The Scent of Books (Extracts)

Wang Hongbin Trans. by Ji Weiqi（紀(jì)瑋琪）

【1】 The Chinese term of “Shuxiang （書香）” is literally translated as “the scent of books”. The term was originated from the ancient practice of protecting books from being eaten by moths. The ancients would put some lemongrass that carried delicate fragrance， between the book pages. When opening the books， people would enjoy a nice smell， or in another word， “the scent of books”. Later， the meaning of the term was extended to include a social environment favorable for reading.

【2】 The scent of books in reading arises from ones innermost feelings—the understanding of social snobbery， the comprehension of moral sentiment， the appreciation of long-standing cultural heritage， and the admiration of majestic mountains and rivers， etc. Every book tells you its own story and recounts to you its own feeling. Each story contains ones life experiences of joys and sorrows as well as ones expressions of sentiments and ideals. Thus， I show my respect to every book， try to understand its meaning and apprehend its sincerity.

【3】 In ancient times， there was a proverb， “The worth of other pursuits is small， the study of books excels them all.” And nowadays， a saying goes， “Thanks to the scent of books， life becomes rich and wonderful.” In old days， there were stories in which intellectuals tried everything they could to keep studying. For instance， a reader tying his hair to a beam to stop himself from feeling sleepy， or prodding himself awake with an awl in the thigh; or a reader boring a hole on the wall to make use of the neighbors light… And now， there are cases in which readers study in lavatories or under quilts. All these assimilate peoples thirst for knowledge and their respect to life. They show how assiduously readers have studied. You cannot say that ones life will be meaningless if he or she doesnt have books to read， but you can be certain that ones life will be splendid and colorful because of reading. In ones lifelong journey， reading is always the most pure and elegant thing to do.

【4】 When attending school， nothing is more exciting than the occasion when you are given new books. The pretty new books stand for fresh knowledge， while the smell of the specific ink given off by the newly-printed books is particularly attracting.

【5】 The light ink smell is like a mischievous spirit that is dancing just in front of your nose to tease you. Once you pick it up， you cant let it go. When reading books， you will feel the thick flavor of rivers and big seas， and the traces of moon and dust， or share the joys and sorrows， the partings and reunions， as well as ups and downs… When you open your eyes， you will feel the vicissitudes of life—depression or joyfulness， frowned with displeasure or overwhelmed with enjoyment and admiration. Imagine how you will be completely charmed when you just sit in front of the desk and do the reading you like best， with the winds rising and clouds scudding and surging， or the flowers in blossoms falling in mud. What an intoxicating state you can feel that you are really in！

【6】 Reading is a sort of self-cultivation as well as an appreciation. What it can bring to us is the ever-lasting admiration and motivation. Its also a consolation in recognition of the efforts you have made with a calm heart and peaceful spirit. Needless to say， self-change is very necessary， and so is true with the reading atmosphere jointly created by the whole society. We need more libraries， more rooms and space for reading， more convenient and easier ways for obtaining books. When we truly enjoy the pleasure in reading and when we are always within easy reach of books， we can say： the scent of books is integrated with my body and guides my heart.

（Extracted from Yue Du， Issue 3， 2021）