私营书店正在逐渐消失

Over the past few years, more and more independent bookstores have been forced out of business. Surviving amidst today’s ferocious competition is near impossible for these small retail outlets.
在过去几年间，越来越多的自立书店被迫关闭。对这些小零售商店来说，在今天的激烈竞争中要生存几乎不可能。

The Photosynthesis Bookstore in Wudaokou, which used to be one of the most popular bookstores in Beijing, has now closed its doors.
五道口的光合作用书房过去是北京最受欢迎的书店之一，现在已经关门了。

A reader said, "I am very sad about its closure. I visited this bookstore quite often. I feel emotionally attached to this bookstore. Of course, sometimes I buy books online, but actual bookstores allow me to enjoy the process of buying books more than the online bookstores."
一位读者表示：“我对它的关闭感到非常难过。我经常来这家书店。这家书店是我精神上的寄托。当然，有时我会在网上买书，但是实体书店比网上书店更能让我享受买书过程的乐趣。”

Like this bookstore, many other private outlets failed to keep their business above water. They suspended their operations, moved to another site, or even closed down. Xu Chunyu, owner of a private bookstore in Wudaokou, gives the reasons.
和这家书店一样，很多其它私营经销店也不能让他们的生意不负债。他们停止经营，搬去其它地方，甚至是倒闭。五道口一家私营书店的老板Xu Chunyu给出了原因。

Xu Chunyu, a bookstore owner, said, "Now the rent and the labor costs are much higher than before. These are also the difficulties of many other types of shop. So I think a more important factor is the changing of people’s reading habits. Some people have lost their interest in reading, especially in in-depth reading. This change shakes the roots of private bookstores. I think this is the fundamental reason for the closure of private bookstores."
书店老板Xu Chunyu表示：“现在的租金和劳动力成本比以前高出很多。很多其它类型的商店也有这样的困难。所以我觉得更重要的因素是人们阅读习惯的改变。一些人对阅读，尤其是深入阅读失去兴趣。这个改变动摇了私营书店的根基。我认为这是私营书店倒闭的基本原因。”

Electronic books and online bookstores also contribute to the closure of the private bookstores. Electronic reading devices such as the iPad, Kindle, and mobile phones, enable people to read in a more convenient way, and in online bookstores, buyers can purchase their books at a much lower price.
电子书和网上书店也导致了私营书店的倒闭。像iPad、Kindle和手机这样的电子阅读设备使人们能更方便地阅读，而在网上书店，买家可以用很低的价格买到他们想要的书。

Many people worry that private bookstores may finally disappear. But one publisher says private bookstores have irreplaceable roles to play.
很多人担心私营书店可能会最终消失。但是一位出版商称，私营书店有不可替代的地位。

Tan Hao, a publisher, said, "The private bookstore is one of the cultural landmarks of a city. It is instrumental in a city’s cultural construction. And I think paper reading will still be a very important way of reading in the future. Bookstores also have some features that online booksellers do not have. They can hold literary events or lectures to attract readers. These activities not only elevate the taste of bookstores, but also the overall taste of the city."
出版商Tan Hao指出：“私营书店是一个城市的文化标志之一。对城市的文化建设有帮助。我觉得未来纸质阅读仍然是非常重要的阅读方式。书店还有网上书店没有的一些特点。他们可以举办文学活动或讲座来吸引读者。这些活动不仅能提高书店的品味，还能提高城市的品味。”

Nowadays, fewer people spend time reading a book as thick as this one. The changing of people’s reading habit, along with the rising of electronic reading and online bookstores—these are the challenges facing the private bookstores.
现在，很少人花时间读一本像这本这么厚的书。人们阅读习惯的改变，以及电子阅读、网上书店的增加——这些都是私营书店正在面临的挑战。