阅读无国界：世界读书日，CGTN的外籍小编们都在看什么？

“生活里没有书籍，就好像没有阳光；智慧里没有书籍，就好像鸟儿没有翅膀。” 

—— 莎士比亚

“A life without books is like a life without sunlight; wisdom without books is like a wingless bird.” 

– William Shakespeare

1616年4月23日，英国文学巨匠莎士比亚和西班牙文豪塞万提斯与世长辞。在他们生活的时代，阅读的能力并非人人具备，书籍仍是文人贵族书架上的收藏品，若不是古腾堡发明了西方活字印刷术，我们甚至将无缘相遇两位文学大师的作品。

1995年，为纪念以两位文学大师为代表的众多作家和书籍为人类文明发展带来的积极影响，联合国教科文组织将4月23日定为世界读书日，旨在鼓励全世界人民享受阅读带来的快乐。

如今，阅读之于当今大多数人犹如空气般存在。咿呀学语时翻阅的绘本，学生时代的教科书，街道上的广告牌，网络小说，报纸杂志……几百年间，人类经历了科技与文化的迅猛发展，所接触到的信息与资源也有了量与质的飞跃。

可几个世纪未变的，是全人类对于知识与书本的渴求，对于文学与艺术的向往，对于表达和被理解的希望。

明天就是一年一度的世界读书日了。虽说阅读无国界，但“一千个人眼中有一千个哈姆雷特。”你有没有好奇过来自不同国家、不同文化的外国朋友们都在读些什么？

今天，CGTN特别邀请自家外籍小编，与大家分享最近的读书体验，聊一聊阅读之于他们有何意义。  

世界读书日

On April 23, 1616, two of the world’s most eminent writers left the beauty of this world. In his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, British playwright, poet and actor William Shakespeare passed away on his 52nd birthday. On the same date (different day due to calendarian differences), Miguel de Cervantes, who is regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language, left the world one year after he completed his masterpiece "Don Quixote."

To commemorate the two writers that left humanity with some of the most influential and beautiful prose and stories, the UNESCO designated April 23 as World Book Day in 1995 in an effort to promote reading, encourage publishing and raise people’s awareness of copyright.

They say there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes. Though the joy of reading a good book is a universal experience, as unique individuals, our taste for books varies and we read for diverse reasons. Ahead of this year’s World Book Day, CGTN invited some of our international editors to share their reading experiences.

Nick Moore

from UK

Q1: 最近在读什么？

I am currently reading Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad. He’s not a very fashionable writer anymore, but I really like his very unique style of writing – I recently read his most famous work Heart of Darkness and it was great, I felt I had to read more from him.

Q2: 平时喜欢读什么题材的作品？

 I read a lot of 20th century “classics,” and I like writers that experiment and try something different. I like to read modern authors from countries that I know nothing about – it’s a great form of escapism and a way to learn about other cultures.

Q3: 纸质书还是电子书？

I prefer paperbacks and love browsing second-hand bookshops back home in the UK, but I use my e-reader a lot in China because I can’t find many books I want to read here.

Q4: 阅读在你生活中扮演何种角色？

I’ve always been a massive nerd when it comes to reading – I carry my e-reader or current book with me wherever I go. I read mostly as a form of escapism – it beats staring at my phone.

Q5: 你会推荐哪些中国文学作品给家人朋友？

I studied some works by Lu Xun at university, and while his writing is challenging (and tough to translate!), it can teach the world a lot about modern China. I read Liu Cixin’s The Three Body Problem last year, and while I’m not really into sci-fi, it was unlike anything I’ve ever read before, I really recommend it!

Q6: 可以分享一段最令你过目难忘的文字吗？

“

I am free, and that is why I’m lost.

– Franz Kafka

”

John Goodrich

from UK

Q1: 最近在读什么？

I have a bad habit of beginning one book before finishing another. I bought the James Comey book as soon as it came out, have just started Chicago by David Mamet and am slowly wading through The History of Modern China by Jonathan Fenby. My favorite book is still Catch-22, there's a lot of truth in it – but mainly it just makes me laugh.

Q2: 平时喜欢读什么题材的作品？

Politics or sports non-fiction – A Life Too Short about German goalkeeper Robert Enke is a book everyone should read, football fan or not – but I also always buy the latest Julian Barnes or Ian McEwan, like classic American writers such as Norman Mailer, and crime novels. Some coffee stores in international areas of Beijing have second-hand book libraries, so I've picked up some Japanese and French fiction I wouldn't otherwise have read. 

