← Advanced Chinese readings
Advanced Chinese · Short story
旧书店
The Old Bookshop
A second-hand bookshop behind the university, its silent owner, and the last day before it closes.
Key words in this reading
- xiàngzi · lane, alley
- mǎnmǎndāngdāng · full to the brim
- huābái · grey (hair)
- zhǔdòng · on one's own initiative
- zhāohu · to greet
- guìtái · counter
- bùjiǎsīsuǒ · without thinking twice
- quàn · to urge, to advise
- gàoshì · notice
- tíngyè · to close down (a business)
- zhuānchéng · specially (for a trip)
- tì · for, on behalf of
Tap any word to hear it and see what it means.
学校后门那条巷子里,有一家开了三十年的旧书店。店面不大,书却堆得满满当当,从地板一直到天花板。
店主姓孙,头发早已花白。他很少主动招呼客人,总是坐在柜台后面,戴着老花镜看书。可只要你问起某本书,他往往不假思索就能告诉你在第几排第几层。
这些年,网上买书越来越方便,来店里的人越来越少。有人劝他把店关了,他只是笑笑:“书是要翻的,不是用来点的。”
去年冬天,书店门口贴出一张告示:房租上涨,本店将于月底停业。消息传开后,许多已经毕业多年的学生专程赶回来,有的买书,有的只是想再看一眼。
最后一天,孙老板把剩下的书一本一本送了出去。他对每个人都说同一句话:“替我好好读。”
Comprehension check
0/4 answered
1. What is Mr Sun's special talent?
2. What does he mean by “书是要翻的,不是用来点的”?
3. Why is the bookshop closing?
4. What did Mr Sun do on the last day?