為了生存，人們通常是健忘的， 但歷史應該被如實記錄下來。 恐懼不是生存的方式…… 死亡不過是生命的一個階段罷了， 我們沒有什麼值得恐懼的。 美國國家書卷獎得主哈金最新長篇小說。 繼《等待》後最受注目的長篇小說。 中國版《辛德勒的名單》! 故事以1937年南京大屠殺為背景，描述時任金陵女子學院校長的美籍傳教士明妮．魏特林，在日軍侵犯南京之際，以自己美國公民身分留守當地，保衛避居在校內超過一萬名無助的中國婦孺。本書描述明妮當時如何與日軍斡旋攻防的經歷，及至回到美國，明妮依舊鎮日為大屠殺期間，無力保護而犧牲的生靈哀悼…… 哈金以近乎新聞報導的方式，描寫戰爭的暴行，素樸的文字傳達出更深沉的力量。明妮．魏特林是真實人物，小說中她以基督教徒的身分為上帝服侍。然而就像所有偉大的英雄一樣，明妮竭心盡力，雖然受眾人愛戴，卻也不免落人口實、遭人非議，使她最終因自己的無能為力而精神崩潰，走上絕路。哈金描寫人性的功力在此又可見一斑，使本書既有史詩般記錄歷史的宏大格局，又有小說刻畫人物的細膩之處。

In his first book of stories since "The Bridegroom "was published in 2000 ("Finely wrought . . . Every story here is cut like a stone."--"Chicago Sun-Times"), National Book Award-winning Ha Jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of Chinese immigrants in America. With the same profound attention to detail that is a hallmark of his previous acclaimed works of fiction, Ha Jin depicts here the full spectrum of immigrant life and the daily struggles--some minute, some grand--faced by these intriguing individuals. A lonely composer takes comfort in the antics of his girlfriend's parakeet; young children decide to change their names so that they might sound more "American," unaware of how deeply this will hurt their grandparents; a Chinese professor of English attempts to defect with the help of a reluctant former student. All of Ha Jin's characters struggle in situations that stir within them a desire to remain attached to be loyal to their homeland and its traditions as they explore and avail themselves of the freedom that life in a new country offers. In these stark, deeply moving, acutely insightful, and often strikingly humorous stories, we are reminded once again of the storytelling prowess of this superb writer.

卷首詩：錯過的時光 I 選自《沉默之間》1990 ii 選自《面對陰影》 1996 iii選自《殘骸》2001 iv 選自《自由生活》2007 附錄 訪談哈金——關於詩歌創作 敘事與獨白 哈金簡介及創作年表

本书为哈金经典短篇小说集，作者在本书中展露了契诃夫一样的写作才华，用十个简单却令人愕然的故事，拼贴出悲喜交杂的社会图景，有趣好看，耐人寻味。书中多篇小说曾在不同年度获得“美国年度最佳短篇小说”。

《好兵》裡的故事全都發生在黑龍江。哈金在黑龍江省同江縣和富錦縣住了十多年，所以對那裡的人情風物比較熟悉。他有意把故事的地點移到更北的邊境地區，這樣離蘇聯和西伯利亞更近些。 這本書中所有的故事都集中在一支部隊身上。故事裡的事件和人物基本上都是真人真事，只不過被哈金改名換姓，東接西連，構成各種各樣的人物和情節。故事之間的風格差別很大，每篇的語氣都有所不同，而且行文簡約，實在難譯。所以哈金決定由自己捉刀翻譯，先由他夫人卞麗莎女士譯出初稿，再由他修潤而成。 這是哈金的第一本小說，寫作《好兵》之前他潛心研讀契訶夫的作品，因此哈金說：「我認為《好兵》深受契訶夫的影響。」

"Winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award" The place is the chilly border between Russia and China. The time is the early 1970s when the two giants were poised on the brink of war. And the characters in this thrilling collection of stories are Chinese soldiers who must constantly scrutinize the enemy even as they themselves are watched for signs of the fatal disease of bourgeois liberalism. In Ocean of Words, the Chinese writer Ha Jin explores the predicament of these simple, barely literate men with breathtaking concision and humanity. From amorous telegraphers to a pugnacious militiaman, from an inscrutable Russian prisoner to an effeminate but enthusiastic recruit, Ha Jin's characters possess a depth and liveliness that suggest Isaac Babel's Cossacks and Tim O'Brien's GIs. Ocean of Words is a triumphant volume, poignant, hilarious, and harrowing. "A compelling collection of stories, powerful in their unity of theme and rich in their diversity of styles."--New York Times Book Review "Extraordinary... These stories are shot through with wit and offer glimpses of human motivation that defy retelling...Read them all."--Boston Globe "An exceptional new talent, capable of wringing rich surprises out of austere materials."--Portland Oregonian