绝美之地
出版社:深圳报业集团出版社
出版日期:2009-3
ISBN:9787807091691
作者:刘深
页数:116页
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精彩书评 (总计17条)
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绝美之地是不需要序言的，去看去体验就是了；《绝美之地》同样不需要序言，去读去体会就够了。可是sam不这么看，他坚持让我给他的《绝美之地》写序，究其原因，大概是我和他一同去了圣托里尼岛的缘故。我当然对那次旅行印象深刻，但是读了sam的文字我才知道，我的印象再深刻，也比不上sam的印象深刻。一路上他时而沉默，时而喧哗，时而先锋，时而掉队，时而席间嚷着喝酒，时而船上闹着打牌，时而头上冒出顶帽子，时而身上飞来个T恤，简直花样百变。唯一不变的，是不停地拍照，到哪儿都拍，见什么都拍，拍拍拍。我们都道他是很称职的旅人和很好玩的游伴，哪里知道，他心里其时正承受着巨大的苦痛。他不是一个人在旅游，而是两个人在同游。另一个人在他心里：沉默的时候是陪她休息，喧哗的时候是和她对话，冲锋陷阵时是追着她前行，掉队时是等她跟上来，打牌是为了和她一起嬉戏，喝酒是为她祈祷祝福，帽子是为她遮阳的，T恤是为她挡风的……二第二天就要出发了。“临别之夜，我和rain坐在沙嘴路旁的一间餐厅里，她往日美丽的容颜显得憔悴和黯淡，神情阴郁而消沉。我知道她一定是一整天没有吃东西，要了一碗白粥和煎鱼，希望她能吃一点，但她一动没动。我们就那样沉默无语地坐着……”到了圣托里尼。“你会目睹数千年前火山吞噬过的恐怖的残骸，你会感受这里的精神世界与现实生活之间是如何完美和谐——灾难与幸福不可思议地一同呈现在你面前，这是多么令人不寒而栗的对比！这里遭受过的痛苦已然超越了人类之间任何血腥残杀的战争，这里展现的美景让你所到过的任何地方无以伦比——火山口和蔚蓝色的汪洋诚然是天堂与地狱的对话，你会听到哀嚎与欢笑都已经沉寂的声音。”回来了。“我立即飞往北京去见rain。因为还要赶回深圳工作，我们在一起的时光很短暂。我谈起了希腊，谈起了圣托里尼……她在电脑上翻阅着我拍回来的照片，她看得十分专心，好像没有任何疾病的困扰，在一张小巷的照片中，她突然注意到一个少女游客身着的那条白色的短裙，她赞叹那条裙子很漂亮，很时尚——这就是rain，她是那么爱美的女孩子。此刻，我的心里感到一阵辛酸，我不敢直视她的微笑，我想到了圣托里尼的凄美。”所以我说，《绝美之地》真的不需要序言。书的结构已经如此完整，完整得像一部命运交响曲。三在圣托里尼岛上时，sam就已经表达了要写这部书的想法。我当时极力阻拦他，说现在市面上这类游东逛西的书太多太滥了，你何苦又辛辛苦苦地增加一本，还是节约点纸张就权当植树造林了吧。他只淡淡一笑，说：“不辛苦。”现在我才知道，他是两个人在旅游，他真的不怕辛苦，因为他“心苦”。他把心里的凄美带到这绝美的岛上，他执意要把岛上的凄美再带给绝美的她。“这本书并不是一本游记，而是记录我那段复杂情感经历的心灵笔记。因为我从内心深处感谢圣托里尼，是上苍给了我这样一次机会，在这样的时间，以这样的心情，抵达这样的地点。那是我的幸运，那是我所得到的神秘的偏爱，那也是一种神奇的暗示——它给了我关于生命价值与人生意义的深深的启迪。”他当时没有把这些话说出来，他独自承担着隐秘与隐痛，他的圣托里尼岛之行因此变成了一场朝圣的仪式。如果他把真实的心情和想法说出来，我想我一定会帮他多搜集些材料，多拍几张照片。尽管《绝美之地》不需要序言，我仍然剪剪贴贴地写了上面的话，算是向一场与美有关的朝圣仪式的致意。毕竟，我和他一同去了圣托里尼岛；况且，我也认识她。2009年1月4日于深圳 -
圣托里尼..是我这辈子最想去的地方..我的愿望从这本书里实现了.书里的照片和描述的情景让我身临其境.谢谢作者刘深给我带来的所有.在我没有能力到达梦想的地方的时候.给我这个临境的感觉.真的太棒了.!!!!!!!! -
Foreword to the English EditionIt was meant to be my casual travel notes. To have it published in Chinese is already beyond my expectation. To bother the English readers is truly overwhelming, and I must seriously think about the value of reading this book.I seldom go abroad. Neither have I been to the USA, England and Japan even up to now, nor have I been to the land of Africa and that of America. Nevertheless, my self-esteem never suffers from my lack of travelling experiences abroad. Anyway, I shall definitely defend and cherish to my passion and love for Santorini.When I first started to write this book, I just wanted to cheer up a Chinese girl named Yuhong, to encourage her to live happily, to face life and future with dignity. Anything beyond all this, including my description of Santorini, doesn’t matter.As a matter of fact, I stayed on that remote island for just two days. I only took my point-and-click auto focus camera for I was not in the mood. I did not take any note, not even a word, which was quite abnormal for me as a professional journalist.From the moment I stepped on that island, Santorini nondescriptly became my dream land. It seemed to have become the homeland for my long wondering soul. Although my feeling was abstract, it was so real. I had never believed that there is Heaven, but Santorini is so close to it; and I had never believed that something could help us shake off the shadow of fear, but Santorini relieved me ultimately.As eternity goes in the scope of human understanding, it is but ignorable transiency in the scope of the universe, or even shorter than that. The changing alternating world of mulberry fields and seas might as well be the romantic imagination of geologists and archaeologists out of their professional habits. And it is nothing strange. It is only