骨骼闭合后怎么长高:查令十字街84号(中文，英文对照）

84 CHARING CROSS ROAD
Helene HanffHelene Hanff has been writing letters all her life, but in addition she has studied playwriting at the Theatre Guild, has written for "The Hallmark Hall of Fame" and "Ellery Queen," and was the first woman president of the Lenox Hill Democratic Club. She has written many books for children as well as articles for The New Yorker and Harper's magazines. The author of Q's Legacy (Penguin), her most recent book is Letter from New York. F. P. D. In Memoriam* * * * * *
84 CHARING CROSS ROAD14 East 95th St.
New York City
October 5, 1949
 
MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
England Gentlemen: Your ad in the Saturday Review of Literature says that you specialize in out-of-print books. The phrase "antiquarian booksellers" scares me somewhat, as I equate "antique" with expensive. I am a poor writer with an antiquarian taste in books and all the things I want are impossible to get over here except in very expensive rare editions, or in Barnes & Noble's grimy, marked-up schoolboy copies. I enclose a list of my most pressing problems. If you have clean secondhand copies of any of the books on the list, for no more than $5.00 each, will you consider this a purchase order and send them to me? Very truly yours,
Helene Hanff (Miss) * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers  
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
25th October, 1949 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Madam, In reply to your letter of October 5th, we have managed to cleat up two thirds of your problem. The three Hazlitt essays you want are contained in the Nonesuch Press edition of his Selected Essays and the Stevenson is found in Virginibus Puerisque. We are sending nice copies of both these by Book Post and we trust they will arrive safely in due course and that you will be pleased with them. Our invoice is enclosed with the books. The Leigh Hunt essays are not going to be so easy but we will see if we can find an attractive volume with them all in. We haven't the Latin Bible you describe but we have a Latin New Testament, also a Greek New Testament, ordinary modern editions in cloth binding. Would you like these? Yours faithfully,
FPD For MARKS & CO. * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
November 3, 1949 MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 
England Gentlemen: The books arrived safely, the Stevenson is so fine it embarrasses my orange-crate bookshelves, I'm almost afraid to handle such soft vellum and heavy cream-colored pages. Being used to the dead-white paper and stiff cardboardy covers of American books, I never knew a book could be such a joy to the touch. A Britisher whose girl lives upstairs translated the ?/17/6 for me and says I owe you $5.30 for the two books. I hope he got it right. I enclose a $5 bill and a single, please use the 70c toward the price of the New Testaments, both of which I want. Will you please translate your prices hereafter? I don't add too well in plain American, I haven't a prayer of ever mastering bilingual arithmetic. Yours,
Helene Hanff * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Miss Hanff, Your six dollars arrived safely, but we should feel very much easier if you would send your remittances by postal money order in future, as this would be quite a bit safer for you than entrusting dollar hills to the mails. We are very happy you liked the Stevenson so much. We have sent off the New Testaments, with an invoice listing the amount due in both pounds and dollars, and we hope you will he pleased with them. Yours faithfully,
FPD For MARKS & CO. * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
November 18, 1949
 
WHAT KIND OF A BLACK PROTESTANT BIBLE IS THIS? Kindly inform the Church of England they have loused up the most beautiful prose ever written, whoever told them to tinker with the Vulgate Latin? They'll burn for it, you mark my words. It's nothing to me, I'm Jewish myself. But I have a Catholic sister-in-law, a Methodist sister-in-law, a whole raft of Presbyterian cousins (through my Great-Uncle Abraham who converted) and an aunt who's a Christian Science healer, and I like to think none of them would countenance this Anglican Latin Bible if they knew it existed. (As it happens, they don't know Latin existed.) Well, the hell with it. I've been using my Latin teacher's Vulgate, what I imagine I'll do is just not give it back till you find me one of my own. I enclose $4 to cover the $3.88 due you, buy yourself a cup of coffee with the 12c. There's no post office near here and I am not running all the way down to Rockefeller Plaza to stand in line for a $3.88 money order. If I wait till I get down there for something else, I won't have the $3.88 any more. I have implicit faith in the U.S. Airmail and His Majesty's Postal Service. Have you got a copy of Landor's Imaginary Conversations? I think there are several volumes, the one I want is the one with the Greek conversations. If it contains a dialogue between Aesop and Rhodope, that'll be the volume I want. Helene Hanff * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
26th Navember, 1949 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Miss Hanff, Your four dollars arrived safely and we have credited the 12 cents to your account. We happen to have in stock Volume II of the Works & Life of Walter Savage Landor which contains the Greek dialogues including the one mentioned in your letter, as well as the Roman dialogues. It is an old edition published in 1876, not very handsome but well bound and a good clean copy, and we are sending it off to you today with invoice enclosed. I am sorry we made the mistake with the Latin Bible and will try to find a Vulgate for you. Not forgetting Leigh Hunt. Yours faithfully,
FPD For MARKS & CO. * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City 
December 8, 1949 (It feels witless to keep writing "Gentlemen" when the same solitary soul is obviously taking care of everything for me.) Savage Landor arrived safely and promptly fell open to a Roman dialogue where two cities had just been destroyed by war and everybody was being crucified and begging passing Roman soldiers to run them through and end the agony. It'll be a relief to turn to Aesop and Rhodope where all you have to worry about is a famine. I do love secondhand books that open to the page some previous owner read oftenest. The day Hazlitt came he opened to "I hate to read new books," and I hollered "comrade!" to whoever owned it before me. I enclose a dollar which Brian (British boy friend of Kay upstairs) says will cover the 8/11 I owe you, you forgot to translate. Now then. Brian told me you are all rationed to 2 ounces of meat per family per week and one egg per person per month and I am simply appalled. He has a catalogue from a British firm here which flies food from Denmark to his mother, so I am sending a small Christmas present to Marks & Co. I hope there will be enough to go round, he says the Charing Cross Road bookshops are "all quite small." I'm sending it c/o you, FPD, whoever you are. Noel. Helene Hanff * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
December 9, 1949 FPD! CRISIS! I sent that package off. The chief item in it was a 6 pound ham, I figured you could take it to a butcher and get it sliced up so everybody would have some to take home. But I just noticed on your last invoice it says: "B. Marks. M. Cohen." Props. ARE THEY KOSHER? I could rush a tongue over. ADVISE PLEASE! Helene Hanff
 
* * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
20th December, 1949 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Miss Hanff, Just a note to let you know that your gift parcel arrived safely today and the contents have been shared out between the staff. Mr. Marks and Mr. Cohen insisted that we divide it up among ourselves and Don't include "the bosses." I should just like to add that everything in the parcel was something that we either never see or can only be had through the black market. It was extremely kind and generous of you to think of us in this way and we are all extremely grateful. We all wish to express our thanks and send our greetings and best wishes for 1950. Yours faithfully,
Frank Doel
For MARKS & CO. * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
March 25, 1950 Frank Doel, What are you DOING over there, you are not doing ANYTHING, you are just sitting AROUND. Where is Leigh Hunt? Where is the Oxford Verse? Where is the Vulgate and dear goofy John Henry, I thought they'd be such nice uplifting reading for Lent and NOTHING do you send me. you leave me sitting here writing long margin notes in library books that don't belong to me, some day they'll find out I did it and take my library card away. I have made arrangements with the Easter bunny to bring you an Egg, he will get over there and find you have died of inertia. I require a book of love poems with spring coming on. No Keats or Shelley, send me poets who can make love without slobbering. Wyatt or Jonson or somebody, use your own judgment. Just a nice book preferably small enough to stick in a slacks pocket and take to Central Park. Well, don't just sit there! Go find it! I swear I dont know how that shop keeps going. hh* * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
7th April, 1950 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.
 
Dear Miss Hanff, I have to thank you for the very welcome Easter parcel which arrived safely yesterday. We were all delighted to see the tins and the box of shell eggs, and the rest of the staff joins me in thanking you for your very kind and generous thought of us. I am sorry we haven't been able to send you any of the books you want. About the book of love poems, now and then we do get such a volume as you describe. We have none in stock at the moment but shall look out for one for you. Again, many thanks for the parcel. Faithfully Yours, Frank Doel
For MARKS & CO. * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
7th April, 1950 Dear Miss Hanff, Please don't let Frank know I'm writing this but every time I send you a bill I've been dying to slip in a little note and he might not think it quite proper of me. That sounds stuffy and he's not, he's quite nice really, very nice in fact, it's just that he does rather look on you as his private correspondent as all your letters and parcels are addressed to him. But I just thought I would write to you on my own. We all love your letters and try to imagine what you must look like. I've decided you're young and very sophisticated and smart-looking. Old Mr. Martin thinks you must be quite studious-looking in spite of your wonderful sense of humour. Why don't you send us a snapshot? We should love to have it. If you're curious about Frank, he's in his late thirties, quite nice-looking, married to a very sweet Irish girl, I believe she's his second wife. Everyone was so grateful for the parcel. My little ones (girls, boy 4) were in Heaven-with the raisins and egg I was actually able to make them a cake! I do hope you don't mind my writing. Please don't mention it when you write to Frank. With best wishes, Cecily Farr P.S. I shall put my home address on the back of this in case you should ever want anything sent you from London. C.F. * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
April 10, 1950 Dear Cecily,And a very bad success to Old Mr. Martin, tell him I'm so unstudious I never even went to college. I just happen to have peculiar taste in books, thanks to a Cambridge professor named Quiller-Couch, known as Q, whom I fell over in a library when I was 17. And I'm about as smart-looking as a Broadway panhandler. I live in moth-eaten sweaters and wool slacks, they don't give us any heat here in the daytime. It's a 5-story brownstone and all the other tenants go out to work at 9 A.M. and don't come home till 6 and why should the landlord heat the building for one small script-reader/writer working at home on the ground floor? Poor Frank, I give him such a hard time, I'm always bawling him out for something. I'm only teasing, but I know he'll take me seriously. I keep trying to puncture that proper British reserve, if he gets ulcers I did it. Please write and tell me about London, I live for the day when I step off the boat-train and feel its dirty sidewalks under my feet. I want to walk up Berkeley Square and down Wimpole Street and stand in St. Paul's where John Donne preached and sit on the step Elizabeth sat on when she refused to enter the Tower, and like that. A newspaper man I know, who was stationed in London during the war, says tourists go to England with preconceived notions, so they always find exactly what they go looking for. I told him I'd go looking for the England of English literature, and he said: "Then it's there." RegardsHelene Hanff * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Miss Hanff, It is such a long time since we wrote to you I hope you do not think we have forgotten all about your wants. Anyway, we now have in stock the Oxford Book of English Verse, printed on India paper, original blue cloth binding, 1905, inscription in ink on the flyleaf but a good secondhand copy, price $2.00. We thought we had better quote before sending, in case you have already purchased a copy. Some time ago you asked us for Newman's Idea of a University. Would you be interested in a copy of the first edition? We have just purchased one, particulars as follows: NEWMAN (JOHN HENRY, D.D.) Discourses on the Scope and Nature of University Education, Addressed to the Catholics of Dublin. First edition, 8vo. calf, Dublin, 1852. A few pages a little age-stained and spotted but a good copy in a sound binding. Price-$6.00 In case you would like them, we will put both books on one side until you have time to reply.
With kind regards, Yours faithfully,
Frank Doel
For MARKS & CO. * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York CityHe has a first edition of Newman's University for six bucks, do I want it, he asks innocently. Dear Frank: Yes, I want it. I won't be fit to live with myself. I've never cared about first editions per se, but a first edition of THAT book! Oh my. I can just see it. Send the Oxford Verse, too, please. Never wonder if I've found something somewhere else, I don't look anywhere else any more. Why should I run all the way down to 17th St. to buy dirty, badly made books when I can buy clean, beautiful ones from you without leaving the typewriter? From where I sit, London's a lot closer than 17th Street. Enclosed please God please find $8. Did I tell you about Brian's lawsuit? He buys physics tomes from a technical bookshop in London, he's not sloppy and haphazard like me, he bought an expensive set and went down to Rockefeller Plaza and stood in line and got a money order and cabled it or whatever you do with it, he's a businessman, he does things right. the money order got lost in transit. Up His Majesty's Postal Service! HH I am sending very small parcel to celebrate first edition, Overseas Associates finally sent me my own catalogue. * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
2nd October, 1950 Dear Helene, I brought the enclosed snapshots to the shop with me weeks ago, but we've been frightfully busy so have had no chance to send them on to you. They were taken in Norfolk where Doug (my husband) is stationed with the RAF. None of them very :flattering of me, but they are the best we have of the children and the one (If Doug alone is very good. My dear. I do hope you get your wish to come to England. Why not save your pennies and come next summer? Mummy and Daddy have a house in Middlesex and would be delighted to put you up. Megan Wells (secretary to the bosses) and I are going on a week's holiday to Jersey (Channel Islands) in July. Why don't you come with us and then you could economize the rest of the month in Middlesex? Ben Marks is trying to see what I'm writing so shall have to close. Sincerely, Cecily * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
October 15, 1950 WELL!!! All I have to say to YOU, Frank Doel, is we live in depraved, destructive and degenerate times when a bookshop a BOOKSHOP starts tearing up beautiful old books to use as wrapping paper. I said to John Henry when he stepped out of it: "Would you believe a thing like that, Your Eminence?" and he said he wouldn't. You tore that book up in the middle of a major battle and I don't even know which war it was. The Newman arrived almost a week ago and I'm just beginning to recover. I keep it on the table with me all day, every now and then I stop typing and reach over and touch it. Not because it's a first edition; I just never saw a book so beautiful. I feel vaguely guilty about owning it. All that gleaming leather and gold stamping and beautiful type belongs in the pine-panelled library of an English country home; it wants to be read by the fire in a gentleman's leather easy chair not on a secondhand studio couch in a one-room hovel in a broken-down brownstone front. I want the Q anthology. I'm not sure how much it was, I lost your last letter. I think it was about two bucks, I'll enclose two singles, if I owe you more let me know. Why don't you wrap it in pages LCXII and LCXIII so I can at least find out who won the battle and what war it was? HH P.S. Have you got Sam Pepys' diary over there? I need him for long winter evenings. * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Miss Hanff, I am sorry for the delay in answering your letter but I have been away out of town for a week or so and am now busy trying to catch up on my correspondence. First of all, please don't worry about us using old books such as Clarendon's Rebellion for wrapping. In this particular case they were just two odd volumes with the covers detached and nobody in their right senses would have given us a shilling for them. The Quiller-Couch anthology, The Pilgrim's Way, has been sent to you by Book Post. The balance due was $1.85 so your $2 more than covered it. We haven't a copy of Pepys' Diary in stock at the moment but shall look out for one for you. With best wishes, Yours faithfully, F. Doel For MARKS & CO. * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
2nd February, 1951 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Miss Hanff, We are glad you liked the "Q" anthology. We have no copy of the Oxford Book of English Prose in stock at the moment but will try to find one for you. About the Sir Roger de Coverley Papers, we happen to have in stock a volume of eighteenth century essays which includes a good selection of them as well as essays by Chesterfield and Goldsmith. It is edited by Austin Dobson and is quite a nice edition and as it is only $1.15 we have sent it off to you by Book Post. If you want a more complete collection of Addison & Steele let me know and I will try to find one. There are six of us in the shop, not including Mr. Marks and Mr. Cohen. Faithfully yours, Frank DoelFor MARKS & CO. * * * * * *Eastcote Pinner
Middlesex
20-2-51 Helene my dear,There are many ways of doing it but Mummy and I think this is the simplest for you to try. Put a cup of flour, an egg, a half cup of milk and a good shake of salt into a large bowl and beat altogether until it is the consistency of thick cream. Put in the frig for several hours. (It's best if you make it in the morning.) When you put your roast in the oven, put in an extra pan to heat. Half an hour before your roast is done, pour a bit of the roast grease into the baking pan, just enough to cover the bottom will do. The pan must be very hot. Now pour the pudding in and the roast and pudding will be ready at the same time. I don't know quite how to describe it to someone who has never seen it, but a good Yorkshire Pudding will puff up very high and brown and crisp and when you cut into it you will find that it is hollow inside. The RAF is still keeping Doug in Norfolk and we are firmly hoarding your Christmas tins until he comes home, but my dear, what a celebration we shall have with them when he does! I do think you oughtn't to spend your money like that! Must fly and post this if you're to have it for Brian's birthday dinner, do let me know if it's a success. Love, Cecily * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City 
February 25, 1951 Dear Cecily,Yorkshire Pudding out of this world, we have nothing like it, I had to describe it to somebody as a high, curved, smooth, empty waffle. Please don't worry about what the food parcels cost, I don't know whether Overseas Asso. is non-profit or duty-free or what, but they are monstrous cheap, that whole Christmas parcel cost less than my turkey. They do have a few rich parcels with things like standing rib-roasts and legs of lamb, but even those are so cheap compared with what they cost in the butcher shops that it kilIs me not to be able to send them. I have such a time with the catalogue, I spread it out on the rug and debate the relative merits of Parcel 05 (includes-one-dozen-eggs-and a-tin-of-sweet-biscuits) and Parcel 217B (two-dozen-eggs-and NO-sweet-biscuits), I hate the one--dozen egg parcels, what is two eggs for anybody to take home? But Brian says the powdered ones taste like glue. So it's a problem. A producer who likes my plays (but not enough to produce them) just phoned. He's producing a TV series, do I want to write for television? "Two bills," he said carelessly, which it turned out means $200. And me a $40-a-week script-reader! I go down to see him tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed. Helene * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
4th April, 1951 Helene Dear,Your marvelous Easter parcels arrived safely and everyone is quite upset because Frank left the city on business for the firm. the next morning and so hasn't written to thank you, and of course no one else quite dares to write to Frank's Miss Hanff. My dear, the meat! I really don't think you should spend your money like that. It must have cost a packet! Bless you for your kind heart. Here comes Ben Marks with work so must close. Love, Cecily * * * * * *Earl's Terrace
Kensington High St.
