hsk5 下 lesson 20 with pinyin and English translation

Lesson 20   小人书摊 
Picture-story book stalls

Xiǎo rén shū
小人书摊 
Picture-story book stalls

Xiǎo rén shū, shì yī zhǒng yǐ shū de xíngshì chūbǎn de liánhuánhuà.

小人书，是一种以书的形式出版的连环画。

Children's picture-story book is a comic book published in book form.

Zài èrshí shìjì wǔliùshí niándài, nà shíhòu shēnghuó hěn dāndiào, 

在二十世纪五六十年代，那时候生活很单调，

In the 1950s and 1960s, when life was monotonous, 

méiyǒu wǎngluò, méiyǒu dònghuà piàn, 

没有网络，没有动画片，

there was no internet, no cartoons, 

dú xiǎo rén shū shì értóng zuì zhǔyào de yúlè zhī yī.

读小人书是儿童最主要的娱乐之一。

(that time) reading picture-story books was one of the main entertainment for children.

Bùjǐn xiǎo háizi ài kàn, hái yǒu wú shǔ de qīngshàonián hé dàrén yě ài kàn.

不仅小孩子爱看，还有无数的青少年和大人也爱看。

(It was) not only children who love to read them, but countless teenagers and adults also love to read them.

Suízhe xiǎo rén shū de liúxíng, 

随着小人书的流行，

With the popularity of picture-story books, 

chūxiànle cóngshì zū shū yèwù de xiǎo rén shū tān, 

出现了从事租书业务的小人书摊，

there had been picture-story book stands engaged as a book rental business,

zhè duìyú nàxiē xiǎng kàn yòu mǎi bù qǐ shū de rén lái shuō, zhǐ yòng hěn shǎo de qián jiù néng kàn yī běn, háo wú yíwèn shì jiàn dà hǎoshì.

这对于那些想看又买不起书的人来说，只用很少的钱就能看一本，毫无疑问是件大好事。

this was undoubtedly a great thing for those who want to read but can’t afford to read a book for a very small amount of money.

Jìdé xiǎoshíhòu, wǒjiā fùjìn jiù yǒu gè xiǎo rén shū tān, 

记得小时候，我家附近就有个小人书摊，

I remember when I was young, there was a picture-story book stand near my house. 

jiùshì yī jìn jiē kǒu kào qiáng de yīgè xiǎo péngzi, 

就是一进街口靠墙的一个小棚子，

It was a small shed next to the wall as soon as we entered the street. 

lǐmiàn yòng jǐ kuài zhuāntóu zhīzhāo cūcāo de mùtou bǎnzi gōng rénmen zuòzhe kànshū.

里面用几块砖头支着粗糙的木头板子供人们坐着看书。

Inside it was a rough wooden board supported by a few bricks for people to sit and read.

Péngzi lǐ yǒu yī zhāng chuángbǎn bǎizhe gè zhǒng tícái de xiǎo rén shū, 

棚子里有一张床板摆着各种题材的小人书，

In the shed, there was a bed board with books on various subjects, 

qiáng biān hái lāle jǐ gēn shéngzi, 

墙边还拉了几根绳子，

and a few ropes were pulled over the wall. 

yī běn běn shū fān kāi dā zài shàngmiàn, wǔyánliùsè de, hěn hǎokàn.

一本本书翻开搭在上面，五颜六色的，很好看。

A book was opened and placed on it. It was colorful and beautiful.

Wèile jiǎnshǎo sǔnhuài chéngdù, měi běn xiǎo rén shū dōu yòng niúpízhǐ jiāle céng fēngpí, 

为了减少损坏程度，每本小人书都用牛皮纸加了层封皮，

In order to reduce the degree of damage, each book was covered with kraft paper, 

fēngpí shàng yòng máobǐ xiě shàng shū míng, 

封皮上用毛笔写上书名，

and the title of the book was written on the cover with a brush. 

zhěngqí piàoliang de máobǐ zì néng chōngfèn de xiǎnshì chū shū tān zhǔrén de wénhuà shuǐpíng.

整齐漂亮的毛笔字能充分地显示出书摊主人的文化水平。

The neat and beautiful brush writing can fully show the cultural level of the book stand owner.

Tān zhǔ shì wèi shàngle niánjì, shēncái shòuxiǎo de lǎorén, 

摊主是位上了年纪、身材瘦小的老人，

The stall owner was an elderly, thin old man, 

zǒng shì chuānzhuó yī jiàn huīsè chángshān, 

总是穿着一件灰色长衫，

always wearing a gray gown, 

jìng jìng de zuò zài yībiān, péizhe kànshū de rénmen.

静静地坐在一边，陪着看书的人们。

sitting quietly on the side, accompanied by people reading.

Zài zhèlǐ kànshū de réndà bùfèn shì fùjìn zhùhù de háizi, 

在这里看书的人大部分是附近住户的孩子，

Most of the people who read here were children from nearby residents, 

yěyǒu yīxiē xǐhuān xiǎo rén shū de chéngrén.

也有一些喜欢小人书的成人。

and there were also some adults who like to read books.

