全世界最爱读书的国家印度
Indians are the world's biggest bookworms, reading on average 10%26#46;7 hours a week, twice as long as Americans, according to a new survey%26#46;
The NOP World Culture Score index surveyed 30,000 people in 30 countries from December 2004 to February 2005%26#46;
Analysts said self-help and aspirational reading could explain India's high figures%26#46;
Time spent on reading meant fewer hours watching TV and listening to the radio - India came fourth last in both%26#46;
The NOP survey of 30,000 consumers aged over 13 saw China and the Philippines take second and third place respectively in average hours a week spent reading books, newspapers and magazines%26#46;
Britons and Americans scored about half the Indians' hours and Japanese and Koreans were even lower - at 4%26#46;1 and 3%26#46;1 hours respectively%26#46;
R Sriram, chief executive officer of Crosswords Bookstores, a chain of 26 book shops around India, says Indians are extremely entrepreneurial and reading "is a fundamental part of their being"%26#46;
"They place a great deal of emphasis on reading%26#46; That's the reason why they do well in education and universities abroad," he said%26#46;
"People educate themselves and deal with change throughout their lives%26#46; And the way to do that is to update themselves with books%26#46;"
Mr Sriram says social changes have also made a difference: "Earlier people could turn to their parents and grandparents for advice%26#46; Now they turn to books%26#46;"
最新一项调查显示，全世界最爱读书的是印度人，他们每周花在读书上的时间平均达到10%26#46;7小时，是美国人的两倍。
NOP世界文化评分指数在2004年12月至2005年2月期间对30个国家的三万人进行了调查。
分析师们指出，自助读书、热爱读书是印度人均读书时间超过别的国家的主要原因。
把时间用于读书意味着看电视和听广播的时间就相对减少，印度人用在看电视和听广播的时间都排在倒数第四位。
NOP调查的三万名消费者的平均年龄超过13岁。中国人和菲律宾人每周用在读书、读报及看杂志上的时间分列第二和第三名。
英国人和美国人的每周读报时间仅为印度人的一半，而日本和韩国则更低，分别为4%26#46;1小时和3%26#46;1小时。
在印度拥有26家图书连锁店的克劳斯沃兹书店执行总裁斯利拉姆表示，印度人非常具有开创精神，读书是他们生活中不可缺少的一部分。
他说：“他们非常注重读书。这就是为什么他们的学习都很棒，在国外大学学习时表现也很出色。”
“人们进行自我教育，应对生活中出现的变化。要做到这点就必须通过读书来充实自己。”
斯利拉姆先生表示，社会变革也起到一定影响，“以前人们会从父母或祖父母那里寻求帮助，而现在他们求助于书本。”