查令十字街84號：賣給我好書的那個人去世了

「If you happen to pass by 84 Charing Cross Road,

kiss it for me?

I owe it so much..."

Helene, an impoverished American woman writer, a book worm. She writes to the other side of the Ocean to a bookstore named The Marks & Co in Britain for books out of print.海蓮是個窮困潦倒的美國女作家，嗜書如命。她寫信到大洋彼岸的英國一家叫馬克恩與科恩的書店求購絕版舊書。

Frank, the owner of the bookstore, a typical British gentleman. He takes it serious and finds out all the books Helene wants. Enclosed with a reply letter and the invoice, he sends them to the distant side across the vast Atlantic Ocean.書店的老闆弗蘭克作為一位典型的英國紳士，盡職盡責地為海蓮找出她需要的書，並附上回信和發票，隔著茫茫的大西洋，寄到遙遠的另一邊。

One asks for books bizarre, one treats it professional, trust and appreciation soon established. Since then, Helene and Frank began the correspondence of up to 20 years.一個離奇古怪的求書，一個嚴肅專業的對待，信任和欣賞很快建立。於是，海蓮和弗蘭克開始了長達20年的書信來往。

Helene always wants to go to London to visit Frank but it is postponed due to all kinds of emergencies. Until it』s too late that one day she learns Frank passes away, looking at the books the man sends to her overseas on the shelves, her heart trembled.海蓮一直想前往倫敦拜訪弗蘭克，卻因為各種突發情況而推遲。直到她收到弗蘭克去世消息的書信，望著書架上都是這個男人為她遠隔重洋寄來的書，她的心顫抖了。

Here』s the last letter Helene writes to her friend Katherine who』s going to London.

以下是最後海蓮寫給即將前往倫敦的朋友凱瑟琳的信。

April 11, 1969

Dear Katherine--

I take time out fromhousecleaningmy bookshelves and sitting on the rug surrounded by books in every directions scrawl you a Bon Voyage. I hope you and Brian have a ball in London. He said to me on the phone: Would you go with us if you had the fare?" and I nearly wept.

But I don"t know, maybe it"s just as well I never got there. I dreamed about it for so many years. I used to go to English movies just to look at the streets. I remember years ago a guy I knew told me that people going to England find exactly what they go looking for. I said I"d go looking for the England of English literature, and he nodded and said: "it"s there."

Maybe it is, and maybe it isn"t. Looking around the rug one thing"s for sure: It』s here.

The blessed man who sold me all my books died a few months ago. And Mr. Marks who owned the shop is dead. But Marks & Co. is still there. If you happen to pass by 84 Charing Cross Road, kiss it for me? I owe it so much.

Helene

親愛的凱瑟琳——

我正在整理我的書架，現在抽空蹲在書堆中寫信給你，祝你們一路順風。我希望你和布萊恩在倫敦能玩得盡興。布萊恩在電話中對我說：「如果你手頭寬裕些就好了，這樣子你就可以和我們一道去了。」我一聽他這麼說，眼淚差點兒要奪眶而出。

大概因為我長久以來就渴望能踏上那片土地……我曾經只為了瞧倫敦的街景而看了許多英國電影。記得好多年前有個朋友曾經說：人們到了英國，總能瞧見他們想看的。我說，我要去追尋英國文學，他告訴我：「就在那兒!」

或許是吧。就算那兒沒有，環顧我的四周……我很篤定：它們已在此駐足。

賣這些好書給我的那個好心人已在數月前去世了，書店老闆馬克斯先生也已不在人間。但是，書店還在那兒，你們若恰好路經查令十字街84號，代我獻上一吻，我虧欠它良多……

海蓮

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