London, W.8
5th April, 1951 Dear Miss Hanff, This is just to let you know that your Easter parcels to Marks & Co. arrived safely a few days ago but have not been acknowledged as Frank Doel is away from the office on business for the firm. We were all quite dazzled to see the meat. And the eggs and tins were so very welcome. I did feel I must write and tell you how exceedingly grateful we all are for your kindness and generosity. We all hope that you will be able to come to England one of these days. We should do our best to make your trip a happy one. Sincerely, Megan Wells * * * * * *Tunbridge Road
Southend..on-Sea
Essex
5th April, 1951 Dear Miss Hanff,For nearly two years I have been working as a cataloguer at Marks & Co. and would like to thank you very much for my share-out in the parcels which you've been sending. I live with my great-aunt who is 75, and I think that i?you had seen the look of delight on her face when I brought home the meat and the tin of tongue, you would have realized just how grateful we are. It's certainly good to know that someone so many miles away can be so kind and generous to people they haven't even seen, and I think that everyone in the firm feels the same. If at any time you know of anything that you would like sent over from London, I will be most happy to see to it for you. Sincerely, Bill Humphries * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
9th April, 1951 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Miss Hanff , I expect you are getting a bit worried that we have not written to thank you for your parcels and are probably thinking that we are an ungrateful lot. The truth is that I have been chasing round the country in and out of various stately homes of England trying to buy a few books to fill up our sadly depleted stock. My wife was starting to call me the lodger who just went home for bed and breakfast, but of course when I arrived home with a nice piece of MEAT, to say nothing of dried eggs and ham, then she thought I was a fine fellow and all was forgiven. It is a long time since we saw so much meat all in one piece. We should like to express our appreciation in some way or other, so we are sending by Book Post today a little book which I hope you will like. I remember you asked me for a volume of Elizabethan love poems some time ago-well, this is the nearest l can get to it. Yours faithfully, Frank DoelFor MARKS & CO. * * * * * *CARD ENCLOSED WITH ELIZABETHAN POETS:
To Helene Hanff, With best wishes and grateful thanks for many kindnesses, from all at 84, Chacing Cross Road, London. April,1951. * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
April 16, 1951 To All at 84, Charing Cross Road: Thank you for the beautiful book. I've never owned a book before with pages edged all round in gold. Would you believe it arrived on my birthday? I wish you hadn't been so over-courteous about putting the inscription on a card instead of on the flyleaf. It's the bookseller coming out in you all, you were afraid you'd decrease its value. You would have increased it for the present owner. (And possibly for the future owner. I love inscriptions on flyleaves and notes in margins, I like the comradely sense of turning pages someone else turned, and reading passages some one long gone has called my attention to.) And why didn't you sign your names? I expect Frank wouldn't let you, he probably doesn't want me writing love letters to anybody but him. I send you greetings from America-faithless friend that she is, pouring millions into rebuilding Japan and Germany while Jetting England starve. Some day, God willing, I'll get over there and apologize personally for my country's sins (and by the time I come home my country will certainly have to apologize for mine). Thank you again for the beautiful book, I shall try very hard not to get gin and ashes all over it, it's really much too fine for the likes of me. Helene Hanff  * * * * * *Backstage London Dearheart,It is the loveliest old shop straight out of Dickens, you would go absolutely out of your mind over it. There are stalls outside and I stopped and leafed through a few things just to establish myself as a browser before wandering in. It's dim inside, you smell the shop before you see it, it's a lovely smell, I can't articulate it easily, but it combines must and dust and age, and walls of wood and floors of wood. Toward the back of the shop at the left there's a desk with a work-lamp on it, a man was sitting there, he was about fifty with a Hogarth nose, he looked up and said "Good afternoon?" in a North Country accent and I said I just wanted to browse and he said please do. The shelves go on forever. They go up to the ceiling and they're very old and kind of grey, like old oak that has absorbed so much dust over the years they no longer are their true color. There's a print section, or rather a long print table, with Cruikshank and RackhaIll and Spy and all those old wonderful English caricaturists and illustrators that I'm not smart enough to know a lot about, and there are some lovely old, old illustrated magazines. I stayed about half an hour hoping your Frank or one of the girls would turn up, but it was oneish when I went in, I gather they were all out to lunch and I couldn't stay any longer. As you see, the notices were not sensational but we're told they're good enough to assure us a few months' run, so I went apartment-hunting yesterday and found a nice little "bed-sitter" in Knightsbridge, I don't have the address here, I'll send it or you can call my mother. We have no food problems, we eat in restaurants and hotels, the best places like Claridge's get all the roast beef and chops they want. The prices are astronomical but the exchange rate is so good we can afford it. Of course if I were the English I would loathe us, instead of which they are absolutely wonderful to us, we're invited to everybody's home and everybody's club. The only thing we can't get is sugar or sweets in any form, for which I personally thank God, I intend to lose ten pounds over here. Write me. Love, Maxine* * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City 
September 15, 1951 Maxine, Bless your golden heart, what a peachy description, you write better than I do. I called your mother for your address, she said to tell you the sugar cubes and Nestle bars are on the way, I thought you were dieting? I don't like to sound bitter, but I would like to know what YOU ever did that the good Lord lets YOU browse around my bookshop while I'm stuck on 95th St. writing the TV "Adventures of Ellery Queen." Did I tell you we're not allowed to use a lipstick-stained cigarette for a clue? We're sponsored by the Bayuk Cigar Co. and we're not allowed to mention the word "cigarette." We can have ashtrays on the set but they can't have any cigarette butts in them. They can't have cigar butts either, they're not pretty. All an ashtray can have in it is a wrapped, unsmoked Bayuk cigar. And you hobnobbing with Gielgud at Claridge's. Write me about London-the tube, the Inns of Court, Mayfair, the corner where the Globe Theatre stood, anything, I'm not fussy. Write me about Knightsbridge, it sounds green and gracious in Eric Coates' London Suite. Or London Again Suite. xxxx hh * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
October 15, 1951 WHAT KIND OF A PEPYS' DIARY DO YOU CALL THIS? This is not pepys' diary, this is some busybody editor's miserable collection of EXCERPTS from pepys' diary may he rot. I Could Just Spit. Where Is Jan. 12, 1668, Where His Wife Chased Him Out Of Bed And Round The Bedroom With A Red-Hot Poker? Where Is Sir W. Pen's Son That Was-Giving Everybody So Much Trouble With His Quaker Notions? One Mention Does He Get In This Whole Pseudo-Book. And Me From Philadelphia. I Enclose Two Limp Singles, I Will Make Do With This Thing Till You Find Me A Real Pepys. Then I Will Rip Up This Ersatz Book, Page By Page, And Wrap Things In It. HH P.S. Fresh eggs or powdered for Xmas? I know the powdered last longer but "fresh farm eggs flown from Denmark" have got to taste better. you want to take a vote on it? * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
20th October, 1951 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A. Dear Miss Hanff, First of all, let me apologize for the Pepys. I was honestly under the impression that it was the complete Braybrooke edition and I can understand how you must have felt when you found your favorite passages missing. I promise to look at the next reasonably priced copy that comes along, and if it contains the passage you mention in your letter I will send it along. I am glad to say I have managed to dig out a few books for you from a private library that we have just bought. There is a Leigh Hunt which includes most of the essays you like, also a Vulgate New Testament which I hope will be O.K. I have also included a Dictionary to the Vulgate which you might find useful. There is also a volume of 20th century English essays, though it contains only one by Hilaire Belloc and nothing to do with bathrooms. Enclosed is our invoice for 17s 6d, or approximately $2.50, all that is due us on the books as you had a credit balance with us of nearly $2.00 About the eggs, I have talked to the rest of the inmates here and we all seem to think that the fresh ones would be nicer. As you say, they would not last so long but they would taste so much better. We are all hoping for better times after the Election. If Churchill and Company get in, as I think and hope they will, it will cheer everyone up immensely. With best wishes, Yours sincerely,
Prank Doel
For MARKS & CO. * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
November 2,1951 Dear Speed,You dizzy me, rushing Leigh Hunt and the Vulgate over here whizbang like that. You probably don't realize it, but it's hardly more than two years since I ordered them. You keep going at this rate you're gonna give yourself a heart attack. That's mean. You go to so much trouble for me and I never even thank you, I just needle you, it's mean. I really am grateful for all the pains you take for me. I enclose three dollars, I'm sorry about the top one, I spilled coffee on it and it wouldn't sponge off but I think it's still good, you can still read it. Do you carry hard-cover vocal scores, by any chance? Like Bach's St. Matthew Passion and Handel's Messiah? I could probably get them here at Schirmer's, but they're 50 cold blocks from where I live so I thought I'd ask you first. Congratulations on Churchill & Co., hope he loosens up your rations a little. Is your name Welsh? HH * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Miss Hanff, You will be glad to know that the two boxes of eggs and the tins of tongue have all arrived safely and once again we all wish to thank you most sincerely for your extreme generosity. Mr. Martin, one of the older members of our staff, has been on the sick list for some time and we therefore let him have the lion's share of the eggs, one whole boxful in fact, and of course he was delighted to get them. The tins of tongue look very inviting and will be a welcome addition to our larders, and in my case will be put on one side for a special occasion. I enquired at all the local music shops but was unable to get the Messiah or Bach's St. Matthew Passion in stiff covers in clean, secondhand copies, and then I found they were available from the publisher in new editions. Their prices seemed a bit high, but I thought I had better get them and they have been sent by Book Post a few days ago, so should arrive any day now. Our invoice, total ?/10 ($4.20) is enc10sed with the books. We are sending you a little gift for Christmas. It is linen and we do hope you will not have to pay any duty on it. We will mark it "Christmas Gift" and keep our fingers crossed. Anyway, we hope you wiIl like it and accept it with our sincere best wishes for Christmas and the coming year. My name is certainly not of Welsh origin. As it is pronounced to rhyme with the French word "Noel," I think there may be a possibility that it originated in France. Yours sincerely, Frank Doel
For MARKS & CO.
[CARD ENCLOSED WITH HEAVILY WORKED, IRISH LINEN TABLECLOTH HAND-EMBROIDERED]: Christmas Greetings and Good Wishes for the New Year from George Martin
Cecily Farr
Megan Wells
Frank Doel
W. Humphries
J. Pemberton * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
15th January, 1952 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Miss Hanff, First of all, we were all so glad that you liked the cloth. It gave us a lot of pleasure to send it and it was one little way of thanking you for all your kind gifts over the last few years. You may be interested to know that it was embroidered, quite recently, by an old lady of over eighty who lives in the flat (apartment) next door to me. She lives all by herself and does quite a lot of needlework as a hobby. She does not often part with any of her work, but my wife managed to persuade her to sell this cloth, and I think she also made her a present of some of the dried egg you sent us which helped a lot. If you must clean your Bible, we should advise ordinary soap and water. Put a teaspoonful of soda in a pint of warm water and use a soapy sponge. I think you will find this will remove the dirt and you can then polish it with a little lanolin. J. Pemberton is a lady and the J. is for Janet. With best wishes from all of us for the coming year. Faithfully yours, Frank Doel * * * * * *37 Oakfield Court
Haslemere Road
Crouch End
London, N. 8
20-1-52 Dear Miss Hanff: For a long time I have wanted to write to you to thank you for my family's share in the wonderful food parcels you've been sending to Marks &: Co. Now I have an excuse as Frank tells me you want to know the name and address of the old lady who embroidered your cloth. It was beautiful, wasn't it? Her 'name is Mrs. Boulton and she lives next door at No. 36 Oakfield Court. She was thrilled to know that her cloth had crossed the Atlantic and I know she would be delighted to hear how much you admired it. Thank you for wanting to send us more dried egg, but we still have a bit left to see us through until spring. Some time between April and September we usually manage all right for eggs, as they go off ration for a time and then we do a bit of trading with the tins, as once for a special occasion I traded a tin of dried egg for a pair of nylons. Not quite legal but it does help us to get by! I will send you snaps of my happy family one of these days. Our oldest girl was twelve last August, by name Sheila, who by the way is my ready-made daughter, as Frank lost his first wife during the war. Our youngest, Mary, was four last week. Last May, Sheila announced at school that she was sending Mummy and Daddy an anniversary card and told the nuns (it's a convent) that we had been married four years. It took a bit of explaining as you can imagine. I will close this with all good wishes for the New Year and especially a wish that we may see you in England one of these days. Sincerely. Nora Doel * * * * * *36 Oakfield Court
Haslemere Road
Crouch End
London, N. 8
Jan. 29th, 1952 Dear Miss Hanff, Thank you very much for your letter, I appreciate your kindness in telling me the cloth I worked has given you so much 'pleasure. I only wish I could do more. I expect Mrs. Doel has told you I am getting on in years so I am unable to do as much as I used to. It is always a joy to me when my work gets into the hands of someone who appreciates it. I see Mrs. Doel most days, she often speaks of you. Perhaps I may see you if you come to England. Again thanking you, Mary Boulton * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
February 9,1952 Now listen, Maxine I just talked to your mother, she says you don't think the show will run another month and she says you took two dozen pairs of nylons over there, so do me a favor. As soon as the closing notice goes up take four pairs of nylons around to the bookshop for me, give them to Frank Doel, tell him they're for the three girls and Nora (his wife). Your mother says I am NOT to enclose any money for them, she got them last summer at a close-out sale at Saks, they were very cheap and she'll donate them to the shop, she's feeling pro-British. Wait'll you see what the shop sent me for Christmas. It's an Irish linen tablecloth, the color of thick cream, hand-embroidered in an old-fashioned pattern of leaves and flowers, every flower worked in a different color and shaded from very pale to very deep, you never saw anything like it. My junk-shop dropleaf table certainly never saw anything like it, I get this urge to shake out my flowing Victorian sleeve and lift a graceful arm to pour tea from an imaginary Georgian teapot, we're gonna play Stanislavski with it the minute you get home. Ellery raised me to $250 a script, if it keeps up till June.I may get to England and browse around my bookshop myself. If I have the nerve. I write them the most outrageous letters from a safe 3,000 miles away. I'll probably walk in there one day and walk right out again without telling them who I am. I fail to see why you did not understand that grocery man, he didn't call it "ground ground nuts," he called it "ground ground~nuts" which is the only really sensible thing to call it. Peanuts grow in the GROUND and are therefore GROUND nuts, and after you take them out of the ground you grind them up and you have ground ground-nuts, which is a much more accurate name than peanut butter, you just don't understand English. xxx h. hanff girl etymologist p. s. Your mother is setting out bravely this morning to look at an apartment for you on 8th Avenue in the 50's because you told her to look in the theatre district. Maxine you know perfectly well your mother is not equipped to look at ANYTHING on 8th Avenue. * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City SLOTH, I could ROT over here before you'd send me anything to read. I oughta run straight down to brentano's which I would if anything I wanted was in print. You may add Walton's Lives to the list of books you aren't sending me. It's against my principles to buy a book I haven't read, it's like buying a dress you haven't tried on, but you can't even get Walton's Lives in a library over here. You can look at it. They have it down at the 42nd street branch. But not to take home! The lady said to me, shocked. eat it here. just sit right down in room 315 and read the whole book without a cup of coffee, a cigarette or air. Doesn't matter, Q quoted enough of it so I know I'll like it. anything he liked I'll like except if it's fiction. I never can get interested in things that didn't happen to people who never lived. what do you do with yourself all day, sit in the back of the store and read? Why don't you try selling a book to somebody? MISS Hanff to you. (I'm Helene only to my FRIENDS) p.s. tell the girls and Nora if all goes well they're getting nylons tor Lent. * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Helene, I quite agree it is time we dropped the "Miss" when writing to you. I am not really so stand-offish as you may have been led to believe, but as copies of letters I have written to you go into the office files the formal address seemed more appropriate. But as this letter has nothing to do with books, there will be no copy. We are quite at a loss to know how you managed the nylons which appeared this noon as if by magic. All I can tell you is that when I came back from lunch they were on my desk with a note reading: "From Helene Hanff." No one seems to know how or when they arrived. The girls are very thrilled and I believe they are planning to write to you themselves. I am sorry to say that our friend Mr. George Martin who has been so ill for some time passed away in hospital last week. He was with the firm a great number of years, so with that loss and the King dying so suddenly as well, we are rather a mournful crowd at the moment. I don't see how we can ever repay you for your many kind gifts. All I can say is, if you ever decide to make the trip to England, there will be a bed for you at 37 Oakfield Court for as long as you care to stay. With best wishes from us all,
 
Frank Doel * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
March 3, 1952 Oh my, I do bless you for that Walton's Lives. It's incredible that a book published in 1840 can be in such perfect condition more than a hundred years later. Such beautiful, mellow roughcut pages they are, I do feel for poor William T. Gordon who wrote his name in it in 1841, what a crummy lot of descendants he must have-to sell it to you casually for nothing. Boy, I'd like to have run barefoot through THEIR library before they sold it. fascinating book to read, did you know John Donne eloped with the boss's highborn daughter and landed in the Tower for it and starved and starved and THEN got religion, my word. Now listen, I'm enclosing a $5 bill, that Lives makes me very dissatisfied with my Angler which I bought before I met you. It's one of those hard-faced American Classics-for-the-Masses editions, Izaak just hates it, he says he's not going around looking like THAT for the rest of my life, so use the extra $2.50 for a nice English Angler, please. you better watch out. I'm coming over there in 53 if Ellery is renewed. I'm gonna climb up that Victorian book-ladder and disturb the dust on the top shelves and everybody's decorum. Or didn't I ever tell you I write arty murders for Ellery Queen on television? All my scripts have artistic backgrounds-ballet, concert hall, opera-and all the suspects and corpses are cultured. Maybe I'll do one about the rare book business in your honor, you want to be the murderer or the corpse? hh * * * * * *36 Oakfield Court
Haslemere Road
Crouch End
London, N. 8 Dear Miss Hanff: I hardly know how to express my thanks and feelings for the lovely box of everything to eat which you have sent me which arrived today. I have never been sent a parcel before. I really don't think you should have done it. I can only say Thank you very much, I certainly will enjoy everything. It was very kind of you to think of me in this way. I showed them all to Mrs. Doel, she thought they were lovely. Again Thanking you very much, and best wishes.Yours very sincerely, Mary Boulton * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
17th April, 1952 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A. Dear Helene (you see I don't care about the files any more), You will be pleased to know we have just purchased a private library which includes a very nice copy of Walton's Compleat Angler and hope to have it to send you next week, price approximately $2.25 and your credit balance with us is more than enough to cover it. Your Ellery Queen scripts sound rather fun. I wish we could have the chance of seeing some of them on our TV over here it wants livening up a bit (our TV I mean, not your script). Nora and all here join me in sending our best wishes, Yours faithfully, Frank Doel * * * * * *37 Oakfield Court
Haslemere Road
Crouch End
London, N. 8
Sunday, May 4th, 1952 Dear Helene, Thanks for the parcel of dried egg received on Friday and I was very glad for same, I did mention something about eggs coming off the ration, well it just hasn't happened so the powder was a godsend for our weekend cakes, etc. Frank is taking some to the shop to send to Cecily, as he keeps forgetting to bring home her address. I expect you know she has left the shop and is waiting to join her husband in the East. I am enclosing a few snaps, Frank says none of them do him justice, he is much better-looking; but we just let him dream. Sheila was home for a month's break and we have been gadding about a bit to the seaside for day trips and sight-seeing and must now pull in our horns a bit, as the cost of transport here is terrific. It is our ambition to have a car but they are so expensive and a decent secondhand one is dearer than a new one. The new ones are being exported and there are so few for the home market some of my friends have been waiting 5 to 7 years for a new car. Sheila is going to say a "jolly good prayer" for you so you may get your wish to come to England because the tin of bacon we had from you on Easter Monday was such a treat. So if "jolly good prayers" are answered you might have a windfall and be able to come and see us soon. Well, so long for now and thanks once again. Nora * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
May 11, 1952 Dear Frank: Meant to write you the day the Angler arrived, just to thank you, the woodcuts alone are worth ten times the price of the book. What a weird world we live in when so beautiful a thing can be owned for life for the price of a ticket to a Broadway movie palace, or 1/50th the cost of having one tooth capped. Well, if your books cost what they're worth I couldn't afford them! You'll be fascinated to learn (from me that hates novels) that I finally got round to Jane Austen and went out of my mind over Pride & Prejudice which I can't bring myself to take back to the library till you find me a copy of my own. Regards to Nora and the wage-slaves. HH * * * * * *37 Oakfield Court
Haslemere Road
Crouch End
London, N. 8
24-8-52 Dear Helene: Here I am again to thank you most gratefully for our share in the wonderful parcels you so kindly sent to Marks & Co. I wish I could send you something in return. By the way, Helene, this week we have become the proud possessors of a car, not a new one, mind you, but it goes and that's what matters isn't it? Now maybe you will tell us you're paying us a call? Mrs. Boulton put up two cousins of mine who came down from Scotland for a couple of weeks and they were very comfortable. She bedded them and I fed them. Now if by any chance you can manage the fare to England next year for the Coronation, Mrs. Boulton will see that you have a bed. Well, I'll say so long for now and send you our best wishes and thanks once again for the meat and eggs. Nora * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
26th August, 1952 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Helene, I am writing once again to thank you on behalf of an here for your three very exciting parcels which arrived a few days ago. It is really too good of you to spend your hard-earned cash on us in this way and I can assure you that we do appreciate your kind thoughts of us. We had about thirty volumes of Loeb Classics come in a few days ago but alas, no Horace, Sappho or Catullus. I am taking a couple of weeks' holiday commencing September 1, but as I have just bought a car we are completely "broke" so will have to take things easy. Nora has a sister who lives by the sea so we are hoping she will take pity on us and invite us to stay with her. It is my first car so we are all very thrilled with it-even though it is an old 1939 model. So long as it gets us to places without breaking down too often we shall be quite happy. With all good wishes, Frank Doel * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
September 18, 1952 Frankie, Guess who came while you were away on vacation? SAM PEPYS! Please thank whoever mailed him for me, he came a week ago, stepped out of four pages of some tabloid, three honest navy-blue volumes of him; I read the tabloid over lunch and started Sam after dinner. He says to tell you he's overjoyed to be here, he was previously owned by a slob who never even bothered to cut the pages. I'm wrecking them, it's the thinnest India paper I ever saw. We call it "onion skin" over here and it's a good name for it. But heavier paper would have taken up six or seven volumes so I'm grateful for the India. I only have three bookshelves and very few books left to throw out. I houseclean my books every spring and throw out those I'm never going to read again like I throw out clothes I'm never going to wear again. It shocks everybody. My friends are peculiar about books. They read all the best sellers, they get through them as fast as possible, I think they skip a lot. And they NEVER read anything a second time so they don't remember a word of it a year later. But they are profoundly shocked to see me drop a book in the wastebasket or give it away. The way they look at it, you buy a book, you read it, you put it on the shelf, you never open it again for the rest of your life but YOU DON'T THROW IT OUT! NOT IF IT HAS A HARD COVER ON IT! 'Why not? I personally can't think of anything less sacrosanct than a bad book or even a mediocre book. Trust you and Nora had a fine holiday. Mine was spent in Central Park, I had a month's vacation from Joey, my dear little dentist, he went on his honeymoon. I financed the honeymoon. Did I tell you he told me last spring I had to have all my teeth capped or all my teeth out? I decided to have them capped as I have got used to having teeth. But the cost is simply astronomical. So Elizabeth will have to ascend the throne without me, teeth are all I'm going to see crowned for the next couple of years. I do NOT intend to stop buying books, however, you have to have something. Will you see if you can find me Shaw's dramatic criticism please? And also his music criticism? I think there are several volumes, just send whatever you can find, now listen, Frankie, it's going to be a long cold winter and I baby-sit in the evenings AND I NEED READING MATTER, NOW DON'T START SITTING AROUND, GO FIND ME SOME BOOKS. hh * * * * * *New York City
December 12, 1952 To "her friends at 84, Charing Cross Road": The Book-Lovers' Anthology stepped out of its wrappings, all gold-embossed leather and gold-tipped pages, easily the most ,beautiful book I own including the Newman first edition. It looks too new and pristine ever to have been read by anyone else, but it has been: it keeps falling open at the most delightful places as the ghost of its former owner points me to things I've never read before. Like Tristram Shandy's description of his father's remarkable library which "contained every book and treatise which had ever been wrote upon the subject of great noses." (Frank! Go find me Tristram Shandy!) I do think it's a very uneven exchange of Christmas presents. You'll eat yours up in a week and have nothing left to show for it by New Year's Day. I'll have mine till the day I die and die happy in the knowledge that I'm leaving it behind for someone else to love. I shall sprinkle pale pencil marks through it pointing out the best passages to some booklover yet unborn. Thank you all. Happy New Year. * * * * * *37 Oakfield Court
Haslemere Road
Crouch End
London, N. 8
17-12-52 Dear Helene: So sorry I have been so long in dropping you a line. I hope you haven't taken it too badly about Adlai. Maybe he will have better luck next time. Mrs. Boulton says she will gladly put you up next summer if she is still alive, she says, but I don't know of anyone of her age who is more so, I feel sure she will live to be a hundred. Anyway, we can always fix you up somewhere. Thanks for the good things you sent us for Christmas, you are much too kind, Helene! And if those bodies at Marks & Co. don't give you a banquet when you come over next year, well, they deserve to be shot. I hope you have a lovely Christmas. Cheerio for now and all our best wishes and thanks. God bless! Nora * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
May 3, 1953 Frankie, You'll DIE when I tell you. First, enclosed find $3, P-and-P arrived looking exactly as Jane ought to look, soft leather, slim and impeccable. Now then. Ellery went off the air and I was shuffling around piling up dentist bills and feeling pale when I was invited to write an outline for a TV show which dramatizes incidents from the lives of famous people. So I rushed home and did an outline of an incident from-the-life-of-a-famous-person and sent it in and they bought it and I wrote the script and they liked it and they're gonna give me more work in the fall. And whaddaya think I dramatized? JOHN DONNE ELOPING WITH THE BOSS'S DAUGHTER out of Walton's Lives. Nobody who watches television has the slightest idea who John Donne was, but thanks to Hemingway everybody knows No Man Is An Island, all I had to do was work that in and it was sold. So that's how John Donne made the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and paid for all the books you ever sent me and five teeth. I plan to crawl out of bed before dawn on Coronation Day to attend the ceremony by radio. Will be thinking of you all. Cheers.hh * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
11th June, 1953 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A.Dear Helene, Just a note to let you know that your parcel arrived safely on June 1, just in time for our Coronation Day celebrations. We had a number of friends at home to watch TV on the day, and so the ham was most welcome to provide them with something to eat. It was delicious, and we all drank your health as well as the Queen's. It was most kind of you to spend your hard-earned money on us like this, and the rest of the staff join me in saying thanks a lot.
