老南京城|旧影秦淮(英文版)

Whenhewasalivemygrandfatheroftentoldastoryaboutafriendofhiswhowasanotedscholar.Wheneverthescholarwentintoabookstoreorlibrary，hewouldshakehisheadindisappointment，complain-ingthattherewerenobooksappropriateforhimtoread.Suchanattitudewasatypicaldrawbackoftenassociatedwithnotedpeopleinsociety.Ihavesome-timescomeacrosspeoplewiththesameprejudices.Theyarenotreallyhighbrowscholars.Infacttheymaynotevenbemediocrescholars，buttheyalwayscomplainthattherearenogoodbookstoread.Withstrongwords，theymockbookstores，librariesandallthosewhowrite，compile，andeditbooks.Tobefair，therearebooksthatarenotsogoodbuttherehaveneverbeenasmanygoodbooksastherearetoday.Bookloversfindthemwithhappysurpriseinbookstores，onbookstands，andinoldandnewlibraries.Infacttheysoondiscovertherearetoomanygoodbookstoread.Booksareapartofhumancivilization，broughtforthinasteadystream.Newbooksalwayscomeoutbeforetheoldonesareevenforgotten.Afriendinthepublishingbusinessexclaimed，afterre-tumingfromatripabroad，thatthenumberofbooksinChinaissimplyenormous，especiallyneweditionsofoldbooks.Tofindagoodoldbookabroadissome-timesnoteasy！Chinesepublishershaveafinetradition:theyal-waystrytorecommendgoodbooksandtourgepeopletoread.Asaresult，thebestoldbookskeepbeingrepublished.AsawriterIhopeIcanpresentreaderswithagoodandinterestingbook.Ioftenremindmy-selfofthenecessitytoworkhardatmywriting.OvertheyearsIhavehadtheopportunitytocomeacrosscountlessnumbersofpicturesshowingscenesinthehistoryofNanjing.Inlookingatthesepictures，weigheddownbydustaccumulatedthroughtheyears，Ihavefeltthebreathandheartbeatofthecity'shistory.Icannothelpthinkinghowwonderfulitistoletotherslookatthemalso.Thisbookpresentsoverthreehundredsucholdpictures.Naturallythiscannotbeacompletecollection.Historyexpressesitselfindifferentways.Forpeoplelivingtoday，picturesmaydepictrealitybutmoreoftenthannottheyreflectsomethingunfamiliarandevenstrange.Ineithercasetheyrevealsomethinguniqueandtheyallconstituteagreatcharm.