NYR August Reading ‘Question’

八月份,Dundas 阅读小组针对质疑这个主题,讨论和交流了他们的阅读。

有人阅读了<<在金山角卧底十年>>。作者卧底从五十九到六十九岁,为了让更多的人摆脱毒品的伤害,他吃了很多苦,冒了生命危险。读者带着这个问题去读这本书:为什么一个五十九岁,患有糖尿病的人,要冒着如此的危险去做这么件事。作者说得好,人一生总要做点事,要为人类,社会做有益的事,即使有危险,但总得有人去做。

有人质疑法轮功,认为他们所做的一切已是极端主义,与练功健身毫无关系,纯粹是被政治利用了,来反华。

笑能减少疾病吗?有人阅读了<<每天笑一笑>>,认为以前只知道快乐时要笑,其实笑一笑也可以带来快乐,当然也能减少病痛。

冠心病有些什么症状呢?带着这个问题,有组员阅读了<<冠心病>>这本书, 她认识到有心痛症状时,要先做无创伤性的检查,再决定是否做创伤性的。这书对她和她的先生在病中有很大帮助。他们可以同医生更好地沟通了。

为什么我们总想改变别人?带着这个问题,有组员阅读了<<改变别人,不如改变自己>>。她认为,人之所以痛苦,在于往往陷入局限性,比如,人同人是不一样的,所以会有不一样的观点,就会有是非,如果强求一律,就会有痛苦。原谅别人,是超凡,需要学习。

有人对中国知道分子在历史中的作为感到疑虑,阅读了曹聚仁的<<中国近百年史话>>,对白话文运动特别有感触,觉得因为有了几代知识分子的努力,文字才能更容易让普通百姓接受。中国知识分子知识救国,在每个发展阶段都起了很大的作用。

In August, the Chinese Reading Group at one ofParramattabranches, Dundas Library, has discussed the NYR theme ‘Question’. When they were reading their books they wanted to fulfil their thoughts on questions consciously.

One member read a book  ‘Ten years undercover in the ‘Golden Triangle’. The Golden Triangle region ofEastern Asiais notorious for its drug trade. The author spent ten years in working undercover to fight the drugs until he reached the age of 69. The member questioned why the author,who suffered from diabetes, risked his life to do this dangerous job. The author stated in his book that one should do something in one’s life. Dangerous jobs like this, someone has to do it, because it benefits the society and other human beings. So why can’t I do it?

Some members questioned ‘Falun Gong’. They said that whatever that organization did was more politicaly motivated. It was the nature of the extremism that worried those reading group members.

One of the members had questions about heart diseases. She borrowed a book called ‘Heart diseases’. After reading she and her husband felt they were more confident to discuss  heart problems with their doctors. She said that one should do the none surgical examines before jumping into  surgery.

Why we want to change others rather than ourselves? With this question, one member read ‘Change myself, rather than change others’. She expressed an interesting point that one feels pain, is because one easily slips into the limitation of one’s own thought. There aren’t two same wheels in the world, so are individuals. If we can understand the differences and uniqueness of individuals we would understand the tolerance we endeavour to achieve. Then we would exceed our limitation. This is  lifelong learning.

Someone read the book ‘A hundred years history of China’ by Cao Juren and wanted to question how  Chinese intellectuals have made an impact on ordinaries lives in the past hundred years. The reader particularly moved by the effort of the ‘Vernacular Campaign’ led by the generations of intellectuals. It has changed lives for ordinary Chinese people by lifting literacy levels. The Chinese intellectuals have made a significant impact in developing the strength for the nation.

All reading group members enjoyed their reading and enjoyed sharing ideas and views with others.