偶遇小巷書店

文、圖易明Yi Ming 譯曹宇光Cao Yuguang

尼斯書店老板與顧客交流The Boss of the Bookstore Exchanged with Customer in Nice

我是個(gè)不怎么愛讀書的人，工作關(guān)系，和書結(jié)下了些不解之緣。家里、辦公室里，小書架已經(jīng)堆滿，清了再清，以至難于找到合適的地方安放新書。

萬萬沒想到，如此情況下，一趟法國(guó)之行，我的不遠(yuǎn)萬里，從法國(guó)尼斯帶回北京的，竟然是十來斤書，而且是一點(diǎn)都看不懂的法文。

事情還要從同行歐老師說起。歐建平老師對(duì)書有種癡愛，十多天的行程中，哪怕能抽出半天自由時(shí)間，他都要找書店去逛逛。歐老師研究舞蹈，目標(biāo)倒也明確，舞蹈的書，舞蹈的碟。他還有一個(gè)觀點(diǎn)：書不可以談價(jià)錢，書不可以用金錢來衡量。

逛書店不是我的興趣?？蓜偟侥崴?，和歐老師還不熟，當(dāng)他提議一起逛書店時(shí)，我也不好拒絕。Fnac是尼斯最大的書店，一共四層，都是法文書籍，也賣一些電子產(chǎn)品。其中音像制品占據(jù)很大區(qū)域，配有體驗(yàn)耳機(jī)，看不懂文字，還可以聽聽碟子。

時(shí)間有些難熬?？礆W老師那么認(rèn)真，我不免慚愧，也裝模作樣找起書來，竟發(fā)現(xiàn)了幾排中國(guó)現(xiàn)當(dāng)代文學(xué)的法文翻譯：老舍、莫言，都有成套譯著，封面充滿對(duì)中國(guó)的想象。余華、蘇童、劉震云、閻連科、劉心武、畢飛宇、遲子建、李敬澤等當(dāng)代作家作品也能看到，甚至還有近年新出的繪本《平美如棠》等。尼斯書店里中國(guó)小說的翻譯作品不少，其后在巴黎的莎士比亞書店，在柏林的書店，都沒有看到成排的中文外譯本。

眼看已經(jīng)過去兩三個(gè)小時(shí)，中午12點(diǎn)了，可歐老師還不準(zhǔn)備結(jié)束；一點(diǎn)多了，我的肚子開始咕嚕咕嚕叫，歐老師依然興致盎然……大好的一天，看來要消磨在了書店里了。歐老師最終收獲不小，我陪著他高興。午飯么，書店餐飲區(qū)的法式長(zhǎng)面包不錯(cuò)，餓的時(shí)候，吃什么都香。

已是傍晚，歐老師提議到尼斯老城走走。這個(gè)建議不錯(cuò)，想著可以從老城眺望美麗的天使灣。從住處步行到老城有一段距離，尼斯沒有中國(guó)城市里的小區(qū)，一棟棟房子臨街建著，小街小巷非常多。我們就在這些小巷子里很無方向感地走著，忽然歐老師眼前一亮，喊了聲：書店！我也一驚，而后有些失落：看來遙望天使灣的美夢(mèng)要成泡影。

其實(shí)就是街邊一間很不起眼的店面，如果不是歐老師敏感，很容易錯(cuò)過。進(jìn)到屋內(nèi)，僅20平方米左右，三面貼墻的書架，一面臨街的櫥窗，中間桌子上擺的也都是書。老板是個(gè)法國(guó)中年人，金發(fā)卷曲，鼻梁高挺，戴著一副圓框眼鏡。

架子上的書，很多是那種竹節(jié)樣的書脊，有的還加了層保護(hù)膜，顯得非常珍貴。竟是一個(gè)舊書店。伸手拿了一本“竹節(jié)書”：皮質(zhì)封面，刷金書頂，出版于100多年前，紙張厚實(shí)，手感舒適，竟不覺得特別古舊。內(nèi)頁(yè)插圖繪制精美，色彩如新，比很多新的出版物還要漂亮！而這樣既古舊又精美的圖書，在這個(gè)小書店中，竟然隨手就能拿到。

是在國(guó)內(nèi)逛書店、逛舊書攤太少了嗎？對(duì)于圖書，我有點(diǎn)“外貌協(xié)會(huì)”，看重“顏值”。如此精美的舊書，在國(guó)內(nèi)從沒遇到過。想來20世紀(jì)前后，歐洲列強(qiáng)國(guó)力強(qiáng)盛，出版比中國(guó)要發(fā)達(dá)得多，當(dāng)時(shí)的中國(guó)飽受戰(zhàn)亂之苦，出版自然難以匹敵歐洲。

