World：Murakami warns against nativism

(Photo Story)

（明報製圖）

【明報專訊】The Japanese writer Haruki Murakami (村上春樹) received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award (安徒生文學獎) in Odense, Denmark (丹麥奧登斯), on 30 October 2016.

The committee of the prize recognises Murakami's capacity boldly to mix classic narrative art, pop culture, Japanese tradition, dreamlike realism and philosophical discussion. Murakami's works include Hear the Wind Sing (《聽風的歌》) and 1Q84.

"No matter how high a wall we build to keep intruders out, no matter how strictly we exclude outsiders, no matter how much we rewrite history to suit us, we will just end up damaging and hurting ourselves," Murakami said in the ceremony. It is believed that the author referred to growing anti-refugee and anti-immigrant sentiments in Europe and other places.

(sources: Ming Pao, The Guardian, Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award website)

■ Photo Story

Haruki Murakami visited Hans Christian Andersen's house during his stay in Denmark. When he spoke at the ceremony, he pleaded with people not to exclude outsiders.

■ Quiz

Answer the following questions.

(Answers on next text)

1. Is the following sentence true or false?

A prize-giving ceremony of the Hans Christian Andersen

Literature Award was held in Odense, Denmark. (True/False)

2. According to paragraph two, which of the following things Murakami is said to have mixed in his works?

a. Danish tradition

b. art and music

c. Norwegian culture

d. topics of philosophy

3. Find in paragraph two a word that is similar in meaning to "ability".

____________________________________________

4. Murakami thinks that, however hard we may try to exclude outsiders,

____________________________________________

■ English highway﹕ no matter

"No matter" is used in expressions like "no matter what" and "no matter how" to say something is true or happens in all circumstances.

e.g. We can always stop Eason from spreading wrong English no matter where he may be.

■ Glossary

nativism (n) 排外主義

realism (n) 現實性

intruder (n) 不受歡迎者；侵入者

sentiment (n) 情緒

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