There are some fairly clear distinctions between a traditional library and a Human Library - namely, that the former loans out books, and the latter, humans. But on closer inspection, the two libraries are not so different.传统图书馆和真人图书馆的确有非常明显的区别。顾名思义，前者借阅书，而后者借阅“人”。然而，若仔细考量，这两种图书馆并非大相径庭。



Much like a typical library, at a Human Library a ‘reader’ checks out a person who is knowledgeable on a specific topic. The reader then has an allotted amount of time to ask the person questions and learn about the topic.同普通图书馆一样，真人图书馆的“读者”会“阅读”一本“真人图书”，扮演图书的人在特定话题上拥有丰富的知识。读者可以在规定的时间内向“真人图书”提问题，学习相关知识。



Human Library started in Denmark as a social movement that uses dialogue to challenge stereotypes and prejudices. Readers have the opportunity to borrow from a diverse collection of peoples - a police officer, a veteran, a single mom, a Muslim, a teacher, a refugee, an autist - the list goes on.真人图书馆起源于丹麦，开创了社会新潮流，通过对话形式向种种刻板印象和偏见发起挑战。读者有机会向各式各样的人学习，如警官、退伍军人、单亲妈妈、穆斯林信徒、老师、难民、孤独症患者等等。



The libraries, which have now spread to 70 countries across the world, aim to bring people together would otherwise never interact. As founder Ronni Abergal told Upworthy, “it's meant to be a safe space to ask difficult questions and not to be judged. To try to gain an important insight into the life of someone you think you know something about." Human Library is as much about embracing diversity as it is about finding commonalities. Abergal wants readers to walk away from this experience with the understanding that “there are more things that we have in common than are keeping us apart.”如今，真人图书馆已遍布全球70个国家，旨在将从不会有交集的人聚在一起。真人图书馆的创始人Ronni Abergal对Upworthy网站说：“真人图书馆的创立目的是为人们提供一个安全的空间，在这里人们可以提出疑难问题，并免受他人评断。你自认为对某些人的生活有所了解，而借助真人图书馆你还可以试着去深入观察他们的人生。”真人图书馆既包容差异，又寻求共性。Abergal 想让读者从这些经历和体验中明白“相比那些把人们分割趋离的差异性，我们还是拥有更多的共性”。



Though perhaps unconventional, Human Libraries may just be exactly what’s needed to break barriers, erase labels, and bring people together. After all, you never know what you can learn when you read between the lines.尽管真人图书馆颠覆传统，但是为了实现打破障碍、消除标签、将人们团结在一起的目的，它却正是我们所需要的。毕竟，在未深入接触之前，你永远不知道自己会从真人图书馆中学到什么。