With very best wishes, Yours sincerely, Frank* * * * * *Boldmere Road
Eastcote
Pinner
Middlesex
23-9-53 Helene dear, Am dashing this off to say you must send nothing at all to the shop for Christmas, everything -is now off rations and even nylons are available in all the better shops. Please save your money as the most important thing after your dentist is your trip to England. Only don't come in '54 as I shall be out of the country, come in '55 when we shall be back and you can stay with us. Doug writes that our "call" may come at any moment as we are next in line for married quarters. The children and I are hoping to join him before Christmas. He is well and happy on Bahrein Island in the middle of the Persian Gulf (if you've got an atlas) but will return to the RAF base at Habbaniya in Iraq when our quarters are available and we will join him there, all being well. Write again soon. Even if I do "pop off" Mother will forward your letter. Love and best wishesCecily * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
September 2, 1955 DO YOU MEAN TO SIT THERE AND TELL ME YOU'VE BEEN PUBLISHING THESE MAMMOTH CATALOGUES ALL THESE YEARS AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU EVER BOTHERED TO SEND ME ONE! THOU VARLET? Don't remember which restoration playwright called everybody a Varlet, I always wanted to use it jn a sentence. As it happens, the only thing which MIGHT interest me is the CatulIus, it's not the Loeb Classics but it sounds like it'll do. If you still have it, mail it and I'll send you the -6s 2d as soon as you translate it, Kay and Brian moved to the suburbs and left me without a translator. I shall be obliged if you will send Nora and the girls to church every Sunday for the next month to pray for the continued health and strength of the messrs. Gilliam, Reese, Snider, Campanella, Robinson, Hodges, Furillo, Podres, Newcombe And Labine, collectively known as The Brooklyn Dodgers. If they lose this World Series I shall Do Myself In and then where will you be? Have you got De Tocqueville's Journey to America? Somebody borrowed mine and never gave it back. Why is it that people who wouldn't dream of stealing anything else think it's perfectly all right to steal books? Regards to Megan if she's still there. And what's become of Cecily, is she back from Iraq? h. h. * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A. Dear Helene, I feel very guilty about not writing to you before this, but you can put it down to a dose of 'flu which kept me away from the shop for a couple of weeks and a sudden rush of work since I came back. About the Catullus in our catalogue. This was already sold before we received your letter but I have sent you an edition which contains the Latin text with a verse translation by Sir Richard Burton and also a prose translation by Leonard Smithers, printed in large type, and all for $3.78. The binding is not very handsome but it's a good clean copy. We have no edition of De Tocqueville but will keep looking for one for you. Megan is still here but planning to go to South Africa to live, we are all trying to talk her out of it. We have heard nothing from Cecily Farr since she went out to the East to join her husband, though they were only to be gone a year. I shall be only too pleased to root for the Brooklyn Dodgers if you will reciprocate with a few cheers for THE SPURS (the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club to the uninitiated), who are at present languishing next to the bottom of the League. However, the season does not finish until next April so they have plenty of time to get themselves out of the mess. Nora and all here join me in sending our best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Sincerely, Frank Doel * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City
jan. 4, 1956 I write you from under the bed where that catullus drove me. I mean it PASSETH understanding. Up till now, the only Richard Burton I ever heard of is a handsome young actor I've seen in a couple of British movies and I wish I'd kept it that way. This one got knighted for turning Catullus-caTULLus-into Victorian hearts~and-flowers and poor little Mr. Smithers must have been afraid his mother was going to read it, he like to KILL himself cleaning it all up. All right, let's just you go find me a nice plain Latin Catullus, I bought myself a Cassell's dictionary, and work out the hard passages by myself. WILL YOU TELL MEGAN WELLS SHE IS OUT OF HER COTTONPICKING MIND? If she's that bored with civilization why doesn't she just move to a Siberian salt mine? certainly, certainly, glad to root for anything with Hotspur in it. Have been socking money in the savings bank for next summer, if TV keeps feeding me till then I'm finally coming over, I want to see the shop and St. Paul's and Parliament and the Tower and Covent Garden and the Old Vic and Old Mrs. Boulton. I enclose a sawbuck for that thing. That catullus. Bound in white -mit-white-silk-bookmark-yet, Frankie, where do you FIND these things?hh * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 14 East 95th St.
New York City Dear Helene, I am sorry to have been so long in writing, but until today we have had nothing to send you and I thought it best to wait a decent interval after the Catullus incident before writing. We have finally managed to find a very nice edition of Tristram Shandy with the Robb illustrations, price approximately $2.75. We have also acquired a copy of Plato's Four Socratic Dialogues, translated by Benjamin Jowett, Oxford, 1903. Would you like this for $1.001 You have a $1.22 credit with us so the balance due on the two books would be $2.53. We are waiting to hear whether you are finally coming to England this summer. Both the girls are away at school so you will have your choice of beds at 37 Oakfield Court. I am sorry to say that Mrs. Boulton has been taken to a home, it was rather a sad day but at least she will be looked after there. Sincerely, Frank Doel * * * * * *14 East 95th St.
New York City 
lund,1956 Dear Frank: Brian introduced me to Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows and I have to have this with the Shepard illustrations please-but DON'T MAIL IT; JUST HOLD IT FOR ME TILL SEPTEMBER and then mail it to the new address. The sky fell on us in this cozy brownstone, we got eviction notices last month, they're renovating the building. I decided the time had come to get me a real apartment with real furniture, and in my right mind and shaking all over I went around to the construction site of a new building going up over on 2nd Avenue and signed a lease on a 21h ("bed-sitter") apartment that isn't even there yet. I am now racing around buying furniture and bookshelves and wall-to-wall carpet with all my England money, but all my life I've been stuck in dilapidated furnished rooms and cockroachy kitchens and I want to live like a lady even if it means putting off England till it's paid for. Meanwhile the landlord thinks we're not moving out fast enough and is encouraging us by firing the super, leaving nobody to give us hot water or take the garbage out, and also by ripping out the mailboxes, the hall light fixtures and (as of this week) the wall between my kitchen and bathroom. all this and the dodgers disintegrating before my very eyes, nobody-knows-the-trouble-I-see. Oh, the new address: AFTER SEPTEMBER 1, 305 E. 72nd St.,
New York, N.Y. 21 * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
3rd May, 1957 Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. Dear Helene, Prepare yourself for a shock. ALL THREE of the books you requested in your last letter are on the way to you and should arrive in a week or so. Don't ask how we managed it-it's just a part of the Marks service. Our bill is enclosed herewith showing balance due of $5.00 Two of your friends dropped in to see us a few days ago and now I have forgotten their names-a young married couple and very charming. Unfortunately they only had time to stop and smoke a cigarette as they were off again on their travels next morning. We seem to have had more American visitors than ever this year, including hundreds of lawyers who march around with a large card pinned to their clothes stating their home town and name. They all seem to be enjoying their trip so you will have to manage it next year.
 
With best wishes from us all, Frank
POSTCARD MAILED FROM STRATFORD-UPON-AVON,
MAY 6, 1957 You might have warned us! We walked into your bookstore and said we were friends of yours and were nearly mobbed. Your Frank wanted to take us home for the weekend. Mr. Marks came out from the back of the store just to shake hands" with friends..of Miss Hanff, everybody in the place wanted to wine and dine us, we barely got out alive. Thought you'd like to see the house where your Sweet William was born. On to Paris, then Copenhagen, home on the 23rd. Love, Ginny and Ed * * * * * *Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
January 10, 1958 Hey, Frankie,Tell Nora to bring her address book up to date, your Christmas card just got here, she sent it to 14 e. 95th st. Don't know whether I ever told you how dearly I love that Tristram Shandy, the Robb illustrations are enchanting, Uncle Toby would have been pleased. Now then. In the back, there's a list of other Macdonald illustrated Classics which includes the Essays of Elia. I'd love to have this in the Macdonald edition or any nice edition. If it's reasonable, of course. Nothing's cheap any more, it's "reasonable." Or "sensibly priced." There's a building going up across the street, the sign over it says: "One and Two Bedroom Apartments At Rents That Make Sense." Rents do NOT make sense. And prices do not sit around being reasonable about anything, no matter what it says in the ad which isn't an ad any more, it's A Commercial. I go through life watching the english language being raped before my face. Like Miniver Cheevy, I was born too late, and like Miniver Cheevy I cough and call it fate and go on drinking. hh p.s. whatever became of plato's minor dialogues? * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
11 th March, 1958 Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. Dear Helene, I must apologize for having taken so long to answer your last letter but we have had rather a hectic time. Nora has been in hospital for the past several months and I have had my hands full at home. She is almost fully recovered and will be coming home in a week or so. It has been a trying time for us but thanks to our National Health Service it hasn't cost us a penny. About the Macdonald Classics, we do get a few from time to time but have none at the moment. We had several copies of Lamb's Essays of Elia earlier on but they were snapped up during the holiday rush. I am off on a buying trip next week and will look out for one for you. Not forgetting the Plato. We all hope you had a good holiday season and the girls apologize for sending your Christmas card to the old address. Faithfully yours, Frank * * * * * *37 Oakfield Court
Haslemere Road
Crouch End
London, N. 8
May 7th, 1958 Dear Helene, I have to thank you for your two letters, thanks for the offer, Helene, but there is really nothing we need. I wish we had our own bookshop, then we would be able to repay your kindness by sending you a few books. I am enclosing a few recent snaps of my happy family, I wish they were better but we seem to have given all the best ones to relatives. You will probably notice how very much alike Sheila and Mary are. It is rather noticeable. Frank says that Mary, as she has been growing up, is exactly like Sheila was at the same age. Sheila's mother was Welsh and I hail from the Emerald Isle so they both must resemble Frank but they are better-looking than he is, though of course he won't admit this! If you knew how much I hate writing you would feel sorry for me. Frank says for one who talks so much I put up a very bad show on paper. Again thanks for the letters and good wishes. Nora * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. We are all sorry to hear that your television shows have moved to Hollywood and that one more summer will bring us every American tourist but the one we want to see. I can quite understand your refusal to leave New York for Southern California. We have our fingers crossed for you and hope that some sort of work will turn up soon. Dear Helene, I don't know how to break the bad news, but two days after offering you the Shorter Oxford Dictionary for your friend, a man came in and bought it when my back was turned. I have delayed replying to your letter in the hope that another one would come along, but no luck yet. I am terribly sorry to disappoint your friend but you can blame it all on me as I really ought to have reserved it. We are sending off by Book Post today the Johnson on Shakespeare, which we happened to have in stock in the Oxford Press edition with introduction by Walter Raleigh. It is only $1.05 and your balance with us was more than enough to cover it. Sincerely, Frank * * * * * *Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
August 15, 1959 Sir: I write to say I have got work. I won it. I won a $5,000 Grant-in-Aid, off CBS, it's supposed to support me for a year while I write American History dramatizations. I am starting with a script about New York under seven years of British Occupation and I MARVEL at how I rise above it to address you in friendly and forgiving fashion, your behavior over here from 1776 to 1783 was simply FILTHY. Is there such a thing as a modern-English version of the Canterbury Tales? I have these guilts about never having read Chaucer but I was talked out of learning Early Anglo-Saxon/Middle English by a friend who had to take it for her Ph.D. They told her to write an essay in Early Anglo-Saxon on any subject of her own choosing. "Which is all very well," she said bitterly, "but the only essay subject you can find enough Early Anglo-Saxon words for is 'How to Slaughter a Thousand Men in a Mead Hall.' " She also filled me in on Beowulf and his illegitimate son Sidwith-or is it Widsith? she says it's not worth reading so that killed my interest in the entire subject, just send me a modern Chaucer. hh * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2 Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. Dear Helene, We were all delighted to hear that you've won a Grant-in Aid and are working again. We are prepared to be broadminded about your choice of subject matter, but I must tell you that one of the young inmates here confessed that until he read your letter he never knew that England had ever owned "the States." With regard to Chaucer, the best scholars seem to have fought shy of putting him into modern English, but there was an edition put out by Longmans in 1934, the Canterbury Tales only, a modernized version by Hill, which I believe is quite good. It is (of course!) out of print and I am trying to find a nice clean secondhand copy. Sincerely, Frank * * * * * *305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y. Sunday night and a hell of a way to start 1960. Idon't know, Frankie,Somebody gave me this book for Christmas. It's a Giant Modern Library book. Did you ever see one of those? It's less attractively bound than the Proceedings of the New York State Assembly and it weighs more. It was given to me by a gent who knows I'm fond of John Donne. The title of this book is: The Complete Poetry Selected Prose of JOHN DONNE & The Complete Poetry of WILLIAM BLAKE? The question mark is mine. Will you please tell me what those two boys have in common? Except they were both English and they both Wrote? I tried reading the Introduction figuring that might explain it. The Introduction is in four parts. Parts I and II include a Professor's life of Donne mit-illustrations-from-thea uthor's-works-also-criticism. Part III begins-and God knows I quote- : 'When, as a little boy, William Blake saw the prophet Ezekiel under a tree amid a summer field, he was soundly trounced by his mother. I'm with his mother. I mean, the back of the Lord God or the face of the Virgin Mary, all right-but why the hell would anybody want to see the prophet Ezekiel? I don't like Blake anyway, he swoons too much, it's Donne I'm writing about, I am being driven clear up the wall, Frankie, you have GOT to help me. Here I was, curled up in my armchair so at peace with the world, with something old and serene on the radio-Corelli or somebody-and this thing on the table. This Giant Modern Library thing. So I thought: "I will read the three standard passages from Sermon XV aloud," you have to read Donne aloud, it's like a Bach fugue. Would you like to know what I went through in an innocent attempt to read three contiguous uncut passages from Sermon XV aloud? You start with the Giant Modern Library version, you locate Sermon XV and there they are: Excerpts I, II and III, only when you get to the end of Excerpt I you discover they have deleted Jezebel off it. So you get down Donne's Sermons, Selected Passages (Logan Pearsall Smith) where you spend twenty minutes locating Sermon XV, Excerpt I, because by Logan Pearsall Smith it isn't Sermon XV, Excerpt I, it's Passage 126. All Must Die. Now that you've found it, you find he also deleted Jezebel so you get down the Complete Poetry & Selected Prose (Nonesuch Press) but they didn't happen to Select Jezebel either, so you get down the Oxford Book of English Prose where you spend another twenty minutes locating it because in the Oxford English Prose it isn't Sermon XV, Excerpt I nor yet 126. All Must Die, it's Passage 113. Death the Leveller. Jezebel is there, and you read it aloud but when you get to the end you find it doesn't have either Excerpt II or III so you have to switch to one of the other three books provided you had the wit to leave all three open at the right pages which I didn't. So break it to me gently: how hard is it going to be to find me John Donne's Complete Sermons and how much is it going to cost? I am going to bed. I will have hideous nightmares involving huge monsters in academic robes carrying long bloody butcher knives labeIled Excerpt, Selection, Passage and Abridged.. yrs, h. h.* * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
5th March, 1960 Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. Dear Helene, I have delayed answering your last two letters until I had some good news to report. I have managed to obtain a copy of the Bernard Shaw-Ellen Terry correspondence. It is not a very attractive edition but it is a good clean copy and I thought I had better send it as this is quite a popular book and it might be quite some time before another copy comes along. The price is approximately $2.65 and you have a credit with us of 50 cents. I am afraid the complete Donne Sermons can be had only by buying Donne's Complete Works. This runs to more than 40 volumes and would be very expensive if in good condition. We hope you had a good Christmas and New Year in spite of the Giant Modem Library. Nora joins me in sending best wishes. Sincerely,Frank * * * * * *305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
May 8, 1960 M. De Tocqueville's compliments and he begs to announce his safe arrival in America. He sits around looking smug because everything he said was true, especially about lawyers running the country. I belong to a Democratic club, there were fourteen men over there the other night, eleven of them lawyers. came home and read a couple of newspaper stories about the presidential hopefuls-Stevenson, Humphrey, Kennedy, Stassen, Nixon-all lawyers but Humphrey. I enclose three bucks, it's a beautiful book and you can't even call it secondhand, the pages weren't cut. Did I tell you I finally found the perfect page-cutter? It's a pearl-handled fruit knife. My mother left me a dozen of them, I keep one in the pencil cup on my desk. Maybe I go with the wrong kind of people but I'm just not likely to have twelve guests all sitting around simultaneously eating fruit. Cheers hh * * * * * *Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A.  Frank? You still there'? I swore I wouldn't write till I got work. Sold a story to Harper's Magazine, slaved over it for three weeks and they paid me $200 for it. Now they've got me writing the story of my life in a book. they're "advancing" me $1,500 to write it and they figure it shouldn't take me more than six months. I don't mind for myself but the landlord worries.
So I can't buy any books but back in October somebody introduced me to Louis the Duke de Saint-Simon in a miserable abridgement, and I tore around to the Society Library where they let you roam the stacks and lug everything home, and got the real thing. Have been wallowing in Louis ever since. The edition I'm reading is in six volumes and halfway through Vol. VI last night I realized I could not support the notion that when I take it back I will have NO louis in the house. The translation I'm reading is by Francis Arkwright and it's delightful but I'll settle for any edition you can find that you trust. DO NOT MAIL IT! Just buy it and let me know what it costs and keep it there and I'll buy it from you one volume at a time. Hope Nora and the girls are fine. And you. And anybody else who knows me. Helene * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
 
Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. Dear Helene, You will be pleased to know that we have a copy of the Memoirs of the Duke de Saint-Simon in stock in the Arkwright translation, six volumes nicely bound and in very good condition. We are sending them off to you today and they should arrive within a week or two. The amount due on them is approximately $18.75 but please don't worry about paying it all at once. Your credit will always be good at Marks & Co. It was very good to hear from you again. We are all well, and still hoping to see you in England one of these days. Love from us all, Prank * * * * * *Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A.Dear Frankie.Enclosed-please-God-please-find a $10 bill, it better get there, not many of those float in here these days but louis wanted me to get him paid off, he got so tired of the deadbeats at court he didn't want to move in with one 270 years later. Thought of you last night, my editor from Harper's was here for dinner, we were going over this story-of-my-life and we came to the story of how I dramatized Landor's" Aesop and Rhodope" for the "Hallmark Hall of Fame." Did I ever tell you that one? Sarah Churchill starred as Landor's dewy-eyed Rhodope. The show was aired on a Sunday afternoon. Two hours before it went on the air, I opened the New York Times Sunday book review section and there on page 3 was a review of a book called A House Is Not a Home by Polly Adler, all about whorehouses, and under the title was the photo of a sculptured head of a Greek girl with a caption reading: "Rhodope, the most famous prostitute in Greece." Landor had neglected to mention this. Any scholar would have known Landor's Rhodope was the Rhodopis who took Sappho's brother for every dime he had but I'm not a scholar, I memorized Greek endings one stoic winter but they didn't stay with me. So we were going over this anecdote and Gene (my editor) said "Who is Landor?" and I plunged into an enthusiastic explanation-and Gene shook her head and cut in impatiently: "You and your Olde English books!"
 
You see how it is, frankie, you're the only soul alive who understands me. xx hh p.s. Gene's Chinese. * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
14th October, 1963 Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A.
