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.

　　邓永锵爵士最为人熟知的身份是中国极具知名度的“上海滩”（Shanghai Tang）时装品牌的创始人，此外他还在全世界范围内拥有多家私人俱乐部和餐厅，如中国会（China Club）、港岛厅（Island Tang）、Cipriani和唐人馆（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邓永锵今年夏天，他推出网站ICorrect，藉此又进入了另一个新的领域。通过网站ICorrect，名人们可以针对有关他们的谣言和虚假信息澄清真相，以正视听。目前，已经有凯特•莫斯（Kate Moss）、迈克尔•凯恩（Michael Caine）和汤米•希尔费格（Tommy Hilfiger）在这个网站上发布了相关文章。

　　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?”

　　本届香港书展（Hong Kong Book Fair）上，邓永锵爵士再次扮演了特使的角色。他给这个城市带来了一些英国知名人士：历史学家戴维•斯塔基（David Starkey）、小说家兼康泰纳仕国际公司（Cond Nast International）副总裁尼古拉斯•科尔里奇（Nicholas Coleridge）、美食作家汤姆•帕克•鲍尔斯（Tom Parker Bowles）和电视及餐厅评论家A.A.吉尔（A.A. Gill）。他们在邓永锵爵士主持的“作家怎样写、写什么、为什么要写”专题讨论会中担任了主讲人。

　　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.

　　讨论会之前，“风尚生活”记者电话联线了邓永锵办公室，请他谈一谈对今年专题讨论会的期望，并与他探讨了与香港人读书有关的一些问题。

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

　　《华尔街日报》：您当初为什么决定参与香港书展？

　　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?

　　邓永锵：两年前，香港贸易发展局（Trade Development Council）问我是否愿意为推广英文图书做一点事。这在我是从未有过的尝试。我一直很愿意推广香港，对于英国文学，更是如此。虽然香港定期举办香港国际文学节（Hong Kong International Literary Festival），但有点曲高和寡。我一直想让普通公众有机会与一些有成就的人士在一起交流。可惜这种机会在香港并不多。因此，我想，为什么不来一个一箭双雕呢：请来这样的人在向所有人开放的专题讨论会里发言。

　　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，我做了一个试验：邀请了（演员兼编剧）斯蒂芬•弗雷（Stephen Fry）、（历史学家）安德鲁•罗伯茨（Andrew Roberts）和（作家）弗雷德里克•福赛思（Frederick Forsyth）。我们非常成功地举办了两个专题讨论会。其中的一个讨论会由于参加人数太多，不得不将好几百位来宾请进另一个大厅，让他们通过视频实时观看讨论。我觉得这件事很成功，于是决定再次举办这样的活动。

　　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?

　　《华尔街日报》：由于吉尔和鲍尔斯的参与，今年您的主讲人中就有了某些鲜明的“餐饮倾向”。为什么您要把这次讨论确定在美食方向呢？

　　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.

　　邓永锵：是这样，吉尔只是半个美食专家。虽然很多人知道他是餐厅评论家，但实际上，他写的电视评论更多。他的文笔犀利人所共知，因为他喜欢奚落餐厅、厨师等等。我觉得人们应该认识一下鲍尔斯，因为他年富力强，不但对餐饮感兴趣，而且对任何具有英国特色的东西都很着迷。因此，虽然本次参加讨论的嘉宾有一点“餐饮倾向”，但我相信，他们都可以讲和餐饮没有关系的很有趣的事情。这就是我的全部想法，真的，我就是想让人们看看那些有学养的人是如何表达自己想法的。

　　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?

　　《华尔街日报》：鲍尔斯最近跟您说，目前的香港餐饮业可以与纽约、伦敦相媲美。您同意这个看法吗？

　　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.

　　邓永锵：首先，就中餐来讲，这一点绝对毫无疑问──我们是最好的。我们不但可以就地取材，而且，我们的厨师秉持了丰富的中餐烹调传统，进行过正规的训练。其次，大量的各种进口原材料和这块土地上令人振奋的创业精神，让你可以在这里找到的菜系齐全的英式、法式、日式、意式餐厅，可以找到在世界大多数地区很难找到的风味正宗的泰式和越式餐厅。可以说，香港真是一个不断汇聚各种风格的餐厅的城市。在数量方面，也许我们还不能与纽约相比，但是在风格的多样化方面，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?

　　《华尔街日报》：人们用很多词语来描述香港，但是“读书”一词似乎与香港无缘。您觉得这是为什么？

　　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.

　　邓永锵：我们读的书也很多，没错──看看香港书展就知道。参加我们书展的人数──将近100万──让全世界的书展嫉妒不已。目前，每年有1,600（多）万大陆人来香港旅游。他们在这里购买的一项主要商品就是书籍。因此，说这个城市不重视图书是非常错误的。实际上，从文化角度说，如果某个地方的图书市场将会蓬勃发展的话，那么这个地方肯定是香港。仅仅来自大陆的需求就是一个天文数字。

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

　　《华尔街日报》：您还有时间看书吗？文学在您的生活中有着怎样的位置？

　　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?

　　邓永锵：我一有时间就看书。我刚看完比尔•布赖森（Bill Bryson）有关莎士比亚的一本书，那是一本令人着迷的佳作。一旦拿起书来，你就再也放不下了。我很不明白，为什么有些人居然说他们觉得生活无聊。我可以打包票，那些觉得无聊的人肯定没有好好地读过书。因为，如果他们真的投入地读书的话，他们怎么还会感觉到人生无聊呢？