natural. Our limited life span, one generation for man’s lifetime and one year for grass’ lifetime, determines our imagination of eternity.Man is becoming extremely fragile for their over developed ration and emotions, especially in times of life threat. Here, please forgive me for avoiding the word death. In a different circumstance, when you think someone else’s life and happiness is more important than your own existence, her pain and sorrow immediately turn into the endless darkness of deep night.However, Santorini showed me the true scenery of life. The pure sky and the clean water around the island, together with its people, are the enlightenment on life and the most profound philosophical classics. Take the grapevines on the island for example. They must be the ugliest plant of the kind in the world. But, meanwhile, you couldn’t help feeling that they are the most vigorous branches and vines that produce the sweetest fruits in the world.Santorini has convinced people of its being the most unfortunate place on the planet where human beings inhabit. The devastation imposed on Santorini and the consequent despairing experiences go beyond the imagination of human themselves. For this very reason, Santorini represents the true color of life. This place turned scorching lava into cool waters, barren and silent rocks into green sprouts. It is a place that offers life and love to a wasteland. It is a place that brings death to its real sense.Man is destined to travel many places in his lifetime. And, there must be this place that touches your heart and even becomes your love forever. Maybe, Santorini is this place. Man is destined to have a true love of his lifetime. If you once didn’t know how to treasure it, if you are willing to make it up with your life for feeling guilty, you are still lucky.Santorini is the right place for me to visit at the right time. It is the most amazing, most incredible occurrence in my life, which convinced me that any sincere wish will come true unless the wish is not sincere; that all doubts will be suddenly enlightened, all sorrows will disperse, unless you refuse to find the solution to relieve yourself.In fact, the Chinese edition of this book came out in March, 2009. That made Yuhong very happy. This is the most important thing. It’s enough for me. I hadn’t any idea how to encourage her to live carefree like she did before, or to read, walk and shop undisturbed like she did before. All this is her hobbies. The publication of Chinese edition made Yuhong happy for a long time. I hope the publication of its English edition could sustain her happiness for even longer, and forever.I really didn’t anticipate loads of compliments on the Chinese edition. As far as I know, anyone who has read it is touched. It sounds truly unbelievable even to myself. My story is too ordinary, or over-ordinary. I can’t understand why it touches readers so much. And this is my only very source of courage to have its English edition published.The quality of the pictures in this book is also acknowledged by photography enthusiasts, even professionals. These pictures are chosen from hundreds of the pictures taken with my auto camera. As a journalist and amateur photographer, it confounded me to have a book of nearly 80 pictures published. For this, I kept the pictures untouched, un-photoshoped and uncut. Those plain pictures of their original status are no challenge or disdain on professional photographers, they are just my proof that I have been to the