 
Dear Helene, You will no doubt be surprised to learn that the two volumes of Virginia Woolf's Common Reader are on their way to you. If you want anything else I can probably get it for you with the same efficiency and swiftness. We are all well and jogging along as usual. My eldest daughter Sheila (24) suddenly decided she wanted to be a teacher so threw up her secretarial job two years ago to go to college. She has another year to go so it looks as though it will be a long time before our children will be able to keep us in luxury. Love from all here, Frank
 
* * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
 
9th Novcmber, 1963
Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. Dear Helene, Some time ago you asked me for a modern version of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. I came across a little volume the other day which I thought you would like. It is not complete by any means, but as it is quite a cheap book and seems to be a fairly scholarly job, I am sending it along by Book Post today, price $1.35. If this whets your appetite for Chaucer and you would like something more complete later on, let me know and I will see what I can find. Sincerely, Frank * * * * * *305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
Saturday All right, that's enough Chaucer-made-easy, it has the schoolroom smell of Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare. I'm glad I read it. I liked reading about the nun who ate so dainty with her fingers she never dripped any grease on herself. I've never been able to make that claim and I use a fork. Wasn't anything else that intrigued me much, it's just stories, I don't like stories. Now if Geoffrey had kept a din)' and told me what it was like to be a little clerk in the palace of richard III THAT I'd learn Olde English for. I just threw out a book somebody gave me, it was some slob's version of what it was like to live in the time of Oliver Cromwell-only the slob didn't live in the time of Oliver Cromwell so how the hell does he know what it was like? Anybody wants to know what it was like to live in the time of Oliver Cromwell can flop on the sofa with Milton on his pro side and Walton on his con, and they'll not only tell him what it was like, they'll take him there. "The reader will not credit that such things could be," Walton says somewhere or other, "but I was there and I saw it." that's for me, I'm a great lover of I-was-there books. I enclose two bucks for the chaucer, that leaves me a credit with you of 65c which is a larger credit than I have anywhere else.
h * * * * * *Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
March 30, 1964 Dear Frank.l take time out from a children's history book (my fourth, would you believe?) to ask if you can help a friend. He has an incomplete set of Shaw in what he insists is just called the Standard Edition. It's bound in rust-colored cloth, he says, if that helps. I enclose a list of what he has, he wants all the others in the set but if you have more than a few, don't send them all at once. He'll buy them piecemeal, like me he's a pauper. Send them to him direct, to the address on the list. That's 32nd Avenue in case you can't read it. Do you ever hear anything of Cecily or Megan? best hh* * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
14th April, 1964 Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. Dear Helene, About the Shaw for your friend, the Standard Edition is still available from the publishers, it is bound in the rust-colaured cloth as he describes and I think there are about 30 volumes in the complete set. Used copies seldom come along but if he would like us to send him new copies we shall be glad to do so and could send him three or four volumes a month. We have not heard from Cecily Farr in some years now. Megan Wells had enough of South Africa in a very short time and did stop in to give us a chance to say I-told-you-so, before going out to try her luck in Australia. We had a Christmas card from her a few years ago but nothing recently. Nora and the girls join me in sending love, Frank * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
4th October, 1965 Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. Dear Helene, It was good to hear from you again. Yes, we're still here, getting older and busier but no richer. We have just managed to obtain a copy of E. M. Delafield's Diary of a Provincial Lady, in an edition published by Macmillan in 1942, a good clean copy, price $2.00. We are sending it off to you today by Book Post with invoice enclosed. We had a very pleasant summer with more than the usual number of tourists, including hordes of young people making the pilgrimage to Carnaby Street. We watch it all from a safe distance, though I must say I rather like the Beatles. If the fans just wouldn't scream so. Nora and the girls send their love, Frank * * * * * *Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
September 30,1968 Still alive, are we? I've been writing American history books for children for four or five years. Got hung up on the stuff and have been buying American history books-in ugly, cardboardy American editions, but somehow I just didn't think the stately homes of England would yield nice English editions of James Madison's stenographic record of the Constitutional Convention or T. Jefferson's letters to J. Adams or like that. Are you a grandfather yet? Tell Sheila and Mary their children are entitled to presentation copies of my Collected Juvenile Works, THAT should make them rush off and reproduce. I introduced a young friend of mine to Pride & Prejudice one rainy Sunday and she has gone out of her mind for Jane Austen. She has a birthday round about Hallowe'en, can you find me some Austen for her? If you've got a complete set let me know the price, if it's expensive I'll make her husband give her half and I'll give her half. Best to Nora and anybody else around. HH* * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
16th October, 1968 Miss Helene Hanff
305 East 72nd Street
New York 21, N.Y.
U.S.A. Dear Helene, Yes, we are all very much alive and kicking, though rather exhausted from a hectic summer, with hordes of tourists from U.S.A., France, Scandinavia, etc., all buying our nice leatherbound books. Consequently our stock at the moment is a sorry sight, and with the shortage of books and high prices there is little hope of finding any Jane Austen for you in time for your friend's birthday. Perhaps we will be able to find them for her for Christmas. Nora and the girls are fine. Sheila is teaching, Mary is engaged to a very nice boy but there is little hope of them getting married for some time as neither has any money! So Nora's hopes of being a glamorous grandmother are receding fast. Love, Frank * * * * * *MARKS & CO., Booksellers 
Booksellers
84, Charing Cross Road
London, W.C. 2
8th January, 1969 Miss Helene Hanff
14 East 95th St.
New York City
U. S. A. Dear Miss Hanff, I have just come across the letter you wrote to Mr. Doel on the 30th of September last, and it is with great regret that I have to tell you that he passed away on Sunday the 22nd of December, the funeral took place last week on Wednesday the 1st of January. He was rushed to hospital on the 15th of December and operated on at once for a ruptured appendix, unfortunately peritonitis set in and he died seven days later. He had been with the firm for over forty years and naturally it has come as a very great shock to Mr. Cohen, particularly coming so soon after the death of Mr. Marks. Do you still wish us to try and obtain the Austens for you? Yours faithfully, p.p. MARKS & CO. Joan Todd (Mrs.) Secretary
 
* * * * * *(UNDATED. POSTMARK.ED JANUARY 29, 1969. No ADDRESS ON LETTER.) Dear Helene, Thank you for your very kind letter, nothing about it at all offends me. I only wish that you had met Frank and known him personally, he was the most well-adjusted person with a marvelous sense of humour, and now I realize such a modest person, as I have had letters from all over to pay him tribute and so many people in the book trade say he was so knowledgeable and imparted his knowledge with kindness to all and sundry. If you wish it I could send them to you. At times I don't mind telling you I was very jealous of you, as Frank so enjoyed your letters and they or some were so like his sense of humour. Also I envied your writing ability. Frank and I were so very much opposites, he so kind and gentle and me with my Irish background always fighting for my rights. I miss him so, life was so interesting, he always explaining and trying to teach me something of books. My girls are wonderful and in this I am lucky. I suppose so many like me are all alone. Please excuse my scrawl. With love, Nora I hope some day you will come and visit us, -the girls would love to meet you. * * * * * *April 11 ,1969
Dear KatherineI take time out from housecleaning my bookshelves and sitting on the rug surrounded by books in every direction 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. * * * * * *EPILOGUE
October, 1969Winton Avenue
London, N. 11
October, 1969 Dear Helene, This is correspondent No.3 of the Doel family speaking! First, may I apologize for the long silence. Believe me, you were often in our thoughts, we just never seemed to get around to committing those thoughts to paper. And then today we got your second letter, and were so ashamed of ourselves that we're writing immediately. We're pleased to hear about your book and very wilIingly give permission to publish the letters. We are now in our lovely new home. But although we love the house, and are very happy we moved, we often think of how much my father would have enjoyed it. It's futile to have regrets. Although my father was never a wealthy or powerful man, he was a happy and contented one. And we're happy that this was so. We all lead busy lives-perhaps it's better so. Mary works hard at the University library, and for relaxation goes on car rallies which last all night. I'm studying part time for a degree as well as teaching full time, and Mum, she never stops! So I'm afraid we're very bad correspondents, though delighted, of course, to receive letters. Nevertheless, we will try to write when we can if you would like this, and look forward to hearing from you. Yours truly, Sheila
《查令十字街84号》  
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***************　　二十年间，汉芙总共在查令十字街84号购书近五十种，这个数目并不大，算不得是位好顾客，但保持着与书店的德尔先生及其他人的通信来往，却成了她生活中必不可少的一部分。特别是她在五十年代初英国困难时期慷慨出手的豪情，为她带来了英伦的真挚的友谊，也是这扎书信的人情味所在。      ---------------
序：书缘·情缘(1)
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　　恺蒂
　　如同每一个晴日的上午，阳光将这排歪歪斜斜的二手书店的影子投到街中心上，街上还少行人，穿着对襟毛衣，半秃着顶，行动悠缓的店主们正在将一切生意准备停当，掸一下桌面、橱窗中的灰尘，把书架上那排排参差的布面、皮面书摆正，再将一匣匣便宜的小本平装书移到门外，沿着窗前的墙根摆齐。不用吆喝生意，不用招揽顾客，这群书商们如同他们店中中层书架上的那些小羊皮装帧而成的上个世纪的书籍，虽并不昂贵，但却见过世面，口中叼着一枚烟斗，看着大红色的双层汽车在街上阳光屋影间叮咚过往。
　　她跨下了一辆黑色的计程车，纤巧单薄的女人，游移的目光掠过那一家家摆着书的橱窗，68号，72号，76号，78号，82号，寻寻觅觅，像是丢失了件宝物。最终停了下来，但面前的84号却是空空如也。灰蒙蒙的玻璃窗里面蛛网遍织的书架东倒西歪，地上散落着些废纸，满是尘埃；推门进去，没有想像中的惊喜问候，空空的楼梯通向另一些同样废弃了的房间。孤身女人想张口告诉主人她已到来，她信守了诺言，但空屋中并无人回应，只有一阵冷风袭过，泪水顺着面颊静静地流淌下来。是一段书缘，还是一段情缘，竟让这纽约的独居女人千里迢迢为了伦敦小街这破落关门的书店而如此神伤？手中握着那本薄薄的小书，是为了还查令十字街(CharingCrossRoad)84号的哪一种心愿？
　　一
　　他约她出来聊天，选定的地方是孔乙己酒家，面前摆的是一樽绍兴花雕，自然少不了一碟五香豆，还有几样小菜。谈着各自喜欢的东西作家，纳博科夫、钱钟书、尤瑟纳尔、沈从文。谈着那本他最钟爱的书，《说吧，记忆》，在伦敦买到的初版本，自然便谈到那些古旧的书屋，里面的善本孤本初版本那些只有爱书人才能欣赏的古老气味。记得那条破街吗？我最爱做的是星期六早上睡个懒觉，约几个朋友去唐人街饮早茶，然后就去对面那条破街的老店中翻旧书。为什么我从未在那里遇见过你呢？回忆起从未共同经历过的伦敦往事，却怎么也想不起来查令十字街84号现在是做着什么样的买卖。知道那位纽约的老姑娘和那位一丝不苟的旧书商，他们通了二十多年的信，最终却仍未能谋面，是没有缘分？
　　一九四九年十月，一切开始于一封很简单的从纽约到伦敦的商业性的信函：
　　先生：
　　你们在《星期六文学评论》的广告上说你们长于经营绝版的书籍，你们所用的“珍本书商”一词让我有些害怕，因为我总是把“珍本”与昂贵相联的。我是位穷作家，但对书却有一些“珍本”般的嗜好，我所要的书在这里都很难买到……寄上我最急需的书的名单，如果你们有干干净净不超过五美元一本的二手货，请将此函视作订购单，给我悉数寄来。(恺蒂女士的译文与本书正文译文行文不同，为尊重作者，特不作统一。下同。)
　　(一九四九年十月五日)
　　署名海莲·汉芙(HeleneHanff)，还特地注明了“小姐”。
　　其实，这位小姐此年已三十有三，是一位以写电视、舞台剧本为生的自由撰稿人。汉芙出生于制衣人家庭，父亲原本是位民谣说唱艺人，虽为生活所迫做起了手艺活，但夫妻俩仍喜欢带着女儿去逛戏院。汉芙十九岁时进费城大学读英文，但家境贫困，一年后辍学，求职谋生，后来得一戏剧写作奖项，便以写作糊口。对书的热爱来自于在纽约市立图书馆中的刻苦自学，特别得益于英国剑桥大学一位阿Q教授(SirArthurQuillerCouch)的著作。然而美国书价昂贵，汉芙热爱英国文学，便将买书的对象转向英伦三岛，偶然选中一家小书店写了信去，第一次订货便得到价廉物美的圆满服务，海峡这边，查令十字街84号Marks&Co.书店的主管，弗兰克·德尔先生，则是汉芙二十年通信的对象。
　　虽然三十有余，汉芙却仍是轻松活泼，特别是简牍之上，更善于以轻松调侃的笔墨，信手写来，天马行空，不拘格式。德尔先生给她回的第一封信中称之为“女士”，汉芙第二封信尾便加了注脚，“我希望‘女士’在你们那边的含义与这边不一样”。德尔先生下封信中便乖乖称之为“小姐”了。第五封信后，汉芙已将信首的尊称“先生”或“阁下”改为直呼其名，信的内容也像是写给一位相识已久的老友，且不乏亲昵、撒娇之态： ---------------
序：书缘·情缘(2)
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　　弗兰克·德尔，你在那儿究竟干什么？你什么都没干，你只是闲坐着！
　　我的利·亨特在哪里？我的《牛津诗集》在哪里？……
　　你把我冷落在这里，坐在图书馆中，在那些不属于我的书上写着长长的眉批，总有一天他们会发现，会把我的图书卡收走！
　　我已经安排了复活节的小兔子给你们带去礼物，等它到达时，你可能已慵懒而死了。
