Today is World Calligraphy Day, as it has been on the second Wednesday of August since 2017. The Day brings experts and beginners together to discuss, practice, and learn about the ancient craft. But the cloud on the horizon of this celebration is the danger of calligraphy dying out.
World Calligraphy Day is a creation of the Manuscript Pen Company based near Birmingham in the UK. On this side of the world, calligraphy is one of the three arts, together with painting and poetry, most treasured by the Chinese.
世界书法日是由英国伯明翰附近的 Manuscript Pen 公司创建的。在世界的这一边，书法与绘画、诗歌并列为中国人最珍视的三大艺术之一。
It therefore requires a master’s touch. When we think of a Chinese calligrapher, springing to mind is often the image of a grey-haired old man, ink brush in hand, practicing the ancient art.
因此，它需要大师的手感。当我们想到中国书法家时，脑海中浮现的往往是一位白发苍苍的老人，手里拿着毛笔，练习着古老的艺术。
Some such masters are lucky enough to have their work featured on great public buildings. Among them, somewhere in the distant friend circle of this correspondent, it was one Wu Zhongji who gave his script for the signage above Nanjing Railway Station.
一些这样的大师很幸运能够将他们的作品展示在伟大的公共建筑上。其中，在笔者远方的朋友圈中，有位吴中吉给出了南京火车站上方标识牌的剧本。
On a smaller scale too, other examples of calligraphy displayed on buildings of note abound in Nanjing, and indeed all over China. Take the Mochou Road Church as an example.
There, the building’s southwest corner is inlaid with a stone tablet that was inscribed by the Christian general, Feng Yuxiang, in 1936. The calligraphy is written in regular script “because the one who has laid the foundation is Jesus Christ”.
在较小的规模上，在南京乃至中国各地的著名建筑上展示的其他书法例子也比比皆是。以莫愁路教堂为例，建筑西南角镶嵌着基督教将军冯玉祥于1936年亲笔题写的石碑，楷书“因为奠基者是耶稣基督”。
This association with the past and the perception of calligraphy being a hobby for seniors is the problem. But fortunately, it’s one of which increasing numbers of people are aware. Time for younger generations to take up the gauntlet.
这种与过去的联系以及将书法视为老年人的爱好的看法是问题所在。但幸运的是，越来越多的人意识到了这一点。是时候让年轻一代接受挑战了。
Jiang Yi’an (English name Caster) is one such youthful talent in our very own Nanjing. Aged 23, the local lad is a graduate of The University of Sheffield in the UK. He was also only too happy to spend time talking with The Nanjinger.
蒋以安（英文名Caster）就是我们南京的一位青年才俊。这名当地小伙子今年23岁，毕业于英国谢菲尔德大学。他也很高兴能花时间与《南京人》交谈。
A calligraphy practitioner from a very young age, Jiang’s works have won calligraphy awards and have been published in magazines for primary and middle-school students. Jiang says he has learned three scripts of calligraphy, namely regular script, clerical script and seal character.
姜先生自幼习书法，作品多次获得书法奖项，并发表在中小学生杂志上。蒋说，他学会了三种书法，即楷书、隶书和篆书。
According to Jiang, the skills required by calligraphy also teach us to be modest when communicating with people, and to deal with problems from the perspective of the whole.
蒋认为，书法所要求的技巧还教会我们在与人交流时要谦虚，从整体的角度处理问题。
And that’s what worries him in the face of fewer younger people taking up the ancient craft. Jiang says, “If calligraphy tends to be lost among younger people, this good spirit would be lost as well, and I think it’s a danger for the next generation”.
这就是他担心从事这项古老手艺的年轻人越来越少的情况。江说：“如果书法在年轻人中逐渐消失，那么这种良好的精神也会消失，我认为这对下一代来说是一个危险”。
Fortunately, Caster is not alone. As recently as June, the Global Times reported on this very issue.
幸运的是，卡斯特并不孤单。就在今年六月，《环球时报》也曾报道过这个问题。
Xu Heping runs his traditional arts-supply shop in Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. “With hopes that their children will be adept at Chinese calligraphy, more and more parents have invested in calligraphy training”, he said.
徐和平在宁夏回族自治区首府银川经营着自己的传统工艺品店。 “为了让孩子学好中国书法，越来越多的家长投入书法培训”，他说。
As a result, Xu’s shop is becoming more and more popular with an increasingly-youthful client base. “Teenagers and young adults often come to my shop”, said Xu.
因此，徐的店越来越受年轻顾客群的欢迎。 “青少年和年轻人经常来我的店”，徐说。
On another level, calligraphy associations are to be found in most major cities in China. They hold exhibitions and assemblies to promote calligraphy, and to encourage people to take up the skill. There are also educational institutions teaching calligraphy to children and developing their interest in it.
另一方面，书法协会在中国大多数主要城市都有。他们举办展览和集会来推广书法，并鼓励人们学习这项技能。还有一些教育机构向儿童教授书法并培养他们对书法的兴趣。
Back in Nanjing, we wondered whether Caster has any aspirations to see his calligraphy work appear on a significant, local public building. “I haven’t thought about that because I think my level of writing is not good enough to do that”, he said.
回到南京，我们想知道卡斯特是否有愿望看到他的书法作品出现在当地重要的公共建筑上。 “我没有考虑过这一点，因为我认为我的写作水平还不够好，无法做到这一点”，他说。
