通晓除了母语越南语之外的语言，使我有机会拉近与其他国家文化的距离，也使我有机会去追寻本地区邻国乃至世界其他国家的风土人情中那些有趣的事情。

我从小就喜爱并阅读过中国的许多经典文学作品，如《西游记》《三国演义》《红楼梦》等等。1994年，我决定申请报考河内外语大学中文系，尽管在那之前12年的寒窗苦读中，我一直是以英语为外语的，甚至在我考大学之前还曾经有一位教英语的女老师以一对一的方式教了我六年英语。在我决定选择中文作为专业的时候，很多亲人都反对，他们简单地以为学中文将很难就业，因为那时中文还不是很通用。我的父母对我的决定更是感到十分意外，很为我担心。但是，对我而言，学一门外语，不单纯是为了找工作而去掌握那门语言的语法以及纯熟的口语。我决定学习中文是因为我对中华文化有着好奇心，想去探寻中国乃至世界上华人社区的风土人情以及中华文化对于其他一些国家文化的影响。对我而言，外语只是一座帮助我通往文化知识道路和走向外部世界、结识五洲朋友、扩大见闻的桥梁。还有什么比你能流利使用那个国家的本地语言来生活、能去探索当地人民的生活与文化却从不会遇到任何障碍更绝妙的事情呢？对于我而言，只需要懂得英语和汉语，我就有足够的自信走遍全世界。

也正是由于这一执着的决定，我的人生像拐了一个弯，转了方向，带上了浓厚的亚洲色彩。学中文为我带来了陌生的国家的朋友，使我能在北京留学四年，也使我后来拥有那些沉醉于翻译中国当代电影和小说的岁月，更使我后来产生对书籍出版的痴迷，实现做书和把越南书籍推广到世界以及反过来介绍国外优秀文学作品给越南读者的愿望。

在北京留学四年，使我有机会更深入细致地探索当代中国文学，使我得以接触到中国及世界上许多国家的最新最好的电影。可能正是这段时间，我密集地阅读了大量文学作品并欣赏到大量电影作品，它们深深触动了我，让我平静的内心荡起波澜。也正是在这四年留学期间，我带着浓厚的兴趣把中国当代电影书籍和长篇小说翻译成越南语并不断介绍到越南，且随着翻译大批的电影作品以及卫慧、安妮宝贝、棉棉等许多作家的作品而渐渐地树立了自己在翻译方面的权威。在北京的学习和生活是一段长久浸润在艺术氛围里的时光，使我熟悉了这个国家的许多文化文艺方面的有趣的人物。从那以后，我了解到中国的一些名人像金庸、莫言、刘震云、邱华栋、春树，正式购买他们作品的越南文版权。在中国的生活经历以及通过书本和实践带给我的许多文化与生活的知识，使我更加陶醉于出版事业，并将之更密切地与做书联系在一起。现在我们出版的图书种类已经十分丰富多彩。而国外的作家和出版界也渐渐了解越南阅读市场，愿意接受我们，愿意与越南读者分享他们的情感与才华。

我不仅成为越南在签订《伯尔尼公约》之后最早用法律文书堂而皇之地把外国书籍版权买进越南的人，而且还是最早将中国当代文学带入越南的人。不过，我并不满足于此，我还时常渴望把越南书籍介绍给五湖四海的朋友，而距离我们最近的朋友就是中国和东南亚国家的朋友。

对于翻译外国文学作品的喜爱使我更大胆地于2008年底成立了“丽芝文化传媒有限责任公司”来进行独立的书籍出版工作。我注册了“CHIBOOKS”（“芝之书”）商标，集中购买英、美、澳大利亚、中国大陆和台湾地区等等许多国家和地区的著名文学书籍的版权。到如今，已经购买版权并翻译出版的外国文学书籍数量已经达到上百本，它们都深受越南读者的喜爱。曾经两次获得国家级文学奖励，如“2012年河内之爱裴春派奖”和“2012文学艺术奖”。

只有当那些来自异邦的语言文字中流露的思想感情触及到我们的心灵，我们才能消除一切地理空间距离带来的障碍，才能超越政治上的不同，克服生活方式和文化背景的差异，从而得到很好的沟通和理解。正是语言这一工具帮助东盟各国的朋友以及五湖四海的朋友拉近距离，使

Language - A Bridge To Cultures

Nguyen Le Chi (Vietnam) 

Apart from my mother tongue Vietnamese, foreign languages serve as a gateway to get in closer touch with other cultures or even local customs and practices of the rest of the world.

I harbored great interest and possessed rich experience in reading classical Chinese literary works from childhood, including Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Dream of the Red Chamber. Despite the choice of English as my first foreign language for 12 years and 6-year one-on-one English lessons during that period, I decided to apply for the department of Chinese language and literature at Hanoi University(formerly Hanoi University of Foreign Studies) in 1994. However, many of my relatives opposed the idea as Chinese was not a universal language at that time. In their minds, Chinese major equaled to difficult employment. In my case, job opportunity was not my top priority. Curiosity drove me to pursue grammatical and vocal proficiency, furthermore, to explore Chinese culture and its influence. In that way, a foreign language can serve as the bridge towards a wider world with more knowledge, more friends and more open mind. Isn’t it wonderful to enjoy real life and culture without language barriers in a foreign country? For me, Chinese and English can give me enough confidence to leave my footprints all around the world.

It was indeed a turning point of my life towards better understanding of Asian culture. In addition to foreign friends and 4-year further study in Beijing, those days that I was immersed in translating contemporary Chinese movies and novels is a bonus of learning Chinese. Owing to that, I developed great interest in publishing, finally offering Vietnamese books to the world and elaborate foreign literary works to Vietnamese readers.

Four years in Beijing was a golden opportunity to enjoy contemporary Chinese literature in greater depth and detail as well as the latest and best movies outside Vietnam. It was perhaps the experience that inspired me greatly to translate books featuring contemporary Chinese films and full-length novels into Vietnamese, so as to introduce them to my homeland. As a result, I gained more proficiency owing to translation experience of multiple movies along with literary works of Wei Hui, Anni Baobei and Mian Mian, etc. Immersed in literature and art, those four years acquainted me with several figures relevant. Since then, I learned more about literary talents in China, including Louis Cha Jing-yong, Mo Yan, Liu Zhenyun, Qiu Huadong and Chun Shu. Then I set about purchasing official copyright of their works to translate into Vietnamese version. In short, my experience in China and the knowledge gaining through reading and practice linked me with publishing more closely. Now we are a publisher of diversified book classes. More delightedly, foreign authors and publishers are more willing to cooperate with us due to better understanding of book market in Vietnam.

Not only the first to legally purchase foreign copyright after Berne Convention, I was also the first to bring contemporary Chinese literature into Vietnam. Beyond that, sharing our domestic literary treasure with the rest of the world had always been on my mind, especially with our neighbors, China and ASEAN countries. 

At the end of 2008, I founded a culture media company and registered trademark “CHIBOOKS” to conduct independent publication. My focus is to mainly purchase the copyright of renowned literary works form the UK, the United States, Australia, China’s mainland and Taiwan. So far, such foreign works translated and published by us have amounted to more than 100 and gained popularity among Vietnamese readers. Besides, our publications with historical value have been granted with two national awards in 2012, namely, “The Bui Xuan Phai- For the Love of Hanoi Award” and “Literature and Art Awards”.

In my mind, Language is indeed an efficient instrument to shorten our distance. The sentiments embodied in foreign languages can surpass geographical distance, political disagreements as well as lifestyle and cultural differences, so as to receive better communication and understanding.