將一冊(cè)200年前的書拿在手中是怎樣一種感覺？歐老師看看書，再看看我拿著書愛不釋手的樣子，感動(dòng)得眼圈都紅了。誰能想到，在這樣一個(gè)路邊小店，會(huì)遇到如此特別的舊書店，讓人如獲至寶。

看我戀戀不舍的樣子，歐老師建議，再好的書，和興趣、研究沒關(guān)系，買回去放書柜也就沒用了。得知我是學(xué)文學(xué)的，店老板很快推薦了本巴爾扎克的《歐也妮·葛朗臺(tái)》，還有拉封丹的寓言集及故事詩(shī)，法國(guó)作家的法文原版。雖然看不懂，可是又有什么關(guān)系呢？《歐也妮·葛朗臺(tái)》的故事已經(jīng)爛熟于心了，看到其中精美的插圖，就能回憶起小說中的情節(jié)；拉封丹的寓言很多是家喻戶曉，這本舊書，幾乎為每個(gè)故事都配了插圖；而拉封丹的故事集，雖然內(nèi)容不甚明了，但其中的彩色插畫，筆法簡(jiǎn)潔優(yōu)美，有一種濃濃的法國(guó)中世紀(jì)風(fēng)情，這樣一冊(cè)一百多年前的毛邊書拿在手中，怎么都不忍放下。

夜幕還未降臨，時(shí)間已到了晚上八點(diǎn)多，該打烊了。在這一二十平方米的小空間，不知不覺竟逗留了兩個(gè)多小時(shí)。離開書店時(shí)，老板送了我們一張尼斯老書店地圖。在這個(gè)不大的城市中，竟然分布著17家舊書店。只是，時(shí)間太有限，無法一一探訪。略感欣慰的是，臨走問起老板，尼斯的舊書店哪家最好？老板推了推眼鏡自信地說，我的這個(gè)。

博爾赫斯說，天堂應(yīng)該是圖書館的樣子。但圖書館又是什么樣子呢？“顏值”與書的質(zhì)量雖然不能劃等號(hào)，但至少體現(xiàn)了對(duì)知識(shí)的尊重程度?，F(xiàn)在有太多急功近利粗制濫造之作，這樣的書，值得進(jìn)入天堂一樣的圖書館嗎？

尼斯街邊舊書店Old Bookstore in Nice

Though I am not a bookworm, my profession in literature made me totally engrossed in books. My collection of books has filled my study, and office, and my tiny bookcases have been full to such utmost that it is exceedingly hard for me to find a suitable place to put my new books, even after several rounds of clearance.

However, after my journey to France, what I took great trouble to bring back to Beijing from Nice, thousands of miles away,was just dozens of kilos of French books in French language that is totally strange to me.

This story had something to do with my companion OU Jianping who has a fascination with books. Within an itinerary abroad of over ten days, he would spare at least half a day to have a look at the local bookstores. As a researcher of dance, he aimed at nothing but books and DVDs about dancing. To him, price and money never indicate the genuine value of any books.

Though it is never my hobby to stroll in bookstores, I still couldn’t say no to such suggestion from OU, a new companion at the beginning of this journey, when we just arrived upon just arrival in Nice. FNAC, a four-storeyed building is the largest bookstore in Nice, full of French books and electronic products.There was quite a large area for audio-video products and many earphones connected withto CD players there enabled just right those illiterate of French like me to enjoy music.

With the passage of time, I came to realize that even music could hardly ease my embarrassment in this bookstore. At the sight of OU’s devotioned reading in a corner, I couldn’t help feeling a bit ashamed and then made up my mind to pretend to have a careful look at those books as well. Then I found a couple of shelves with French -version of Chinese Modern and Contemporary Literature. The books by MO Yan and LAO She were compiled in sets of French translation and their covers were full of imagination about China. I even found French translation of the books by such contemporary Chinese writers as YU Hua, SU Tong, LIU Zhenyun, YAN Lianke, LIU Xinwu,BI Feiyu, CHI Zijian and LI Jingze as well as the web fiction Shanghai Baby that aroused a huge fashion over a decade ago and the latest picture book Our Story of Pingzhu and Meitang.Even in Shakespeare Bookstore in Paris and that in Berlin afterwards, I failed to witness as many foreign versions of Chinese literature on shelves as in this FNAC in Nice.

