从加路赛尔桥到新桥，可以算是书摊的第二个地带。在这一带，对面的美术学校和钱币局的影响是显著的。在这里，书摊老板是兼卖板画图片的，有时小小的书摊上挂得满目琳琅，原张的蚀雕，从书本上拆下的插图，戏院的招贴，花卉鸟兽人物的彩图，地图、风景片，大大小小各色俱全，反而把书列居次位了。在这些书摊上，我们是难得碰到什么值得一翻的书的，书都破旧不堪，满是灰尘，而且有一大部份是无用的教科书，展览会和画商拍卖的目录。此外，在这一带我们还可以发现两个专卖旧钱币纹章等而不卖书的摊子，夹在书摊中间，作一个很特别的点缀。这些卖画卖钱币的摊子，我总是望望然而去之的，（记得有一天一位法国朋友拉着我在这些钱币摊子前逗留了长久，他看得津津有味，我却委实十分难受，以后到河沿上走，总不愿和别人一道了。）然而在这一带却也有一两个很好的书摊子。一个摊子是一个老年人摆的，并不是他的书特别比别人丰富，却是他为人特别和气，和他交易，成功的回数居多。我有一本高克多（Coclc-au）亲笔签字赠给诗人费尔囊·提华尔（FernandDivoire）的 Le Grund Ecurt，便是从他那儿以极廉的价钱买来的，而我在加里马尔书店买的高克多亲笔签名赠给诗人法尔格（Fargue）的初版本 Opera，却使我化了七十法郎。但是我相信这是他借给我的，因为书是用蜡纸包封着，他没有拆开来看一看；看见了那献辞的时候，他也许不会这样便宜卖给我。另一个摊子是一个青年人摆的，书的选择颇精，大都是现代作品的初版和善本，所以常常得到我的光顾。我只知道这青年人的名字叫昂德莱，因为他的同行们这样称呼他，人很圆滑，自言和各书店很熟，可以弄得到价廉物美的后门货，如果顾客指定要什么书，他都可以设法。可是我请他弄一部《纪德全集》，他始终没有给我办到。
可以划在第三地带的是从新桥经过圣米式尔场到小桥这一段。这一段是赛纳河左岸书摊中的最繁荣的一段。在这一带，书摊比较都整齐一点，而且方便也多一点，太太们家里没事想到这里来找几本小说消闲，也有；学生们贪便宜想到这里来买教科书参考书，也有；文艺爱好者到这里来寻几本新出版的书，也有；学者们要研究书，藏书家要善本书，猎奇者要珍秘书，都可在这一带获得满意而回。在这一带，书价是要比他处高一些，然而总比到旧书铺里去买便宜。健吾兄觅了长久才在圣米式尔大场的一家旧书店中觅到了一部《龚果尔日记》，化了六百法郎喜欣欣的捧了回去，以为便宜万分，可是在不久之后我就在这一带的一个书摊上发现了同样的一部，而装订却考究得多，索价就只要二百五十法郎，使他悔之不及。可是这种事是可遇而不可求的，跑跑旧书摊的人第一不要抱什么一定的目的，第二要有闲暇有耐心，翻得有劲儿便多翻翻，翻倦了便看看街头熙来攘往的行人，看看旁边赛纳河静静的逝水，否则跑得腿酸汗流，眼花神倦，还是一场没结果回去。话又说远了，还是来说这一带的书摊吧。我说这一带的书较别带为贵，也不是胡说的，例如整套的 Echan-ges杂志，在第一地带中买只须十五个法郎，这里却一定要二十个，少一个不卖；当时新出版原价是二十四法朗的 Celine的 Voyageau boutde la nuit，在那里买也非十八法郎不可，竟只等于原价的七五折。这些情形有时会令人生气，可是为了要读，也不得不买回去。价格最高的是靠近圣米式尔场的那两个专卖教科书参考书的摊子。学生们为了要用，也不得不硬了头皮去买，总比买新书便宜点。我从来没有做过这些摊子的主顾，反之他们倒做过我的主顾。因为我用不着的参考书，在穷极无聊的时候总是拿去卖给他们的。这里，我要说一句公平话：他们所给的价钱的确比季倍尔书店高一点。这一带专卖近代善本书的摊子只有一个，在过了圣米式尔场不远快到小桥的地方。摊主是一个不大开口的中年人，价钱也不算顶贵，只是他—开口你就莫想还价：就是答应你还也是相差有限的，所以看着他陈列着的《泊鲁思特全集》，插图的《天方夜潭》全译本，Chirico插图的阿保里奈尔的Calligrammes，也只好眼红而已。在这一带，诗集似乎比别处多一些，名家的诗集化四五个法郎就可以买—册回去，至于较新一点的诗人的集子，你只要到一法郎或甚至五十生丁的木匣里去找就是了。我的那本仅印百册的 Jean Gris插图的 Reverdy的《沉睡的古琴集》，超现实主义诗人 Gui Rosey的《三十年战争集》等等，便都是从这些廉价的木匣子里翻出来的。还有，我忘记说了，这一带还有一两个专卖乐谱的书铺，只是对于此道我是门外汉，从来没有去领教过罢。
说到这里，我所说的都是赛纳河左岸的书摊，至于右岸的呢，虽则有从新桥到沙德莱场，从沙德莱场到市政厅附近这两段，可是因为传统的关系，因为所处的地位的关系，也因为货色的关系，它们都没有左岸的重要。只在走完了左岸的书摊尚有余兴的时候或从卢佛尔（Louvre）出来的时候，我才顺便去走走，虽然间有所获，如查拉的 L homme approximatif或卢梭（Henri Rousseau）的画集，但这是极其偶然的事；通常，我不是空手而归，便是被那街上的鱼虫花鸟店所吸引了过去。所以，原意去“访书”而结果买了一头红头雀回来，也是有过的事。
Mike Tsang: 事情起源于我的朋友奔，他当时是阅读书店的经理。阅读书店是一家位于伦敦梅菲尔区的独立书店，周围分布的多是租赁着小块空间的独立书商摊位，或是一些大书商于此处设立他们的仓库。我结束苏丹的拍摄工作回到伦敦休假，心里念叨起了奔，就跑过来探望老友。边叙旧，他边领着我参观了阅读书店的展览空间，作为馆长的他负责整个展览的布置和作品陈列。回想起来，当时正在展出的是一些非常棒的雕塑作品，但却和阅读书店的书香氛围稍有出入。奔极力尝试着说服我去拍摄古旧书店和二手书店店长人物肖像，这个想法很有吸引力，他的计划是将来要把这些肖像作品放在阅读书店展览，与书店主题和空间结构形成完美的融合。
老波特（Jonathan Potter）任 Jonathan Potter Limited公司负责人至今已有35年了。这家书店专营各种珍藏地图，品种繁收藏丰富多无人能及。这么多年以来，波特地图书店积累了一批固定忠实的顾客群，地图爱好者，世界各地的学院机构，图书馆等都慕名前来这里，与老波特问声好，做生意。
Jessica Stockton Bagnulo of McNally Robinson Booksellers in New York City was named the first-place winner in the Power UP! Business Plan Competition, presented by the Brooklyn Public Library’s Business Library and sponsored by Citigroup. She’ll receive $15,000 and an in-kind package of services worth $5,000 for her plan to open an independent bookstore in Brooklyn. In her acceptance speech, Stockton Bagnulo said, “The judges were skeptical about the wisdom of opening an independent bookstore given all they’d heard, but I sold them on the idea with my data and my passion.”
