Today marks the 130th anniversary of the birth of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and the originator of contemporary fantasy.
As readers who love the world of Middle-earth, as beneficiaries of countless contemporary fantasy legacies created by Tolkien, and as wanderers who have to swim from the Giant Lantern Double Tree Age to the Fourth Age, our youth and life are inseparable from Arda.
Today, of course, we have something to say.
Famous translator Tang Ka Wan
In 2012, three days before my 50th birthday, I received a letter from Wenjing inviting me to translate The Lord of the Rings. So, like Bilbo and Frodo, I formed a team with my friends at the age of 50, stood on the shoulders of my predecessors, and translated a million words of the new version of The Lord of the Rings. I read The Lord of the Rings in 1998 when I was in graduate school in England, and I was so shocked that I vowed to translate it into Chinese. Thank you to Tolkien for writing such a good book in the midst of all kinds of difficulties; recently in the translation of Tolkien's Epistles, he wrote The Lord of the Rings when he lived a poor and poor life, which made people extremely sad. Thank you Wenjing for fulfilling my dream of translating Tolkien. I am most grateful to Fountain and Teacher Du Yunci for walking together, as well as every editor along the way. Tolkien's creation of this magnificent middle-earth mythological world allows people to escape, get comfort in it, and rejuvenate to face the fatigue of reality. I want to spend my life wandering and may you walk with me.
J.R.R. Tolkien in the study, image from The Creator of Middle-earth
Tolkien translator Shi Zhongge
As long as you are a lover of all kinds of myths and legends, it is difficult not to love the world created by Professor Tolkien; even if you are dismissive of the "cities that do not exist" and "lost worlds", trying to read The Lord of the Rings from beginning to end is likely to change the original view. It was an unspeakable experience, just as I may never be able to tell why I was so obsessed—not love at first sight, but I was so overwhelmed by the shock that I lingered in it for years.
Poet, writer, translator and Scholar of Middle English
Tolkien has always been a beacon presence for me, showing me the life that can be placed in language, and its creativity even precedes the story itself. The Middle-earth world begins to be flesh and blood only after the syllables of the Elven language are full. He was also the modern English translator of sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the masterpiece of the pearl poets I studied during my doctoral studies, and left a large number of solid and life-saving treatises in the field of medieval literature, which made me see the possibility of academic research not to harm but to feed back creation. Tolkien's "Trans-Transposed- Research" trinity of cultivators is my heart's content, and during a meeting at Oxford University in 2013, I walked along the canal to the Northcote Cemetery on the northern outskirts and found the plain tombstone with "Belen and Lucien" written in the shade of a large elm tree that shaded the sky. The roses of early spring obscured half of the epitaphs, swaying and blooming in the sunlight, revealing their most fragile cores, making all languages outside of poetry superfluous.
"Bilbo Comes to the Raft Elf's Cabin"
J.R.R. Tolkien painted
Image from "The Creator of Middle-earth"
The Lord of the Rings audiobook non-lingua franca portion of the sound contributor and recording director of the human heart
In my freshman year's desk, there lay a copy of The Hobbit.
That's when I first stepped into Tolkien's world, and it was the beginning of my magical journey to Middle-earth. The beginning of the book full of fairy tale atmosphere, to the presentation of the classical temperament of the middle and later parts, brought me into that magical other world, just a glimpse, but also enough to be amazing.
In college, I stayed up late several times to watch the movie trilogy repeatedly, and the novel trilogy was also nibbled at that time. The noble style, sincere emotions, and pure struggle between good and evil attracted me, and the various customs and languages, and the historical descriptions in every detail made me linger in that world.
It wasn't until after graduating from college that Pokémon Diamond made me truly aware of the ingenuity and grandeur of Tolkien's world. From the supreme and most beautiful realm to the inevitable fall, all the sentient beings in Middle-earth bloom on their own stage until they fall, entering songs and becoming legends until the end of the world.
Also because of "The Silmarillion", I met many friends in the following years and participated in many Tolkien-related activities, which are precious treasures and memories in life.
Thank you Tolkien for bringing me such a wonderful and magnificent world, and happy birthday to the professor!
"Talking to Smug"
The Lord of the Rings Chinese Wiki Webmaster Tatani
The first time I met Tolkien was on the bookcase at my uncle's house. How did "The Lord of the Rings" appear in the home of Mr. Winter Bak, whose mind was full of health? This fact still has a mysterious color for me. In the hands of the most unlikely place and the most unlikely person, the least should have appeared, and according to Zhongzhou, this is the meeting of Pingshui.
