As the carrier of history, civilization and cultural identity of a nation, books are often the windows through which people may get to know a place, and even the whole world. On the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day, let us listen to stories from friends from the United States, Russia, and other countries about their experiences with Chinese books, and feel the Chinese culture they have come to appreciate.

Hello, today is the World Book and Copyright Day. Reading is not only a personal experience, but also carries the meaning of dialogue and communication. Now, let's take to the streets, and look for a few foreign friends, and listen to their stories with Chinese books. Come on！

Q1：What´s your favorite Chinese book?

(1) Dao De Jing

(2) Qiu Yuan

(3) Brothers

(4) Fortress Besieged

(5) From the Soil

Q2：Why do you like this book most？

(1) I think it's only about 5,000 words, so it is a very small, very thin book. But I think the content is very profound. And there are a lot of things we can think about with this book.

(2) She describes all the things that happen to her in China over the 20th Century，but she describes them in a way that's very personal. Historians normally thinks about the big picture—the macro perspective. But this is from the local level the micro perspective, the local perspective. So that's what I like about the book.

(3) Because the words he uses are not too difficult to understand. Foreigners can easily understand them. Moreover, Yu Hua's depiction of characters and revelation of human nature are very profound. I really like it, it's very realistic.

(4) It tells the story of how everyone can find themselves trapped in their own fortresses, which can be the constraints of society or one's own internal dilemmas.

(5) This book helps us to understand the family system, the roles of male and females in the society, the roles of father and mother, and their relationship inside the families, and their relationship with their children. So it helps us to understand the main characteristics of a society.

Q3：What impresses you most in this book？

(1) I think, "the highest good is like water", this is the most impressive sentence.

(2) I think what I like best is she, the author, who's the daughter of the main character writes "Having endured ups and downs, my life ends up like this." So the life has good things and bad things, but in the end we'll just go through it, which I think is really the main point of the novel.

(3) I can't remember who said it to whom. But what I remember very clearly is "Don't cry, don't let others know we are crying. It seems like it was said by Li Guangtou to comfort his brother Song Gang.

(4) In Fortress Besieged, there is a well-known quote that I'm not sure if I got right, which goes, "Life is like a fortress besieged; those outside want to get in, and those inside want to get out." And this sentence is primarily a description of marriage.

(5) I like most in the book is the society, why is this society important and how different people come together, and make a very healthy and very peaceful society.

Q4：On World Book and Copyright Day, can you say something about reading?

(1) I think the most impressive part is When I first came to China, I found it very difficult. Because I had a lot of problems with language and culture. But I remember that "the highest good is like water", as if it were water. So I'm here, I have to adapt to the life of the Chinese.

(2) When I do have time, I do like to read more about the human experience. And I think for me one of the things I feel is a problem for historians is we often forget how complicated life is at the personal level, and so sometimes we try to oversimplify it.

(3) If you want to learn a foreign language, reading foreign language books is one of the best methods.

(4) For some, it can be quite dull. However, as long as you take the first step, start with a book that interests you, and read every word carefully, you might find some interesting inspiration within.

(5) I suggest every person from China and from all parts of the world to read more books, to read more books about your own society, so you can learn better about your society and how can you contribute towards your society and how can you help your society.As the carrier of history, civilization and cultural identity of a nation, books are often the windows through which people may get to know a place, and even the whole world. On the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day, let us listen to stories from friends from the United States, Russia, and other countries about their experiences with Chinese books, and feel the Chinese culture they have come to appreciate.

Source: hunantoday