽东不能喝酒，喝一口脸就红得发紫。他将杯子在嘴唇上沾一沾，那紫红的葡萄酒浆几乎没见少，便放下杯，毛泽东带着歉意的微笑，说：“这样吧，咱们定个协议。白酒辣也辣不过辣椒。你们喝酒我吃辣子。”
Mao Zedong was not good at drinking. When he drank a little wine, his face would become very red. He wet his mouth with the glass and then put it down, with the amaranthine wine almost as much as before. Mao Zedong smiled apologetically, and said, “All right, let’s make an agreement. The wine is less spicy than capsicum, and while you are drinking, I would eat capsicum.
有人说：“酒和辣椒不是一回事。”
Someone said, “That is not the same thing.”
毛泽东小声说：“多吃辣子能成事，喝酒多了可是会误事。”这句话大家也听到了。他便直起身大声说：“今天可以多喝，误了事不怪罪。”
Mao Zedong whispered, “Eating more capsicum can make a success, however, drinking more may delay the work.” People also heard his words. Then he straightened up and said loudly, “Today you can drink more and will not be punished for delaying work.”
于是，毛泽东没少吃辣椒，同志们没少喝白酒。卫士长喝醉了，摇晃着，笑着，张大嘴巴呕吐。后来又抱起痰盂吐。吐完又呵呵笑，笑过了又吐。毛泽东毫不怪罪，和大家一道张罗着给他递茶水和毛巾。
Hence, Mao Zedong ate many capsicums and the comrades drank much wine. The chief bodyguard got drunk, staggered, laughed and opened up to throw up. Later he took the spittoon to throw up, then laughed, afterward threw up again. Mao Zedong didn’t blame him at all, and passed the tea and tower to him along with others.
十几年接触中，卫士长李银桥只醉过这么一次。
For over ten years, the chief bodyguard only got drunk this time.
