Serious reading, on whatever platform or in whatever form, has its place in the advance of human civilization. All technological breakthroughs, such as the audio-visual revolution of the previous generation and now the digital revolution, all serve to complement it. Words as the all-powerful embodiment of human knowledge are never overrated and will never be totally replaced. More Chinese will realize their importance as the nation grows into middle-class comfort. The younger generations can afford to read books that are not utilitarian, at least the segment not addicted to Korean soap operas and their face-lifted idols. As Francis Bacon famously said, studies can be "for delight, for ornament, and for ability", and "delight" should rightly include the joy of elevating oneself to a level with a higher vista, which, unlike a high-rise apartment, money alone cannot buy.
在一架从法兰克福飞往上海的航班上,一名印度工程师发现一排又一排的中国乘客都在埋头用苹果平板电脑玩游戏或者看电影,没有人在读书。
工程师的中文名叫孟莎美,他/她把所见所想发布到网上,收到无数回复,大都印证了他/她的看法。
我得承认自己没有尽职调查这个人的身份。为了能更客观地批判中国,曾出现很多中国人冒充老外的故事。人们滥用“哈佛教授”的头衔,以致于它成了笑话一般。
其实稍微观察下,孟莎美写的现象也见怪不怪。几年前,有个中国乘客留意到头等舱和经济舱的区别,并放到了网上:那些坐头等舱的乘客往往在阅读,而经济舱乘客在玩游戏。
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