　　春天到来之际，我要一本情诗集，不要济慈或雪莱，请寄给我一本不太煽情的情诗集，你自己挑选吧，要一本小开本的，可以放入裤兜中带到中央公园去。
　　行了，不要只坐在那里，快去帮我找书吧，真不明白你们书店是怎么维持的。
　　(一九五○年三月二十五日)
　　汉芙性情率真，人更是善良，通信之初，她便得知战后的英国经济困难，肉类、(又鸟)蛋等食品都是限量供应，女人的长统丝袜更是奢侈品。一九四九年圣诞节她将一块重六磅的火腿寄往伦敦，让德尔先生分给书店中的同事们，以后美式食品源源不断几年。汉芙本身手头并不宽裕，她的慷慨大度让书店的工作人员把她视作亲人，纷纷与她通信，聊天。只是德尔先生从未在信中对汉芙的轻松笑语做任何回报，他是正人君子，地道的好丈夫，典型的英国绅士，惟一的报答是兢兢业业地为汉芙寻觅好书。直到一九五二年，德尔太太登场写信给汉芙道谢这几年的礼物，并向汉芙介绍说德尔先生已有二女，德尔先生才在汉芙的强烈要求之下，在答谢汉芙所寄给他妻女的长统袜时，将例来一贯的信头的“汉芙小姐”的称呼，改为“亲爱的海莲”，写信的日期恰与情人节巧合，不过想必当时德尔先生压根没有注意到。
　　亲爱的海莲：
　　我同意，现在写信给你，是该把“小姐”放弃的时候了。我并不如你想像的那样古板，只是因为我所写给你的信，都得在办公室的卷宗中存档，所以我觉得正式的称呼更合适，但这封信与书没有关系，是不会被存档的。
　　……
　　真不知该如何报答你这么多好礼物，我能说的只是，如果有一天你来伦敦，橡原巷37号会有一张床给你，你爱待多久便待多久。
　　(一九五二年二月十四日)
　　去家里作客的邀请一直没有兑现，汉芙几次犹豫要去英格兰圆梦，但终因手头拮据而放弃。倒是德尔先生紧接着寄去的那本沃尔顿的《五人传》着实让汉芙惊喜不已：
　　噢，天哪，老天感谢你沃尔顿的《五人传》，这本书出版于一八四○年，百年之后还能这样完美，真是奇迹！如此漂亮，久经摩挲的粗裁本！我真同情他，这位曾于一八四一年在书的扉页上签名的戈登先生。他那一群不肖子孙呀！几乎不值分文地便把它卖给了你！真希望在他们出卖图书馆之前，我曾去那边赤脚跑过！
　　(一九五二年三月三日)
　　二十年间，汉芙总共在查令十字街84号购书近五十种，这个数目并不大，算不得是位好顾客，但保持着与书店的德尔先生及其他人的通信来往，却成了她生活中必不可少的一部分。特别是她在五十年代初英国困难时期慷慨出手的豪情，为她带来了英伦的真挚的友谊，也是这扎书信的人情味所在。六十年代末，汉芙颇为潦倒，写出去的剧本屡遭拒绝，书的选题也无人感兴趣。一九六九年一月，纽约冬天很冷，汉芙从图书馆回到家中，已近六点。她手上捧着一摞书，把从门房中取来的信件放在书上，走向电梯。在电梯中，她发现在那一大堆账单之间，有一封薄薄的蓝色的从Marks&Co.寄来的航空信封。这信有些异样，因为德尔先生所寄的信，信封上的地址都是单行距打成，而且向来是把她连名带姓拼全的，而这封信上，地址是双行距，她的名字是由一个字母H代替的。她只道是德尔离开了书店，没太在意，夜深人静捧杯独坐时，她才打开此信。这一夜，她再没有睡着。因为信中的消息，是德尔的死讯。 ---------------
序：书缘·情缘(3)
---------------
　　二
　　桌上的黄酒已过三巡。言谈嬉笑，话语投机，共同喜爱的书与作家们一时让他们觉得很亲近。然而，手中抚弄着那樽精致的铜酒壶，眼光却不敢对视，他早已与另一位美丽的女子谈婚论嫁，书缘与情缘，在现实生活中原本是风马牛不相干的事。
　　然而，浪漫向来是作家们难以割舍的情怀。书中自有颜如玉，红袖添香夜读书，虽然这都是男人们近乎梦想的宣言，但是，自古以来的好书，大多都是激情之作，没有情的文章和书，是太过干涩枯燥，没有人愿读的。于是，温润的花雕虽只逗出跳跃键盘上往返数次的几行短语，将消除键轻轻按下便了无痕迹，查令十字街84号却被好心的好事者演绎成一曲情感故事。
　　泪尽之后，汉芙觉得体内像被掏空了一样，一片冰凉。应该做些什么，但是又能做什么呢？想起这二十年来的通信，几次搬家，这丝带束成的一小扎竟还静静地躺在抽屉的底部。仿佛是为了了却一桩心愿，汉芙将它们结成一集，送到出版商的手中，也许是她时来运转，也许是德尔在天亡灵的保佑，此书一经出版，便受欢迎，英国出版商亦决定在英国推出此书，并邀请汉芙前往英国，下榻于大英博物馆旁布鲁姆斯伯里区的一家古旧的老饭店。
　　英国是汉芙魂牵梦系的地方，从一九五○年开始她便屡次想去，但都因无川资而未成。《查令十字街84号》的最后一封信，是她于一九六九年四月写给一位前往伦敦度假的朋友的，读来让许多英国人觉得鼻子酸酸的：
　　亲爱的凯瑟琳：
　　我在家中打扫卫生，整理书架。偷闲坐在地上，四面地毯上散放的都是书。希望你与布莱恩在伦敦玩得愉快。他在电话上对我说：“如果你有路费的话，是否想和我们同去？”我几乎哭了。
　　我不知道，可能对我来说去或不去那儿已是无所谓了。我梦到那儿的次数太多了。我常常是为了看那些宽街窄巷才去看那些英国电影。记得许久以前，有个人对我说，那些去过英国的人，都能在那儿找到他最想要的东西。我告诉他我想去英国，是为了找英国文学。他说：“它们就在那儿。”
　　或许在那儿，或许不在。看着四周地毯上散乱的书籍，我知道，它们肯定在这儿。
　　那位卖给我这所有书的好人几个月前去世了，书店的主人也死了，但是书店还在那里。如果你正巧经过查令十字街84号，能否为我吻它？我欠它的实在太多了。
　　(一九六九年四月十一日)
　　其实此时，查令十字街84号已准备关门大吉，书店主人的后代无心经营旧书，一年后汉芙的书的畅销也未让书店起死回生。此时的伦敦，经过六十年代文化革命和摇滚乐的洗礼，已与五十年代完全不同。七十年代初，英国是激进先锋、朋克即将形成势力的年代，关心旧书旧文化的人实在太少了。汉芙一九七一年前往英国，一心一意醉心于寻找的是维多利亚时代的情怀，触目所见，根本不是心中的英国，这位战战兢兢小心翼翼的老姑娘此时肯定已极难让一般人亲近，无奈大英帝国也确实有一批为数不多的怀旧之人，他们虽已过时，但却仍有生息，大洋彼岸这位老姑娘对英国潦倒二手书店的无限热爱，对英国旧文化旧文学旧传统的一片痴情，对这些怀旧的人来说，是一帖温润滋补的药，把他们熏得晕晕乎乎，舒舒服服，而且这是一副中国式的汤药，头剂、二剂、三剂，喝了十几年还不舍得把药渣子扔掉，这是这本书话式的信集能在英国成为畅销书的原因了。
　　一九七五年，汉芙家中所有的鞋盒子都被腾出来装了英国各地的书迷们寄来的信件，BBC决定把《查令十字街84号》搬上荧屏；六年之后，素有盛名的英国戏剧界决定把它改编为舞台剧，在伦敦最好的剧院上演三月不衰；再过六年，此书又被改编成电影，由著名演员安妮·班克劳夫特及安东尼·霍普金斯领衔主演，电影介绍中称，“这部片子旨在反映两种爱情，一是汉芙对书的激情之爱，二是她对德尔的精神之爱”，终于在书缘与情缘之间系了根红线。 ---------------
序：书缘·情缘(4)
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　　三
　　现实生活中没有的缘分只能靠文学作品去演绎，然而他们最终未曾见面，电影中也没能让他们见面，没有缘分就是没有缘分。
　　霍普金斯演德尔是最贴切不过的了，《霍华德庄园》、《长日将尽》，他最适合演的就是那种正经而又有些压抑的英国绅士。
　　那部电影太干了，幸亏我不是英国男人。
　　没有缘分的也会有感情，所以，并不能说是电影做作。
　　这样的感情最好还是藏在心底。
　　但是做妻子的总是会有所察觉的，每个人都很敏感，无论这个人爱不爱书，读不读文学作品，生活中的许多东西远比书要重要。
　　有的时候，我并不忌讳告诉你我曾经很嫉妒过你，因为弗兰克对你的信如此喜欢，你的信与他的幽默感又如此相同！而且，我也嫉妒过你的写作能力。我与弗兰克在各方面都恰恰相反，他友善、温和，而我的爱尔兰的血性使我总是与人争斗。我很思念他，以前的生活太有意思了。他总在向我解释，也不住地教我些有关书的知识……
　　(一九六九年一月二十九日寄出)
　　与查令十字街84号有关的书另外还有两本。汉芙一九七一年初访英伦时每一天都记有日记，出版成《布鲁姆斯伯里的女公爵》(TheDuchessofBloomsburyStreet)；一九八五年又出版自传《Q的遗产》(Q’sLegacy)，介绍她爱书的起始，与德尔通信以及书、电视剧、舞台剧出品的前后经过。《八十四号》中的那些信件，大都是信手写来，原本并不是为给别人看的，如果不是因德尔不幸早亡，它们可能永远不会面世，它们是率情之作，有些有趣的书话，信函来往间更能看出美国老小姐与英国拘谨绅士间的不同性情风格，读来流畅而有趣。《女公爵》虽是日记，但原本便是为读者而记的，虽说笔法仍流利，但总归有些矫作牵强。汉芙这么多年对英国魂牵梦萦，仿佛一位怀春女子二十年后才得见梦中情人，一时手足无措，不知该如何讨好对方才行，便乱了章法，信函中所有的那种风趣幽默全被吓跑了。而且汉芙对英国传统过于热爱，一叶障目，她所见的只是她自己头脑中的百余年前的英国，实在是遗憾。到了《Q》一书，《八十四号》早已经历了大江大海，若干年后回忆往事，汉芙反而能心如止水，返璞归真，不动声容了。
　　海莲·汉芙，一九一六年四月十五日出生，一九九七年四月九日去世。终身未嫁。
　　一九九八年十二月二十五日于北京方星园 ---------------
译序：关乎书写，更关乎距离(1)
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　　陈建铭
　　一九四九年，E.B.怀特窝居在纽约市中城的一家小旅馆里。他坐在“窄得让人透不过气、又热又闷”的房间内挥汗写下脍炙人口的《纽约漫谈》(HereIsNewYork，此书曾被《纽约时报》评选为“有史以来关于纽约市最佳的十本书之一”)，里头这么说：“任何人都不该搬到纽约来住，除非他下定决心让自己好运临头。”当然，这位曾写出《夏洛的网》、《精灵鼠小弟》、《天鹅的喇叭》等经典童话故事和无数优美、隽永散文的作家，依旧继续抱持他一贯的知命乐天，徜徉在纽约自由、愉悦的文化天空下。
　　但是与此同时，另一位在这个城市住了将近半辈子的穷作家却没有这份好运。她略乏才气却嗜读好书——货真价实的好书；她嫌这个城市没有气质，害她老是买不到想读的书(在电影版((电影84CharingCrossRoad于一九八七年出品，由英国导演戴维·休·琼斯执导，休·怀特摩编剧；安妮·班克劳夫特饰演海莲·汉芙，安东尼·霍普金斯饰演弗兰克·德尔，茱迪·丹奇饰演诺拉·德尔。片中每位演员的演出均十分传神；编、导的成绩亦相当不恶(得了一九八八年英国电影学院的最佳女主角奖并提名最佳改编剧本奖；一九八九年，美国编剧协会更因此颁奖给海莲·汉芙与怀特摩)。坊间某些录像带租售店或许仍可寻获年代公司的授权版，要特别留意的是：台译片名居然成了《迷阵血影》，而影片对白字幕亦惨不忍睹，简直到了令人坐立难安的地步。我翻译这本书，多少也想为它赎点儿罪罢。
　　除了电影，一九七五年由马克·库龄汉导演、休·怀特摩编剧，此书曾在英国以电视单元剧的形式上演。上述电影即是根据这一个剧本拍成的。时至今日，欧美地区仍有剧团不时公演由此书改编的舞台剧。))的《查令十字街84号》里，饰演海莲·汉芙的女演员一上场就开骂了：“全纽约市没人读英国文学啦？”)，她只好转而向伦敦的一家小旧书店邮购那些“这年头没人要买的英国佬写的英文书”(引电影一开始，被汉芙索书不成的美国某书店经理的话)。于是，一桩原本单纯的买卖关系竟成就了长达二十年、多人参与的越洋友谊。
　　我的眼界不若汉芙那般高且深，但同为住在另一个没有气质的城市里的爱书人，也偶叹好书难寻的挑剔读者，一开始被这本书吸引的，自然是关于“旧书”的部分，但是旋即引我动容的，则是关于书写——隔着距离的书写(当然还有阅读)如何承建伟大的心灵构筑工程。
　　我一直以为：把手写的信件装入信封，填了地址、贴上邮票，旷日费时投递的书信具有无可磨灭的魔力——对寄件人、收信者双方皆然。其中的奥义便在于“距离”——或者该说是“等待”——等待对方的信件寄达；也等待自己的信件送达对方手中。这来往之间因延迟所造成的时间差，大抵只有天然酵母的发菌时间之微妙差可比拟。
　　我始终不愿也不甘臣服于转瞬出现在对方屏幕上的电子邮件；自然更视ICQ(线上实时对谈)为畏途。拜传统邮政犹运作不辍之赐，我至今仍与老友、至亲维持着以手写、投递信函的老把戏，全然是因为我由衷相信：致力消弭空间、时间的距离纯属不智亦无益。就在那些自以为省下来的时、空缝隙里，美好的事物大量流失。我指的不仅仅是亲笔书写时遗下的手泽无法取代；更重要的是：一旦交流变得太有效率，不再需要翘首引颈、两两相望，某些情意也将因而迅速贬值而不被察觉。我喜欢因不能立即传达而必须沉静耐心，句句寻思、字字落笔的过程；亦珍惜读着对方的前一封信、想着几日后对方读信时的景状和情绪。老电影《街角商店》(TheShopAroundtheCorner1940)晚近被改拍成《电子情书》(YouveGotMail1998)((TheShopAroundtheCorner，由殿堂级的大师厄尼斯·刘别谦执导；詹姆斯·斯图尔特与玛格丽特·萨拉文扮演故事中那两位每日错身却不对盘、频生龃龉而又各自暗自仰慕未谋面笔友的百货行员工。多年前我曾在专于夜间播映老电影的TNT频道上观赏过，至今难忘。 ---------------
译序：关乎书写，更关乎距离(2)
---------------
　　改编后的《电子情书》仍依稀能看出向前作致意的影子，如：女主角匿名通信时的代号为“shopgirl”；而她经营的童书店店名赫然就是“ShopAroundTheCorner”！另外，我也怀疑，她迷恋《傲慢与偏见》一节的神来之笔，则俨然得自《查令十字街84号》。))，两者之间出现不少有趣的辩证关系，读者们不妨自行参酌。
　　我自私地以为这才是《查令十字街84号》全书的题旨所系。
　　从没“好运临头”的汉芙小姐，年届晚年终于有了一个仅有的机会，抱着酝酿二十载的怀想，坐在机舱里(这里也是引自电影)奔赴另一座魂牵梦萦的城市。邻座一名男士问她：“这是你头一回去伦敦？”接着他说：“听我奉劝：别相信出租车司机，明明三条街外的目的地，他会载你兜上五里路；还有，别白费力气读地图了，在伦敦没有人可以找得到路，即使是伦敦人也不例外。”不过，“你一定会爱上她的，伦敦实在太棒了。”
　　当我伫立在伦敦街头，我实在也无法打心底恭维这座城市——街道窄仄、杂芜；气候湿冷、灰暗；市容脏乱、交通拥挤——比起台北不遑多让。但我也终究难免渐渐地——从查令十字街开始——爱上了这座城市(拜汉芙之赐，“查令十字街84号”这个门牌号码几乎快与伦敦市的另一个地址“贝克街221号B座”齐名了)。甚至笃定相信她也能让我事后——隔着距离——对她怀想、惦念个二十年不成问题。
　　将这本书中译，想必可以聊偿许多爱书人多年以来的期盼。我知道：所有读过84CharingCrossRoad的爱书同好——就像我自己一样——总将这本小书珍藏在身边，屡屡重读，让汉芙的珠玑妙语和古道热肠不时温暖自己被冷硬现实尘覆的凡心；而我相信：中文世界之所以长年不见此书问世，一定是所有珍爱此书的人——也像我自己一样——不忍丝毫更动书中的每一句话、每一个字。
　　多年前的某一个下午，在曾经任职的古书店里，我和钟芳玲聊起这本书真该有个中文版。对于这个工作，她自然是当仁不让，而且以她作为此书的头号死忠书迷，加上她与汉芙本人的私交，我也十分赞成她是担任中译者的不二人选，如今我却因苦等不及而掠占了她原先的任务。我相信芳玲也是因为顾及前述的原因，宁可维护汉芙的原貌而迟迟不谋此图。于是，我在翻译的过程中虽然尽可能地保留原书的滋味，但我仍须在此报告：我刻意做了极小的更动。除了让它更能适应中文环境外；我私下盼望这个须臾的“失真”也能转而成为让中文版的读者们动心发愿去读“货真价实的”汉芙原文的伏笔。
　　这是我第一部翻译作品。倘使这个中译版本侥幸能稍稍不使原文蒙羞，则首先必须在此感谢小威和建兴，铭谢他们夫妻俩前仆后继，在追索此书版权归属的过程中上穷碧落下黄泉、锲而不舍；还有推广实体书店文化不遗余力的钟芳玲，他们才是承继汉芙精神的真正后人，也是让这本书能有机会进驻更多人心的幕后功臣。
　　此外，代汉芙对唐诺首肯为中文版赐序((台湾版原唐诺序见附录。——编注))表示感激。我自己常为了读唐诺的序文而看了一堆原先没打算看的书，不过这并不全然是我对这个译本打的如意算盘，而是我晓得查令十字街是他每回在伦敦磨蹭得最久的一条街；何况，若汉芙仍在人间，一定也会找他写的。 ***************
*查令十字街84号
***************　　我在《星期六文学评论》上看到你们刊登的广告，上头说你们“专营绝版书”。另一个字眼“古书商”总是令我望之却步，因为我总认为：既然“古”，一定也很“贵”吧。而我只不过是一名对书本有着“古老”胃口的穷作家罢了。在我住的地方，总买不到我想读的书，要不是索价奇昂的珍本，就是巴诺书店里头那些被小鬼涂得乱七八糟的邋遢书。      ---------------
1949年10月5日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1949年10月5日
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　英国
　　伦敦中西二区
　　查令十字街84号
　　诸位先生：
　　我在《星期六文学评论》上看到你们刊登的广告，上头说你们“专营绝版书”。另一个字眼“古书商”总是令我望之却步，因为我总认为：既然“古”，一定也很“贵”吧。而我只不过是一名对书本有着“古老”胃口的穷作家罢了。在我住的地方，总买不到我想读的书，要不是索价奇昂的珍本，就是巴诺书店里头那些被小鬼涂得乱七八糟的邋遢书。
　　随信附上一份清单，上面列出我目前最想读而又遍寻不着的书。如果贵店有符合该书单所列，而每本又不高于五美元的话，可否径将此函视为订购单，并将书寄给我？
　　你忠实的
　　海莲·汉芙(小姐) ---------------
1949年10月25日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1949年10月25日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　敬爱的夫人：
　　谨在此回复您于本月五日的来函。敝店很荣幸能为您解除三分之二的困扰。您所列出的三种哈兹里特散文，均收录于这本典范出版社的《哈兹里特散文选》内；斯蒂文森的作品则在《致少女少男》中可以找到。我们挑出两本品相较好的书为您寄上，相信不久后即可送达您的手中，祈盼您会满意。随书附上发票，请查收。
　　至于您提及的利·亨特的散文，目前颇不易得见，不过我们会留意是否能找到收罗齐全且装帧精良的版本，届时将再为您寄上。而您所描述的拉丁文圣经，目前敝店并无存书，仅有晚近出版、布面精装普通版的拉丁文和希腊文《新约全书》，不知您是否有兴趣？
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　FPD敬上 ---------------
1949年11月3日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1949年11月3日
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　英国
　　伦敦中西二区
　　查令十字街84号
　　诸位先生：
　　今天收到你们寄来的书，斯蒂文森的书真是漂亮！把它放进我用水果箱权充的书架里，实在太委屈它。我捧着它，深怕污损它那细致的皮装封面和米黄色的厚实内页。看惯了那些用惨白纸张和硬纸板大量印制的美国书，我简直不晓得一本书竟也能这么迷人，光抚摸着就教人打心里头舒服。
　　住在楼上的女孩儿凯特，她的英国男朋友布莱恩帮我将账单上列的书价一英镑十七先令六便士换算成美金五元三角，希望他没算错。我寄了五元和一元的钞票各一张，多出来的七角请用来支付《新约全书》，那两本我都要买。
　　你们可否行行好？下回先将书价换算成美金。我连加减美金都一塌糊涂了，要我把英镑换算成美金真是阿弥陀佛。
　　海莲·汉芙
　　我希望在你们那边，“夫人”的意思和我们这边指的是两码事。 ---------------
1949年11月9日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1949年11月9日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　敬爱的汉芙小姐：
　　您寄来的六元书款已悉数收到，不过我们建议您不妨改以邮政划拨的方式付款，如此不但对你我双方都较为便利；亦比直接将钞票放入信封内要保险得多。
　　我们非常高兴得知您如此喜欢那本斯蒂文森的书。两本《新约全书》已于今日付邮，账单亦一并附上，同时依照您的嘱咐，将书款分别以英镑与美金计价。我们期盼您也会喜欢此次寄去的两本书。
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　FPD敬上 ---------------
1949年11月18日
---------------
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1949年11月18日
　　这算哪门子的新约圣经啊！
　　好心替我转告英国圣公会诸公，他们平白糟蹋了有史以来最优美的文字。是哪个家伙出馊主意把通俗拉丁文圣经整成这副德性？他们准会把他来活活烧死，不信记住我说的话。
　　其实我犯不着火冒三丈，我本身是犹太人。不过我的嫂子是天主教徒；弟媳是卫理公会的；还有一票皈依长老教派的表亲(全是被我的亚伯拉罕叔公拉去改宗的)；还有一个到处宣扬基督信仰疗法的姑妈。他们要是知道有这么一本英国人搞出来的不三不四的拉丁文圣经，个个不暴跳如雷才怪！(话说回来，他们搞不好根本不晓得现在还有拉丁文哩。)
　　哼，去他的！我手边还有一本从我的拉丁文老师那儿借来的圣经，暂且先不还他就是了，等你们找一本卖给我再说。
　　寄去四元支付我欠你们的三元八角八分，你就拿多出来的一角二去买杯咖啡喝吧！我住的地方附近没有邮局，我才不要为了汇三元八角八分，大老远跑到洛克菲勒广场去大摆长龙呢。何况，如果要等到我哪天有空顺道去办事，口袋里的三元八角早就被我花得一毛不剩了。我对美国邮政和皇家邮政有十足的信心。
　　你们有兰多的《假想对话录》吗？我想全套应该不止一本，我想读的是“希腊对话录”，如果里面有伊索和萝多彼的对话，就是那一本没错。
　　海莲·汉芙 ---------------
1949年11月26日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1949年11月26日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　敬爱的汉芙小姐：
　　您的书款已安全寄达，我们会将多出的一角二分计入您在敝店的专属账户中。
　　很凑巧，敝店正好有收录“希腊对话录”的《沃尔特·萨维奇·兰多作品暨传记全集》中的第二卷，“罗马对话录”亦收录其中。本书由于是一八七六年出版的旧版本，并不是非常漂亮，但装订完好，书亦称干净。我们今日会将书与账单一并为您寄上。
　　我在此为那本让您深感不满的拉丁文圣经向您致歉，我们将重新为您找一本正宗《通俗拉丁文圣经》；利·亨特的书仍持续密切留意中。
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　FPD敬上 ---------------
1949年12月8日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1949年12月8日
　　敬启者：
　　(老用“诸位”着实不智，我察觉到显然从头到尾都是同一个人为我服务。)
　　萨维奇·兰多的书今天寄达，我迫不及待立即翻开“罗马对话录”——两座城市刚毁于兵燹战火，涂炭生灵被钉在十字架上，苦苦哀求列队行过的罗马士兵，干脆一戟刺死他们，好尽早结束这无止尽的折磨……再翻到“希腊对话录”，情境有了一百八十度的转换：读着伊索和萝多彼的娓娓对谈，这里惟一的忧虑只是怕饿着了肚子……我着实喜爱被前人翻读过无数回的旧书。上次《哈兹里特散文选》寄达时，一翻开就看到扉页上写着“我厌恶读新书”，我不禁对这位未曾谋面的前任书主肃然高呼：“同志！”
　　随函附上一元，布莱恩(楼上女孩凯特的英国男朋友)说这够付我欠你的八先令，你忘了换算了。
　　言归正传，布莱恩告诉我：你们每一户每个星期才配给到两盎司肉；而每个人每个月只分得一只(又鸟)蛋！我一听简直吓坏了。他拿出一本目录给我看，这是一家设籍在美国的英国公司，专门代人从丹麦寄送补给物资到英国。所以我会寄给马克斯与科恩书店一份小小的圣诞礼物，希望数量足够让你们大家都能分得一些，因为布莱恩跟我说：查令十字街上的书店全都“小得很”。
　　我会在包裹上注明由你——FPD——代转，天晓得你叫啥。
　　祝佳节愉快
　　海莲·汉芙 ---------------
1949年12月9日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1949年12月9日
　　FPD！糟了！
　　我刚把包裹寄走，里面主寄的是一条六磅重的火腿，我想你们应该可以自行拿去给肉贩，请他切片后再分给大家。
　　不过我刚刚才发现你们寄来的账单上头印着“B.马克斯、M.科恩”。
　　他们是犹太人吗？我该火速补寄点儿牛舌吗？
　　快通知我该怎么办！
　　海莲·汉芙 ---------------
1949年12月20日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1949年12月20日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　亲爱的汉芙小姐：
　　谨在此向您报告，您的礼品包裹于今日平安抵达，并已均分给大家。而马克斯先生和科恩先生则坚持只由员工均分即可，不用关照“老板”。再者，我想让您知道，您所寄来的物品，我们不是久未看到，就是只能偶尔在黑市匆匆一瞥。您能这样子顾虑我们，实在是太亲切也太慷慨了，我们都深怀感激。
　　我们要在此表达对您的感谢，并祈祝您未来一年一切顺心。
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　弗兰克·德尔敬上 ---------------
1950年3月25日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1950年3月25日
　　弗兰克·德尔！你在干吗？我啥也没收到！你该不是在打混吧？
　　利·亨特呢？《牛津英语诗选》呢？《通俗拉丁文圣经》和书呆子约翰·亨利的书呢？我好整以暇，等着这些书来陪我过大斋节，结果你连个影儿也没寄来！
　　你害我只好枯坐在家里，把密密麻麻的注记写在图书馆的书上。哪天要是让他们发现了，包准吊销我的借书证。
　　我已经叫复活节兔子给你捎个“蛋”，希望它到达时不会看到你已经慵懒而死了！
　　春意渐浓，我想读点儿情诗。别给我寄济慈或雪莱！我要那种款款深情而不是口沫横飞的。怀亚特还是琼森或谁的，该寄什么给我，你自己动点儿脑筋！最好是小小一本，可以让我轻松塞进口袋里，带到中央公园去读。
　　行啦！别老坐着，快去把它找出来！真搞不懂你们是怎么做生意的！ ---------------
1950年4月7日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1950年4月7日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　亲爱的汉芙小姐：
　　感谢您寄来的复活节礼物，包裹已于昨日平安寄达。看到这些罐头和那一盒生(又鸟)蛋，大家都十分开心，全体同仁与我在此感激您对我们的亲切与慷慨。
　　非常抱歉我们一直没能寄上您想要的书。关于您所提到的情诗集，敝店偶尔会收购到一些，可惜目前店内没有存书，但会竭力为您搜寻。
　　再次感谢您寄来的礼物包裹。
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　弗兰克·德尔敬上
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1950年4月7日
　　亲爱的汉芙小姐：
　　请不要让弗兰克知道我写信给您。每回寄账单给您时，我都好想偷偷塞一张短笺到信封里。不过弗兰克一定会认为，以我的职务这么做并不适当。您听到我这么说，大概会以为他是个老古板吧？其实他是一个好得不能再好的人。只是每次您寄到书店的信或包裹都以他为收信人，而且他也将回信给您视为他的分内职责。不过我倒是一直很想自己给您写信。
　　我们都好喜欢读您的来信，大伙儿也常凑在一块儿揣摩您的模样儿。我坚信您一定是一位年轻、有教养且长相聪慧的人；而老马丁先生竟无视您流露出来的绝顶幽默，硬是把您想成一个学究型的人。您愿意寄一张您的照片给我们吗？我们都很想瞧瞧呢！
　　如果您也对弗兰克感到好奇的话，我偷偷告诉您：他年近四十，长得很帅，娶了一位漂亮的爱尔兰姑娘——好像是他的第二任太太。
　　大家对您寄来的包裹都万分感激。我家那两个小家伙(女孩五岁、男孩四岁)简直乐翻了，因为有了您寄来的葡萄干和(又鸟)蛋，我就可以为他们烤个蛋糕了！
　　希望您不介意我私下写信给您，也请不要告诉弗兰克哟
　　诚心祝福您
　　塞西莉·法尔
　　P.S.我会将家里的地址写在信封背后，万一您想到有什么我可以从这儿寄给您的，可以写信告诉我。 ---------------
1950年4月10日
---------------
　　C.F.
