● Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Rong
April is coming to an end, green, fat, red and thin, “reading doesn’t feel that spring is deep, and an inch of time is an inch of gold”. The 27th World Reading Day is coming at this time, which has a different meaning. The world is complicated and changeable, and the fragrance of books soothes people’s hearts. Reading has no boundaries. It is the source of wisdom and the comfort of the soul. It can help people see the sun through the clouds and cross the spiritual barriers.
At all times and in all countries, a wise life is always accompanied by books, and wise men admire reading to the utmost. Zhu Xi said in a sense of reading: “ask the canal to get clear, so that there is a source of fresh water.” Books are living water, which can nourish the mind and cleanse the soul; Books are the wind and horses, which can help people “sound and disease” and “send thousands of miles”. Shakespeare, a British playwright, said that books are the nourishment of the world. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, said: “I was raised by books. First books, then my parents.”
In the predicament, reading has no boundaries, which comforts countless hearts of fear, tension and fatigue. The calm “reading brother” in Wuhan shelter hospital is a striking figure on the “photo wall” of the Chinese epidemic. That calm and calm let many people see the courage to defeat the virus. Spain’s “Le Monde” website recently reported that after the new crown pandemic and two years of isolation, the reading volume of Spaniards showed an amazing growth trend. 64.4% of the people took reading as a way of leisure last year, compared with 47.2% in 2012. This growth is particularly valuable in the digital age. Reading can effectively resist anxiety and anxiety.
Ignorance is the root of many hatred conflicts. Understanding helps to remove spiritual barriers. Extensive reading and absorbing the essence of different civilizations are the first step to eliminate trust deficits and move towards the realm of freedom. Ji Xianlin, a master of linguistics, was eager to study the cultural relationship between China and India in his early years, so he was determined to study Sanskrit. Fu Lei, a famous translator, translated and introduced a large number of French works, including Balzac, Roman Roland, Voltaire and other famous artists, to Chinese readers. Out of recognition and respect for its contribution to Sino French cultural exchanges, the French Embassy in China established the Frey translation and publication award in 2009 to promote the translation and dissemination of French literature and academic works in China.
There is no shortage of such pioneers in the West. The American Sinologist and historian Shi Jingqian, who died soon, built a picture of Chinese history full of humanistic feelings with profound historical literacy and brilliant writing. His works get rid of the disadvantages of the West’s long-term “fragmented” and “hypothetical” view of China, and give many Western readers a chance to really enter the spiritual world of the Chinese people.
Some pessimistic voices said that judging from the constant trend of “clash of Civilizations” and “decoupling and chain breaking” in the West today, it is difficult for western scholars like Shi Jingqian to introduce China rationally in the future. However, it is difficult to reverse the trend of globalization. The interests of all countries blend in perfect harmony. Communication and cooperation is the general trend. Mutual learning among civilizations and exchange of people’s will are “just needs” in the long run. Wise people who pave the way for understanding and trust will continue to emerge, and more and more people will read for communication and appreciation.