背景介绍：
韩国，作为亚洲文化输出的重要力量，近年来在文学领域也展现出独特的魅力。随着《万寿菊心灵洗衣店》等治愈系小说在国际市场的热销，韩国治愈文学逐渐成为全球读者关注的焦点。这一潮流的兴起，不仅反映了韩国社会竞争激烈、倦怠现象普遍的文化背景，也彰显了逃避主义在当下的吸引力。韩国治愈小说以其独特的魅力，为国际出版界带来了新的风向标。
Turn down the
K-pop and pay attention to K-healing
The rise of
South Korean books about burnout has taken the world by storm
The country that gave the world popular bands such as BTS and hits
such as “Parasite” and “Squid Game” is now exporting something slower-paced. The publication of “Marigold Mind
Laundry” in America and Britain this month brings attention to the latest South
Korean trend: the healing novel.
韩国，这个曾以防弹少年团等流行乐队、《寄生虫》和《鱿鱼游戏》等热门作品震撼世界的国度，如今正以一种慢节奏的内容再次吸引全球目光。本月，《万寿菊心灵洗衣店》在美国与英国的出版，标志着韩国最新潮流——治愈小说的崛起。
These books about burnout can be judged by their
covers, which
ooze
wholesome peacefulness. Most depict an attractive building
in a soothing colour, with nature artfully arranged outside.
这些聚焦于倦怠感的书籍，仅凭封面便能传递出一股宁静平和的气息。大多数封面以色彩柔和的迷人建筑为主角，建筑外观巧妙地融入自然元素。
In the stories characters leave behind stress in search of something more meaningful. A high-flier sets up a bookshop; a TV writer quits her job and starts pottery classes.
A connection to a new place brings connections to new people on their own quests for well-being.
故事中的主人公们纷纷卸下压力，踏上寻找生活真谛的旅程。有的事业有成者转行开设书店，有的电视编剧毅然辞职，投身于陶艺研究。
他们来到新环境，结识了同样在追寻幸福的新朋友。
From cats to
ki
mchi
,
ice-crea
m
to
cof
fee
, “cosy healing elements” abound, says Clare Richards, translator of “The Healing Season of Pottery”, a popular novel in Korea that is set for international release this autumn.
备受瞩目的韩国小说《陶艺的治愈季节》将于今年秋天全球发行，其译者克莱尔
·
理查兹指出，从猫咪到泡菜，从冰淇淋到咖啡，
“
温馨的治愈元素
”
在书中俯拾皆是。
South Korea has long had a market for comforting tales
with themes of healing, as has Japan. But the current trend emerged during the
pandemic, when the genre started to dominate South Korean bestseller charts.
The depiction of communal spaces held strong appeal during a time of social
constraints, says Joy Lee, a foreign-rights agent.
长久以来，治愈系的心灵慰藉故事在韩国与日本都拥有广阔的市场。然而，当前的这股潮流真正兴起于疫情期间，当时，该类题材的书籍开始在韩国畅销书排行榜上占据显著位置。外国版权代理人乔伊·李表示，在社会受限的背景下，公共空间的故事叙述展现出强大的吸引力。
Like many pastimes, healing fiction thrived online, attracting young female readers seeking recommendations from
social me
dia.
(Several novels were published online first or through crowd-funding, rather than through conventional publishing routes.) Enthusiastic reviews from K-pop stars helped fuel the craze.
与众多消遣方式一样，治愈小说在网络空间迅速走红，吸引了大量在社交媒体上寻求推荐的年轻女性读者。值得注意的是，有几部小说最初是在网络或通过众筹方式出版的，而非遵循传统的出版路径。此外，韩国流行歌星的热情推荐也为这一热潮增添了助力。
International publishers have taken note. Bloomsbury,
Hachette and HarperCollins have all published or acquired K-healing
bestsellers; Penguin Random House will bring out three titles in the next four
months. Korean fiction was suddenly in fashion and “completely exploded”, says
Jane Lawson of Penguin Random House. The healing trend has become “utterly
global”; many titles have contracts in between 15 and 20 territories.
国际出版商已敏锐地捕捉到这一趋势。布鲁姆斯伯里出版社、阿歇特出版集团和哈珀柯林斯出版社等均已出版或收购了韩国的治愈类畅销书；企鹅兰登书屋也将在未来四个月内推出三本相关作品。企鹅兰登书屋的简·劳森透露，韩国小说突然流行开来，并且“彻底火了”。治愈文学的风潮已经“完全全球化”，许多书籍在15到20个地区都签订了出版合约。
This reflects a broader shift, with interest in
translated fiction rising, especially among young readers. In 2022 sales of
translated fiction rose by 22% in Britain; almost half of readers were under
35, according to the Booker Prize Foundation, which awards literary prizes.
这反映了外文翻译小说关注度提升的更广泛变化，特别是在年轻读者群体中。据布克奖基金会（负责颁发文学奖的机构）的数据显示，2022年，英国翻译小说的销量增长了22%，且近一半的读者年龄在35岁以下。
“We’ve always had very diverse genres in Korea, but now it feels like healing fiction equals Korean fiction” for international publishers, says Ms Lee, who notes that literary offerings within Korea are more diverse than what is being exported.
李女士指出：“韩国一直拥有丰富多样的文学体裁，但现在对国际出版商而言，韩国小说似乎等同于治愈系小说。”她同时强调，韩国国内的文学作品相较于出口的作品更为多样化。
Why did South Korea spawn the healing novel? It is a
function of its competitive culture, rife with burnout. Seven out of ten
South Koreans report mental-health issues, such as depression; nap “cafés” are
common in Seoul. The books’ characters wrestle with work exhaustion or job-hunt
unsuccessfully.
韩国为何能催生治愈小说？这与其竞争激烈、倦怠现象普遍的文化背景密不可分。有70%的韩国人表示自己存在心理健康问题，如抑郁症；在首尔，提供午睡服务的“咖啡馆”随处可见。书中的角色或是疲于奔命，或是求职无果。
“I’m good at studying…I work super hard. How dare society turn its back on me?”
laments
a
forlorn
graduate in Hwang Bo-reum’s “Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop” (2022), a bestseller about a woman who quits her job and opens a bookstore. Ms Hwang wants to comfort readers by “providing a pat on the shoulder for those who’ve lost the joy in life, having pushed themselves too hard to do well”, her author’s note explains.
在黄宝凛的畅销书《欢迎光临休南洞书店》（2022年）中，一位绝望的毕业生感叹道：“我擅长学习……我工作超级努力。社会怎么能背弃我？”这本书讲述了一名女性辞职开店的故事。黄女士在作者寄语中解释，她希望通过这部作品“给那些因过于拼命而失去生活乐趣的人一个拍肩鼓励”，从而给予读者慰藉。
The genre’s success also indicates the appeal of
escapism. Sometimes the novels’ locations are marvellous as well as mindful: a
laundry that washes away trauma; a shop where you can buy dreams. The books
benefit from slow reading, says Shanna Tan, a translator of several healing
novels. Readers come to book talks with their heavily annotated copies in tow,
words of life advice underlined. It is literary therapy—by the book.
治愈文学的成功也彰显了逃避主义的魅力。有时，小说中的场景既令人惊叹又引人深思：一家能洗去心灵创伤的洗衣店，一家能买到梦想的店铺……多本治愈小说的译者莎娜·谭表示，这些书籍适合细细品读。读者们常带着标注满满的书籍参加读书分享会，书中的生活箴言都被重点标记。这无疑是名副其实的文学疗法。
