编者按：由扈鲁先生领衔主编的九卷本《葫芦文化丛书》出版发行后，受到海内外各界的高度关注，引发各级各类媒体的热烈反响。作为“填补海内外葫芦文化学术研究空白之力作”，扈鲁先生与百余位学者专家呕心沥血，辛勤耕耘，历时三载，数易其稿，终于将这部皇皇巨著呈献给广大读者。
It is reported that the publishing of The Gourd Culture Series complied by Hu Lu has attracted great attention from the media at home and abroad. As an influential work to fill the gap of academic research on gourd culture at home and abroad, Hu and 100-odd other scholars have made painstaking efforts to complete the work. After 3 years’ hard work and many modifications in the draft, they finally presented this great work to the readers.
近日，《葫芦文化丛书》沿“一带一路”走出国门，先后在马尔代夫、白俄罗斯举行盛大的研究成果发布会暨捐赠仪式，再次引发海外媒体的竞相报道。来自亚洲、欧洲、美洲、大洋洲等世界各国的专家学者和各界人士，对丛书的出版发行表示热烈祝贺，对其历史意义、学术价值、时代贡献进行了给予高度评价。现将部分海外专家学者的观点摘编如下，以飨读者。
Recently, The Gourd Culture Series was introduced to the countries along the “the Belt and Road”. Grand conferences on the research and donation ceremonies have been held in Belarus and Maldives, which has led to numerous reports from overseas media. Experts, scholars, and people of all circles from Asia, Europe, America, and Oceania expressed congratulations on the book’s publication and spoke highly of its historic and academic value as well as its contemporary contribution. Viewpoints from some overseas experts and scholars are selected as follows for readers.
全日本爱瓢会会长时田勉先生：
Tsutomu Tokida, President of the Association for All Nippon Gourd Fanciers:
As a teacher in Qufu Normal University, Professor Hu is excellent in gourd-themed flower-and-bird paintings. In addition, he is also an outstanding scholar in the study of gourd culture. The Gourd Culture Series, the first book on gourd culture at home and abroad, is a great work that contributes a great deal to global gourd culture research.
我曾于2013年、2015年两度赴曲阜拜访扈鲁教授，参观了他创办的葫芦博物馆，被他的勤奋执着和取得的丰硕成果深深震撼。2014年，在日本爱瓢会第39届全国大会时，他慷慨捐赠20幅葫芦画参展，在展会上引起了强烈反响。2018年，在我公务拜访山东之际，扈鲁教授特地为我举行了《葫芦文化丛书》赠送仪式，将两套丛书赠予日本爱瓢会和我本人，我感到荣幸之至。
I called on Professor Hu twice in 2013 and 2015 respectively. I was deeply impressed by his diligence, persistence and the fruitful results he has gained when I visited the gourd museum he established. In 2014, at the 39th national conference of Association for All Nippon Gourd Fanciers, Hu donated 20 gourd paintings to the exhibition, which was highly appreciated by the audience. In 2018, when I visited Shandong Province on business, Professor Hu Lu held a ceremony of presenting The Gourd Culture Series to the Association for All Nippon Gourd Fanciers and me. I feel quite honored for that.
回到日本后，我在爱瓢会会报上详细介绍了《葫芦文化丛书》和扈鲁教授赠书情况。《葫芦文化丛书》在日本爱瓢会引发了不小的轰动，广大会员争睹这部丛书的风采，从中深入学习了解葫芦文化的厚重历史、博大精深。大家普遍认为，这部丛书填补了世界葫芦文化研究领域的空白，其研究贯通古今、跨越时空，覆盖面之广、涉及领域之多，均是开创性的，是一部具有极高的学术价值的文化巨著。
When I returned to Japan, I gave a detailed description of The Gourd culture Seriespresented by Mr. Hu in the proceedings of Association for All Nippon Gourd Fanciers. The Gourd Culture Series caused a sensation in Japan Association for All Nippon Gourd Fanciers. Many members of the association are willing to read the excellent book and learn the rich history of gourd culture. It is generally believed that this book fills the gap of global gourd culture research. The study of this book is groundbreaking because it connects past and present, spans the time and space, and covers a wide range of fields. It serves as a great cultural work with high academic value.