Q3: 纸质书还是电子书？

I prefer paperbacks, but e-readers give a great range and the price is low – there's less guilt about buying a trashy novel…

Q4: 阅读在你生活中扮演何种角色？

As a kid I'd either be playing football or sitting in the corner reading – so I guess it's more an instinct now than a conscious choice. I enjoy reading political books, but they're often related to my job so do have a practical purpose too.

Q5: 你会推荐哪些中国文学作品给家人朋友？

The only Chinese literature I've read in the past year or so is Red Sorghum by Mo Yan. I guess it’s a quite headliney novel, so could do with some tips.  

Xuyen Nguyen

from US

Q1: 最近在读什么？

I just picked up The Handmaiden’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I’m not a big fan of science fiction, but all my friends loved the Hulu TV series last year (which I haven’t watched). I’m looking forward to reading the story in its original form, to see what all the hype was about.

Q2: 平时喜欢读什么题材的作品？

I have always loved stories that are very REAL. So, I don’t really like fantasy or magical surrealism. I prefer human stories – whether that’s fiction or non-fiction. I tend to read more non-fiction, but I always have to slip in a good fiction story once in a while. I love world literature – I studied a lot of that in college – so stories from all parts of the world. 

Q3: 纸质书还是电子书？

 I haven’t made the jump to e-readers yet, even though part of me wants to because it’s impractical to collect so many books when you move to a new country. But I love paperback books. I like to write in them, I like to underline passages that are important to me. It feels like I’m actually actively engaging with the book, and it creates a dialogue with myself when I go back and read the book again.

Q4: 阅读在你生活中扮演何种角色？

I’ve been reading my whole life. My parents used to take me to the library every weekend and I would check out a stack of books, return them the next week and repeat the whole process. So in that way, it’s very comforting to me.

Reading has made me a more open and empathic person. In a lot of ways, I’ve made my most personal connections to characters in books, which is an incredibly powerful experience to see yourself in other people, to know that you’re not alone in the world. 

I also love the moments where you find an author or character has put into words things you’ve never been able to articulate. The moment when you find that someone has been able to express something that you thought was ineffable is one of the magical things about reading.

Q5: 可以分享一段最令你过目难忘的文字吗？

“

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
              – T.S. Eliot, Little Gidding

”

Nadim Diab

from Lebanon

Q1: 最近在读什么？

I'm currently not reading any books, although I do have a few titles on the shelf waiting to be tackled – Animal Farm by George Orwell and Runaway by Alice Munro. 

Q2: 你会因何而选择阅读一本书？

Every book I read, I read it because it spoke to me at the time, because I felt a connection to the story line at that specific junction of my life. As human beings, we're in a constant state of change, our tastes are continuously evolving, so are our mindsets and preferences. And so, a book strikes a chord with me because its content, message or characters resonated with my mental or emotional state at the time of reading.

Q3: 纸质书还是电子书？

I do prefer paperbacks. As corny as this might sound, there's something about the smell of paper that gives reading its joy.

Q4: 你熟悉中国文学作品吗？

Chinese literature is an uncharted territory for me. But one book about China I read (but haven't finished) that I would recommend for those looking to understand a changing China (socially and economically) is Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler.

Q5: 可以分享一段最令你过目难忘的文字吗？

“

Behind all your stories is always your mother's story. Because hers is where yours begins.

– Mitch Albom, For One More Day

”

April Espejo

from Philippines

Q1: 最近在读什么？

I'm currently reading Snow, a novel by Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk. I chose this because I have an upcoming trip to Istanbul. I don't know much about Turkey so I decided to learn a bit more about the country's history and culture by reading a book written by one of the most famous Turkish writers.

Q2: 你会因何而选择阅读一本书？

I don't have a particular genre. I can read anything. It all depends on my mood or the situation. 

For example, I read Snow because of my upcoming trip to Istanbul. I also became interested with non-fictions about China since I moved here, because I want to know more about the country and its people. I prefer an easy-read, feel-good fiction if I am on holiday. 

Q3: 纸质书还是电子书？

Definitely real books! I don't read e-books as much as possible. I always prefer the physical book. I love the smell of books, especially the old ones.

Q4: 阅读在你生活中扮演何种角色？

I have always naturally loved reading. Since I knew how to read, I always end up looking for the next book after finishing one. 

I normally just read to relax. Recently though, I'd say I've been reading for practical reasons – carefully choosing my books because I want to focus on a specific topic (e.g. reading books about China since I moved here).  

Q5: 可以分享一段最令你过目难忘的文字吗？

“

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.

– Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

”

你最近在读些什么呢？你最爱的书是哪一本？世界读书日，快来与CGTN分享你的阅读故事吧！

What are you reading about？What's your favorite book? Share with us your stories on books and readings!