Marxism is the system of political thinking named after Karl Marx, a German writer in the 1800s. The heart of it is this claim: the big changes in history happen because of a struggle between social classes — especially between people who own the factories, land, and money, and people who have to sell their work to live. Marx thought that struggle would, in the end, lead to a different kind of society in which that ownership was shared. That is the theory.

Marxism Marxism（馬克思主義）is the system of political thinking named after Karl Marx, a German writer in the 1800s是以十九世紀德國作家卡爾．馬克思命名的一套政治思想體系。The heart of it is this claim它的核心主張是：the big changes in history happen because of a struggle between social classes歷史上的重大變化是因為社會階級之間的鬥爭而發生的——especially between people who own the factories, land, and money, and people who have to sell their work to live尤其是擁有工廠、土地和金錢的人，和必須靠出賣勞力過活的人之間。Marx thought that struggle would, in the end, lead to a different kind of society馬克思認為這種鬥爭最後會導向一種不同的社會，in which that ownership was shared在那種社會裡，那些所有權是共享的。That is the theory那是理論的部分。

In real talk, people use Marxism much more loosely. Some mean “anything left-wing.” Some mean the official line of a communist party. Some mean only what Marx himself wrote, and they argue that later leaders changed it. Scholars do not all agree on which reading is fair, so it is honest to say: Marxism is a family of ideas, not one frozen page.

In real talk在實際的講話裡，people use Marxism much more loosely大家用Marxism這個字鬆散得多。Some mean "anything left-wing."有人是指「任何左派的東西」。Some mean the official line of a communist party有人是指共產黨的官方路線。Some mean only what Marx himself wrote有人只是指馬克思本人寫的東西，and they argue that later leaders changed it而且他們會說後來的領導人把它改了。Scholars do not all agree on which reading is fair學者對哪一種解讀才公平也沒有共識，so it is honest to say所以老實說：Marxism is a family of ideas, not one frozen pageMarxism是一整個思想家族，不是固定不變的一頁。

In a Taiwan classroom you will mostly meet it in history — next to the Soviet Union, China, and the Cold War — as a named school of thought, not as a word for “being unkind” or “being poor.” It is the thinking. Words like communism and socialism sit nearby, but they are not perfect copies of it.

In a Taiwan classroom在台灣的課堂上，you will mostly meet it in history你大部分是在歷史課遇到它——next to the Soviet Union, China, and the Cold War跟蘇聯、中國、還有冷戰放在一起——as a named school of thought是作為一個有名字的思想流派，not as a word for "being unkind" or "being poor."而不是拿來說「不友善」或「窮」的字。It is the thinking它指的是那套思想。Words like communism and socialism sit nearby像communism（共產主義）和socialism（社會主義）這些字就在附近，but they are not perfect copies of it但它們並不是跟它完全一樣的東西。