island---this is what Santorini looks like.May Yuhong be happy and healthy forever! May all the people devote all they can to their beloved ones! This devotion is the most beautiful feeling in the world. At least, I have experienced the happiness and joy of this devotion. And this feeling is real. It is not something imagined. It is not a fool’s paradise.Santorini will become the dream land you want to visit. If you happen to see this book on the exquisite shelf of a small store on the island, I would feel most delighted no matter whether you’ll buy one and put it in your bag, or just skim over it.I insist that Santorini be the place you should not miss in your lifetime. It definitely will not let you down, even if this book lets you down.Liu Shen5th April, 2009Xinfeng MountainsGuangdong, China
精彩短评 (总计18条)
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感觉那里阳光很强烈，每一张图都光线充足 -
It is well over ten years ago that I first met Liu Shen. Over the years, we saw each other no more as many times. At the times when we met, I was only someone else’s company. All my impression of him was: a typical Northerner, loud-voiced drink lover, and passionate forever.
The first time I heard that he had written a travel book about Greece, my thought was “another travel guidebook”. And I didn’t think more. Days later, I saw his book on the square table in his living room for the first time. It was a sample with color cover and white-and-black interior pages. Skimming over the contents, I got the impression that it was different. After reading a couple of articles, I was almost sure this book was different. I then turned to the author’s foreword, I was absolutely sure that this book was different after I finished reading the foreword. It seemed that I’d peeped into the softest corner of the heart of this tough northern man by my side.
Heavenly Land is a eulogy to love and beauty.
In his eyes, Liu Shen sees more than the superficial fabulous scenery and pretty girls of Santorini. Although he wrote about good wine and savory dishes, about sunshine and beach, about the small towns, about the pretty girls…about his every travelling experience that would amuse and allure whoever reads it, all this was only superficial. When lingering over his lines, you couldn’t help feeling the pain and beauty reborn from devastation. He sees through the splendor of the colorful sunlight of Santorini until he sees right into the essence of life --- eternal alternating cycle of life and death, light and shadow. Faced with reality, we should live our life in a more colorful way than the summer flowers though death is horrible. Liu Shen’s writing conveys his understanding and appreciation of life, its meaning and beauty to his readers. What’s more, he presents his pure heart to the unfortunate yet lucky girl--- beautiful Yuhong. Such unique manifesto of love reminds me of Shakespeare’s sonnet:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
I record your fairness in my writing. Hence, your summer-like beauty will last as long as man exists. This was Shakespeare’s declaration of love. But for Liu Shen, this is not enough. He wants to perfect his expression of love --- such tender heart of Liu Shen --- he wants to have this book translated into English, and have it shipped to the original place which has inspired his creativity, and any other possible place. He would do better than Shakespeare.
I was lucky to be chosen to translate this book.
I hope my translation will not fail him, and his book.
