Liu Daoyu: Revisit the keynote declaration of World Book Day

Revisit the World Book Day keynote declaration

Text/Liu Daoyu

Published in China News Weekly on April 12, 2021, Issue 991

In 1995, UNESCO adopted a resolution proclaiming 23 April as World Book Day, a day on which countries around the world celebrate this culturally significant holiday in different ways. It was indeed a magical day, the day of the death of the Spanish literary magnate Cervantes, and the birthday and death of the great playwright Shakespeare.

The theme of World Book Day reads: "I hope that the people living in the diaspora, whether you are old or young, whether you are poor or rich, whether you are sick or healthy, can enjoy the pleasure of reading, and can respect and thank the literary, cultural and scientific masters who have made great contributions to human civilization, and can protect intellectual property rights." "Revisiting the keynote declaration of World Book Day and reflecting on the decline of reading in our country is of practical significance today.

As far as the Chinese people are concerned, how many people know about this declaration, and how many people really understand and practice the requirements of these three articles? I dare assert that many people do not have the habit of reading, do not have a sense of gratitude, and do not respect intellectual property rights. These three are interrelated and mutually causal.

In 1967, Márquez published One Hundred Years of Solitude, which won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. Around 1980, some unscrupulous booksellers in China published Chinese edition of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" without authorization. In 1990, China's literary circles invited Márquez to visit China, and although he was warmly welcomed, when he saw that the streets and alleys of our country were selling pirated copies of "One Hundred Years of Solitude", he indignantly said that after 150 years after his death, China would not be authorized to publish "One Hundred Years of Solitude".

As for the pleasure of reading, it is obviously not just entertainment, but refers to reading to increase intelligence and discover and create fun through reading. However, most of the Chinese people do not have these pleasures, which is a betrayal of the civilization of the "State of Books". Originally, China has a long tradition of reading books since ancient times, and "reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles" is the highest ideal of readers. All readers are unable to release the scrolls, and they can read tirelessly whenever and wherever they are. However, in the early 1990s, China entered an inflection point, and there was a "everything is about money" atmosphere. All this shows that there is a serious cultural crisis in our country, which is also an important reason for the loss of originality.

Reading is closely linked to creativity, and the most convincing is the rise of Israel. As is well known, Israel was established in 1948 and has a history of only 73 years. In terms of resources, it is a very small country, the land area is only equivalent to the size of China's Hainan Province, ranking 149th among the world's 197 countries, accounting for only 0.3% of the world's population. However, it has created achievements that have impressed all countries in the world, and is now one of the 20 most developed countries in the world. Currently, a total of 162 people of Israeli and Israeli origin have been awarded the Nobel Prize, accounting for 22% of the total number of winners. In addition, Israel is known as the "Silicon Valley of the world", Israel has the world's largest number of innovative enterprises per capita, the number of companies listed on the NASDAQ in Israel is the sum of Europe, Japan, South Korea, India and China, Israel's per capita library and books are the world's first, And Israel's per capita reading ratio is the world's first...

It all came from Israeli education, which fostered the courage, wisdom and creative spirit of the Israelites. As early as 30 years before the founding of the State of Israel, Israel's Zionist leader and famous chemist Hayim Weizmann held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hebrew University on Mount Scopes in Jerusalem in 1918, from which eight Nobel Laureates were born. Therefore, Israel is called a wise and creative people, which in turn is closely related to Israel's emphasis on education, respect for teachers, and diligent reading.

Chinese the problem of not reading is worth reflecting on, and we can no longer be arrogant. Reading determines a person's cultivation and determines the quality of a nation. Only reading can increase wisdom, and can also cure the chronic disease of imitation and copying!