今天出版的這本英文書，以我的中文著作《葛秋山下的樹行》為基礎，並增補了《生存》一書中幾篇未曾發表的文章。因此，本書的內容比中文原版《葛秋山下的樹行》更為豐富，但又不及即將出版的《生存》那樣詳盡全面。

我寫作的初衷是描繪真相——即我的族群、國家、人民、社會與故土的深層內涵與真實面貌。同時，我也藉此記錄自己對人生與自然的感悟，記述我之所見，並分享我的思考。

我希望自己的著作能如實記錄我所身處的時代。我始終認為，人們對同一真相的感知因性格與思想深度的不同而各異。換言之，即便意圖還原真相，同一事件在不同作者筆下也可能呈現出截然不同的面貌。若作家的目的是粉飾政權，或其創作受制於嚴苛的審查制度，那麼其筆下的文字往往便與事實真相毫無關聯了。

我對中國的感情經歷了一番演變：從孩童時期的熱愛，到因受騙與被操弄而產生的覺醒與憤怒；而在遊歷世界、見證眾生百態之後，那份恨意逐漸消退。我轉而重新審視其歷史與哲學，探尋其得以存續的深層緣由。

然而，對於一位致力於探求真相的作家而言，身處當今時代可謂舉步維艱——這種艱難程度，恐怕超過了世界上任何其他國家或中國歷史上的任何時期。所有的出版資源均被共產黨的審查體制所壟斷，該體制要求作家歌頌政權。我既不願與之為敵，也不願淪為他們的工具，將寫作變成阿諛奉承的手段。我只願描繪我所見的真相，訴說我想說的話。這迫使我不得不身兼作家與出版人雙重角色，在海外社會尋找狹窄的路徑，脫離共產黨的體制框架進行自主出版。

於是，在極度艱難的環境下，我盡己所能——儘可能多地寫作，儘可能設法出版。至於作品的命運如何，我不得而知。正如那句老話所言： “只管耕耘，莫問收穫。”最令我深受鼓舞的是我的讀者，他們不斷激勵我筆耕不輟。

例如： 親愛的葛秋山（或黃先生）： 非常感謝您！ 請繼續寫作。只要您的思想化作文字，發布在網上或印成書籍，它們便能長存，並讓後人有機會觸及真相。這意義重大，尤其是在當今這個歷史被蓄意抹殺與粉飾的時代。 我必須鄭重地告訴您：作為一名依然珍視文字與圖書館價值的普通海外華人讀者，您的真誠與人性光輝深深打動了我。在長年只讀英文讀物之後，正是您的作品重新點燃了我對中國文學的興趣。謝謝您！ 請堅持下去！ 康安

我收到過許多類似的來信，在Twitter（推特）、CND及其他海外華人網絡平台上，也常能看到這樣的鼓勵之辭。這便是我堅持寫作的力量源泉。令我備受鼓舞的還有一件事：我自費出版的中文書在海外竟售出了數百冊——對於海外自費出版而言，這已是相當可觀的成績。

多年來，我一直盼望自己的書能被譯成英文，因為唯有如此，它們才能獲得更廣闊的生存空間。然而，知名譯者往往對自費出版的作品不屑一顧，而普通譯者的收費又高得驚人。很長一段時間裡，我只能寄希望於某種神跡降臨。

但我始終堅信這是可能的，畢竟我迄今為止的人生，本身就是一場奇蹟。 “老驥伏櫪，志在千里。” 如今，隨着人工智能時代的到來，我多年的夙願終於得以實現。這便是本書誕生的緣起。

“總有一陣清風，能助我圓那八千里路雲和月的夢想。” Preface: Simply to Speak the Truth    This English book being published today is based on the Chinese book of the same name, The Rows of Trees Below Ge Qiushan, supplemented with a few unpublished articles from Survival. Thus, its content exceeds that of the original Chinese The Rows of Trees Below Ge Qiushan but is less comprehensive than the forthcoming Survival.    The purpose of my writing is to portray the truth—the depth and true face of my ethnicity, nation, people, society, and homeland. At the same time I write to capture my reflections from human life and nature, to document everything I have observed, and to share my thoughts.    I hope my books can truthfully recount the era I lived in. I have always believed that people perceive the same truth differently, depending on their character and intellectual depth. In other words, the same event may appear entirely different when written by different people—even assuming they intend to portray its true nature. If a writer's purpose is to flatter a regime or their work is bound by strict censorship, then their writing will likely have no connection to the actual subject matter.    My feelings toward China evolved from the love of a child to the awakening and anger of being deceived and manipulated. After traveling the world and witnessing humanity, the hatred gradually faded. I turned back to reinterpret its history and philosophy, searching for deeper reasons for its survival.    But for a writer committed to truth, living in this era is immensely difficult—arguably harder than in any other nation or any historical period in China. All publishing resources are monopolized by the Communist Party's censorship system, which requires writers to glorify the regime. I neither wish to oppose them nor become their tool, turning my writing into a means of praise. I only wish to depict the truth I have observed and say what I want to say. This leaves me no choice but to act as both writer and publisher, finding narrow paths to self-publish outside the Communist framework in foreign societies.    Thus, under extreme difficulty, I do what I can—writing as much as I can, publishing however I can. The fate of what I write is unknown. As the saying goes: "Just focus on the work, and don't worry about the harvest."    What encourages me most are my readers, who constantly inspire me to continue writing. For example: Dear Ge Qiushan / Mr. Huang, Thank you so much! Please keep writing. As long as your thoughts are turned into words, posted online, or printed into books, they will live on and provide future generations a chance to access the truth. This is of great importance, especially in an era where history is deliberately erased and glorified. I must solemnly tell you that, as an ordinary overseas Chinese reader who still believes in the value of texts and libraries, your sincerity and humanity resonate deeply with me. It was your works that rekindled my interest in Chinese literature after years of reading only English. Thank you! Please persevere! Kang An    I have received many similar letters, and on platforms like Twitter, CND, and other overseas Chinese networks, I often see such words of encouragement. This is the strength that keeps me writing. I am also motivated by the surprising fact that my self-published Chinese books have sold hundreds of copies overseas—an impressive achievement for self-publishing abroad.    For years, I hoped my books could be translated into English, as only then would they gain more space for survival. However, renowned translators disdain self-published works, and ordinary translators charge exorbitant fees. For a long time, I have placed my hope in divine miracles.    I still believe it is possible, for my entire life to this point has been nothing short of a miracle.    "An old steed in the stable still dreams of galloping a thousand miles."    Now, with the advent of artificial intelligence, my long-cherished wish has finally come true. This is the origin of this book.    "There will always be a breeze to fulfill my dreams of eight thousand miles."