The Regular at the Used Bookstore

Marisol visits the used bookstore on the corner every Sunday afternoon. She likes the smell of old paper and the quiet shelves. A man always sits in the same green chair.

每个星期天下午，马里索尔都会去街角的那家二手书店。她喜欢旧纸张的气味，也喜欢安静的书架。总有一个男人坐在同一把绿色的椅子上。

He reads there every Sunday too, always at the same time. Marisol never says anything to him. She just nods and picks a book nearby.

每个星期天他也在那儿看书，总是在同一个时间。马里索尔从来没有和他说过话。她只是点点头，然后在附近挑一本书。

One Sunday, the green chair is empty when Marisol arrives. She feels a small, strange disappointment.

一个星期天，马里索尔到的时候，那把绿椅子是空的。她心里有一点说不出的失落。

She looks around the store. She finds him near the poetry section instead. He holds a thick book with a torn cover. Marisol walks over to see the title.

她在店里四处看了看，发现他在诗歌区旁边。他拿着一本封面破损的厚书。马里索尔走过去，想看看书名。

"Sorry," she says. "I don't mean to bother you." "What book is that?" she asks.

“对不起，”她说，“我不是想打扰你。”“那是什么书？”她问。

The man looks up, surprised but friendly. "It's an old book about sailing ships," he says. "My grandfather gave it to me."

男人抬起头来，有些吃惊，但很友好。“是一本讲帆船的旧书，”他说，“我爷爷送给我的。”

"That sounds interesting," Marisol says. "I always see you in that green chair." The man smiles.

“听起来很有意思，”马里索尔说，“我总是看到你坐在那把绿椅子上。”男人笑了。

"I'm Xander," he says. "And yes, that chair is my favorite spot."

“我叫赞德，”他说，“没错，那把椅子是我最喜欢的位子。”

"I'm Marisol," she says. "I sit two shelves over, by the maps." They both laugh, surprised they never talked before.

“我叫马里索尔，”她说，“我坐在隔两排书架的地方，在地图那边。”他们俩都笑了，惊讶于以前从没说过话。

"Maybe we can stop being strangers," Xander says. "I like that idea," Marisol says.

“也许我们可以不再做陌生人了，”赞德说。“我喜欢这个想法，”马里索尔说。

They sit down together near the poetry section. Marisol asks about the sailing book, and Xander begins to explain.

他们一起在诗歌区旁边坐了下来。马里索尔问起那本帆船的书，赞德开始讲给她听。