Professor Idema has written many books, but except for a few scholarly treatises in English, the rest are translations into Dutch. "The taxes paid by my fellow citizens give me a chance to study Chinese literature, so I have a duty to let them share in the enjoyment I have found in it," he explains.
伊維德教授著作極多，但除了少數較艱深的學術論文使用英文發表，其餘大部分譯著都是荷蘭文﹘﹘這意味著他主動「限制」了書本的銷售量﹘﹘「我的國民付稅讓我有機會鑽研中國文學，我有義務讓他們能分享我由其中得到的樂趣和成果」，他說。