1988年5月邓颖超致宋美龄的信
【概述】 本文系邓颖超致宋美龄的信，表面看似私人信件，实则为关系海峡两岸的官方信函。鉴于此信的重要性，写信人语气诚恳，将真情付诸笔端，措辞严谨，用词字斟句酌，可谓字字珠玑，于平白朴实之中见刚柔相济，于心平气和之中透露出忧国忧民之意识。其中“烈士暮年，壮心不已”更是让人垂泪。信件内容布局属中式思维，采取了迂回的说理法。写信人没有开门见山直陈意旨，而是先回顾数十载的友谊，转而关心对方的近期身心健康。接着借对方姐姐所言称赞对方的爱国热情。最后才触及问题实质，殷切希望对方能为海峡两岸的统一做出贡献。这种迂回法使对方有一个心理转变的过程，由历史而转至现实，逐渐打动对方，使之最终付诸实践，信件对对方的感召力是不言而喻的。

庐山初识，匆匆五十年矣，山城之聚，金陵之晤，犹历历如昨。别后音讯阔绝四十余年，诚属憾事。
Two score and ten years have elapsed since our acquaintance at Mt.Lushan, Our gathering in Chongqing the mountain city and our meeting in Nanjing are still fresh in my mind as if they took place only yesterday. It is a deep regret that we had lost contact with each other for forty odd years.

幸友谊犹存，两心相通。每遇客从远方来，道及夫人起居，更引进怀旧之情。近闻夫人健康如常，颇感欣慰。
Yet it is a great comfort to us that we still retain friendship and mutual understanding. Every time a friend comes from afar and mentions your daily life, I cannot help recalling the past. It is a great comfort to me when I hear that you are in good health.

令姐孙夫人生前，极为思念夫人，每每言及夫人爱国情切，必将致大力于中国之统一。
Your honourable sister Mrs.Sun missed you very much during her lifetime. She often talked of your ardent patriotism and utter devotion to the reunification of China.

孙夫人手足情深，亟盼生前能与夫人一晤；曾亲笔致函夫人，然未能如愿，终成遗憾。尝读夫人之《我将再起》，思感殊多。
Mrs.Sun always kept a sisterly affection for you and had a strong wish to have a meeting with you, for which she wrote you a letter. Yet she failed to fulfill her wish, which is a regret. I have the honor to read your book I Shall Rise Again ,which provoked abundant reflection in me.

回首当年，国难方殷，夫人致力全民抗战，促成国内团结，争取国际援助，弘扬抗日民气，救助难童伤兵，厥功至伟。
Looking back in the past, I remember that national calamities plagued China at that time. You made great contributions by devoting yourself to the War of Resistance Against Japan and the unity of all forces in China, by working hard for the international assistance and the morale of the Chinese people in fighting against the Japanese aggressors and by helping to rescue the refugee children and wounded soldiers.

今夫人年事虽高，犹时时关心国家之强盛，民族之再起，于海峡两岸有关系之缓和，亦多所推动。夫人谋国之忠，诚如令姐孙夫人所言，我极为钦佩！
Despite the fact that you are getting on in years, you still have our national prosperity and prosperousness in mind, which helps to ease the relationship between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Your utter devotion to our country is just as what your honorable sister Madam Song had described, which really and truly deserves my admiration.

环顾当今世界，风云迭起，台湾前途令人不安。今经国不幸逝世，情势更趋复杂。此间诸友及我甚为关切，亟盼夫人与当政诸公，力维安定祥和局势，并早定大计，推动国家早日统一。
The present world situation being so turbulent, the future of Taiwan has become a worrying matter. Now that Jingguo has passed away, which has made the situation all the more complicated. Your friends here and I are very much concerned about it. We sincerely hope that you and all of the Taiwan government officials would do your utmost to maintain peace and harmony in the island and make your decisions as early as possible to strive for an early reunification of the Chinese nation.

我方以为，只要国共两党为国家民族计，推诚相见，以平等之态度共商国事，则一切都可以商量，所虑之问题均不难解决。
In our view, it is mot difficult to solve the problems that we are concerned about for we can settle everything through discussion as long as Kuomingtang and the Communist party of China put the national interest above all and have consultation with each other on the basis of equality and sincerity.

我亦年逾八十。今虽卸政务繁荷，然念念不可置之者，唯国家统一一端耳。“烈士暮年，壮心不已”。
I am also over eighty years old and have been relieved of my office, but I am just unable to put off my mind the reunification of our nation, which justifies the famous line from Cao Cao:” A noble-hearted man retains his high aspiration even in his old age.”

我与夫人救国之途虽殊，爱国之心则同。深愿与夫人共谋我国家民族之统一，俾我中华腾飞于世界。
Our ways to save the nation are different ,but our patriotic feelings are the same, I wish that we could join our efforts for the reunification of our nation so as to turn China into a strong nation in the world.

我与夫人交往，数十载矣。历时弥久，相知愈深。直率陈言，尚祈谅察。海天遥隔，诸希珍重。临颖神驰，期待回音。
We have had contact with each other for several decades. The passage of time has deepened our mutual understanding. Please do forgive me for my straightforwardness. We reside poles apart, and I sincerely wish you to take good care of yourself .I will always be thinking of you and I am looking forward to your early reply.