2009-5-26
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超级美超级美！爱琴海啊，希腊啊~！ -
这不是一本普通的游记书籍，与众不同之处在于作者有着自己的亲身的真实经历与凄美的爱情故事在里面，巧妙的与当地的凄美爱情产生了共鸣。
而且这本书也和希腊的粉红丝带发生了巧妙地关系，听说《绝美之地》的英文版已经准备在希腊发行了，这是很有意义的一件事，粉红丝带是国际乳腺癌防治运动，在当地每本《绝美之地》向“粉红丝带”运动捐献一欧元。既能够了解当地的文化又可以做善事，何乐而不为呢？
这是我09年读过最好的一本书。 -
向往 -
希腊，爱琴海，圣托里尼 -
如果可以，若干年后，一定要和自己爱的人来这绝美之地——Santorini -
对这本书或者圣托里尼感兴趣的朋友可以上www.santorini.hk这个网站了解，这里的资料比较齐全。。。
粉红丝带也是在这个网站了解到的 -
文字优美，对圣托里尼的描写更是到达某种境界，令人心驰神往，书间还写了他对患有癌症女友的心疼关爱之情，让本书升华，不显空洞。着实不错的一本旅游书，想想又觉得，这应该是写给她女友的一本关于圣托里尼的情书，动人美妙！ -
《绝美之地》英文版序
胡洪侠
文字与书籍的诞生大都与宗教或“神性”有关，中外皆然。在相当长的岁月里，书籍因此取得了极高的地位：是神坛上的经典，是通往天堂的道路，也是安放生命与心灵的田野。
又因为数量稀少，书籍的撰写与拥有甚至成了特权。书籍由此取得了一种“神性”，书籍不仅自有命运，而且自有力量与尊严。想想儒释道世界和伊斯兰世界延绵数千年的“敬惜字纸”传统，我们就不难理解这一点。
活字印刷术发明以后，书籍可以大量生产了，书籍的撰写、取得、收藏、阅读变得容易而普及。在这一过程中，书籍的“神性”与尊严在慢慢流失，而在世俗间的力量同时在逐渐地扩大，大到了可以而且已经改变世界。
如今，网络世界呼啸而至，数字出版铺天盖地，书写和发表变得轻而易举，出版更是成了一个巨大的产业，书籍作为商品早已走下神坛，放下身段，浩浩荡荡地走进每一个角落，包括垃圾堆与造纸厂。
遗憾的是，当书籍变得无所不在时，它曾经拥有的“神性”、尊严、力量也淡了，薄了，弱了。学者们和软件开发商们甚至争相发出了“书籍消亡”的预言。
书籍真的会消亡？书籍真的再没有神性、尊严与力量了吗？书籍和我们的生命没有了神秘的联系了吗？难道书籍仅仅就是畅销读物或养生、牟利、求职的工具？
我不相信这些问题的答案会是肯定的。
我相信书籍本身依然拥有神性、尊严与力量。我也知道，书籍的神性、尊严与力量需要书写者、出版者和阅读者去共同唤醒。刘深的《绝美之地》中文版的出版给了我这样一种信心。这本书是因一个生命而写，也是为了一个生命而写，而书中的图像，又是来自于一个充满神性的地方——圣托里尼岛。
正如刘深所言：“我过去从来不相信有天堂，但圣托里尼距离天堂如此之近；我也从不相信有什么东西能让人类摆脱恐惧的阴影，但圣托里尼让我感到了一种终极的释怀。”
《绝美之地》因此获得了一种我们久违了的新的“神性”，生命的尊严与力量以此书为桥梁实现了回归与释放。
我们已经看到，这本充满神性和生命感召力的书，已经在中文里抵达了属于她的世界，并感动了很多人。
如今，英文版就要出版了。
“这本书的中文版已经让雨虹快乐了很久，我希望英文版的出版会让她快乐得更久，直至永远。”
我们明白了作者这样的初衷，就会明白这本书图文之外的价值，同时也会坚信：在许多人那里，书籍与生命的联系并没有被咆哮全球的商业机器与数字科技切断。
书籍的神性与尊严依然存在，只是被掩埋得太久，被遮蔽得太广，被忽略得太深，需要我们重新用生命去发现。
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圣托里尼..是我这辈子最想去的地方..我的愿望从这本书里实现了.书里的照片和描述的情景让我身临其境.谢谢作者刘深给我带来的所有.在我没有能力到达梦想的地方的时候.给我这个临境的感觉.真的太棒了.!!!!!!!! -