Since then, I have participated in various Middle-continent activities, and the netizens I know well are all dead-hearted people, which is of course the most intuitive meaning of Tolkien to me. But in this generalization, I always feel that I have not been able to point directly to the sore spot. A few days ago, I read that the German philosopher Schelling understood philosophy as a mythical kingdom of self-sufficient independent ideas. Philosophy believes that there is a world of ideas beyond the world of experience, and the reader believes that there is a middle continent outside the real world, so how can this not be different manifestations of the same spiritual activity? It should be known that if there is no slightest sense and expectation of the world outside the world, it will become difficult to live, and it will be even more difficult to die.
The Lord of the Rings Chinese the name of the wiki administrator, the Chinese subtitle translator of the Lord of the Rings series
From the magnificent colors on the screen to the fragrance of ink between the pages, from the stunned child to the posterity who is now reading on the desk, this love of Tolkien's works made me as intoxicated with history and language as he was, and also led me to the path of my current studies; it is no exaggeration to say that Professor Tolkien has completely influenced the course of my life.
But I think that Professor Tolkien brought me not only a noble aesthetic experience, a string of ancient and fascinating navigational markers, but also a spiritual home that I belong to and share with others. I know each other because of Zhongzhou and countless strangers, including many years of close friends; Zhongzhou is our alliance based on interests and loves, so that people who meet in Pingshui have the possibility of understanding each other. In modern life, this spiritual need may be particularly important: when you want to take a step back from the hustle and bustle, you always have a place to go; you can wander alone, and you can dance with friends and dance in the wind.
Tolkien translator, illustrator, and Middle-earth red book administrator Norloth
How fortunate it was to be exposed to Professor Tolkien's work at a young age. In the legends of Middle-Earth, I see the precious qualities of the world, stories of bravery, hope, loyalty and love that touch the heart and become "faith". Professor Tolkien's knowledge of language, literature, nature, history, and art was forged into the cornerstone of his "creation", turning a book world into real and credible and full of wisdom. His stories have inspired generations of readers, giving birth to new creative sparks. Some of them, such as Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, Alan Lee, and John Howe, have made far-reaching films, driven technological innovation and development, and enabled a new generation of audiences and readers, including me— perhaps in a moment of confusion — to find a home and a direction. Thank you Professor Tolkien, perhaps he is the gray-robed wizard who marked the door, urging us to step out of the closed door and go to a wider world.
J.R.R. Tolkien in Oxford, image from The Founder of Middle-Earth
Middle-earth Red Book Administrator Ash
From the publication of The Hobbit, from serious fantasy epics to heartwarming bedside stories, Tolkien's work has nourished generations. The beautiful qualities conveyed in them are timeless and still come alive in the present, giving readers spiritual inspiration. As a reader who was introduced to the Lord of the Rings films at the beginning of the new century and then to the middle-earth world on paper, I feel fortunate to be a member of the Middle-earth Wanderers.
Middle-earth con administrator Si Min
The world in my eyes seems to have been attached to a "filter" by The Elder: the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, flowers and plants, everything in every corner has become more desolate and more beautiful. Reality became the dream he had woven, and I was also in this fluttering dream, where only Arda between the lines was real.
So Tolkien was to me, maybe just like Bilbo to Sam. Those wonderlands, memories, poems, brave and broken souls, are hidden in the round door at the bottom of the bag, by the warm fireplace. Until the person who listens to the story becomes part of the story himself, and finally becomes the narrator of the next story.
"Hillock, Hobbiton on the other side of the river"
Tolkien translator and leaf member of Tolkien's Gangnam Tatsu
Professor Tolkien was like a life coach who guided me the way forward. He was an all-rounder who not only took his profession to the extreme, but also studied painting, calligraphy, botany, astronomical calendars and many other disciplines. He is both liberal arts and sciences, logical and imaginative. By reading his work, I slowly learned a highly systematic set of research, practice and innovation methods. Many fragments of knowledge, memories and inspirations have gradually formed a continuous beautiful picture in my mind like a puzzle. All kinds of knowledge learned before can be naturally integrated, complement each other, and form a complete system, just like the ingredients stewed in the soup pot, mixed together, regardless of each other, the more delicious it is, when the "chef" picks up the spoon again, the taste is already very different from the original clear soup, which is a kind of "sub-creation". More importantly, he always reminds me not to forget the original intention of sincerity and kindness, and to be an ordinary and happy person.
