九路车 Bus Number 9

第一章 · 二十四个站 Chapter 1: Twenty-Four Stops

九jiǔ路lù车chē。

Bus number nine.

一yī条tiáo路lù，二èr十shí四sì个gè站zhàn。

One route, twenty-four stops.

小xiǎo白bái今年jīnnián四sì十shí二èr岁suì。他tā开kāi公交车gōngjiāochē，开kāi了le十shí八bā年nián。

Xiao Bai is forty-two years old this year. He drives a bus, and he's been driving for eighteen years.

每měi天tiān早上zǎoshang五wǔ点diǎn半bàn，他tā到dào车站chēzhàn。第dì一yī个gè站zhàn到dào最后zuìhòu一yī个gè站zhàn，四sì十shí分钟fēnzhōng。一yī天tiān八bā次cì。

Every morning at half past five, he arrives at the bus station. From the first stop to the last stop takes forty minutes. Eight times a day.

坐zuò车chē的de人rén，早上zǎoshang是shì上班shàngbān的de，中午zhōngwǔ是shì爷爷yéye奶奶nǎinai们men，下午xiàwǔ是shì学生xuéshēng。

As for the passengers, in the morning they're people going to work, at noon they're grandpas and grandmas, and in the afternoon they're students.

有的yǒude人rén他tā认识rènshi十shí年nián了le。有yǒu一yī位wèi女士nǚshì，每měi天tiān七qī点diǎn十shí分fēn上shàng车chē，坐zuò后面hòumiàn第dì二èr个gè椅子yǐzi，看kàn手机shǒujī，不bù说话shuōhuà。有yǒu一yī位wèi先生xiānsheng，经常jīngcháng在zài第dì九jiǔ个gè站zhàn上shàng车chē，手shǒu里lǐ都dōu是shì包子bāozi。

Some of them he has known for ten years. There is one lady who gets on at ten past seven every day, sits in the second seat at the back, looks at her phone, and doesn't talk. There is one gentleman who often gets on at the ninth stop, his hands full of steamed buns.

小xiǎo白bái经常jīngcháng想xiǎng：十shí八bā年nián了le，这zhè条tiáo路lù我wǒ什么shénme都dōu知道zhīdào。哪个nǎge站zhàn有yǒu几jǐ个gè人rén，什么shénme时候shíhou车chē上shàng人rén多duō，什么shénme时候shíhou车chē上shàng没有méiyǒu人rén。

Xiao Bai often thinks: after eighteen years, I know everything about this road. Which stop has how many people, when the bus is crowded, and when there's nobody on the bus.

有yǒu时候shíhou他tā想xiǎng：有意思yǒuyìsi吗ma？

Sometimes he wondered: Is this interesting?

没意思méiyìsi。

Not interesting.

但是dànshì第dì二èr天tiān早上zǎoshang五wǔ点diǎn半bàn，他tā还是háishi到dào车站chēzhàn。

But at five thirty the next morning, he still went to the bus stop.

第二章 · 往左，往右 Chapter 2: Left, Then Right

这zhè条tiáo路lù，小xiǎo白bái不bù看kàn也yě能néng开kāi。

Xiao Bai could drive this route even without looking.

车站chēzhàn出来chūlái，往wǎng前qián。第dì一yī个gè站zhàn在zài左边zuǒbian，是shì一yī个gè小学xiǎoxué。第dì二èr个gè站zhàn在zài右边yòubian，是shì医院yīyuàn。

Come out of the station and go straight ahead. The first stop is on the left; it's an elementary school. The second stop is on the right; it's the hospital.

往wǎng前qián走zǒu五wǔ分钟fēnzhōng，左边zuǒbian是shì一yī个gè大dà超市chāoshì。

Walk straight ahead for five minutes, and on the left there's a big supermarket.

第dì十shí个gè站zhàn，往wǎng右yòu。

At the tenth stop, turn right.

第dì十shí六liù个gè站zhàn，左边zuǒbian有yǒu一yī个gè高gāo高gāo的de楼lóu。

At the sixteenth stop, there is a tall building on the left.