Couple of hours passed by and it was already at noon. that OUu never showed any sign of ending my waiting. Another hour passed and my stomach began to pur, but OU was still indulging himself in reading. Then I had to admit that both of us would spent the whole day in reading in this bookstore. OU’s final harvest turned out to be quite huge, and but the pleasure I had was just witnessing his pleasure. As for lunch, the typical croissants in the dining area of the bookstore were welcome as delicacy, for we were both starving.

It was almost twilight when we left this bookstore, and OU advised to have a walk into the old town of Nice. Anticipating remote observation of the beautiful Angel Bay from the old town, I accepted this good advice. Within a short distance from our hotel to the old town, buildings were standing along the street one after another, and as there was no such enclosed neighborhood community as in China’s cities, there appeared to be so many tiny streets and lanes. Without a certain direction,we just roamed among those lanes before Ou shouted out“’Bookstore!’” as if happening to find treasure. At this sound,I was first bit surprised and then immediately disappointed,because my expectation to appreciate the beauty of Angel Bay was about to end.

As a matter of fact, it 'turned out to be quite an unattractive store that average people would easily neglect except such sensitive keen bookworms as OU. Within an area of only 20 square meters, three shelves of books stood against walls of each side and the remaining side was a window that faced to the street. Some books were piled on a table in the center of the room. The bossowner of the bookstore was a middle-age Frenchman with curling blonde hair, high-bridged nose and a pair of round-frame glasses. Many books on the shelves were blessed with thread-bond spine that resembled bamboo joint,and some were added with a protective film that indicated their precious quality. In this old bookstore, I randomly took out a “bamboo-joint” book: with furred cover, gold-glided top, published over a century ago, and the thick paper felt so good. The internal illustration was exquisite and its color was still fresh, both of which were far more beautiful than many latest publications. However, to my amazement, almost every old book in this store was in such time-honored and delicatelyfurnished fashion.

For books, I am always easily attracted by its external decoration and design, but such exquisite old books were hardly seen in my experience back in China. To explore the cause of this phenomenonfind out the reason, I initially owed it to my seldom visit to domestic bookstores or flea markets at home. When I reviewed the history around the 20thcentury when European powers were at their prime time while China was undergoing hardship and warfare, it is easy to conclude that the level of European publication then was so advanced that their Chinese counterpart could hardly compete.

What kind of feeling is it whento hold in hand a book that was published two centuries ago? Taking a look at this time-honored book and gazing at my excitement with it, OU was greatly touched to tears because it was totally a big happy surprise for both of us to encounter such a special old bookstore unexpectedly.

一百年前出版的書A Book Published One Hundred Years Ago

Despite my great amazement in the first book at hand, I finally gave up the book, as OU held that any book would be only a brick on a shelf so long as if it had nothing at all to do with the collector’s interests and profession. Learning that my profession was literature, the owner of the bookstore quickly recommended a book of Eugénie Grandet by Balzac as well as fables and poetry by Jean de la Fontaine, both in the original versions of French literature. My illiteracy of French language never hindered a bit of my interests as those frequent familiar and exquisite illustrations in both publications reminded me of those familiar plots and stories acquainted by almost every household. As for the poetry of tales whose contents were a bit foreign to me, the colorful illustration with simple yet fine description endowed the book with a distinct expression of Medieval French age. Such a classical book with a history of more than a century was indeed a delight for which I never wanted to bid goodbye.

Though darkness was far from falling, it was already 8 pm and the bookstore was about to close. We spent already over two hours within such a tiny space and before we left, the owner of the bookstore gifted us with a map of old bookstores in Nice.Beyond our imagination, there existed 17 old bookstores in this small city and it was our pity not be able to visit them one by one in our limited itinerary. To our joy and reassurance, when asked which old bookstore was the best in Nice, the owner slightly pushed his glasses and uttered in self-confidence, “Of course, mine!”.

As Borges said, paradise should look like a library. Then what does a true library look like? What a book looks like never equals to its quality, but it at least reflects the publisher’s respect for knowledge. Currently there are so many shoddy publications in pursuit of quick success or profit, and we can’t help wondering if those books are qualified into the library of paradise.尼斯FNAC書店的CD體驗(yàn)區(qū)CD Appreciation Section of FNAC Bookstore in Nice