承蒙拥有七百余名会员的埃及作家协会秘书萨布里先生的盛情,我得以跟许多埃及作家会晤。埃及的电话很难打,能拨通是一种幸运。开始,每当我同一些作家联系上以后,不免又有些惴惴。我知道,埃及几乎没有专业作家,他们多半从事教学、新闻或其他职业,靠业余时间进行创作。有的人身兼数职,十分忙碌,甚至日无暇晷。对我这种不情之请,他们也许会婉言谢绝吧。但是,不期而然,我约会见了一百多位诗人、小说家、评论家、 Thanks to Mr. Sabri, Secretary of the Egyptian Writers Association, which has more than 700 members, I have been able to meet with many Egyptian writers. Egyptian phone is difficult to beat, it is a lucky dial. At first, whenever I contacted some writers, I could not help but feel shy. I know that there are very few professional writers in Egypt who are mostly engaged in teaching, journalism or other occupations and who work in their spare time. Some people are full-time, very busy, and even no time to go. They may refuse me politely for this kind of resentment. However, unexpectedly, I met over a hundred poets, novelists, critics,