"Classics quoted by Xi Jinping" Episod 9: "Government officials who shirk their responsibilities should feel ashamed of themselves for the rest of their lives."

"Government officials who shirk their responsibilities should feel ashamed of themselves for the rest of their lives." This verse comes from a poem written by Yuan Haowen, a renowned poet of the Jin Dynasty. It was published in "Lamentations," which was dedicated to Li Qinshu, one of Yuan's four friends who died fighting for the nation.

"Government officials who shirk their responsibilities should feel ashamed of themselves for the rest of their lives; for the interests of the nation, an official should not fear anything, not even death." This shows that Li Qinshu regarded the shirking of responsibility as a lifelong disgrace for government officials. He was loyal to the nation and was willing to lay his life down for the country, as if it were a simple matter of going home.

The original poem contained "being an official," but when quoting it, President Xi Jinping changed it to "as an official." We know that "being an official" and "as an official" have the same meaning.

Why did Yuan Haowen write, "Being an official, if you shirk your responsibilities, you should feel ashamed of yourself for the rest of your life?" And why did President Xi say, "As an official, if you shirk your responsibilities, you should feel ashamed of yourself for the rest of your life?"

Because from the Chinese perspective, government officials should fulfill their responsibilities. Any official neglectful of their duties is a disgrace.

President Xi Jinping intended to point out that party members and officials must shoulder responsibility and dare to act.

You can't just want to be an official and be unwilling to fulfill your obligations; you can't long for achievements without making any effort; and you can't scramble for power without taking responsibility.