Stockton Bagnulo, who also works at the wholesaler BookStream in Poughkeepsie, New York, said she had been content just to meet with the Brooklyn business community and be part of the Power UP! project, whose deadline motivated her to finish her business plan. She had no expectations of walking away with a $15,000 check, as well as with a strong vote of confidence from the Brooklyn business community. “I was totally astonished,” she said. “After they read honorable mentions and second-place winners, I thought, okay, it’s all or nothing. They began describing the winning plan for the grand prize… and it became clear they were talking about me. It was an incredible moment.
“Obviously they believed in the plan and that an independent bookstore has a great shot of success in Brooklyn.”
The plan is for a 2,000-square-foot bookstore, café, and wine bar. “There will be a major emphasis on author events and Brooklyn culture,” said Stockton Bagnulo. “And depending on which neighborhood we end up in, it will be strongly adapted to the taste of the community.” She said that her plan was not revolutionary, but that she incorporated, along with her own ideas, “all the best parts of all the great bookstores I’ve worked in, from Three Lives, Book Culture [formerly Labyrinth], and McNally Robinson.” Neighborhoods she’s considering include Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Prospect Heights.
Stockton Bagnulo doesn’t yet have a timeline for the opening of her bookstore because she’s not sure how long it will take to acquire additional funds. “I figure I’ll need about $300,000 to open,” she said. “And maybe a quarter of that to get a loan.” The award and the business community’s stamp of approval, she hoped, will be leveraged into more funding.
The Power UP! judges told Stockton Bagnulo that it was the presentation of her plan that convinced the initially skeptical panel. “They said it was clear that this is what I would do with my life whether they helped me or not, and that I had gathered the data to prove that it was possible and had the passion to make it happen, as well as all the experience….”
Another factor in the judges’ decision, speculated Stockton Bagnulo, was the facts she presented about thriving independent bookstores. “Everyone knows stories about stores that have closed,” she said. “But I pointed to all of the stores in New York, McNally Robinson and Book Court… as models and examples of success. I also talked about successful independent bookstores all over the country. It’s data they hadn’t been hearing.”
Stockton Bagnulo said many people told her they knew she’d win the business plan competition, although she wasn’t so sure. “I don’t understand how so many people could have been so confident. I’m humbled by the outpouring of good wishes from the book industry, which has always been really supportive. It’s encouraging that the business community has also stepped in and sees an independent bookstore not as a charity case, but as viable and thriving.”
在滞留巴黎的时候，在羁旅之情中可以算做我的赏心乐事的有两件：一是看画，二是访书。在索居无聊的下午或傍晚，我总是出去，把我迟迟的时间消磨在各画廊中和河沿上的书摊。关于前者，我想在另一篇短文中说及，这里，我只想来谈—谈访书的情趣。