中日两国一衣带水，有着深厚的文化渊源，对葫芦文化更有着更广泛的民间基础和更相近的文化内涵。我与扈鲁教授有过多次深入探讨，对传承弘扬葫芦文化、增进中日两国葫芦文化交流，达成了很多共识，开展了卓有成效的合作，并取得了不少成果。
China and Japan are separated by the sea, but the two counties are culturally related. That is to say, they have wider folk foundation and more similar culture connotation of gourd culture. Through deep discussion, we reached consensus towards promoting gourd culture and strengthening gourd culture communication between the two countries. We have developed effective cooperation and made good results.
我相信，《葫芦文化丛书》不仅是一个全新的高度，更是一个全新的起点，必将开启中日两国、乃至与世界各国深化合作、增进友谊、人文交流的崭新篇章！
I believe that The Gourd Culture Series represent not only a new height but also a new start. It is bound to deepen cooperation between China and Japan, and even the cooperation between China and the other countries worldwide, strengthen friendship, and promote cultural exchanges.
Mr. Vacheslav Polonovsky, international academician of the Eurasian Humanities in Belarus:
Professor Hu Lu serves as a friendly messenger of cultural exchange between China and Belarus. He remains committed to gourd culture research, with nine volumes of The Gourd Series published. Therefore, gourd has served to bridge cultural communication all around the world.
我与扈鲁教授有过十分愉快且令人难忘的交流。2017年3月，我到曲阜师范大学音乐学院访学，扈鲁教授热情接待了我。他向我讲述葫芦文化的“前世今生”，令我大开眼界，小小葫芦原来承载着如此厚重的文化内涵。2017年、2018年，“最葫芦•葫芦文化丝路行”两次走进白俄罗斯，扈鲁虽因公务未能亲临现场，但他那意蕴生动的葫芦画和那部厚重的《葫芦文化丛书》，给白俄罗斯人民留下了深刻的印象。在费拉莫尼国家大剧院，凝结着扈鲁教授心血的九卷本《葫芦文化丛书》，捐赠给白俄罗斯首都明斯克中国文化中心，彰显了一位中国学者致力于中白友好交流的深切情怀。
I had a very pleasant and impressive communication with Professor Hu. In March, 2017, I went to the School of Music of Qufu Normal University as an academic visitor, when Professor Hu gave me warm welcome. He told me the past and present of the gourd culture, which broadened my horizon. I was amazed that such a small gourd should carry such rich cultural connotation. In 2017 and 2018, “Glamour of the Gourd — Gourd Culture Tour along the Silk Road” entered Belarus twice. Mr. Hu didn’t show up in Belarus, but his vivid gourd paintings and The Gourd Culture Series left a deep impression on the people of Belarus. At Feramoni national theatre, a nine-volume collection of The Gourd Culture Series, composed by Mr. Hu, was donated to the Chinese Cultural Center in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. This showed a Chinese scholar’s commitment to the friendly cooperation between China and Belarus.
葫芦虽小，却能联通世界。扈鲁教授将毕生心血投入到葫芦文化研究事业中，攀登了个人艺术研究之路的一座高峰。更难能可贵的是，他有着更为深沉的家国情怀和更为开阔的国际视野，以实际行动践行了中国“一带一路”倡议和伟大丝路精神，以葫芦为载体开拓了世界各国文化艺术交流的全新领域，是一位令人钦佩的艺术家。
Small as the gourd is, it can connect the whole world. Professor Hu has devoted his life to gourd culture research, and is working hard on his art research. What is more commendable is that he has deeper feelings for his country and a broader international vision. He practices China’s “Belt and Road” initiative and shows the great road and silk spirit. He is a respectable artist, as he takes gourd as the carrier to extend cultural and artistic exchanges among countries around the world.
