今天，中国共产党第十七次全国代表大会在北京开幕，当党的盛会讨论国家发展蓝图之际，很多民众的心中也有个明确的愿望：提高他们的生活水平。
"My friends and I all know about the Party congress from newspapers and television," Wei Yijia told reporters after enjoying a blockbuster movie in the capital's busy shopping area of Wangfujing.
在北京一家外资会计师事务所工作的魏宜佳（译者注：音译）在王府井看完一部大片后接受记者采访时说：“我和我的一些朋友们主要通过报纸和电视了解党的十七大。”
"The congress is very important to us because the policies discussed will have a direct impact on our everyday life, such as air quality and drinking water safety," said Wei, who works at a foreign-invested accounting firm in Beijing.
她说：“十七大对于我们来说十分重要，因为十七大讨论的各项政策直接关系到我们的生活，比如，空气质量和饮用水的安全等。”
Jiang Guilan, who is a member of a neighborhood committee in Changping District of Beijing, said food prices in supermarkets are surging, so she has to buy low-prices vegetables from street vendors - and hoped that leaders work out policies to lower food prices and implement them effectively.
北京昌平区某居委会成员蒋桂兰（译者注：音译）说，由于食品不断涨价，她只有在路边摊上买些便宜蔬菜，她希望国家能制订并有效贯彻降低食品价格的政策。
"My concerns might seem personal and trivial, but I think they are exactly what affect the daily life of ordinary people like me," she added.
她说：“我关心的可能都是些个人的事，而且不那么‘重大’，但我想这些都是切实影响我们普通人日常生活的问题。”
Some online surveys prior to the congress have suggested that a host of social issues ranging from employment and social security to the widening wealth gap are among the top concerns of the public.
“十七大”召开前的一些在线调查表明，就业、社会治安、不断扩大的贫富差距等一系列社会问题是民众最关心的问题。
An online poll on Chinanews.com found that the fight against corruption, and soaring commodity and housing prices were the two major topics, covering nearly 45 percent of the 20,810 votes
.“十七大”召开前的一些在线调查表明，就业、社会治安、不断扩大的贫富差距等一系列社会问题是民众最关心的问题。
Problems related topeople's livelihood have been the focus of the government, especially since Premier Wen Jiabao included them in his government work report to the national legislature in March
.自从今年3月温家宝总理在政府工作报告中强调了“民生”问题后，改善“民生”便成了政府工作的重点。