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1950年4月10日
　　亲爱的塞西莉：
　　真是让老马丁先生大失所望了，请转告他：我非但一丁点儿学问都没有，连大学也没上过哩！我只不过碰巧喜欢看书罢了。说起来还得感谢一位剑桥的学者奎勒—库奇(一般都称他为Q)，是他让我在十七岁那一年一头栽进书堆里，从此不可自拔。至于我的长相，大概就跟百老汇街上的叫化子一样“聪慧”吧！
　　我住在一幢白蚁丛生、摇摇欲坠、白天不供应暖气的老公寓里。整幢五层楼的其他住户早上九点出门，不到晚上六点不会回来，房东认为他犯不着为了一个窝在家里摇笔杆的小作家，而整天开着暖气。
　　可怜的弗兰克，真是难为他了，我老是对他颐指气使的。我只是在打趣，不过就知道他会当真。我一直想要戳穿他那英国式的矜持。要是哪天他得了胃溃疡，都是我害的。
　　请多来信告诉我关于伦敦的一切。我幻想着那一天快点到来——我步下轮船、火车，踩上布着尘灰的人行道……我要走遍柏克莱广场，逛尽温柏街；我要置身在约翰·多恩布道的圣保罗大教堂；我要趺坐在伊丽莎白拒不阶下为囚的伦敦塔前台阶上……我有一位战时派驻在伦敦的记者朋友，他曾经对我说：游客往往带着先入之见，所以他们总能在英国瞧见他们原先想看的。我告诉他，我到英国是为了探寻英国文学。而他这么告诉我：
　　“去那儿准没错。”
　　祝一切安好
　　海莲·汉芙 ---------------
1950年9月20日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1950年9月20日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　亲爱的汉芙小姐：
　　自前封信以来，许久未向您报告，盼您不致认为我们因弛废店务而忘却了您交代我们该找的书。
　　言归正传，《牛津英语诗选》新近到库，此书内页以印度纸紓紞矠印制，原版的蓝布精装，出版于一九○五年，扉页有前人签记，算是一本书况不错的二手书。标价两美元，我们认为在径自寄给您之前，应先向您略述此书的状况，以免您在这段时间内已另行购得一册。
　　许久以前，您曾垂询纽曼的《大学论》一书的下落。您是否钟意首版书？最近我们收购到一册，谨描述如下：
　　纽曼(约翰·亨利，神学博士)：《大学教育之目的及其本质——应都柏林天主教会之邀所作的演说之讲义稿》。首版，八开，小牛皮装帧。一八五二年于都柏林出版，若干页面稍有渍斑但装帧完好。
　　价格：美金六元
　　为了避免让别人捷足先登，这两本书我们会先为您保留。静候您的回复。
　　祝身体健康
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　弗兰克·德尔敬上 ---------------
1950年9月25日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1950年9月25日
　　(他手上有只卖六美元的首版《大学论》，竟还问我要不要买！真不晓得该说他老实呢，还是憨？)
　　亲爱的弗兰克：
　　是的！我要！我真是快受不了我自己了，本来我并不特别讲究首版不首版的，可是，“那本书”的首版……！
　　哗——我真迫不及待想看到它。
　　也请把《牛津诗选》一并寄来。下回可别再纳闷我有没有跟别人买书了。既然我可以寸步不离书桌，就能向你们买到既干净又漂亮的书，我干吗跑到十七大街去买那些又脏又丑的？从我坐着的地方，伦敦可近得太多啦。
　　附上“千万不能掉了”的八元钞票。我对你提过布莱恩正在打官司没？他向伦敦的一家理工专门书店订了一大套特贵的物理学书。他可不像我，既邋遢又老是漫不经心，他特地到洛克菲勒广场，乖乖地排队等着划拨那一大笔书款，该办的事一件也没漏。他精得很，聪明人自有聪明人按部就班的做法。
　　结果你猜怎么着？那笔钱不知道给汇到哪儿去啦！
　　皇家邮政，加把劲儿！
　　HH
　　为了庆祝我的第一本首版书，加上海外邮购公司终于给了我一本目录，我决定要寄一个小小的包裹送你们。 ---------------
1950年10月2日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1950年10月2日
　　亲爱的海莲：
　　这些照片我带到店里好几个礼拜了，不过我们这阵子真是忙得昏天暗地，所以一直找不到空当寄给你看。这些都是我和道格(我的先生)在诺福克拍的，那儿是他所属的皇家空军驻地。里头我没有一张拍得漂亮的，不过这是我所能找到最好的了，孩子们和道格那几张倒都还不错。
　　亲爱的海莲，我好盼望你真的能如愿到英国来，你何不省点儿买书钱，好让你能在明年夏天成行呢？我的爸爸妈妈在米德尔塞克斯有个房子，我们会很高兴接你来住的。
　　梅甘·韦尔斯(老板的秘书)和我打算明年七月一起去泽西岛(在海峡群岛之中)度假一个礼拜，你可以来和我们一块儿玩，反正回到米德尔塞克斯不须花用你太多开销。
　　本·马克斯先生在瞄我写些什么了，就此停笔。
　　塞西莉谨上 ---------------
1950年10月15日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1950年10月15日
　　真是的！！！
　　不是我爱唠叨，弗兰克·德尔！看到书店竟忍心把这么美的古书五马分尸，拿内页充当包装纸、填箱料，我真是觉得世道中落、万劫不复了。我向被包在里头的约翰·亨利告状：“主教阁下，斯文如此扫地，君岂信乎哉？”
　　他说他也实在百思不得其解。更可恶的是你把书拆散了，随便抓来几页顺手就包，害我根本搞不清楚上头到底是在打哪一仗哪一役。
　　这本书大约一个星期前寄达，现在气也慢慢消了。我把它端端正正地摆在案前，整天陪着我。我不时停下打字，伸手过去，无限爱怜地抚摸它。倒不全然因为这是首版书，主要是打出生起我从没见过这么标致的书。拥有这样的书，竟让我油然而生莫名的罪恶感。它那光可鉴人的皮装封面，古雅的烫金书名，秀丽的印刷铅字，它实在应该置身于英国乡间的一幢木造宅邸；由一位优雅的老绅士坐在炉火前的皮制摇椅里，慢条斯理地轻轻展读……而不该委身在一间寒酸破公寓里，让我坐在蹩脚旧沙发上翻阅。
　　我要买那本Q的文集，可是忘了多少钱，我把你的上一封信搞丢了。好像是两块钱吧？附上两张一元钞票，若是不够就来信告诉我。
　　下回要寄书来时，拿第五一二页和五一三页来包书怎么样？这样我才晓得最后哪一边打赢了，还有那到底是哪一场战役。
　　HH
　　P.S.你们那儿可有《佩皮斯日记》？我需要它来伴我度过漫漫冬夜。 ---------------
1950年11月1日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1950年11月1日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　亲爱的汉芙小姐：
　　谨在此向您致歉，迟至今日才回信给您。我因公到外地出差了一个多星期，一回到办公室就被许多待办的事务耽搁，现在才有空提笔给您回信。
　　首先，请您完全无须为我们拿旧书内页当包装纸用而感到忧心，那只是全套《英国叛乱和内战史》之中装订破散且多出来的一册复本，我想应该是无法当成商品卖给任何人的。
　　奎勒—库奇的文集《朝圣之路》，已付邮寄给您。您的待付款项为一元八十五分，所以您新近寄来的两元用来支付该书仍绰绰有余。另，《佩皮斯日记》目前店内暂无存书，将为您留意。
　　祝万事如意
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　F.德尔敬上 ---------------
1951年2月2日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1951年2月2日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　亲爱的汉芙小姐：
　　很高兴听到您喜欢那本奎勒—库奇的书。《牛津英语散文选》此刻并无库存，我们将会为您留意。
　　至于《罗杰·德·科弗利爵士正传》，我们手头上恰好有一本十八世纪的文集，除了包含该书中不少篇章之外，亦收入切斯特菲尔德与哥尔德斯密斯的文章。此书由奥斯汀·多布森精心编选，敝店仅标价一元十五分。我们已将书寄去给您。如果您想要更为完整的艾迪生与斯梯尔文集的话，请通知我，我将尽力为您寻找。
　　敝店若不包括马克斯先生与科恩先生，共有职员六人。
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　弗兰克·德尔敬上 ---------------
1951年2月20日
---------------
　　米德尔塞克斯品内东厢
　　1951年2月20日
　　亲爱的海莲：
　　做法不只一种，妈妈和我一致认为下面这个方法对你而言应该是最简单的：准备面粉一杯、(又鸟)蛋一只、鲜奶半杯，撒入少许盐，在一个海碗里充分搅拌，直到变成浓稠的奶油状。搁进冰箱里摆几个钟头(所以一大早开始做，时间最刚好不过)。当你要把肉放进炉子时，挪个位子摆一个铁盘让它预热。在肉烤好前一个半钟头，浇一点儿肉汁在铁盘上，不用太多，浅浅的够铺满铁盘即可。记住！铁盘得烘烤得“非常热”才行。接着，把你先前准备好的布丁料全拨到铁盘上头，然后再放着继续烤。这样一来，肉和布丁就可以同时出炉上桌啦！
　　对于从没见过的人，我实在不知道该怎么恰当地形容它。总之，一个大功告成的约克郡布丁应该会蓬松得高高的，表皮焦脆，当你切开它时，会发现里头其实是空心的。
　　道格仍然随着皇家空军驻扎在诺福克。你寄来的圣诞节罐头，我们严格地实施管制囤积，以等他休假回家时再全家一起享用。亲爱的海莲，你一定不难想见，届时我们将会有个多么棒的庆祝餐会啊！不过，你实在不该这样子为我们破费的！
　　该赶快把信寄出去了，这样你才来得及在布莱恩的生日晚宴上推出这道菜，成果如何一定要写信告诉我哟！
　　爱你的
　　塞西莉 ---------------
1951年2月25日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1951年2月25日
　　亲爱的塞西莉：
　　约克郡布丁简直太棒了！因为我们这儿从没人见识过这玩意儿，我后来只好向别人形容成“一笼高高鼓起、松软细致、入口即化的特大号烤饼”！
　　请别为我寄去的那些食品操心。我自己也觉得不可思议，那家海外邮购公司也不晓得是不是非营利机构，抑或是商品可以免税什么的吧？总之，他们的东西都便宜得很，我自己买的那只火(又鸟)都还比寄给你们的那一大箱圣诞包裹贵哩。他们的确有一些价格比较高的商品，比如大块的烤肋排，或是一整只羊腿之类的。不过，即使是那些东西，也比跟这儿的肉贩买要便宜许多，如果真得那样，把我剁了也没法子寄东西给你们。现在正浏览着目录，我把它摊在地毯上，琢磨着两个旗鼓相当的商品组合：编号105的包裹(内含(又鸟)蛋一打外加甜面饼一箱)和编号217B的包裹(内含(又鸟)蛋两打、没有甜面饼)，我实在不甘心寄一打装的(又鸟)蛋，让你们每人各分得两只能干吗？不过布莱恩跟我说，粉末干燥蛋吃起来味同嚼蜡，还真伤脑筋。
　　有一位制作人刚打电话给我，说他蛮喜欢我写的剧本(还没喜欢到要把它搬上舞台的程度)。他正打算制作一出电视剧集，问我是否有兴趣编电视剧本，他漫不经心地说：“一集给两张！”搞了半天才弄明白他的意思是：每一集的稿费两百元。我原先为剧团修改剧本，一周的酬劳也才不过四十元！明天要去和他详谈，快祝我好运吧！
　　祝福你
　　海莲 ---------------
1951年4月4日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1951年4月4日
　　海莲亲爱的：
　　你寄来的复活节包裹已经收到，这些礼物实在太棒了！不过，因为弗兰克第二天一早就出差去了，所以他没空回信向你道谢，大家都急得跳脚，而其他人全都不敢斗胆写信给“弗兰克的汉芙小姐”。
　　包裹里的肉食实在太棒！我认为你真的不该再这样子为我们破费了，一定花了你不少钱吧？愿上帝保佑你的好心肠。
　　本·马克斯先生走过来要找事给我做了，就此搁笔。
　　爱你的
　　塞西莉 ---------------
1951年4月5日
---------------
　　伦敦西八区肯辛顿高地街伯爵社区
　　1951年4月5日
　　亲爱的汉芙小姐：
　　谨在此向您报告，您寄到马克斯与科恩书店的复活节礼物，已于几天前寄达。但弗兰克·德尔先生因公外出，错过与大家分享喜悦了。
　　一见到包裹里头的肉，所有人的眼睛都看直了，而(又鸟)蛋也大获欢迎。我觉得有必要给您写个信，向您报告：所有同仁对您的好意和慷慨都万分感激。
　　我们所有同仁都期盼您能尽快来英国，届时我们一定会竭尽心力，让您有一趟愉快的英伦之旅。
　　梅甘·韦尔斯谨上 ---------------
1951年4月5日
---------------
　　埃塞克斯滨海南庄桶桥路
　　1951年4月5日
　　敬爱的汉芙小姐：
　　我是马克斯与科恩书店的编目员，已在书店任职即将届满两年。谨在此向您表达感激之意。谢谢您多次寄赠礼物包裹给我们。
　　我现在与七十五岁的姨婆住在一起。当我带着您送的肉、牛舌罐头回到家里，我想如果您能在场目睹姨婆脸上惊喜万状的表情，您大概就不难想见我们满溢的感激之情了。知道远方有人竟能为从未谋面的一群人付出这么多关怀和慷慨，我的内心实在备感温暖。而我相信，所有同仁必定与我深有同感。
　　如果您想到有什么事我可以代劳，或是从伦敦寄点儿什么给您的，请务必交代我去办，我将会引以为荣。
　　比尔·汉弗莱斯谨上 ---------------
1951年4月9日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1951年4月9日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　亲爱的汉芙小姐：
　　我猜您大概已经开始担心，我们竟然这么久都没写信谢谢您寄来的包裹，心里头一定正在嘀咕：真是一群不知好歹的家伙。实际上，我刚离开伦敦到乡间跑了一大圈，到处拜访私人宅第，搜寻待售的藏书，努力补充店里捉襟见肘的库存。我太太已经开始把我当成房客来招呼了——我总是只回家睡觉，一吃完早餐又不见人影。不过，当我带着您送的肉((又鸟)蛋、火腿就更不用说了)回到家里，她就会觉得我毕竟也非一无是处。当然，所有的不开心也就随之烟消云散。说实在的，我们已经太久没能见到一块完整的肉了。
　　我们总得想点儿法子，表达我们对您的感激。于是，我们将另行寄上一本小书，希望您会喜欢它。我还记得您曾经想买一本情诗集，这是我所能找到尽可能符合您的要求的了。全体同仁为您献上此书，盼您笑纳。
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　弗兰克·德尔敬上
　　(附在《伊丽莎白时期情诗选》里的卡片：)
　　谨以此书赠予
　　海莲·汉芙
　　并为其诸多美善情谊
　　致上最诚挚的祝福
　　与无尽的感激
　　伦敦查令十字街84号
　　全体员工一同
　　一九五一年四月 ---------------
1951年4月16日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1951年4月16日
　　此致伦敦查令十字街84号全体同仁：
　　谢谢你们送我这本书。我从没拥有过这么一本三边的页缘都上金的书。你们知道吗？我竟在生日当天收到这本书！
　　你们另外写了一张卡片，而不直接题签在扉页上，我真希望你们不要这样过分拘谨。如果我猜得没错，这一定是你们的“书商本性”作祟使然吧，你们担心一旦写了字在书上，将会折损了它的价值。差矣，你们如果真能这么做，不仅对我而言，对未来的书主，都增添了无可估算的价值。我喜欢扉页上有题签、页边写满注记的旧书；我爱极了那种与心有灵犀的前人冥冥共读，时而戚戚于胸、时而被耳提面命的感觉。
　　还有，为什么大家都不签上名字呢？我猜一定是弗兰克不准你们签的，他大概怕我会撇下他，一一给你们大家写情书吧！
　　隔着汪洋，我在美国此端遥寄我对你们的祝福——“美国”，好一个“坚定的盟邦”！当她一掷千金帮日本、德国从败仗中“复苏”，却眼睁睁看着英国同胞饱受饥馑之苦！皇天为证，总有一天我要亲自去英国，当面为她向你们道歉。(等我回国后，我会叫她加倍向我赔罪！)
　　再次感谢你们送我这本美丽的书，我一定会格外小心，免得让它溅到酒滴、沾了烟灰。这份礼物对我这种人来说实在太隆重了。
　　海莲·汉芙上 ---------------
1951年9月10日
---------------
　　(玛克辛写于后台)
　　伦敦
　　1951年9月10日
　　甜心儿：
　　这是一间活脱从狄更斯书里头蹦出来的可爱铺子，如果让你见到了，不爱死了才怪。
　　店门口陈列了几架书，开门进去前，我先站在外头假装随意翻阅几本书，好让自己看起来像是若无其事地逛书店。一走进店内，喧嚣全被关在门外。一阵古书的陈旧气味扑鼻而来。我实在不知道该怎么形容：那是一种混杂着霉味儿、长年积尘的气息，加上墙壁、地板散发的木头香……店内左手边有张书桌，坐着一位年约五十、长着一只贺加斯純紜矠式鼻子的男士。他站起身来，操着北方口音对我说：“日安。”我回答说我只是随意逛逛，而他则有礼地说：“请。”
　　极目所见全是书架——高耸直抵到天花板的深色的古老书架，橡木架面经过漫长岁月的洗礼，虽已褪色仍径放光芒。接着是摆放画片的专区——应该说：一张叠放着许多画片的大桌台。上头有克鲁克香克純紝矠、拉克姆純紞矠、斯派純紟矠和许许多多我叫不出名字的英国插画家的美丽画作；另一边还放着几叠迷人的古旧画刊。
　　我在店内待了约莫半个钟头光景，期待着你的弗兰克或是哪个女孩儿翩翩现身。不过，因为我到达时已过了一点钟，我猜他们全都外出用餐去了，而我又不能待太久。
　　就是这样咯！新戏的预告并没有造成万人空巷，不过据说对方人蛮好的，排给我们几个月的档期，所以我昨天出门找出租公寓，在骑士桥純紡矠附近有一间小小的、蛮不错的小套房。现在还没确定，一旦定下来，我会写信告诉你，你也可以再打电话问我妈。
　　三餐不成问题，我们都在餐厅或旅馆里用餐，像最高级的克拉里兹大饭店就能充分供应烤牛肉、排骨。价钱虽然贵得离谱，不过换算成美金倒是挺划算的，所以我们还吃得起。假使换成我是英国人，瞧见这光景一定会恨得牙痒痒的。但是他们却反而对我们好得不得了，到处都有人邀请我们去家里作客或上馆子。
　　惟一短缺的东西就是糖。凡是甜的东西，一应俱缺。也许我反该谢天谢地，正好让我在这里瘦它个几磅。
　　写信给我。
　　爱你的
　　玛克辛 ---------------
1951年9月15日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1951年9月15日
　　玛克辛：真多亏了你的慧心巧手，书店简直被你给写活了——你的文笔实在比我好得太多啦！
　　我刚打了电话给你妈妈要你的住址，她要我转告你：方糖和巧克力棒依照你的交代，已经给你寄去了。你不是还跟我说你要趁机减肥的吗？
　　我不想让你以为我是酸葡萄，不过我实在不明白，你究竟是何德何能？老天竟任由你饱览遍逛“我的书店”；而我为什么就只得乖乖蹲在九十五大街的破公寓里，埋头写着这劳什子《埃勒里·奎因的冒险》純紣矠电视剧集脚本！“我不是告诉过你，不能安排一截沾着口红的烟蒂当做破案线索吗？”“我们这个节目是由百优雪茄公司赞助的，千万别给我编出“香烟”这个台词儿。”……就连在场景里安排一只道具烟灰缸也不许出现烟屁股；也不能摆雪茄屁股——厂商嫌不好看——所以，只要剧情出现烟灰缸，里头全好端端地搁着一管全新的、未拆封的百优雪茄！
　　简直岂有此理！你却还能跟约翰·吉尔古德純紤矠坐在克拉里兹的酒吧里打情骂俏！
　　来信时多写些伦敦的事物——地铁、巷弄胡同、古宅大院純紥矠……随便什么都好，写仔细点儿。告诉我骑士桥长什么模样，此刻我的耳畔似乎响起了科茨的《伦敦组曲》純紦矠……听起来是那么绿意盎然、雄壮典雅。
　　xxxx
　　hh ---------------
1951年10月15日
---------------
　　纽约市
　　东九十五大街14号
　　1951年10月15日
　　这哪是佩皮斯日记呢？你倒是给我交代清楚！
　　这本书根本不够资格称之为《佩皮斯日记》，这只是哪个没事找事做的半吊子编辑，从佩皮斯日记里东挖西补、断章取义，存心让他死不瞑目！
　　真想啐它一口！
　　一六六八年一月十二日的日记跑到哪儿去了？记着他的老婆把他踹下床，抄了根烫红的拨火棍，追着他满屋子乱跑的那天的日记呢？
　　记着W.佩恩爵士福至心灵的儿子紕紛矠成天揣着教谕，把大伙儿搞得七荤八素的日记呢？这些偷工减料的手脚可别想逃过我的法眼。