看了开始挺累不知道说什么～后来渐渐懂了，最喜欢男主和女主逛教堂那块，浪漫～ -
内容略单薄，闲暇之余可以信手拈来一读之。 -
了却一桩。 -
仿佛已经不是每天读书或者经常读书的年代，但是，人的一生总会有一本或几本书深深地影响过心灵、品格、思想和情感。
读一本好书，是一生的心灵伴侣。
《绝美之地》就是一本不会让人失望的书。 -
本来是随意而为之的散记，能够作为一本中文书出版，已经让我始料不及，更何况竟然还要打扰英文读者，我必须认真地去思考一下这本书的阅读价值问题。
我很少走出国门，至今也没去过美国、英国和日本，从未踏上过非洲和美洲的土地，然而，那些十分短暂的国外游历，并没有让我因为见识浅薄而过于自卑。无论如何，我对于圣托里尼的热爱和珍视，是永远都会捍卫与坚守的。
我写这本书的初衷，仅仅是为了让一个叫作“雨虹”的中国女孩能够开心地生活，能够有勇气，有尊严地面对生命和未来的日子，除此之外，我对于圣托里尼的描述已经无关紧要。
其实，我在那个遥远的岛上仅仅停留了两天，因为心绪的原因，我只带了一架普通的傻瓜相机，也根本没有做哪怕一个字的笔记，尽管，作为一个职业记者，这对我来说是一件很反常的事情。
从踏上那个岛屿的时刻起，圣托里尼就难以名状地成为我似乎梦牵情绕许久的地方，简直就是我漂泊了很久的灵魂的故乡。尽管我的感觉如此抽象，但它却非常真实地存在着。我过去从来不相信有天堂，但圣托里尼距离天堂如此之近；我也从不相信有什么东西能让人类摆脱恐惧的阴影，但圣托里尼让我感到了一种终极的释怀。
就人类所理解的地老天荒而言，永恒，其实只是茫茫宇宙之中可以忽略不计的瞬间，也许连瞬间也算不上。所谓的沧海桑田，也只不过是地质学家和考古学家们出于职业习惯的浪漫想象。这本来也不奇怪，人生一世、草木一秋的生命时限使然。
人其实是因为过度发达的理性和情感而变得极其脆弱的动物，尤其是面对生命威胁的时候，在此，请原谅我始终在回避“死亡”这个字眼。在另一种情形之下，当你觉得一个人的生命与快乐比起自己的存在更加至高无上的时候，她的痛苦和悲伤就立即成为漫无边际的永远的黑夜。
然而，圣托里尼让我看到了关于生命的真正的景色，那里纯净的天空和海水，那里生活着的人们，是关于生命的启蒙课本和最深奥的哲学经典。比如，圣托里尼岛上生长着的葡萄，一定是你见过的世界上最丑陋的同类植物，但是，你会觉得那是最顽强的生命的枝条和叶脉，最甜美的生命的果实。
圣托里尼已然让人相信，它确实曾是人类生活的这个星球上最不幸的地方，它所遭受的灾难，所经历的绝望已经超乎人类自身的想象，但也正因为如此，它生动地再现了生命最本质的底色。它让灼热的岩浆变成清凉的海水，让荒寂的山石变成绿色的萌芽，是赋予不毛之地生命和爱情的地方，它是让死亡真正死去的地方。
人的一生注定要游历很多地方，但是，一定会有一个地方让你怦然心动，甚至情系终身，也许，这就是圣托里尼；人的一生注定都有自己的真心所爱，假如你曾经不懂得去珍惜，假如你能够为自己的内疚而甘愿用一生的时间去补偿，那么，你依然是幸运的。
圣托里尼，是我在生命中一个最恰当的时间所抵达的最恰当的地方，这件事确实非常之神奇，非常非常的不可思议，它让我相信，一个人的任何心愿都可以梦想成真，除非你的心愿是虚伪的；人的任何疑惑都会豁然开朗，任何悲哀都会烟消云散，除非你拒绝寻找释然的答案。
事实上，这本书的中文版于2009年3月的出版，确实成了一件让雨虹很开心的事情，这是最重要的，这对于我来说已经足够。我本来想象不到还能够用怎样的方式激励她，像过去一样无忧无虑地生活，像过去一样心无旁骛地看书、散步和逛商场——这都是她平时最大的嗜好。这本书的中文版已经让雨虹快乐了很久，我希望英文版的出版会让她快乐得更久，直至永远。
我真的没有想到这本书的中文版会收到如此多的赞许，据我所知，几乎让所有读过它的人都很感动，这确确实实让我难以置信。我所讲述的故事实在过于平常，甚至过于平淡，我至今依然不知道为何会让读者们如此之伤感和心动，这也正是我决心出版英文版的唯一的勇气来源。
