Sir David Tang is best known for starting China's most recognizable fashion line, Shanghai Tang, but he also owns private clubs and restaurants world-wide such as the China Club, Island Tang, Cipriani and China Tang.

　　鄧永鏘爵士最為人熟知的身份是中國極具知名度的“上海灘”（Shanghai Tang）時裝品牌的創(chuàng)始人，此外他還在全世界范圍內(nèi)擁有多家私人俱樂部和餐廳，如中國會（China Club）、港島廳（Island Tang）、Cipriani和唐人館（China Tang）。

　　This summer he waded into yet another field with the launch of ICorrect, a website where celebrities can set the record straight about lies and misinformation that have spread about them. Kate Moss, Michael Caine and Tommy Hilfiger have already participated.

　　HKTDC鄧永鏘今年夏天，他推出網(wǎng)站ICorrect，藉此又進(jìn)入了另一個新的領(lǐng)域。通過網(wǎng)站ICorrect，名人們可以針對有關(guān)他們的謠言和虛假信息澄清真相，以正視聽。目前，已經(jīng)有凱特•莫斯（Kate Moss）、邁克爾•凱恩（Michael Caine）和湯米•希爾費格（Tommy Hilfiger）在這個網(wǎng)站上發(fā)布了相關(guān)文章。

　　This week Sir David reprises his role as special envoy to the Hong Kong Book Fair, bringing a handful of British personalities to the city: historian David Starkey, novelist and Vice President of Condé Nast International Nicholas Coleridge, food writer Tom Parker Bowles and the TV and restaurant critic A.A. Gill. They'll serve as panelists for a forum he's moderating called “How and What and Why Do Writers Write?”

　　本屆香港書展（Hong Kong Book Fair）上，鄧永鏘爵士再次扮演了特使的角色。他給這個城市帶來了一些英國知名人士：歷史學(xué)家戴維•斯塔基（David Starkey）、小說家兼康泰納仕國際公司（Cond Nast International）副總裁尼古拉斯•科爾里奇（Nicholas Coleridge）、美食作家湯姆•帕克•鮑爾斯（Tom Parker Bowles）和電視及餐廳評論家A.A.吉爾（A.A. Gill）。他們在鄧永鏘爵士主持的“作家怎樣寫、寫什么、為什么要寫”專題討論會中擔(dān)任了主講人。

　　Scene Asia caught up with Mr. Tang by phone in his office to discuss his hopes for this year's forum and all things bookish in Hong Kong.

　　討論會之前，“風(fēng)尚生活”記者電話聯(lián)線了鄧永鏘辦公室，請他談一談對今年專題討論會的期望，并與他探討了與香港人讀書有關(guān)的一些問題。

　　Why did you first decide to get involved in the Book Fair?

　　《華爾街日報》：您當(dāng)初為什么決定參與香港書展？

　　I was asked by the Trade Development Council a couple of years ago if I might do something to promote English books, which had not been done before. I always like to promote Hong Kong ─ even more so English literature. There is the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, but they are a bit highbrow. I always want to allow the general public to interact with established people, which doesn't happen very often in Hong Kong. So I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone by bringing such people to speak at a forum open to anyone?

　　鄧永鏘：兩年前，香港貿(mào)易發(fā)展局（Trade Development Council）問我是否愿意為推廣英文圖書做一點事。這在我是從未有過的嘗試。我一直很愿意推廣香港，對于英國文學(xué)，更是如此。雖然香港定期舉辦香港國際文學(xué)節(jié)（Hong Kong International Literary Festival），但有點曲高和寡。我一直想讓普通公眾有機會與一些有成就的人士在一起交流。可惜這種機會在香港并不多。因此，我想，為什么不來一個一箭雙雕呢：請來這樣的人在向所有人開放的專題討論會里發(fā)言。

　　I did an experiment by inviting (actor-screenwriter) Stephen Fry, (historian) Andrew Roberts and (author) Frederick Forsyth last year. We had two forums which were hugely successful, the first of which was so crowded that they had to move several hundred people into another hall to watch the discussion via live video feed. I knew that it was a winner, so I've decided to repeat the exercise.

　　去年，我做了一個試驗：邀請了（演員兼編?。┧沟俜?bull;弗雷（Stephen Fry）、（歷史學(xué)家）安德魯•羅伯茨（Andrew Roberts）和（作家）弗雷德里克•福賽思（Frederick Forsyth）。我們非常成功地舉辦了兩個專題討論會。其中的一個討論會由于參加人數(shù)太多，不得不將好幾百位來賓請進(jìn)另一個大廳，讓他們通過視頻實時觀看討論。我覺得這件事很成功，于是決定再次舉辦這樣的活動。

　　With A.A. Gill and Tom Parker Bowles taking part, there's a distinct food bent to your panel this year. Why did you decide to take the discussion in this gastronomic direction?

