书里的字 The Writing in the Book

第一章 · 三十三岁 Chapter 1: Thirty-Three Years Old

小天xiǎotiān三sān十shí三sān岁suì。他tā一yī个gè人rén住zhù在zài中国zhōngguó。

Xiaotian is thirty-three years old. He lives alone in China.

他tā在zài一yī个gè大dà公司gōngsī上班shàngbān。他tā的de工作gōngzuò很hěn忙máng。上午shàngwǔ忙máng，下午xiàwǔ也yě忙máng。

He works at a big company. His job is very busy. He's busy in the morning and busy in the afternoon too.

他tā做zuò的de事shì很hěn多duō。第dì一yī天tiān，第dì二èr天tiān，第dì三sān天tiān，都dōu是shì这些zhèxiē事shì。

He has a lot of things to do. The first day, the second day, the third day — it was all the same things.

到dào了le晚上wǎnshang，他tā回家huíjiā。家jiā里lǐ没有méiyǒu人rén。没有méiyǒu狗gǒu，没有méiyǒu猫māo。

When evening came, he went home. There was nobody at home. No dog, no cat.

他tā有yǒu一yī个gè电视diànshì，一yī个gè电脑diànnǎo。他tā看kàn电视diànshì，不bù想xiǎng说话shuōhuà。

He had a TV and a computer. He watched TV and didn't feel like talking.

一yī个gè朋友péngyou打电话dǎdiànhuà来lái：“小天xiǎotiān，你nǐ怎么样zěnmeyàng？”他tā说shuō：“没事méishì。”他tā想xiǎng：我wǒ没事méishì吗ma？

A friend called: "Xiao Tian, how are you doing?" He said, "I'm fine." He thought: Am I really fine?

他tā觉得juéde：今天jīntiān是shì昨天zuótiān。明天míngtiān也yě是shì昨天zuótiān。

He felt that today was yesterday. Tomorrow would be yesterday too.

他tā不bù是shì不bù高兴gāoxìng。他tā也yě不bù是shì高兴gāoxìng。

It wasn't that he was unhappy. He wasn't happy either.

第二章 · 天天都是 Chapter 2: Every Day Is the Same

早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn半bàn，小天xiǎotiān起床qǐchuáng。他tā吃chī早饭zǎofàn：面包miànbāo和hé牛奶niúnǎi。

At six thirty in the morning, Xiao Tian gets up. He eats breakfast: bread and milk.

七qī点diǎn半bàn，他tā坐zuò车chē去qù公司gōngsī。车chē上shàng人rén很hěn多duō，很hěn热rè。

At seven thirty, he takes the bus to the company. There are a lot of people on the bus, and it's very hot.

下午xiàwǔ六liù点diǎn，他tā下班xiàbān。他tā坐zuò车chē回家huíjiā。

At six in the afternoon, he gets off work. He takes the bus home.

晚上wǎnshang，他tā做zuò晚饭wǎnfàn。他tā吃chī米饭mǐfàn和hé菜cài，喝hē水shuǐ。

In the evening, he makes dinner. He eats rice and vegetables, and drinks water.

到dào了le十shí点diǎn，他tā还hái不bù睡觉shuìjiào。他tā看kàn电脑diànnǎo。

When ten o'clock comes, he still doesn't go to sleep. He looks at the computer.

早上zǎoshang，公司gōngsī。晚上wǎnshang，家jiā。天tiān天tiān都dōu是shì。

In the morning, the company. In the evening, home. Every single day was like that.

星期xīngqī六liù，他tā睡shuì到dào中午zhōngwǔ。

On Saturday, he slept until noon.

他tā的de妈妈māma打电话dǎdiànhuà来lái：“儿子érzi，你好nǐhǎo吗ma？”“好hǎo。”“你nǐ有yǒu朋友péngyou吗ma？”“有yǒu。”妈妈māma说shuō：“好hǎo。”

His mother called: "Son, how are you?" "Good." "Do you have any friends?" "Yes." Mom said, "All right."

小天xiǎotiān不bù说话shuōhuà了le。他tā想xiǎng：一yī个gè人rén的de一yī年nián，有yǒu多少duōshao天tiān？他tā不bù想xiǎng这个zhège。

Xiǎotiān stopped talking. He thought: how many days are there in a person's year? He didn't want to think about this.

第三章 · 一本八块钱的书 Chapter 3: An Eight-Yuan Book

一yī个gè星期xīngqī六liù，小天xiǎotiān早上zǎoshang起床qǐchuáng了le。他tā不bù想xiǎng在zài家jiā。

One Saturday, Xiao Tian got up in the morning. He didn't want to stay at home.

他tā去qù了le一yī个gè新xīn书店shūdiàn。

He went to a new bookstore.

书店shūdiàn不bù大dà，人rén不bù多duō，书shū很hěn多duō。

The bookstore wasn't big, there weren't many people, but there were a lot of books.

小天xiǎotiān找zhǎo书shū。他tā找zhǎo了le很hěn多duō分钟fēnzhōng。

Xiao Tian looked for a book. He looked for many minutes.

他tā找zhǎo到dào一yī本běn书shū。书shū不bù新xīn，八bā块kuài钱qián。他tā买mǎi了le。

He found a book. The book wasn't new; it cost eight yuan. He bought it.

回家huíjiā，他tā读dú这zhè本běn书shū。

Back home, he read the book.

书shū里lǐ有yǒu汉字hànzì。有yǒu人rén在zài书shū里lǐ写xiě了le字zì。

There were Chinese characters in the book. Someone had written words in the book.

那些nàxiē字zì不bù是shì书shū的de字zì。

Those words were not the book's words.

「我wǒ读dú了le这zhè本běn书shū三sān年nián。这zhè本běn书shū很hěn好hǎo。你nǐ读dú了le，请qǐng给gěi一yī个gè朋友péngyou。你nǐ可以kěyǐ给gěi我wǒ打电话dǎdiànhuà，说shuō说shuō这zhè本běn书shū。」

"I read this book for three years. This book is very good. When you've read it, please give it to a friend. You can call me and talk about this book."

下面xiàmiàn有yǒu一yī个gè号hào。

Below there was a phone number.

小天xiǎotiān看kàn这些zhèxiē字zì，看kàn了le很hěn多duō分钟fēnzhōng。

Xiao Tian looked at these words for many minutes.

他tā不bù认识rènshi写xiě字zì的de人rén。

He doesn't know the person who wrote the characters.

他tā想xiǎng问wèn，家jiā里lǐ只有zhǐyǒu他tā一yī个gè人rén。

He wanted to ask, but he was the only one at home.

这zhè是shì一yī件jiàn小xiǎo事shì吗ma？

Is this a small matter?