中华文明源远流长，五千多年来一脉相承，始终没有中断。这在世界历史上是很罕见的。中华民族是在波澜壮阔的历史进程中形成的。从遥远的古代起，我国各族人民就建立了紧密的政治经济文化联系，共同开发了祖国的河山。中华民族的悠久历史，是我们必须十分珍惜的宝贵财富。中华民族的优秀文化，是我国各族人民共同创造和传承的，是维系民族团结和国家统一的牢固纽带。一个民族的历史深刻影响着一个民族的现在和未来。今天的中国从历史的中国发展而来。我们国家和民族的发展史，包含着治国安邦的深刻道理，也揭示了今天我国发展道路的历史必然性。要夺取改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的成功，我们不仅应该懂得中国的今天，而且还应该懂得中国的昨天和前天。我曾经说过，一名领导干部不善于从历史中吸取营养，不可能成为高明的领导者；一个政党不善于从总结历史中认识和把握社会发展规律，不可能成为顺应历史潮流的自觉的政党；一个民族不善于从历史中继承和发展本民族和世界其他民族创造的优秀文明成果，不可能屹立于世界民族之林。多读读中华民族发展史，可以使我们加深民族感情、增强民族自信心，更加信心百倍地投身坚持和发展中国特色社会主义、实现中华民族伟大复兴的宏伟事业。当代中国正处在充满机遇也充满挑战的时期。改革开放以来，我国社会主义现代化建设取得了举世瞩目的成就，综合国力显著增强，人民生活水平大幅提高。同时，我们也必须清醒地看到，无论从国内看还是从外部环境看，我们在前进道路上面临的困难和挑战还很多，必须继续进行长期而艰苦的努力。要使我们的国家、我们的民族发展得更好，我们必须认真总结和发扬改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的成功经验，也必须注重汲取和运用历史经验，科学把握和正确运用历史规律，正确借鉴历代治乱兴衰的经验教训。学习中华民族发展史，是弘扬爱国主义精神、增强民族凝聚力的重要途径。爱国主义始终是中华民族团结一心、自强不息的精神源泉。在中华民族漫长的发展史上，我国各族人民团结奋斗取得的辉煌成绩，我国各族人民经历的种种苦难曲折，都是爱国主义教育的生动教材，都是激励我们为祖国、为民族发展进步而不懈奋斗的强大精神力量。要真正形成对祖国、对民族的深切之爱、理性之爱，必须重视学习中华民族发展史，不断丰富历史知识。全党同志特别是领导干部要自觉学习历史，把提高历史素养放到更为重要的位置上来看待，多读一点历史特别是中华民族发展史，汲取经验，陶冶情操，开阔眼界，以利于牢固树立正确的世界观、人生观、价值观，增强历史使命感和责任感，提高观察问题、分析问题的水平和能力。改革开放以来，我们不断扩大对外开放，推动中国和世界的关系发生了举世瞩目的变化。新形势下，我们不仅要学习中国历史，而且要学习世界历史，善于从中外历史上的成功失败、经验教训中进一步认识和把握历史发展和社会进步的规律，认识和把握时代发展大势。同时，我们还要向世界介绍我国历史，特别是要介绍近代以来中华民族遭受的历史苦难和进行的伟大奋斗，让国外民众了解我国历史和国情，帮助他们从历史角度来客观观察和分析今天的中国。“述往事，思来者”；“欲知大道，必先为史”。中国历代杰出的史学家们，用丰富的体裁和浓重的笔墨，给我们留下了珍贵而又丰厚的史学遗产，值得我们认真学习。由中国社会科学院历史研究所编写的《简明中国历史读本》，为我们了解中华民族发展史提供了一部通俗易懂的读物，希望大家都能读一读。

Chinese civilization has a long history, and has been in the same vein for more than 5,000 years, and has never been interrupted. This is rare in the history of the world. The Chinese nation was formed in a magnificent historical process. Since ancient times, the people of all ethnic groups in our country have established close political, economic and cultural ties and jointly developed the rivers and mountains of the motherland. The long history of the Chinese nation is a precious treasure that we must cherish very much. The excellent culture of the Chinese nation is jointly created and inherited by the people of all ethnic groups in our country, and is a strong bond that maintains national unity and national unity. The history of a nation profoundly affects the present and future of a nation. Today's China has developed from historical China. The history of the development of our country and nation contains the profound truth of governing the country and security, and also reveals the historical inevitability of China's development path today. To win the success of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, we should understand not only China's today, but also China's yesterday and the day before yesterday. I have said that a leading cadre who is not good at drawing nourishment from history cannot become a wise leader; A political party is not good at understanding and grasping the law of social development from summing up history, and cannot become a conscious political party that conforms to the trend of history; If a nation is not good at inheriting and developing from history the outstanding achievements of civilization created by its own nation and other nations of the world, it cannot stand tall among the nations of the world. Reading more about the history of the development of the Chinese nation can enable us to deepen our national feelings, enhance our self-confidence, and devote ourselves more confidently to the magnificent cause of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Contemporary China is in a period full of opportunities and challenges. Since the beginning of reform and opening up, China's socialist modernization has made achievements that have attracted worldwide attention, its comprehensive national strength has been significantly enhanced, and the people's living standards have been greatly improved. At the same time, we must also be soberly aware that there are still many difficulties and challenges we face on the way forward, whether from a domestic perspective or from the external environment, and we must continue to make long-term and arduous efforts. To enable our country and our nation to develop better, we must conscientiously sum up and carry forward the successful experiences of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, and we must also pay attention to drawing on and applying historical experience, scientifically grasp and correctly apply historical laws, and correctly draw lessons from the rise and fall of chaos in previous dynasties. Studying the history of the development of the Chinese nation is an important way to carry forward the spirit of patriotism and enhance national cohesion. Patriotism has always been the spiritual source of the Chinese nation's unity and unceasing self-improvement. In the long history of the development of the Chinese nation, the brilliant achievements made by the people of all ethnic groups in our country in united struggle and the various hardships and twists and turns experienced by the people of all ethnic groups in our country are all vivid teaching materials for patriotic education and powerful spiritual forces that inspire us to make unremitting efforts for the motherland and for the development and progress of the nation. In order to truly form a deep and rational love for the motherland and the nation, we must attach importance to studying the history of the development of the Chinese nation and constantly enrich historical knowledge. Comrades of the whole party, especially leading cadres, should consciously study history, put the enhancement of historical literacy in a more important position, read a little more history, especially the history of the development of the Chinese nation, draw on experience, cultivate sentiments, and broaden their horizons, so as to help firmly establish a correct world outlook, outlook on life, and values, enhance their sense of historical mission and responsibility, and enhance their level and ability to observe and analyze problems. Since the reform and opening up, we have continuously expanded our opening up to the outside world, and the relations between China and the world have undergone changes that have attracted worldwide attention. Under the new situation, we should not only study Chinese history but also world history, and be good at further understanding and grasping the law of historical development and social progress from the successes and failures and lessons learned in Chinese and foreign history, and understand and grasp the general trend of development of the times. At the same time, we should also introduce China's history to the world, especially the historical suffering and great struggle of the Chinese nation since modern times, so that people abroad can understand China's history and national conditions, and help them objectively observe and analyze today's China from a historical perspective. "Tell the past, thinker"; "If you want to know the road, you must first know history." The outstanding historians of all generations in China, with their rich genres and heavy pen and ink, have left us a precious and rich historiographical heritage, which is worthy of our serious study. The "Concise Chinese History Reader" compiled by the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences provides us with an easy-to-understand reading for understanding the history of the development of the Chinese nation.（AI翻译）