Chinese librarian learns over 10 languages in one dozen years while working at National Library of China

With his strong passion for linguistics, a librarian at the National Library of China in Beijing taught himself more than 10 languages, including Persian, Latin, Greek, French, German, and Italian, in only about 12 years.

Photo shows Gu Xiaojun. (Photo/yangtse.com)

Gu Xiaojun, now 41 years old, is what is known as a polyglot – that is, someone who has the ability to speak many different languages. Gu began working at the National Library of China in 2009 because he thought that the library was a perfect place for him to read books and further pursue his interests.

“Reading is my hobby. I pursue what I am interested in through reading,” the man said.

“I often take advantage of the breaks in my daily routine at the library and read books on history and linguistics,” the bookworm said, adding that he also reads books on the subway during his daily commute back and forth from his home to the workplace.

Having graduated from the Department of History of Capital Normal University in Beijing, Gu has a deep interest in works on the history, literature, and philosophy of the Renaissance period in Europe, which later sparked his interest in European languages. In order to read those works that were written in other languages, including French, German, and Latin, he had to personally learn these languages.

Gu Xiaojun takes down some notes. (Photo/yangtse.com)

While most people might struggle to learn an abstruse ancient language, especially an ancient foreign language, Gu is particularly attracted by these languages.

“When I began to learn the Greek language, the content that was beyond my understanding inspired me to access more learning materials. I was excited when I could understand such content, which encouraged me to go on,” the man said.

Gu once translated lines from The Book of History, an ancient classic in China, into the ancient Greek language in an attempt to assess his proficiency in the foreign language.

The librarian is modest about his remarkable capabilities in learning languages. “I dare not say that I have mastered many languages because language learning has no limits. I have been learning languages continuously over the years,” said the man.

Gu Xiaojun shows off his notes about the Greek language. (Photo/yangtse.com)

Having already worked for the library for about 12 years, Gu has witnessed diverse groups of readers over the years, including young students who were preparing for exams and academic papers as well as elderly readers seeking books at their own leisure.

The librarian said what impressed him most was the oftentimes strong intent of silver-haired readers. He recalled that a granny once came to borrow the Complete Library in Four Branches of Literature, the largest collection of books in Chinese history. “The granny said she didn’t have the opportunity to read the collection when she was young. When I gave her several volumes of the collection, she was very surprised and threw herself into reading with a magnifier,” he said.

“I am deeply moved by senior readers’ thirst for knowledge. I am particularly pleased to be a librarian who provides services for readers at the National Library of China. I also enjoy the very good reading atmosphere here. I believe that books help people secure a peaceful state of mind and somehow find a freedom of the soul,” Gu said.

Photo shows Gu Xiaojun reading a book on a subway train during his daily commute. (Photo/yangtse.com)

Gu Xiaojun provides some services for a reader. (Photo/yangtse.com)

Photo shows a section inside the National Library of China in Beijing. (Photo/yangtse.com)