A man in the U.S. managed to cast off his drug habit after he found something even more alluring¹: Chinese web novels. The books’ unique content and imaginative plots rejuvenated² the troubled man’s life, media reported.

最近美国一男子成功戒掉了网瘾，原因是因为他找到了更让他上瘾的东西：中国网文。据媒体报道，中国网文里独一无二的内容和富有想象力的剧情让他重获新生。

Kevin Cazad, a software programmer, resorted to drugs to alleviate³ his pain after breaking up with his girlfriend. Severe drug addiction⁴ caused him physical and mental pain, even threatening his life at times. But things changed in 2014, when Cazad first came across online Chinese literature.

凯文是一名软件程序员，自从和女友分手之后他便一直用毒品来麻痹自己。严重的毒瘾给他带来了身体和心灵上的双重痛苦，甚至威胁到了他的生命。但是2014年事情出现了转机，当时凯文第一次邂逅了中国网络文学。

“In the past, whenever I went home, all my attention was on drugs. But when I go home now, the only thing that occupies my mind is Chinese web novels. Like drugs, they can also become an addiction, but the difference is that they can’t harm your health,” Cazad told the Southern Weekly during an interview, adding that he used to finish five volumes of a popular Chinese web novel named "Coiling Dragon" in a single day.

凯文在采访中对《南方周末》表示说：“以前不管什么时候回家，我的注意力都会集中在毒品上。但是现在，回家之后我脑子里想的唯一一件事就是中国网文。网文就跟毒品一样会让人上瘾，但是区别在于它们不会损害你的健康。”他还说自己以前甚至一天就看完了《盘龙》五部。

Cazad’s story shocked the author of the book, who told the Southern Weekly that he never expected so much enthusiasm from a foreign reader.

凯文的故事让这本书的作者都感到震惊，后者向《南方周末》表示称，他从没想到过一位外国读者会如此痴迷他的作品。

“Many readers have written letters to me, saying that my web novel reshaped their understanding of life. Some even attribute their achievements to inspiration they got from my books. It was like, are you guys kidding me?” laughed the writer, who goes under the alias⁵ “I eat tomatoes.”

该书作者“我吃西红柿”大笑着说道：“许多读者给我写了信，说我的小说重塑了他们对生活的理解。有些人甚至把他们取得的成就归功于从我书中得到的灵感。你特么逗我呢?”

Cazad is not the only foreigner to become a diehard fan of online Chinese literature. In fact, Chinese web novels have recently been gaining in popularity among foreign readers, who enjoy the cultural elements contained within the unique works.

凯文并不是唯一一个成为中国网文铁粉的外国人。事实上，最近中国网文在外国读者之间非常受欢迎，他们都很痴迷于这独一无二作品中蕴含的文化元素。

According to 2016 statistics from Novelupdates.com, a website that translates popular Asian novels for Western readers, Chinese web novels have created a reading frenzy⁶ among foreign consumers. Among the site’s 10 most popular web novels, five were written by Chinese authors.

据2016年Novelupdates.com(该网站专门为西方读者翻译亚洲热门小说)的统计数据显示，中国网文在外国读者间掀起了一股阅读狂潮。在该网站最受欢迎的前十部网文中，有5部由中国作者创作。

“As a Westerner, the traditional Chinese elements and strong plots really intrigue⁷ me. Outside of the Harry⁸ Potter series, I can’t think of any other books with so much imagination and innovation,” Fernando Hernandez, a Spanish engineer, told People’s Daily Online.

一名西班牙工程师费尔南多对《人民日报》透露说：“作为一个西方人，传统中国元素和高能的剧情真的很让我着迷。除了《哈利波特》以外，我想不出还有哪些书有如此丰富的脑洞和创新。”