　　《華爾街日報》：由于吉爾和鮑爾斯的參與，今年您的主講人中就有了某些鮮明的“餐飲傾向”。為什么您要把這次討論確定在美食方向呢？

　　Well, A.A. Gill is only half gastronomic. He's well-known as a restaurant critic, but he actually writes more about television. He's best known for being critical, because he loves to make fun of restaurants, cooks and so forth. I felt Tom Parker Bowles would be a very good candidate to come out because he's young and he's passionate about not only food, but everything British. So although there is a bit of a food bent there, I'm sure that both of them will be able to talk about things that are non-culinary ─ and very amusingly. And that's the whole point, really, to allow people to see how cultured people articulate themselves.

　　鄧永鏘：是這樣，吉爾只是半個美食專家。雖然很多人知道他是餐廳評論家，但實際上，他寫的電視評論更多。他的文筆犀利人所共知，因為他喜歡奚落餐廳、廚師等等。我覺得人們應(yīng)該認(rèn)識一下鮑爾斯，因為他年富力強，不但對餐飲感興趣，而且對任何具有英國特色的東西都很著迷。因此，雖然本次參加討論的嘉賓有一點“餐飲傾向”，但我相信，他們都可以講和餐飲沒有關(guān)系的很有趣的事情。這就是我的全部想法，真的，我就是想讓人們看看那些有學(xué)養(yǎng)的人是如何表達(dá)自己想法的。

　　Mr. Parker Bowles recently told you that Hong Kong's restaurant scene is now on par with New York and London's. Do you second that assessment?

　　《華爾街日報》：鮑爾斯最近跟您說，目前的香港餐飲業(yè)可以與紐約、倫敦相媲美。您同意這個看法嗎？

　　Firstly, for Chinese food, I think there is absolutely no doubt we're at the top. Not only do we have the raw materials here but we have classically trained chefs working within a huge tradition of classical Chinese cooking. Then there is a fantastic array of imports and an amazing entrepreneurial spirit in the territory, which allows you to find top-rate cooking of every variety ─ English, French, Japanese and Italian; and Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, which offer an authenticity you might not be able to find in most places. So, Hong Kong really is a city with an expanding ambit of restaurants. In terms of numbers, perhaps we're not as good as New York yet, but the cross-section is second to none.

　　鄧永鏘：首先，就中餐來講，這一點絕對毫無疑問──我們是最好的。我們不但可以就地取材，而且，我們的廚師秉持了豐富的中餐烹調(diào)傳統(tǒng)，進(jìn)行過正規(guī)的訓(xùn)練。其次，大量的各種進(jìn)口原材料和這塊土地上令人振奮的創(chuàng)業(yè)精神，讓你可以在這里找到的菜系齊全的英式、法式、日式、意式餐廳，可以找到在世界大多數(shù)地區(qū)很難找到的風(fēng)味正宗的泰式和越式餐廳?？梢哉f，香港真是一個不斷匯聚各種風(fēng)格的餐廳的城市。在數(shù)量方面，也許我們還不能與紐約相比，但是在風(fēng)格的多樣化方面，香港是首屈一指的。

　　People attach many words to Hong Kong, but “bookish” isn't one of them. Why do you think that is?

　　《華爾街日報》：人們用很多詞語來描述香港，但是“讀書”一詞似乎與香港無緣。您覺得這是為什么？

　　We read a lot, obviously ─ just look at the Hong Kong Book Fair. Our fair's attendance numbers ─ nearly one million ─ are the envy of book fairs around the world. We now have (more than) 16 million (Chinese) mainlanders visiting Hong Kong each year, and one of the primary things they come here to buy are books. So you would be very wrong to think this is a city that doesn't pay too much attention to books. In fact, culturally, I think if there's one place the book will flourish it is going to be in Hong Kong. The demand from the mainland alone is going to be astronomical.

　　鄧永鏘：我們讀的書也很多，沒錯──看看香港書展就知道。參加我們書展的人數(shù)──將近100萬──讓全世界的書展嫉妒不已。目前，每年有1,600（多）萬大陸人來香港旅游。他們在這里購買的一項主要商品就是書籍。因此，說這個城市不重視圖書是非常錯誤的。實際上，從文化角度說，如果某個地方的圖書市場將會蓬勃發(fā)展的話，那么這個地方肯定是香港。僅僅來自大陸的需求就是一個天文數(shù)字。

　　Do you still find time to read? What place does literature hold in your life?

　　《華爾街日報》：您還有時間看書嗎？文學(xué)在您的生活中有著怎樣的位置？

　　I read all the time. I've just finished Bill Bryson's book on Shakespeare ─ a fascinating, excellent book. Once a reader, always a reader. I just don't understand people who have the audacity to say they're bored. You can bet your bottom dollar that anyone who ever says they're bored isn't a reader. Because if you actually read, how could you possibly ever find time to be bored in this life?

　　鄧永鏘：我一有時間就看書。我剛看完比爾•布賴森（Bill Bryson）有關(guān)莎士比亞的一本書，那是一本令人著迷的佳作。一旦拿起書來，你就再也放不下了。我很不明白，為什么有些人居然說他們覺得生活無聊。我可以打包票，那些覺得無聊的人肯定沒有好好地讀過書。因為，如果他們真的投入地讀書的話，他們怎么還會感覺到人生無聊呢？