本书中的照片，也受到了摄影爱好者甚至摄影大师的首肯，这些照片是从我那架普通的ＳＯＮＹＤＳＣ－Ｎ２卡片机所拍摄的数百张照片中选取的。作为一个文字记者和业余摄影者，能够出版一本容纳近80张照片的书，这件事让我倍感惶恐。因此，我保持了这些照片的原貌，没有PS，甚至没有裁切，这些素面朝天的影像，绝不是对专业摄影大师们的挑战和漠视，只是用以证实我确确实实到达过那个岛屿——圣托里尼就是这个样子。
本书英文版的出版另一个重要原因，是我的多年好友徐洪彬先生的太太——鲁志坚女士天才的翻译禀赋，作为她的第一部译作，我相信这同样是有纪念意义的，尤其是在不久的将来，美丽的鲁女士成为一个著名翻译家的时候。对于本书英译水平的评价，均来自我十分信赖的诚实的亲友们，其中包括我在美国加州理工学院从事科学研究的弟弟，因为我的英文水平还不足以判断这些文字的优劣。我相信，许多朋友同心协力地促成本书的出版，是一种神秘莫测的力量。
愿雨虹永远健康和快乐，愿天下人都能为自己心中的所爱而倾尽一切努力，这些付出是世界上最美好的感觉，至少我本人已经亲身体验到了这种幸福和快乐。这种感觉是真实可信的，绝不是虚幻的，更不是自欺欺人的。
圣托里尼一定会成为你情之所致的地方，如果你在岛上任何一家玲珑别致的小店的货架上看到这本书，不管你是买一本装进行囊，还是随意翻阅一下，那都是我最快乐的事情。
我坚信圣托里尼是人的一生不可错过的地方，它一定不会让你失望，即便这本书让你大失所望。
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心灵澄澈 ，品一下爱琴文明、圣托里尼文明中的味道、 -
Foreword to the English Edition
It was meant to be my casual travel notes. To have it published in Chinese is already beyond my expectation. To bother the English readers is truly overwhelming, and I must seriously think about the value of reading this book.
I seldom go abroad. Neither have I been to the USA, England and Japan even up to now, nor have I been to the land of Africa and that of America. Nevertheless, my self-esteem never suffers from my lack of travelling experiences abroad. Anyway, I shall definitely defend and cherish to my passion and love for Santorini.
When I first started to write this book, I just wanted to cheer up a Chinese girl named Yuhong, to encourage her to live happily, to face life and future with dignity. Anything beyond all this, including my description of Santorini, doesn’t matter.
As a matter of fact, I stayed on that remote island for just two days. I only took my point-and-click auto focus camera for I was not in the mood. I did not take any note, not even a word, which was quite abnormal for me as a professional journalist.