Mr. Ali, president of Pakistan International Student Union:
Dear Mr. Hu:
您领衔编纂的《葫芦文化丛书》立意高远、博大精深，令人印象深刻、叹为观止，借此机会向您表达由衷敬佩，并对丛书的出版发行表示热烈祝贺。
The Gourd Culture Series you compiled have a lofty, profound, impressive, and breathtaking meaning. We take this opportunity to express our admiration for you and congratulation on the publication of the series.
葫芦在世界各国都有着悠久的种植历史和多样性的使用价值。在中亚，葫芦既是重要的食物，也是独具特色的工艺品类，在民间备受喜爱，有着广泛的民间基础。
Gourd has a long planting history and diversified functions all around the world. In Central Asia, gourd serves as both important food and distinctive crafts. They are popular among the folk, and has a wide folk foundation.
当前，中国倡议的“一带一路”正在加速推进，而推进文化交流、增进民间交往，是共商共建共享的重要内容之一。毫无疑问，葫芦文化将会成为很好的媒介和纽带。
Today, “the Belt and Road” initiated by China is well under way. Promoting cultural exchanges and strengthening people-to-people exchanges are important contents in shared growth through discussion and collaboration. There is no doubt that gourd culture will become a good bridge for communication.
我愿意做一名友好交流的使者，为中国与中亚国家、特别是与巴基斯坦之间架设一座友谊的桥梁。通过我的努力，为《葫芦文化丛书》的翻译与传播作出贡献，让更多的国家和人民从您的研究中受益。
I am willing to be a friendly messenger to promote friendly relationship between China and Central Asia, especially Pakistan. I will work hard to make contributions to the translation and promotion of The Gourd Culture Series, so as to let more countries and people benefit from your research.
Mr. Kaba, an African Guinean scholar:
It was a culture trip with honor and amazement.
有机会结识扈鲁教授——在葫芦题材绘画和葫芦文化研究领域享有盛誉的专家，并在他的亲自引领下参观葫芦画社，听他讲解中国和世界博大精深的葫芦文化，令我十分荣幸。虽然只有半天的参观交流时间，却给我留下了终身难忘的印象。我惊喜地发现，生活中随处可见的小小葫芦，绝不仅仅是一种植物、一种日常用具，它竟然与人类社会的发展变迁、人类文明文化的演进有着如此紧密的联系，具有如此丰富而厚重的文化内涵。
I am very much honored to make friends with Professor Hu, a well-known expert in gourd painting and gourd culture research. Under his guidance, I visited Gourd Painting Studio and listened to stories of profound Chinese gourd culture. The trip only lasted half a day, but it impressed me a lot. I surprisedly found that the ordinary gourd in our daily life is not merely a plant or a daily tool, but is so deeply involved in the development of society and the evolution of human civilization, and thus has profound cultural connotation.
尤其令我大开眼界的是，扈鲁先生和他的团队编纂出版了九卷本《葫芦文化丛书》。在这部丛书中，我不仅学习到了绚烂多姿的葫芦文化，更深切感受到扈鲁教授对祖国和民族文化的那份热爱、那份自豪。通过扈鲁教授的讲解，我对中国文化乃至中国精神都有了更为深刻的认识。
What amazed me most was the nine-volume Gourd Culture Series compiled by Mr. Hu. From these books, I learned colorful gourd culture, and also felt Mr. Hu’s heartfelt love and pride towards his country and culture. I have a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and even Chinese spirit through Mr. Hu’s explanation.
在非洲和我的祖国，葫芦在日常生活中扮演着十分重要的角色。人们把它作为生活中的工具，并制作成各种工艺品和乐器等，有着广泛的民间基础。我愿意做一名友好交流的使者，让更多的人了解中国、了解中国的葫芦文化，为中非友谊作出自己的努力。
In Africa and my country, gourds play important roles in daily life. People regard them as tools in daily life and created all kinds of crafts and musical instruments. As such, they have a wide folk foundation. I am willing to be a friendly messenger to let more people know China and its gourd culture, and make efforts to deepen the friendship between China and Africa.