Zūjiè xiǎo rén shū hěn piányí, zài tān lǐ kàn, měi cè 1 fēn qián, 

租借小人书很便宜，在摊里看，每册1分钱，

It was very cheap to rent a picture-story book. It costs 1 cent per book to read it in the stall. 

xuǎn hǎo shū zuò xià jiù kàn, kàn wán lián shū dài qián jiāo gěi tān zhǔ; 

选好书坐下就看，看完连书带钱交给摊主；

After you choose the book, you can sit down and read it, after reading the book, bring the money to the stall owner; 

jiǎrú jiè zǒu huí jiā kàn, zé měi běn měitiān 2 fēn qián, tiāo hǎo shūhòu jiāo gěi tān zhǔ, 

假如借走回家看，则每本每天2分钱，挑好书后交给摊主，

If you borrow to go home and read it, you will pay 2 cents a day for each book, and then hand it over to the stall owner.

tān zhǔ zǐxì de jiāng zū shū rén de xìngmíng, dìzhǐ hé suǒ jiè xiǎo rén shū de shū míng dēngjì zài běnzi shàng, 

摊主仔细地将租书人的姓名、地址和所借小人书的书名登记在本子上，

The stall owner carefully registered the renter’s name and address and the name of the book borrowed on a notebook. 

shōule zūjīn jiù kěyǐ ná zǒule, dì èr tiān huán shū shí zài bǎ jìlù yīgè yīgè de huà diào, 

收了租金就可以拿走了，第二天还书时再把记录一个一个地画掉，

After collecting the rent, you can take it away and return the book the next day. When the book is returned the next day, the records will be drawn out one by one,

huán shū shǒuxù jiùsuàn shì bànlǐ hǎole.

还书手续就算是办理好了。

 and the procedures for returning the book is completed.

Yìnxiàng zhōng sìhū méiyǒu shénme yājīn, quán píng xìnyòng.

印象中似乎没有什么押金，全凭信用。

There seems to be no deposit, it was all based on credit.

Wǒ měitiān fàngxué huí jiā zǒng yào jīngguò zhè jiāshū tān, dōu yào jìnqù kàn kàn.

我每天放学回家总要经过这家书摊，都要进去看看。

I always pass by this book stand every day when I come home from school, wants to go in and have a look.

Rán'ér, zhè zhǒng yǐngxiǎngle shù dài rén de xiǎo rén shū,  

然而，这种影响了数代人的小人书，

However, this kind of little children's picture-story books that has influenced generations, 

rújīn zhǐ néng zài Běijīng de Pān Jiāyuán, Hù Guó Sì děng dì de jiùshū tān shàng zhǎodào, 

如今只能在北京的潘家园、护国寺等地的旧书摊上找到，

can only be found in old book stalls in Beijing’s Panjiayuan, Huguosi and other places. 

yīxiē yìnshuā jīngměi, yǒu tèsè de zuòpǐn zé shēnjià dà zhǎng, chéngle shōucáng pǐn, 

一些印刷精美、有特色的作品则身价大涨，成了收藏品，

Some of the beautifully printed and distinctive works have soared in value and become collections, 

shènzhì jìnle bówùguǎn.

甚至进了博物馆。

and even entered the museum.

Xiǎo rén shū hé xiǎo rén shū tān yǐ chéngwéi lìshǐ de jìyì.

小人书和小人书摊已成为历史的记忆。

Children's picture-story books and picture-story book stalls have become historical memories.

Full Translation:

Picture-story book stalls

Children's picture-story book is a comic book published in book form. In the 1950s and 1960s, when life was monotonous, there was no internet, no cartoons, (that time) reading picture-story books was one of the main entertainment for children. (It was) not only children who love to read them, but countless teenagers and adults also love to read them.

With the popularity of picture-story books, there had been picture-story book stands engaged as a book rental business, this was undoubtedly a great thing for those who want to read but can’t afford to read a book for a very small amount of money.

I remember when I was young, there was a picture-story book stand near my house. It was a small shed next to the wall as soon as we entered the street. Inside it was a rough wooden board supported by a few bricks for people to sit and read. In the shed, there was a bed board with books on various subjects, and a few ropes were pulled over the wall. A book was opened and placed on it. It was colorful and beautiful.

In order to reduce the degree of damage, each book was covered with kraft paper, and the title of the book was written on the cover with a brush. The neat and beautiful brush writing can fully show the cultural level of the book stand owner.

The stall owner was an elderly, thin old man,  always wearing a gray gown, sitting quietly on the side, accompanied by people reading. Most of the people who read here were children from nearby residents, and there were also some adults who like to read books.

It was very cheap to rent a picture-story book. It costs 1 cent per book to read it in the stall. After you choose the book, you can sit down and read it, after reading the book, bring the money to the stall owner; If you borrow to go home and read it, you will pay 2 cents a day for each book, and then hand it over to the stall owner.

The stall owner carefully registered the renter’s name and address and the name of the book borrowed on a notebook. After collecting the rent, you can take it away and return the book the next day. When the book is returned the next day, the records will be drawn out one by one, and the procedures for returning the book is completed. There seems to be no deposit, it was all based on trust.

I always pass by this book stand every day when I come home from school, wants to go in and have a look. However, this kind of children's picture-story books that has influenced generations, can only be found in old book stalls in Beijing’s Panjiayuan, Huguosi and other places. 

Some of the beautifully printed and distinctive works have soared in value and become collections, and even entered the museum. Children's picture-story books and picture-story book stalls have become historical memories.

Hsk5下 lesson 20 audio with pinyin and English translation 👇