Book Group - 读书俱乐部

Reading, Oil on Canvas

© Matthew Felix Sun

Just finished reading a book for the "assignment" of my book group, which I joint about five years ago. Before I lived in the U.S. from China, I didn't know anyone who was associated with of any book group or book club.  It is quite ironic considering that I grew up in a household filled with books.  I remember that when I was little, I never had any toy of my own, but I had books.  The only times I asked for something in shopping streets and would roll in mud if my requests were denied, were occasions I wanted to have some new books.

In China, when people get together, they feast, they play Mahjong, and they chitchat aimlessly.  Discussing a book?  No.  Oh, no, my dear sir.  No.  Chinese nowadays give little thoughts to literature.  Considering any congregation might be viewed suspiciously by the ever-nervous government, it is also very wise not to get together with other thoughtful people and converse intelligently.

剛剛讀完我的書社的“任务”。 我是約五年前加入这个書社的。在我從中國移居美國前，我不认识任何人与任何读书团体或读书会有关。這很具有諷刺意味，因为我生長在一個充滿了書籍的家庭。我記得我小時候，我從來沒有我自己的任何玩具，但我擁有書。唯一時候，我在購物街里要买东西，而如果我的要求被拒絕，我在泥濘中打滾，是我想要一些新的書籍。

在中國，當人們聚到一起，他們宴饮，他們打麻將，他們漫无目的地侃大山。討論書籍？不，哦，不，我親愛的先生。中國人現在很少想到文學。考慮到任何集会可能愈来愈緊張的政府被視為可疑，不與其他有思想的人作深刻的交談，是很明智的。