　　附上两张皱巴巴的钞票。我想，用来付这本玩意儿，外加你将要为我找来的那本“货真价实的佩皮斯”，应该绰绰有余了！到时候，我会将这本烂书碎尸万段，然后，一页一页撕下来——拿来包东西！
　　HH
　　P.S.圣诞节快到了，到底是寄新鲜的(又鸟)蛋，还是干燥蛋好呢？我当然明白干燥蛋可以放得比较久，但是，“丹麦空运直送的新鲜(又鸟)蛋”光听都觉得香，你们快帮我拿主意吧！ ---------------
1951年10月20日
---------------
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　伦敦中西二区查令十字街84号
　　1951年10月20日
　　海莲·汉芙小姐
　　美国
　　纽约州，纽约市28
　　东九十五大街14号
　　亲爱的汉芙小姐：
　　首先，在此为我们的疏忽向您致以十二万分的歉意。我一直错认为那是收录完整的布雷布鲁克版。我相当能够了解，当您发现该书阙漏了喜爱的章节时，会有何等的失落感受。
　　我一定会尽力另找一本书价合理、完整收录您在信中提及的段落的《佩皮斯日记》，并尽快为您寄上。
　　同时，很高兴地在此向您报告：本店最近将收购一批私人藏书，我已从该批书籍中捡选出一些您会喜欢的书，包括一本利·亨特的选集，收录大半您曾提及的文章；还有一册《通俗拉丁文新约全书》——希望这回不会再出错了；同时有一本也许对您相当实用的《通俗拉丁文圣经辞典》；另一本《二十世纪英国散文选》，内容虽收入希莱尔·贝洛克紕紜矠的文章，但并不是谈论厕所的那篇。随信附上发票，上列书款十七先令六便士，约合美金二元五角，此书账已扣除您在敝店账户中的二元余额。
　　至于(又鸟)蛋的问题——店内同仁商量的结果，大家似乎意见一致，均认为新鲜(又鸟)蛋较好。诚如您所言：鲜蛋虽较难久放，但风味确实不同。
　　我们都期盼大选后日子会好转。如果丘吉尔先生和他的政党能赢得选举——这也是我的衷心期望，将会是一件振奋民心的好事。
　　衷心祝福您
　　马克斯与科恩书店
　　弗兰克·德尔谨上 ***************
*附录
***************　　然而，不真的只是84号书店的诱引，我真正想说的是，如果说从事出版工作的人，或仅仅只是喜爱书籍、乐于阅读的人得有一处圣地，正如同麦加城之于穆斯林那样，短短人生说什么也都得想法子至少去它个一次，那我个人以为必定就是查令十字街，英国伦敦这道无与伦比的老书街，全世界书籍暨阅读地图最熠熠发光的一处所在，舍此不应该有第二个答案。      ---------------
有这一道街，它比整个世界还要大(1)
---------------
　　唐诺
　　乍读这本书稿时，我一直努力在回想，查令十字街84号这家小书店究竟是长什么个模样(我坚信写书的海莲·汉芙不是胡诌的，在现实世界中必然有这么一家“坚实”存在的书店)，我一定不止一次从这家书店门口走过，甚至进去过，还取下架上的书翻阅过——《查令十字街84号》书中，通过一封1951年9月10日海莲·汉芙友人玛克辛的书店寻访后的信，我们看到它是“一间活脱从狄更斯书里头蹦出来的可爱铺子”，店门口陈列了几架书(一定是较廉价的)，店内则放眼全是直抵天花板的老橡木书架，扑鼻而来全是古书的气味，那是“混杂着霉味儿、长年积尘的气息，加上墙壁、地板散发的木头香……”，当然，还有一位五十开外年纪、以老英国腔老英国礼仪淡淡招呼你的男士(称店员好像不礼貌也不适切)。
　　但这不也就是半世纪之后今天、查令十字街上一堆老书店的依然长相吗？——如此悬念，让我再次鼓起余勇、生出远志，很想再去查令十字街仔细查看一次，对一个有抽烟习性又加上轻微幽闭恐惧毛病如我者，这长达二十小时的飞行之旅，我自以为是个很大的冲动而且很英勇的企图不是吗？
　　然而，不真的只是84号书店的诱引，我真正想说的是，如果说从事出版工作的人，或仅仅只是喜爱书籍、乐于阅读的人得有一处圣地，正如同麦加城之于穆斯林那样，短短人生说什么也都得想法子至少去它个一次，那我个人以为必定就是查令十字街，英国伦敦这道无与伦比的老书街，全世界书籍暨阅读地图最熠熠发光的一处所在，舍此不应该有第二个答案。
　　至少，本书的译者一定会支持我的武断——陈建铭，就我个人的认识，正是书籍阅读世界的此道中人。一般，社会对他的粗浅身分辨识，是个优美、老英国典雅风味却内向不擅长议价的绝佳书版美术设计者，但这本《查令十字街84号》充分暴露了他的原形，他跳出来翻译了此书，而且还在没跟任何出版社联系且尚未跟国外购买版权的情况下就先译出了全书(因此，陈建铭其实正是本书的选书人)，以他对出版作业程序的理解，不可能不晓得其后只要一个环节没配合上，所有的心血当场成为白工，但安静有条理的陈建铭就可以因为查令十字街忽然疯狂起来。
　　这是我熟悉、喜欢、也经常心生感激的疯子，在书籍和阅读的世界中，他们人数不多但代代有人，是这些人的持续存在，且持续进行他们一己“哈萨克人式的小小游击战”(借用赫尔岑的自况之言)，才让强大到几近无坚不摧的市场法则，始终无法放心地遂行其zhuanzhi统治，从而让书籍和阅读的世界，如汉娜·鄂兰谈本雅明时说的，总是在最边缘最异质的人身上，才得到自身最清晰的印记。
　　在与不在的书街
　　《查令十字街84号》这部美好的书，系以1949年至1969年长达廿年流光，往复于美国纽约和这家小书店的来往信函交织而成——住纽约的女剧作家买书，任职“马克斯与科恩书店”的经理弗兰克·德尔负责寻书寄书，原本是再乏味不过的商业往来，但很快的，书籍击败了商业，如约翰·房龙说“一个马槽击败了一个帝国”(当然，在书籍堆栈的基础之上，一开始是汉芙以她莽撞如火的白羊座人热情凿开缺口，尤其她不断寄送(又鸟)蛋、火腿等食物包裹给彼时因战争物资短缺、仰赖配给和黑市的可怜英国人)，人的情感、心思乃至于咫尺天涯的友谊开始自由流窜漫溢开来。查令十字街那头，他们全体职员陆续加入(共六名)，然后是德尔自己的家人(妻子诺拉和两个女儿)，再来还有邻居的刺绣老太太玛丽·伯尔顿；至于纽约这边，则先后有舞台剧女演员玛克辛、友人金妮和埃德替代汉芙实地造访“她的书店”，惟遗憾且稍稍戏剧性的是，反倒汉芙本人终究没能在一切落幕之前踩上英国，实践她念念不忘的查令十字街之旅。全书结束于1969年10月德尔大女儿替代父亲的一封回信，德尔本人已于1968年底腹膜炎病逝。 ---------------
有这一道街，它比整个世界还要大(2)
---------------
　　一样产自英国的了不起小说家格林，在他的《哈瓦那特派员》中这么说：“人口研究报告可以印出各种统计数值、计算城市人口，借以描绘一个城市，但对城里的每个人而言，一个城市不过是几条巷道、几间房子和几个人的组合。没有了这些，一个城市如同陨落，只剩下悲凉的记忆。”——是的，1969年之后，对海莲·汉芙来说，这家书店、这道书街已不可能再一样了，如同陨落，只因为“卖这些好书给我的好心人已在数月前去世了，书店老板马克斯先生也已不在人间”，这本《查令十字街84号》于是是一本哀悼伤逝的书，纪念人心在二十年书籍时光中的一场奇遇。
　　但海莲·汉芙把这一场写成书，这一切便不容易再失去一次了，甚至自此比她自身的生命有了更坚强抵御时间冲刷的力量——人类发明了文字，懂得写成并印制成书籍，我们便不再徒然无策地只受时间的摆弄宰制，我们甚至可以局部地、甚富意义地击败时间。
　　书籍，确实是人类所成功拥有最好的记忆存留形式，记忆从此可置放于我们的身体之外，不随我们肉身朽坏。
　　也因此，那家书店，当然更重要是用一本一本书铺起来的查令十字街便不会因这场人的奇遇戛然中止而跟着消失，事实上，它还会因多纳入海莲·汉芙的美好记忆而更添一分光晕色泽，就像它从不间断纳入所有思维者、纪念者、张望者、梦想者的书写一般，所以哀伤的汉芙仍能鼓起余勇地说：“但是，书店还是在那儿，你们若恰好路经查令十字街84号，代我献上一吻，我亏欠它良多……”
　　这是不会错的，今天，包括我个人在内，很多人都可以证实，查令十字街的确还在那儿，我是又过了十多年之后的八十年代、九十年代去的，即便84号的“马克斯与科恩书店”很遗憾如书末注释说的，没再撑下去，而成为“柯芬园唱片行”，但查令十字街的确还好好在那里。
　　一道时间大河
　　查令十字街，这个十字不是指十字路口，而是十字架的意思，事实上它是一道长约一公里许的蜿蜒市街，南端直抵泰晤士河，这里有最漂亮的查令十字街车站，如一个美丽的句点，往北路经国家艺廊，穿过苏活区和唐人街，旁及柯芬园，至牛津街为止，再往下走就成了托登罕路，很快就可看到著名的大英博物馆(大英博物馆一带又是另一个书店聚集处，但这里以精印的彩色大版本艺术书为主体)。
　　老英国老伦敦遍地是好东西，这是老帝国长而辉煌的昔日一样样堆栈下来的，如书中汉芙说的(类似的话她说了不止一回)：“记得好多年前有个朋友曾经说：人们到了英国，总能瞧见他们想看的。我说，我要去追寻英国文学，他告诉我：‘就在那儿！’”
　　然而，和老英国其他如夕晖晚照荣光事物大大不同之处在于，查令十字街不是遗迹不是封存保护以待观光客拍照存念的古物，它源远流长，但它却是active，现役的，当下的，就在我们谈话这会儿仍孜孜勤勤劳动之中，我们可同时缅怀它并同时使用它，既是历史从来的又是此时此刻的，这样一种奇特的时间完整感受，仔细想起来，不正正好就是书籍这一人类最了不起发明成就的原来本质吗？我们之所以丧失了如此感受，可能是因为我们持续除魅的现实世界已成功一并驱除了时间，截去了过去未来，成为一种稍纵即逝却又驻留不去的所谓“永恒当下”——有生物学者告诉我们，人类而外的其他动物和时间的关系极可能只有这样，永恒的当下，记忆湮渺只留模糊的鬼影子，从而也就产生不来向前的有意义瞻望，只剩如此窄迫不容发的时间隙缝，于是很难容受得了人独有的持续思维和精致感受，只有不占时间的本能反射还能有效运作，这其实就是返祖。
　　更正确地说，查令十字街的时间景观，指的不单单是它的经历、出身以及悠悠存在的岁月，而是更重要的，就算你不晓得它的历史沿革和昔日荣光，你仍可以在乍乍相见那一刻就清晰捕捉到的实时景观，由它林立的各个书店和店中各自藏书所自然构成——查令十字街的书店几乎每一家一个样，大小、陈列布置、书类书种、价格以及书店整体氛围所透出的难以言喻的鉴赏力、美学和心事。当然，书店又大体参差为一般新书书店和二手古书店的分别，拉开了时间的幅员，但其实就算卖新书的一般书店，彼此差异也是大的，各自收容着出版时日极不一致的各色书籍，呈现出极丰硕极细致的各自时间层次。 ---------------
有这一道街，它比整个世界还要大(3)
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　　不太夸张地说，这于是成了最像时间大河的一条街，更像人类智识思维的完整化石层，你可以而且势必得一家一家地进出，行为上像进陈列室而不是卖场。
　　相对来说，我们在台湾所谓的“逛书店”，便很难不是只让自我感觉良好的溢美之辞。一方面，进单一一家书店比较接近纯商业行为的“购买”，而不是带着本雅明式游手好闲意味的“逛”，一本书你在这家买不到，大概另一家也就休想；另一方面，“逛”，应该是不完全预设标的物的，你期待且预留着惊喜、发现、不期而遇的空间，但台湾既没二手书店，一般书店的书籍进退作业又积极，两三个月前出版的书，很可能和两三千年前的出土文物一样不好找。
　　连书店及其图书景观都是永恒当下的，在我们台湾。
　　永恒当下的灾难
　　海莲·汉芙在书中说到过她看书买书的守则之一，对我们毋宁是极陌生到足以吓人一跳的，她正色告诉德尔，她绝不买一本没读过的书，那不是跟买衣服没试穿过一样冒失吗？当然我们没必要激烈如这位可敬的白羊座女士，但这其实是很有意思的话，说明旧书(广义的，不单指的珍版珍藏之书)的购买、收存和再阅读，不仅仅只是屯积居奇的讨人厌行为或附庸风雅的恶心行为而已。这根源于书籍的不易理解，不易完整掌握的恒定本质，尤其是愈好、内容愈丰硕、创见之路走得愈远的书，往往远远超过我们当下的知识准备、道德准备和情感准备，我们于是需要一段或长或短的回身空间与它相处。好书像真爱，可能一见钟情，但死生契阔与子成说，执子之手与子偕老的杳远理解和同情却总需要悠悠岁月。
　　因此，从阅读的需求面来说，一本书的再阅读不仅仅只是可能，而是必要，你不能希冀自己一眼就洞穿它，而是你十五岁看，二十岁看，四十岁五十岁看，它都会因着你不同的询问、关注和困惑，开放给你不一样的东西，说真的，我努力回想，还想不出哪本我真心喜欢的书没有而且不需要再再重读的(你甚至深深记得其中片段，意思是你在记忆中持续重读)；也因此，从书籍取得的供给面来看，我们就应该聪明点给书籍多一点时间、给我们自己多一点机会，历史经验一再告诉我们，极多开创力十足且意义重大的书，我们当下的社会并没那个能力一眼就认得出来，不信的人可去翻阅大名鼎鼎的纽约时报历来书评(坊间有其结集成书的译本)，百年来，日后证明的经典著作，他们漏失掉的比他们慧眼捕捉到的何止十倍百倍，而少数捕捉到的书中又有诸如塞林格的《麦田里的守望者》或钱德勒的《大眠》被修理得一无是处(理由是脏话太多云云)。一个社会，若意图在两星期到一个月内就决定一本书的好坏去留，要求书籍打它不擅长的单败淘汰赛，这个社会不仅自大愚蠢，而且可悲的一步步向着灾难走去。
　　一种只剩永恒当下的可悲灾难。
　　部分远大于全体
　　便是这个永恒当下的灾难启示，让我们得以在书籍暨阅读的世界中，推翻一项亘古的数学原理——这是柏拉图最爱引用的，全体永远大于部分，但我们晓得事实并不尽然，短短的一道查令十字街，的确只是我们居住世界的一个小小部分，但很多时候，我们却觉得查令十字街远比我们一整个世界还大，大太多了。
　　最是在什么时候，我们会生出如此诡异的感觉呢？特别当我们满心迫切的困惑不能解之时。我们很容易在一本一本书中再再惊异到，原来我们所在的现实世界，相较于既有的书籍世界，懂得的事这么少，瞻望的视野这么窄，思维的续航能力这么差，人心又是这么封闭懒怠，诸多持续折磨我们的难题，包括公领域的和私领域的，不仅有人经历过受苦过认真思索过，甚至还把经验和睿智细腻的解答好好封存在书中。
　　从形态上来看，我们眼前的世界往往只有当下这薄薄的一层，而查令十字街通过书籍所揭示的世界图像，却是无尽的时间层次叠合而成的，包括我们因失忆而遗失乃至于根本不知有过的无尽过去，以及我们无力也无意瞻望的无尽未来。 ---------------
有这一道街，它比整个世界还要大(4)
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　　看看穆勒的《论自由》和《论代议政治》，这是足足一百五十年前就有的书，今天我们对自由社会和民主政治的建构、挫折、一再摔落的陷阱以及自以为聪明的恶意操弄，不好端端都写在书里头吗？
　　看看李嘉图的《政治经济学原理》，这是两百年前的书，书中再清晰不过所揭示的经济学最基本道理和必要提醒，我们今天，尤其手握财经权力的决策者，不还在日日持续犯错吗？
　　或者看看本雅明的《发达资本主义时代的抒情诗人》，这又是超过半个世纪以前的书，而今天，我们的大台北市才刚刚换好新的人行步道、才刚刚开始学习在城市走路并试图开始理解这个城市不是吗？
　　还是我们要问宪法的问题(内阁制、总统制、双首长制、还有神秘的塞内加尔制)？要问民族主义和民粹主义的问题？问生态环保或仅仅只是整治一条基隆河的问题？问男女平权？问劳工和失业？问选举制度和选区规划？问媒体角色和自律他律？或更大哉问的问整体教育和社会价值暨道德危机等等问题？
　　是的，如海莲·汉芙说的，书店还是在那儿。
　　全世界最便宜的东西
　　而查令十字街不仅比我们眼前的世界大，事实上，它做得更好——查令十字街不仅有着丰硕的时间层次，还呈现具体的空间分割；它是一道川流不息的时间之街，更是一个个书店、隔间、单一书籍所围拥成的自在小世界，让闲步其中的人柳暗花明。
　　我猜，这一部分原因有历史的偶然渗入作用而成，比方说，老式的、动辄百年以上的老伦敦建筑物，厚实坚强的石墙风雨不动的制限了商业流窜的、拆毁一切夷平一切的侵略性格，因此，小书店各自盛开如繁花，即便是大型的综合性书店，内部格局也曲折回旋，每一区块往往是封闭的、隔绝的，自成洞天，毋宁更像书籍层层架起的读书阅览小房间而非卖场；而且，美国的霸权接收，让英文不随老帝国的坠落而衰败，仍是今天的“准世界语”，仍是普世书籍出版活动的总源头和荟萃之地，因此，你一旋身，才两步路便由持续挣扎的东欧世界出来，却马上误入古怪拼字，但极可能正是人类最远古家乡非洲黝暗世界，如同安博托·艾柯在《玫瑰之名》书中最(禁止)的惊心动魄一幕——第七天，威廉修士和见习僧艾森终于进入了大迷宫图书馆中一切秘密埋藏所在的非洲之末。
　　一个无垠无边的智识世界，却是由一个个小洞窟构成的。
　　我尤其喜欢查令十字街的一个个如此洞窟，一方面，这有可能正是人类亘古的记忆存留，是某种乡愁，像每一代小孩都有寻找洞窟打造洞窟置身洞窟的冲动，有某种安适安全之感，而读书，从阅读、思索到着迷，最根柢处，本来就是宛如置身一己洞窟的孤独活动；另一方面，我总时时想到列维—施特劳斯的话，这些自成天地般洞窟的存在，提供我们逃避的机会，逃避什么样的压迫呢？逃避一种列维—施特劳斯指称的大众化现象，意即一种愈发一致的、无趣的、再没性格可言的普世性可怖压逼(正是社会永恒当下的呈现)，而这些动人的洞窟，正像《爱丽丝漫游仙境》的树洞，你穿过它，便掉落到一个完全异质、完全始料未及的世界里去。
　　于是，我遂也时时忧虑我们最终仍会失去属于我们这一代的查令十字街，如同汉芙早已失去她的查令十字街一般，我们的杞忧，一方面是现实中断续传来的不利信息(如商业的腐蚀性只是被减缓，并没真正被阻止)，更是人面对足够美好事物的很自然的神经质反应，你深知万事万物持续流变，珍爱的东西尤其不可能一直存留，如朝霞，如春花，如爱情。
　　但你可以买它——当然不是整条查令十字街，而是它真正赖以存在、赖以得着意义的书籍，市街从不是有效抵御时间风蚀的形式，书籍才是，就像汉芙所说：“或许是吧，就算那儿没有(意指英国和查令十字街)，环顾我的四周(意指她从查令十字街买到的书)……我很笃定，它们已在此驻足。” ---------------
有这一道街，它比整个世界还要大(5)
---------------
　　从事出版已超过半辈子之久，我个人仍始终有个问题得不到满意的答案：我始终不真正明白人们为什么不买书？这不是全世界最便宜的一样东西吗？一个人类所曾拥有过最聪明最认真最富想像力最伟大的心灵，你不是极可能只用买一件看不上眼衣服的三千台币就可买下他奇迹一生所有吗(以一名作家，一生十本书，一本书三百元计，更何况这么买通常有折扣)？你不是用吃一顿平价午餐的支付，就可得到一个美好的洞窟、以及一个由此联通的完整世界吗？
　　汉芙显然是同我一国的，她付钱买书，但自掏腰包寄食物还托朋友送丝袜，却仍觉得自己占便宜，在1952年12月12日，她说的是：“我打心里头认为这实在是一桩挺不划算的圣诞礼物交换。我寄给你们的东西，你们顶多一个星期就吃光抹净，根本休想指望还能留着过年；而你们送给我的礼物，却能和我朝夕相处、至死方休；我甚至还能将它遗爱人间而含笑以终。”而在1969年4月11日的最终决算，她仍得到“我亏欠它良多”的结论。
　　美国当前最好的侦探小说家，同样也住纽约的劳伦斯·卜洛克也如此想，他在《麦田贼手》一书，通过一名仗义小偷之口对一名小说家(即塞林格)说：“这个人，写了这么一本书，改变了我们整整一代人，我总觉得我欠他点什么。”所以——买下它，我指的是书，好好读它，在读书时日里若省下花费，存起来找机会去一趟查令十字街，趁它还在，如果你真的成行并顺利到那儿，请代我们献上一吻，我们都亏欠它良多…… ---------------
爱情的另外一种译法(1)
---------------
　　张立宪
　　“你们若恰好路经查令十字街84号，请代我献上一吻，我亏欠她良多……”
　　生活中发生了一桩小小的笑话。一位朋友在英国，按照我的介绍，某一天逛伦敦的书店一条街——查令十字街，并到84号朝圣。奈何那里已经改为一家酒吧，只是在门边挂个铜牌，上书“查令十字街84号，马克斯与科恩书店的旧址，因为海莲·汉芙的书而闻名天下”。收银小姐看着她笑问：“为那本书来的吧？”她只好狠狠地点一瓶红酒，并为我买了期待已久的书《查令十字街84号》，然后寄往北京，还兴冲冲地先用数码相机将书拍了照mail过来，让我预热一下。结果，不幸的很，这本书在大英帝国的邮政系统兜了一个圈子，又回到了朋友的手上——她将收件人与寄件人的位置弄颠倒了。
　　其实以我的英文修养，肯定啃不动原版书，但对于这本书，还是希望能保留一本，因为它被誉为“爱书人的《圣经》”。
　　这本书讲的就是一个纽约爱书人通过书信往来在伦敦一家古旧书店(书名即是这家书店的地址)淘书并建立深厚友谊的故事。来往的书信被她汇集成此书，成为读书人的掌上明珠。
　　得到这本书并非易事。好在，根据原著拍摄的同名电影已经有DVD出售，万幸的是，我买到了，并且看了。该片由美国哥伦比亚公司1986年拍就，片长100分钟，担纲主演的是演技派演员安妮·班克劳夫特和安东尼·霍普金斯，拍得真是无可挑剔。
