WARSAW – “Poland – ten years, Hungary – ten months, East Germany – ten weeks, Czechoslovakia – ten days.” So chirped many in Prague in November 1989, reflecting the pride and the joy of the Velvet Revolution, but also the sustained effort that was needed to end communism, whose demise began in Warsaw the previous February.
华沙－“波兰——用了十年，匈牙利——用了十个月，东德——用了十个星期，捷克斯洛伐克——用了十天。”1989年11月，在布拉格有许多人如是说，这种说法反映了天鹅绒革命（Velvet Revolution）带来的自豪和喜悦，也反映了各国结束共产主义所需的持续努力的时间——在华沙，共产主义早在1988年2月份就开始了其走向消亡的历程。