Most of us see it every day. Maybe several times a day. Fluttering high over government buildings, large-scale institutions, tourist spots, the list goes on. The red and yellow is also nigh-on inescapable around each National Day. But what is perhaps now the world’s most-famous chromatic combo did not start life like this.
我们大多数人每天都能看到它。 也许一天几次。 在政府大楼、大型机构、旅游景点上高高飘飘，不胜列举。 在每个国庆节前后，红色和黄色也是不可避免的。 但也許現在世界上最著名的色彩組合並沒有像這樣開始生活。
And if one particular great leader had held sway, there could have been considerably more yellow in the Chinese flag than there is today.
如果一位特定的伟大领导人拥有控制地位，中国国旗上的黄色可能会比今天多得多。
With the birth of the new nation in 1949, so too did the hunt for the National Flag of the People’s Republic of China begin. In response to the soliciting of designs, entries poured in by people from all walks of life, quite a few even from abroad. By 20 August, the National Flag and Emblem Selection Committee had received a total of 2,992 national flag designs (some say it was 3,012).
随着1949年新国家的诞生，中华人民共和国国旗的追捕也开始了。 为了回应设计征集，来自各行各业的人纷纷报名，甚至有不少来自国外。 截至8月20日，国旗和国徽评选委员会共收到2992个国旗设计（有人说是3012个）。
While many featured blue, yellow or white, they all had one thing in common; a big red background.
虽然许多以蓝色、黄色或白色为特色，但它们都有一个共同点；一个大红色背景。
But in the process of whittling down the entries to a group of finalists, so too were the criteria for the flag laid down.
但在将参赛作品减少到一组决赛选手的过程中，旗帜的标准也规定了。
It should contain Chinese characteristics, imply authority, be rectangular in the ratio of 3:2, prioritise solemnity and simplicity, and last but decidedly not least, be red. You bet.
它应该包含中国特色，暗示权威，以3:2的比例为矩形，优先考虑庄严和简单，最后但并非最不重要的是，是红色。 你打赌。
But not everyone could agree on the red itself. Initially proposed to be a much-darker shade; almost a crimson; it was China’s first Premier, Zhou Enlai, who broke the deadlock and said a brighter red was the way to go.
但不是每个人都能同意红色本身。 最初提议是更深的阴影；几乎是深红色；是中国第一位总理周恩来打破了僵局，表示更亮的红色是要走的路。
For quite some time, it appeared the new China’s flag would be based on a design preferred by Mao Zedeng himself.
一段时间以来，中国的新国旗似乎将基于毛泽东本人喜欢的设计。
While the giant star was common to the 38 entries selected as finalists, Mao’s choice was for a version with a horizontal yellow bar across the top of the design’s lower third.
虽然巨星在被选为入围者的38个参赛作品中很常见，但Mao的选择是设计下三分之一的顶部有水平黄色条的版本。
With that supposedly representing the Yellow River, Mao was supported by others in his preference. But not everyone agreed; others felt the horizontal bar was in effect splitting the country. It was a powerful argument.
据说这代表了黄河，毛得到了其他人的支持。 但并非所有人都同意；其他人认为水平条实际上是在分裂国家。 这是一个强有力的论点。
Yellow, however, was not up for discussion. For yellow represented the light of the Communist Party illuminating a revolutionary red earth.
然而，黄色没有讨论。 因为黄色代表着共产党的光，照亮了革命性的红土。
The Flag that almost Never was
几乎从未有过的旗帜
Among the designs submitted but not shortlisted was one by an alumni of our very own Nanjing University, then the National Central University. Hailing from Zhejiang Province, Zeng Liansong had been working with the Shanghai Modern Economic News Agency when the call for entries was announced. He then set to work.
在提交但未入围的设计中，有我们自己的南京大学校友的设计，然后是国立中央大学。 曾连松来自浙江省，在宣布报名时，他一直在上海现代经济通讯社工作。 然后他开始工作。
While his entry initially failed to make the cut, it had caught the eye of Selection-Committee member and renowned playwright, Tian Han. Out of the 16 members of the Committee, it was Tian who managed to get Zeng’s design back on the list, as finalist #32.
虽然他的参赛作品最初没有入选，但它引起了评选委员会成员和著名剧作家田汉的注意。 在委员会的16名成员中，是Tian设法将Zeng的设计重新列入名单，成为决赛选手#32。
On the evening of 23 September that year, finalist #32 was recommended to the Premier. Satisfied, Zhou got Mao on board, who went before Zhongnanhai to hold a symposium in which he explained his reasons for supporting it, subsequently achieving a consensus among the delegates.
当年9月23日晚，决赛选手#32被推荐给总理。 周满意地让毛泽东加入，毛泽东在中南海召开研讨会，在研讨会上解释了他支持它的原因，随后在代表们中达成了共识。
They were taken with the red and yellow for sure, but also the symbolism therein; the large star for the Communist Party and the smaller stars representing the four main societal groups in China. Only one change had been made; Zeng’s submission had included a hammer and sickle within the main star. It was taken out for fear of being overtly Russian.
它们肯定被红色和黄色所带走，但也带有其中的象征意义；共产党的大星星和代表中国四个主要社会群体的小星星。 只有一个变化；曾的提交包括主星内的锤子和镰刀。 它被拿走了，因为害怕是俄罗斯人。
Winning the day were those starry metaphors in Zeng’s design, netting him a commemorative magazine of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, worth ¥5 million*. Not a bad little earner for a dash of red, a daub of yellow and a smattering of symbolism.
赢得这一天的是曾设计中的那些星空隐喻，为他赢得了一本价值500万日元的中国人民政治协商会议纪念杂志*。 对于一点红色、一点黄色和一点象征主义来说，这不是一个糟糕的小收入来源。
* CPPCC magazine worth about ¥500 today.
*中共杂志今天价值约500日元。