　　之所以说是“万幸”，是因为影碟被碟商译成了一个耸人听闻的动作片名字——《迷阵血影》。我敢担保，即使你看到这张影碟，最大的可能也是与其失之交臂。这个异想天开的译名惹恼了一个台湾人，他叫陈建铭，是诚品书店古书区的员工，在没与任何出版社联系出版且未跟国外购买版权的情况下，就先译出了全书。按照他的说法，这般牛劲发作，就是因为《迷阵血影》这个名字，而且影片的对白字幕也是惨不忍睹，“我翻译这本书，多少也想为它赎点儿罪罢”。
　　恕我饶舌，复述一遍这个再简单不过的故事。
　　穷困的女作家海莲受不了纽约昂贵庸俗的古旧书店，便按照《星期六文学评论》上的地址，给位于伦敦查令十字街84号的马克斯与科恩书店(后来被海莲派去伦敦侦察的好友形容成一家“活脱从狄更斯书里头蹦出来的可爱铺子”)写了一封信，求购一些绝版图书。这一天是1949年10月5日。
　　很快，回信和她要的书就来了，那些书令海莲的书架相形见绌。双方的信任和欣喜很快达成，除了海莲有一点点麻烦，她是个连付账和找零都搞不清楚的女人，更不用说将英镑换算成美元了。马克斯与科恩书店的经理弗兰克除了满足她购书的要求外，还得给她准备英镑和美元两种发票。
　　温暖的相知借助娓娓道来的书信，很快就俘获了远隔重洋的海莲和弗兰克。
　　五十年代初期的英国百废待兴，物资实行配给制。海莲就从美国给书店的店员们寄来火腿、(又鸟)蛋和香肠，让他们吃到很久没有见过的“完整而大块”的肉。而弗兰克并不是不知感恩的人，他开始在英国各地奔波，出入豪宅，为存货不多的书店添置新品，踏破铁鞋，为她寻觅难得一见的珍本。
　　日子一天天地过去，书信成为他们平静流淌的生活中无时不在的旁白。
　　海莲不是没想过去伦敦看看书店看看弗兰克。她终于有了自己的积蓄，而英女王的登基又使得赴英的费用打了折。眼看可以成行，但她的牙逼着她留在了纽约。她只好给弗兰克写信：“我陪着我的牙，而牙医却在度蜜月，他的结婚费用是我出的……”
　　弗兰克只好为她和刚刚登基的伊丽莎白女王祝福。
　　书照买，信照写。
　　到了这一天，海莲的信三个月后才接到回音，她被告知：弗兰克于1968年12月22日病逝。
　　海莲马上赶到查令十字街84号。走进即将被拆迁的马克斯与科恩书店时，距离她第一次给这里写信，已经过去了二十年。 ---------------
爱情的另外一种译法(2)
---------------
　　她笑着对空荡荡的书店说：“我来了，弗兰克，我终于来了。”
　　通过胶片来诉说图书的故事，总显得不太解气。不过，看平静的生活围绕着他们的讨书买书谈书一幕幕展开，仿佛将惟一彩色的道具放在黑白环境里，使原本素朴的书本也显得绚丽，一如荒漠甘泉。
　　事关读书的故事总是令人解颐。
　　海莲对一本拉丁文版《圣经》极为不满，在给弗兰克的信中说翻译简直是想毁掉这本世界上“最美的散文”，建议拿正宗的拉丁文版对照来读，才不致暴殄天物，并出卖了她七大姑八大姨的说法加以佐证。可爱的女人，总是将自己试图保守的机密在另一种心情下泄露无遗。
　　弗兰克看到纽曼的《大学论》，写信问海莲：“有兴趣买初版的吗？”同时叮嘱店员为她留下来。镜头马上从伦敦切到纽约，海莲对着空气质问：“你有初版的《大学论》，只要六美元，居然还傻傻地问我‘你要吗’？”“亲爱的弗兰克：是的，我要。我本不在乎是不是初版，可这本书的初版！……”
　　等她收到这本有百年历史的初版书后，写信对他说：“我占有它有一种罪恶感，那么漂亮的封面和烫金，它理应属于某幢英国乡间的木造宅邸才对。”
　　这个莽撞如火的白羊座女人颇有豪侠之风，不但体现在她为书店员工邮寄生活用品的慷慨上，甚至她的性格也凸显在信纸上：“我一路活来，眼看着英语一点一滴被摧残蹂躏却又无力可回天，就像米尼弗·奇维一样，余生也晚。而我也只能学他‘干咳两声，自叹一句：奈何老天作弄’，然后继续借酒浇愁。”
　　“这是个堕落颓废的年代，他们居然把漂亮的旧书页撕下来当包装纸。上面描述的是一场战役的中段，但我已经看不出是哪场战役了……”海莲在信中抱怨，又该可怜的弗兰克忙活了。
　　在一家豪宅，弗兰克见到了帮海莲遍寻不着的伊丽莎白一世时期的情诗集，以书店全体员工的名义寄给她。“你们相信它是在我生日那天寄达的吗？这是我拥有的第一本镶金边的书。可惜你们太客气了，将字句写在卡片上，而非扉页上。你们全都是爱书人，惟恐会减损书的价值，其实你们已经为书的主人甚至书未来的主人提升了它的价值。”海莲在回信中兴奋地絮叨。
　　……
　　1969年1月8日，海莲收到马克斯与科恩书店通报弗兰克的死讯，那封信的最后一句是：
　　“你还要我们寻找你所订的书吗？”
　　该说说海莲和弗兰克之间的事儿了。
　　海莲的爱人死于二战，她终身未嫁。弗兰克则有妻子和两个女儿。一大两小三个女人会收到海莲寄自美国的尼龙袜，弗兰克的太太也会和海莲雅谑几句：“弗兰克给你的照片够难看的，但他狡辩说本人比照片帅多了，我们就让他臭美去吧。”
　　一切看来都那么正常，正常到两人相识二十年却缘悭一面，正常到两人通信数百封而未涉一个“爱”字。
　　但是，弗兰克死后，他的太太写信给海莲说：“不怕你见笑，有时候我还会嫉妒你。”
　　马克斯与科恩书店的店员们把海莲想像成一个“年轻，成熟，时髦”的女人，海莲老实告诉他们，自己“和百老汇的乞丐一样时髦”。就是这样一个执拗邋遢的女人，将骄蛮趣致的女性一面全都呈现给弗兰克。她会为一本欺世盗名的书而冲弗兰克发飙，将满腔怨气倾泄到打字机上，然后突然收起霸道，对着空气娇媚地笑了：“弗兰克，你是惟一了解我的人。”
　　独身的海莲是自由的，而弗兰克眼前连这团自由的空气也没有。他只能努力让自己正常地度过二十年的光阴，只是在某一刻，他会注意到书店中驻足的一个女子，大概就是他想像中那个女人的模样？她说她来自美国，他的眼光一下子变得热切，却又不是，他好像习惯了这种失望和等待。电视机里在转播纽约元旦嘉年华的情景，广场上人多如织，他的眼睛在搜寻什么？ ---------------
爱情的另外一种译法(3)
---------------
　　只是到了打烊的时候，书店里再没有别人，最柔软的情思才在这一刻展开，他会让自己的眼睛盯住某一处，款款道来。此刻，那个女人正躺在自己的床上，身罩破旧的睡衣，翻看着他抚摩过的书，点燃一支烟，不时发出一声声咳嗽。
　　弗兰克死后，海莲来到查令十字街84号，站立的地方，正是他深情凝视的所在。
　　经过了二十年岁月的打磨，他们的眼神都那么一致。
　　海莲所推崇的英国玄学诗人、散文家多恩有一句话：“全体人类就是一本书。当一个人死亡，这并非有一章被从书中撕去，而是被翻译成一种更好的语言。”
　　我想，当爱情以另外一种方式展现铺陈时，也并非被撕去，而是翻译成了一种更好的语言。上帝派来的那几个译者，名叫机缘，名叫责任，名叫蕴藉，名叫沉默。
　　还有一位，名叫怀恋。 ***************
*书评
***************　　二十年的书信情谊，绵淡悠长。这本薄薄的小册子，因为是书信结集而成，如果不称作小说，叫散文集也无所谓。信大都不超过八百字，字里行间却满是美国女子的爽朗幽默及英国男人的沉稳体贴。      ---------------
绵延二十年的友情或爱情　(1)
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　　柠檬(特约书评人)
　　语言课上，让大家说一说自己喜欢的电影明星。我结结巴巴介绍休·格兰特，同学们都听得茫然。情急之下，我开始列出他的作品表。从《诺丁山》到《四个婚礼与一个葬礼》，不管是来自法国、西班牙还是巴勒斯坦、塔吉克斯坦的同学，尤其是女生们，全部恍然大悟。他的电影，包括《布里·琼斯的单身日记》都属典型的“英国制造”，主线或辅线中必出现“英国英俊男＋美国美丽女”的桥段，《真爱至上》更是发挥到极致，让个在本土都找不到女友的英国小伙子到美国当天就与四个美女同宿。当然，除了碰巧都出自同一个编剧里查德·科蒂斯之手外，也反映了这种模式简直可成浪漫化符号了。
　　比如曾被译做《迷阵血影》这部电影，也是这样的男女搭配。电影名字实在取得怪诞，除了可以帮盗版碟商吸引误打误撞的眼球，与故事内容没一点相关。电影改编自书信体著名小说《查令十字街84号》，故事情节就是独居在纽约的女作家，在《纽约时报》的副刊《每周书评》上看到很多关于英国文学的作品介绍，却很难找到原本，就根据一则广告写信到位于伦敦查令十字街84号的马克书店。经理弗兰克很快回信，并且寄去了一些她订购的书籍。两人在书信往来中，除了顾客订购各种稀奇古怪的偏门书，及经理汇报书款支票余额外，也谈论(又鸟)蛋与肉类等与购书无关的事。上世纪五十年代初期，刚经历过战争的伦敦生活消费品还是奇缺，还在实行配额制，好心的女主人公也许因为弗兰克常能给她提供中意的好书，而且价格相当便宜，心情大悦，常常给这家书店的伙计们寄食品。双方的邮件都给对方带去了珍贵的欢乐。二十年后，当年穷居一隅的女作者已经是小有名气的剧作家，接受邀请来到伦敦，弗兰克却已在三年前因病去世。
　　二十年的书信情谊，绵淡悠长。这本薄薄的小册子，因为是书信结集而成，如果不称作小说，叫散文集也无所谓。信大都不超过八百字，字里行间却满是美国女子的爽朗幽默及英国男人的沉稳体贴。比如海莲说“我要订一本情诗集”，因为——“春天来了”。再比如，马克的女同事塞西莉，一个热心肠小女人，瞒着弗兰克给海莲写信，说“不要让弗兰克知道我给你写信的事”，因为“他一直把你们的通信当成你们私人的情谊”。只有时不时看到塞西莉的这些话，再看弗兰克含蓄持重永远像在公事公办的信，才觉得这个男人紧绷面子要风度可笑得可爱。当然，这些情感如果是写在书里，显得细腻感人，但如果在一部100多分钟的电影里表达清楚，就需要很高的叙事手法。但有点遗憾的是，电影观众不是很能感到这一点，平淡一转，而成拖沓，但安东尼·霍普金斯的表演足已弥补这些。
　　还值得一提的是，附录中，海莲最后来到伦敦写的日记。伦敦成行，见到弗兰克的遗孀子女，终于把这个简单的情结挽了个结，以飨读者愿。如果说这算小女人写作，海莲的个性可以让旧书买卖的订单都风雅成了小资典故，更不要说她已经成为小有名气的作家。来到伦敦，崇拜者的接待，媒体的采访，书店的签名售书，社交者的邀请。就算走出来的不是步步莲花，在她笔下都是桩桩趣事。美国个性女作家的伦敦怀旧之旅——如需要宣传口号，可以如此拟。惊诧、喜爱、抱怨、感激、娇嗔、忧伤种种情绪，在她这儿，切换自如，读者也不以为忤。
　　只是在影片里，首先把女作家的心打动的，不是店主的高情厚义，而是书价实在便宜。查令十字街是伦敦甚至欧洲爱书人眼中的天堂，因有大量的旧书店而闻名。影片后边，女主角的女朋友去伦敦，她自然带着女主角的委托，去看马克书店一眼，评价是：带着狄更斯风味的书店，店内充满了一种气味，这是由陈旧、霉烂、破书、木地板和天花板混和的气味。
　　现在的查令十字街84号，却在周围的书店中，成了伦敦一家酒吧连锁店的铺面。 ---------------
绵延二十年的友情或爱情　(2)
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　　来源：南方都市报 ---------------
假如有机会去英国(1)
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　　本文转载自中山日报网Http：//www.zsnews.cn　　假如有机会去英国，我一定要到那里，并且以朝圣的态度。那里，“有这一道街，它比整个世界还要大。”假如我没机会去英国，而你们有，“你们若恰好经过查令十字街84号，请代我献上一吻，我亏欠她良多……”。
　　本文转载自中山日报网Http：//www.zsnews.cn　　这是一本被誉为“爱书人的圣经”的《查令十字街84号》，终于，终于，终于出了国内版。这本书最早版本的面世距今已有35年了，而书中追忆的往事更是始于1949年10月，一位居住于美国纽约的三十三岁女作家海伦·汉芙，老是觉得纽约这个城市没有气质，害她整天买不到想读的书，只好转而向伦敦的一家小旧书店邮购，这个小书店位于英国伦敦的查令十字街84号，名叫“马可斯与科恩”书店。一桩原本单纯的买卖关系变成了长达二十年，多人参与的，令人唏嘘的一段书缘。
　　直到1969年，书店的老板相继去世，书店的门也要永远关上了。海伦伤心地翻阅存放在鞋盒中20年的与小书店之间的信件，整理之后在次年秋天出版。从此，查令十字街84号就成了爱书人的圣地。至今书店原址的外墙上镶嵌着一个圆形铜牌，上面刻着：查令十字街84号，马可斯与科恩书店的旧址，因海伦·汉芙的书而闻名于世。在英语系的国家里，爱书人少有不识这本书者，它不仅被改编为电视剧、广播剧和舞台剧，1987年还被拍成电影。
　　著有《书店风景》和《书天堂》的钟芳玲女士自称是此书的头号死忠书迷，她收藏了各种版本的《查令十字街84号》，甚至是舞台剧的脚本。1994年秋天她还到到伦敦瞻仰书店原址，1996年到纽约拜会作者汉芙女士，这些她用了12页的篇幅描述，郑重地放在她的《书天堂》中。钟芳玲还提到一位美国书商因为这本书而对自己从事的行业更为坚定，并且将书店命名为“查令十字街84号”。有些浪漫的书迷情侣，甚至相约在那个门号前相吻。
　　本来对于此书的中文版的翻译，钟芳玲女士应该是当仁不让的，不过最后她还是放弃了。她在《书天堂》中说，在读过数十回英文原版之后，她“只觉得无法用另一种语言来为他们发声。”最后，此书的中文版由另一位爱书人———陈建铭先生完成了翻译工作。
　　钟芳玲的《书天堂》今年1月在国内推出，虽然定价68元，但销量很不错。据笔者的不完全统计，《书天堂》在中山卖了200本以上，而这本定价仅18元的《查令十字街84号》在中山的知音当不止二百人吧。旅行社大可考虑组织一个“爱书人朝圣团”到英国伦敦。
　　面前的这本《阅读的风貌》，我之前拥有的是台湾版本。这次出了大陆版，我还是忍不住再买了一本。它是《网络与书》丛书系列的其中一本，互联网的出现，曾经被视为奏响了作为传统阅读形态的书籍的哀乐，而现阶段它们所表现出来的关系似乎是“共存共荣”。至于将来，结论难下。无论是通过哪种介体，阅读终究是件幸福快乐的事。而此书定出的十二条黄金守则，我想书痴大都会乐于接受。正如这套丛书的每一本的封底都印着的那句话：在阅读的森林里摸索前行，需要热情；在摸索中不致迷失方向，需要主张。我姑且把书中的所谓“重度书痴的黄金守则”抄录一下：
　　守则一：千万不要只读新书。
　　守则二：向人借书是不道德的。对于这一点，爱书人自然苟同，鄙人的书房就曾贴过这样一张告示：“君才堪比刘备，吾书不甘为荆州。”
　　守则三：偷书贼应该被诅咒。
　　守则四：有书不一定要看完。
　　守则五：随处皆可读书。
　　守则六：注意你的书是不是梦幻逸品。对于书迷来说拥有一本善本书，那怕是一本民国时期的善本书，该是一件令人多么兴奋的事。
　　守则七：读书当益智消遣。
　　守则八：边读书边写笔记。 ---------------
假如有机会去英国(2)
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　　守则九：用阅读和古人交朋友。
　　守则十：睡前读书帮助睡眠。
　　守则十一：好好闻一闻你的书。
　　守则十二：坏书是罪恶的替身。
　　阅读基本上是一个人的行为，所以重度书痴大都是孤独和寂寞的。或者是有见于此，《网络与书》系列里就有了这本《一个人》，书中引用了蒂利希的一句话，说得挺好：语言创造了“寂寞”这个词来表达因一个人而感到的痛苦；“孤独”这个词来表达因一个人而感到的光荣。
　　这本《一个人》只有158页，不过因为用铜板纸来印刷的关系而显得份量不轻。“一个人”的状态其实每个人都会遇到，只不过它会以各种形式各种时段出现。这本书把“一个人”在时光和形式上分成了五部分：在城市里；在历史中；在爱情与婚姻之间；在状态上；在阅读时。可以说它论尽了“一个人”的方方面面。
　　这个世界尚有爱书人绝对是这个世界的幸事。在著名出版家范用编的这本《买书琐记》中，就有六十余位“书痴”，讲述自己和别人买书的故事。而范用在书的前言中有这样一段话：“我爱跑书店，不爱上图书馆。在图书馆想看一本书，太费事，先要查卡片，然后填借书单，等待馆员找出书。上书店，架上桌上的书，一览无余，听凭翻阅。看上的，而口袋里又有钱，就买下。”
　　来源：中山商报 ---------------
这世界，至少还有你(1)
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　　陈慧鹏
　　国际先驱导报文章住在纽约的穷编剧海莲？汉芙热爱英国文学，可是美国的图书要么粗制滥造、要么价格昂贵，她试着根据广告联系了位于伦敦查令十字街84号的马克斯与科恩书店，那是1949年10月5号。到了11月3号，她已经收到了订到的第一批书。书店提供的价格低廉的珍本图书让汉芙欣喜不已，而书店经理弗兰克？德尔的细致耐心大概也更博得了汉芙的好感（尽管刚开始她并不知道这个FPD是什么人）。于是，通信开始了。战后的英国物资匮乏，商品实行配给制，“每人每月只有一个(又鸟)蛋”。汉芙听说之后，“吓坏了”，从当年12月起，她就陆续给书店同仁寄去(又鸟)蛋、肉、火腿等紧缺食品，一直持续到1953年。汉芙的善良与慷慨打动了所有的人，从此，本来简单乏味的商业往来，变成了朋友间的相知与关怀。
　　多少年来，汉芙的夙愿就是探访伦敦，她要去看跟英国文学相关的一切，后来更加上了她所谓的“我的书店”，而书店同仁们也一直期盼着她的来访。德尔说：“当您确定访问英国时，橡原巷37号将会有一个房间，可供您无期限地住宿。”然而，造化弄人，直到1968年德尔病逝，迫于生计的汉芙也未能造访伦敦，那时，他们的通信已经保持了20年。
　　德尔去世之后，伤心不已的汉芙将20年间她和德尔以及其他与查令十字街84号相关人等的通信整理出版，这就是《查令十字街84号》。
　　翻开书，最出彩的是汉芙的信。汉芙的文笔轻松诙谐、信马由缰，对于喜欢的书，她表现的欣喜若狂，对德尔感激涕零；对她不喜欢的书，则骂得体无完肤，当然，捎带着也要痛骂德尔一顿。虽然20年来，汉芙只不过买了50本书，但她关于书的文字都是让人心颐的，仿佛酷暑中的冰镇菊花茶，沁人心脾的清凉。而透过文字，则是她的仗义豪侠和对书的深深的热爱。
　　德尔的信则写得矜持稳重。从信里可以看出一个兢兢业业的书店经理的形象。正因为德尔对自己的工作不厌其烦、了如指掌，尽心竭力的只是一味满足汉芙对书的挑剔要求，汉芙才可能只提书名，而将挑选版本的责任全权委托给德尔。
　　汉芙与其他人的通信，则仿佛是个旁白，德尔的另一个角色在这里悄悄的流露出来——他是汉芙的倾听者。虽然德尔从不主动提问，对于汉芙的东拉西扯往往也只是三言两语的应答，但是，在德尔去世后，德尔夫人写给汉芙的信中说“……我曾经很嫉妒过你，因为弗兰克对你的信如此喜欢，你的信与他的幽默感又如此相同。”其实这种欣赏汉芙又何尝没有感受呢，否则，她也不会早在1961年的一封信里就说这么一句“唉，这下你该明白了吧，弗兰基，这个世界上了解我的人只剩下你一个了”。再联系上德尔在汉芙的要求下不称汉芙小姐而改口为“亲爱的海莲”的那封信是写于1952年2月14号，而且，也就是在这封信上，德尔第一次邀请汉芙访问伦敦。所谓“空穴来风，事必有因”，这也就难怪1986年这个故事被搬上银幕时会带上爱情的意味了。其实这样的猜测未必能落到实处，而且即使有，也是地地道道的柏拉图式的爱情，然而大概也正是因为这种猜测，二十年的缘悭一面才让人为之深深感动，喟然叹息吧。
　　现在就手头这个译本谈些技术层面的问题——虽然自己也觉得刹风景，可是没办法，职业病！
　　译林这次能推出这样清秀淡雅的装帧，实在要刮目相看一下的。而书中除了收录恺蒂、陈建铭、唐诺、张立宪的书评外，详尽的八十余条注释——有的还带有插图——也是一大特色。更让人惊喜不已的则是扉页上杨春华设计的藏书票。画面上，一个长裙女子在花下读书，而画面的下方则是汉芙在1969给朋友的信中的最后一句：“Ifyouhappentopassby84CharingCrossRoad，kissitforme！Ioweitsomuch.”
　　这个译本多少也有些让人不满意的地方。书店里好几本书的勒口都有意外折叠的痕迹，内页也有一些显然是印装过程中的折痕和淡淡的油墨污迹。如果说上面这些都是印刷和排版的问题的话，那么书中偶尔出现的有着典型汉语内涵的行文方式就显然是翻译的问题——也许赞同者认为正是特色，可是我是受不了“阿弥陀佛”“球季尚未结束，同志仍需努力”这样的语句！没办法，也许我们真的该如陈建铭所说的去读英文原版。可是，我又哪里去找一个弗兰克？德尔，对他说“去，给我找一本《84，CharingCrossRoad》”？ ---------------
这世界，至少还有你(2)
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　　来源：国际先驱导报