搬家收拾柜子的时候，一本书从最里面掉了出来。
Bānjiā shōushi guìzi de shíhou, yì běn shū cóng zuì lǐmiàn diào le chūlái.
While packing the cabinet for my move, a book fell out from the very back.
是图书馆的书，到期时间是四年前。
Shì túshūguǎn de shū, dàoqī shíjiān shì sì nián qián.
It was a library book, due back four years ago.
我拿着它坐了半天，不知道怎么办。
Wǒ ná zhe tā zuò le bàntiān, bù zhīdào zěnme bàn.
I sat holding it for a long while, not knowing what to do.
这四年我搬过三次家，换过两个城市。
Zhè sì nián wǒ bān guò sān cì jiā, huàn guò liǎng gè chéngshì.
In those four years I moved three times and changed cities twice.
它一直在柜子最里面，跟着我走到哪儿算哪儿。
Tā yìzhí zài guìzi zuì lǐmiàn, gēn zhe wǒ zǒu dào nǎr suàn nǎr.
It stayed in the back of the cabinet, following me wherever I went.
书名是《安静的春天》，是我最爱的一本。
Shū míng shì《 ānjìng de chūntiān》, shì wǒ zuì ài de yì běn.
The title was Silent Spring, one of my favorites.
当年我舍不得还，一拖就拖了四年。
Dāngnián wǒ shěbude hái, yì tuō jiù tuō le sì nián.
Back then I could not bear to return it, and putting it off led to four years.
第二天我还是去了图书馆，做好了被罚款的准备。
Dì èr tiān wǒ háishi qù le túshūguǎn, zuò hǎo le bèi fákuǎn de zhǔnbèi.
The next day I went to the library anyway, ready to pay a fine.
排队的人不多，管理员是个年轻姑娘。
Páiduì de rén bù duō, guǎnlǐ yuán shì gè niánqīng gūniang.
The line was short, and the librarian was a young woman.
她扫了一下书，抬头看了我一眼，又看了一眼电脑。
Tā sǎo le yíxià shū, táitóu kàn le wǒ yì yǎn, yòu kàn le yì yǎn diànnǎo.
She scanned the book, glanced up at me, then glanced at her screen again.
她说：这本书，我们找了好几年。
Tā shuō: zhè běn shū, wǒmen zhǎo le hǎo jǐ nián.
She said: this book, we have been looking for it for years.
我的脸一下子就红了，连声说对不起。
Wǒ de liǎn yíxià zi jiù hóng le, lián shēng shuō duìbuqǐ.
My face turned red at once, and I kept saying sorry.
她没有生气，反而把书翻到最后。
Tā méiyǒu shēngqì, fǎn’ér bǎ shū fān dào zuìhòu.
She was not angry; instead she flipped to the back of the book.
最后一页贴着一张老借书单，黄黄的，上面盖满了章。
Zuìhòu yí yè tiē zhe yì zhāng lǎo jiè shū dān, huáng huáng de, shàngmiàn gài mǎn le zhāng.
On the last page was stuck an old lending slip, yellowed and covered with stamps.
最早的日期是一九八九年三月。
Zuì zǎo de rìqī shì yī jiǔ bā jiǔ nián sān yuè.
The earliest date was March 1989.
她说：以前的书都有这个，每个借过的人都要盖一个章。
Tā shuō: yǐqián de shū dōu yǒu zhège, měi gè jiè guò de rén dōu yào gài yí gè zhāng.
She said: old books all had this; everyone who borrowed it got a stamp.
我走近看，三十几年，一共二十多个名字。
Wǒ zǒu jìn kàn, sān shí jǐ nián, yígòng èr shí duō gè míngzi.
I leaned in to look: over thirty years, more than twenty names in all.
有学生的，有工人的，字有的好看，有的很急。
Yǒu xuéshēng de, yǒu gōngrén de, zì yǒude hǎokàn, yǒude hěn jí.
Some were students, some workers; some handwriting neat, some hurried.
我的名字排在最后，二零一八年。
Wǒ de míngzi pái zài zuìhòu, èr líng yī bā nián.
My name came last, 2018.
姑娘说：按规定要罚款，四年，一共十二块。
Gūniang shuō: àn guīdìng yào fákuǎn, sì nián, yígòng shí èr kuài.
The young woman said: by the rules there is a fine, four years, twelve yuan in all.
我马上付了钱，心里反而轻松了。
Wǒ mǎshàng fù le qián, xīnlǐ fǎn’ér qīngsōng le.
I paid right away and felt lighter instead.
我问她：这本书以后还会借出去吗？
Wǒ wèn tā: zhè běn shū yǐhòu hái huì jiè chūqù ma?
I asked her: will this book still be lent out in the future?
她说：太老了，要送去保存库，不再外借。
Tā shuō: tài lǎo le, yào sòng qù bǎocún kù, bú zài wài jiè.
She said: it is too old and will go to the storage room, no longer for loan.
也就是说，我是最后一个借它的人。
Yě jiùshì shuō, wǒ shì zuìhòu yí gè jiè tā de rén.
Which meant I was the last person ever to borrow it.
我把书递过去之前，把它又看了一眼。
Wǒ bǎ shū dì guòqù zhīqián, bǎ tā yòu kàn le yì yǎn.
Before handing it over, I gave it one more look.
三十几年，二十几个人读过它，我是最后一个读者。
Sān shí jǐ nián, èr shí jǐ gèrén dú guò tā, wǒ shì zuìhòu yí gè dúzhě.
Over thirty years, more than twenty people read it, and I was the last reader.
走出图书馆的时候，外面在下雨。
Zǒu chū túshūguǎn de shíhou, wàimiàn zài xià yǔ.
When I walked out of the library, it was raining.
我想，一本书能去的地方，比我多。
Wǒ xiǎng, yì běn shū néng qù de dìfang, bǐ wǒ duō.
I thought: a book can travel to more places than I have.
它现在要休息了，挺好。
Tā xiànzài yào xiūxi le, tǐng hǎo.
Now it gets to rest, and that is fine.
回家路上，我在手机上买了一本新的《安静的春天》。
Huí jiā lùshang, wǒ zài shǒujī shàng mǎi le yì běn xīn de《 ānjìng de chūntiān》.
On the way home I ordered a new copy of Silent Spring on my phone.
新书已经到了我家，这本我不会再弄丢了。
Xīn shū yǐjīng dào le wǒ jiā, zhè běn wǒ bú huì zài nòng diū le.
The new copy has arrived; this one I will not lose again.
HearMandarin