Tolkien's leaf member Lily
Thanks to Professor Tolkien for creating the Middle-earth world, which gave me endless tenderness, there is still a harbor for souls to rest in addition to the tired life of this world. I believe that there is still a place where good will eventually triumph over evil, and light will always dispel darkness. Middle-earth is my eternal spiritual home, and it also allows me to draw on the strength of those loves and courage, and to embrace hope and love the world well.
Photographer and Translator of Tolkien Zhou Yang
I believe that I am destined to enter Middle-earth. During my short stay in the UK in 2013, I suddenly had the idea of being "implanted" with the idea of going to the old bookstores on Charing Cross Street in London to find an original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and I have entered this fascinating world of the past ever since. Texts ranging from The Lord of the Rings to The Sprite and Unfinished Legends are often referred to as the literary category of "fantasy", but in my mind they belong to "history", and I believe that Middle-earth is the mythical era of the past, when elves and dragons have not yet left this world, and the characters of that era are more elegant and the stories are more magnificent. In this moment, which is often powerless, Professor Tolkien's words are like antidotes, not only because the myths and stories lead people to escape from reality, but also because it is possible to learn hope from the stories, which of course cannot directly guide real life, but I think the story may be the white bright star that Sam saw in the Shadow Land-"And in the air, on a towering black rock in the mountains, Sam saw a white star protruding from the clouds and flashing for a moment." The beauty of the star shook his heart, and when he looked up from this abandoned land, hope returned to him, because a clear and calm realization penetrated him like an arrow—the shadow was only a small thing after all, and it would pass away, and where the shadow could not reach, the light and the sublime beauty would last forever. ”
Taniktiel
On the other hand, for me personally, Professor Tolkien's charm lies in his creative process and attitude itself, and his academic research direction in linguistics and the quaint language he uses in the Middle-earth series of texts are not in line with the popular trends in the "contemporary" literary and artistic circles. To some extent, my work is not popular in contemporary photography in terms of content and form, so as a creator, I have also received a lot of encouragement from Professor Tolkien's own conviction of the value of the content and style of my writing.
Tolkien translated by Shelley
After having children, I often feel like a ping-pong ball, going back and forth between home and work, too busy to come, fortunately, there is also the world of Middle-earth to soothe my soul.
Tolkien translator and researcher of a certain flying literary girl
"We were born in dark times, and for us, there are not many days. But there is still a consolation in the world: if not, how much love there will be, or what we love. I imagined that when the fish left the water, it became the only fish that knew a little about the water. ”
The above is taken from a letter sent by Tolkien to his son who served overseas during World War II. On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of his birth, this is only a response to the rather existential proposition of "Tolkien's meaning to my life". To this day, no amount of words can tell the truth. Why don't we think in reverse and imagine what life would have been like so far without Tolkien? What comes to my mind is that Middle-earth can only be revisited, and it has long been contained in countless moments in life. But it was not a fable that needed to be dismembered, but a star-studded map of the mind that led me to escape to the cottage where I was no longer playful. All the joys and sorrows are best treasured in them.
Lieutenant Tolkien, picture from The Founder of Middle-Earth
Tolkien edited Zhu Yixing
I'm probably the luckiest Tolkien reader in the country. Because the first time I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, that's when I had the privilege of being one of them. But at first, I didn't realize this, "Tolkien" is just another author's name. Because I was Tolkien's editor, I attended many, many seminars, ran to the designer's house many times to deliver the binding materials (there was no flash delivery at that time), spent a lot of time in the printing factory to keep an eye on the cover, and was scolded by many editors, designers and readers...
It's been almost ten years, and there hasn't been a year without his "entanglement" and companionship in the nearly ten years of editing: spring, looking happily at the manuscript of The Hobbit, imagining that the Shire's green must be more beautiful than the new green of the willow trees by the Xiba River; summer, sweating back and forth in the three-story building of the John Howe Art Exhibition at the Sinan Mansion; in the autumn, it was in Frankfurt to report on the activities and achievements of the year to the HC Copyright Director; in the winter, it was in the office watching the expedition from the valley, Being blown by the wind and snow in the Misty Mountains also exacerbated the cold I felt. In the future, I think I will still be around him, and he will still be in my life. As long as there is such a reader, he will still be there. Happy Birthday, Tolkien!
Tolkien edits Lulu
A man who redefines the solid, star-shaped shape of the earth; a man who speaks the language of light in his original language; a man who leads all the "tourists" who enter the world he has created to find absolute value; a man who has become a mountain, a lamp, a star. Toro salvaged his kingdom in the soup pot of world folk myths and legends, and we salvaged our lives in his kingdom.
J.R.R. Tolkien, image from The Creator of Middle-earth
On this special day
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