最后zuìhòu一yī个gè站zhàn边biān上shàng有yǒu一yī个gè小xiǎo店diàn。开kāi店diàn的de人rén叫jiào小红xiǎo hóng，四sì十shí岁suì，一yī个gè人rén开kāi那个nàge店diàn。

Next to the last stop there is a small shop. The person who runs the shop is called Xiǎo Hóng; she is forty years old and runs the shop by herself.

小xiǎo白bái每měi天tiān在zài那里nàlǐ休息xiūxi二èr十shí分钟fēnzhōng。

Xiǎo Bái rests there for twenty minutes every day.

小红xiǎo hóng说shuō：“你nǐ天tiān天tiān走zǒu这zhè一yī条tiáo路lù，不bù累lèi吗ma？”小xiǎo白bái说shuō：“路lù我wǒ记得jìde。我wǒ的de手shǒu自己zìjǐ就jiù往wǎng左zuǒ，往wǎng右yòu。”“那nà你nǐ的de头tóu呢ne？”小xiǎo白bái笑xiào了le：“我wǒ的de头tóu在zài车chē上shàng睡shuì着zháo。”

Xiǎo Hóng said, "You walk this same road every day. Aren't you tired?" Xiǎo Bái said, "I remember the road. My hands turn left and right all by themselves." "Then what about your head?" Xiao Bai laughed: "My head fell asleep in the car."

第三章 · 后面的椅子上 Chapter 3: On the Chair Behind

晚上wǎnshang九jiǔ点diǎn四sì十shí，最后zuìhòu一yī次cì。

Nine forty in the evening, the last run.

最后zuìhòu一yī个gè站zhàn，人rén都dōu下xià车chē了le。

At the last stop, everyone got off the bus.

小xiǎo白bái往wǎng车chē后面hòumiàn走zǒu，看kàn有yǒu没有méiyǒu东西dōngxi。后面hòumiàn的de椅子yǐzi上shàng有yǒu一yī个gè包bāo。“啊à，有yǒu人rén的de包bāo。”

Xiao Bai walked toward the back of the bus to see if anything had been left behind. There was a bag on a seat in the back. "Oh, someone's bag."

他tā拿ná起来qǐlái。包bāo不bù大dà，但是dànshì里面lǐmiàn有yǒu东西dōngxi。

He picked it up. The bag wasn't big, but there was something inside.

他tā下xià车chē，看kàn车站chēzhàn。车站chēzhàn上shàng没有méiyǒu人rén。路上lùshang也yě没有méiyǒu人rén。

He got off the bus and looked at the station. There was no one at the station. There was no one on the road either.

车站chēzhàn边biān上shàng有yǒu一yī个gè楼lóu。楼lóu上shàng有yǒu一yī间jiān小xiǎo房间fángjiān，坏huài了le的de东西dōngxi、没有méiyǒu人rén要yào的de东西dōngxi都dōu在zài里面lǐmiàn。

Next to the station there was a building. Upstairs there was a small room, and all the broken things and things nobody wanted were inside.

手机shǒujī，书shū，衣服yīfu，一yī个gè月yuè有yǒu几jǐ个gè。有的yǒude三sān年nián了le，还hái在zài那里nàlǐ，没有méiyǒu人rén来lái拿ná。

Cell phones, books, clothes — there are a few every month. Some have been there for three years, still sitting there, with nobody coming to claim them.

小xiǎo白bái拿ná着zhe包bāo，上shàng了le楼lóu，进jìn了le那nà间jiān小xiǎo房间fángjiān。

Xiǎo Bái carried the bag, went upstairs, and entered that small room.

要yào写xiě一下yíxià：什么shénme时候shíhou，哪nǎ一yī条tiáo路lù，什么shénme东西dōngxi。

He had to write it down: what time, which road, what item.

他tā坐zuò下xià，没有méiyǒu动dòng。

He sat down and didn't move.

后面hòumiàn，他tā打开dǎkāi了le那个nàge包bāo。

Afterwards, he opened that bag.