Book

About to set off to Japan and visit Vivian.

As usual, I bring a book with me for the trip. In the past, I usually took a volume of Agatha Christie for that purpose: It is easy to read and almost always enjoyable.

But the thing is slightly different this time. In the coming few days, I would probably spend most of the time on travel and waiting. It seems an excellent opportunity to read something serious.

I decide to take the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.

Yes, I read it some time ago. In fact, I read it twice - once a modern Chinese translation, and once the English original. With the tsunami and increasing government control, this bible on free market seems untimely.

But, what could be better than visiting someone you admire when he is down and neglected by the public ?

PS. We know very well the book is called "國富論" in Chinese. The first Chinese translation, however, was by Yan Fu (嚴復), with a title "原富". The poetic nomenclature obviously roots from the all-time classic of political sociology by Huang Zongxi (黃宗羲): 明夷待訪錄.