書店—文化生活的鑰匙 Bookstores, Key to Cultural Life

These days, it is of no surprise that a number ofbookstores in big cities likeBeijing,Nanjingare squeezed outof bustling commercial streets and give way to more profitable shopping malls,hotels and restaurants. This might be considered by some people as one of thenatural outcomes of market-oriented economy, which puts more emphasis on moneymaking than anything else. Books, however, as special commodities, can never bemeasured merely by their commercial values. Bookstores, as a distributor ofbooks and a bridge between writers, publishers and readers, deservepreferential treatment at present.

這些天，我們并不訝于看到北京和南京等大城市的很多書店被擠出繁華的商業(yè)步行街讓位給利潤更高的商場(chǎng)，酒店和飯店。有的人可能會(huì)覺得這是市場(chǎng)經(jīng)濟(jì)的必然結(jié)果。市場(chǎng)經(jīng)濟(jì)更注重于盈利勝過其他一切。然而，書籍作為一種特別的商品從來不僅僅是以它們的商業(yè)價(jià)值就可以衡量的。目前，作為書籍的經(jīng)銷商以及作者與出版人和讀者之間的橋梁，書店應(yīng)該得到優(yōu)待。

It is true that bookstores are not as lucrative as someshopping malls or restaurants. However, books are faithful friends of mankindand steps to human progress. Good books can refresh people with knowledge andwisdom, which other commodities can not compare with. To some extent, they help develop the characters of their readers and reshape their way of thinking. It would bea pity if one only views books from the point of their commercial values whileignoring their social values and functions. In fact, the shrinking number ofbookstores and their “humiliating defeat” in the fierce commercial war isworrisome.

書店確實(shí)不像一些商場(chǎng)和飯店那樣盈利豐厚。但是書籍是人類最忠實(shí)的朋友，是人類進(jìn)步的階梯。好的書籍能夠給人們補(bǔ)充新的知識(shí)和智慧，這是其他商品所不能比擬的。從某種程度上來說，書籍能夠幫助讀者發(fā)揮個(gè)性和重塑思維方式。如果一個(gè)人只看到它們的商業(yè)價(jià)值而忽視了它們的社會(huì)價(jià)值和功能，這將會(huì)是一大遺憾。事實(shí)上，書店數(shù)量的銳減以及在激烈的商業(yè)戰(zhàn)爭中羞愧戰(zhàn)敗確是件令人擔(dān)憂的事。

While seeking economic success, we cannot afford to neglectour spiritual and cultural lives, which are equally important. Bookstores playa significant part in cultivating social ethics. Through distributing qualitybooks, bookstores help educate the public on righteous and healthy values andmorals. The positive social effects of bookstores as well as their contributionto society can never be taken for granted and be judged by their economicreturns and business earnings. Restoring the past glory of bookstores needshelp and support from everyone.

我們?cè)趯で蠼?jīng)濟(jì)的成功的時(shí)候，我們不能忽視同樣重要的精神和文化生活。書店在激發(fā)社會(huì)道德方面起著有意義的作用。通過經(jīng)銷好書，書店能夠幫助群眾樹立仁義正確的價(jià)值和道德。書店對(duì)社會(huì)的積極影響和貢獻(xiàn)不是理所當(dāng)然的，也不應(yīng)該以它們的經(jīng)濟(jì)效益和企業(yè)盈利來判斷�；謴�(fù)書店過去的榮譽(yù)需要每個(gè)人的幫助和支持。