崇尚操守

　　“操守”指的是坚持真理、坚贞不屈、廉洁正直等优秀品质。中华民族自古以来就非常看重人的品德，把人格的尊严和独立看得比生命更重要。古代著名思想家孟子曾把富贵时不放纵自我、贫贱时不改变志向、在权势的威逼压迫下不屈服，视为做人的最高道德标准。古往今来，无数优秀的中华儿女，以自己的崇高人格，谱写了民族精神的灿烂诗篇。

　　东汉时，汉光武帝刘秀姐姐的家奴杀了人，洛阳县令董宣依法处死了凶手。刘秀偏信姐姐的一面之词，下令把董宣处死。董宣据理申辩，毫不屈服。刘秀自知理亏，就让董宣给他姐姐叩头赔礼了事。董宣坚决不肯。刘秀让人按下他的头，董宣就用手撑地，宁死不低头。

　　南宋民族英雄文天祥，在抗击元军时不幸被俘。在敌人的威胁利诱和残酷折磨面前，宁死不屈，从容就义。他被俘后写下的诗句“人生自古谁无死，留取丹心照汗青”，激励了一代又一代的爱国志士。

　　在抗日战争中，中华民族千千万万的优秀儿女，面对强敌，奋起抗争，谱写了一曲曲惊天动地的英雄壮歌：八位抗日女战士，在身负重伤、打完最后一颗子弹后，毫无惧色地跳进了滔滔江水。五名八路军士兵，英勇抵抗日本侵略军，在无路可退时，宁可跳下峭壁悬崖，也绝不投降……

　　在中华民族的历史长河中，为了真理和正义，为了国家和民族，坚贞不屈、英勇抗敌的事例举不胜举。也正因为如此，中华民族才能延续千年万载，屹立于世界民族之林。

　　Integrity refers to some good virtues such as upholding the truth, faithfulness and never yielding, honesty and uprightness. Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has valued a person's moral integrity, and considers personal dignity and independence more important than life. The great ideologist Mencius in ancient times considered it the highest moral standard not to be corrupted by riches or honors, not to depart from principle despite poverty or humble origin, and not to submit to force or threat. Through the ages, numerous outstanding Chinese have shown their noble personal integrity.

　　In the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), Emperor Wudi Liu Xiu once ordered Dong Xuan, a county magistrate of Luoyang, to kowtow to his sister and apologize for some alleged wrong he had committed. The magistrate, knowing he was in the right, refused. Even when imperial guards tried to force Dong's head down to the ground, he used his arms to resist and refused to obey even in the face of death.

　　Wen Tianxiang, national hero in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD), was unfortunately captured when fighting against Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD) soldiers. Despite alternate use of cajolery and cruel torture to force him to submit, Wen Tianxiang refused and eventually went to his death unflinchingly. The lines he wrote after being captured ——"No one can live forever; let me die with a loyal heart shining in the pages of history"——has inspired patriotic people of ideals and integrity.

　　In the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, many Chinese showed great heroism against a strong enemy. In one case, eight women soldiers, although seriously wounded, continued until they ran out of ammunition and then jumped into an adjacent river without fear. Five soldiers of the Eight-Route Army bravely resisted a Japanese advance, and then, with no way to retreat, leapt off a precipice rather than surrender.

　　Chinese history is full of such heroism too numerous to mention, which provides a certainty the nation will always continue as a colossus in the world.