From the moment I stepped on that island, Santorini nondescriptly became my dream land. It seemed to have become the homeland for my long wondering soul. Although my feeling was abstract, it was so real. I had never believed that there is Heaven, but Santorini is so close to it; and I had never believed that something could help us shake off the shadow of fear, but Santorini relieved me ultimately.
As eternity goes in the scope of human understanding, it is but ignorable transiency in the scope of the universe, or even shorter than that. The changing alternating world of mulberry fields and seas might as well be the romantic imagination of geologists and archaeologists out of their professional habits. And it is nothing strange. It is only natural. Our limited life span, one generation for man’s lifetime and one year for grass’ lifetime, determines our imagination of eternity.
Man is becoming extremely fragile for their over developed ration and emotions, especially in times of life threat. Here, please forgive me for avoiding the word death. In a different circumstance, when you think someone else’s life and happiness is more important than your own existence, her pain and sorrow immediately turn into the endless darkness of deep night.
However, Santorini showed me the true scenery of life. The pure sky and the clean water around the island, together with its people, are the enlightenment on life and the most profound philosophical classics. Take the grapevines on the island for example. They must be the ugliest plant of the kind in the world. But, meanwhile, you couldn’t help feeling that they are the most vigorous branches and vines that produce the sweetest fruits in the world.
Santorini has convinced people of its being the most unfortunate place on the planet where human beings inhabit. The devastation imposed on Santorini and the consequent despairing experiences go beyond the imagination of human themselves. For this very reason, Santorini represents the true color of life. This place turned scorching lava into cool waters, barren and silent rocks into green sprouts. It is a place that offers life and love to a wasteland. It is a place that brings death to its real sense.
Man is destined to travel many places in his lifetime. And, there must be this place that touches your heart and even becomes your love forever. Maybe, Santorini is this place. Man is destined to have a true love of his lifetime. If you once didn’t know how to treasure it, if you are willing to make it up with your life for feeling guilty, you are still lucky.
Santorini is the right place for me to visit at the right time. It is the most amazing, most incredible occurrence in my life, which convinced me that any sincere wish will come true unless the wish is not sincere; that all doubts will be suddenly enlightened, all sorrows will disperse, unless you refuse to find the solution to relieve yourself.
In fact, the Chinese edition of this book came out in March, 2009. That made Yuhong very happy. This is the most important thing. It’s enough for me. I hadn’t any idea how to encourage her to live carefree like she did before, or to read, walk and shop undisturbed like she did before. All this is her hobbies. The publication of Chinese edition made Yuhong happy for a long time. I hope the publication of its English edition could sustain her happiness for even longer, and forever.
I really didn’t anticipate loads of compliments on the Chinese edition. As far as I know, anyone who has read it is touched. It sounds truly unbelievable even to myself. My story is too ordinary, or over-ordinary. I can’t understand why it touches readers so much. And this is my only very source of courage to have its English edition published.
The quality of the pictures in this book is also acknowledged by photography enthusiasts, even professionals. These pictures are chosen from hundreds of the pictures taken with my auto camera. As a journalist and amateur photographer, it confounded me to have a book of nearly 80 pictures published. For this, I kept the pictures untouched, un-photoshoped and uncut. Those plain pictures of their original status are no challenge or disdain on professional photographers, they are just my proof that I have been to the island---this is what Santorini looks like.
May Yuhong be happy and healthy forever! May all the people devote all they can to their beloved ones! This devotion is the most beautiful feeling in the world. At least, I have experienced the happiness and joy of this devotion. And this feeling is real. It is not something imagined. It is not a fool’s paradise.
Santorini will become the dream land you want to visit. If you happen to see this book on the exquisite shelf of a small store on the island, I would feel most delighted no matter whether you’ll buy one and put it in your bag, or just skim over it.
I insist that Santorini be the place you should not miss in your lifetime. It definitely will not let you down, even if this book lets you down.
Liu Shen
5th April, 2009
Xinfeng Mountains
Guangdong, China