The Watch Repairer Downstairs

我家楼下有一个很小的修表店，老板是一位六十多岁的老师傅，姓陈。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) jiā (first tone, high and level) lóuxià (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) xiǎo (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) xiūbiǎo (first tone, high and level) diàn, (fourth tone, falling) lǎobǎn (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) wèi (fourth tone, falling) liùshí (fourth tone, falling) duō (first tone, high and level) suì (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) lǎo (third tone, dipping) shīfu, (first tone, high and level) xìng (fourth tone, falling) Chén. (second tone, rising)

Downstairs from my flat there is a tiny watch-repair shop. The owner is a master craftsman in his sixties named Chen.

店里没有什么装修，只有一张旧桌子、一个小灯和墙上挂着的几十块旧手表。

Diàn (fourth tone, falling) li (neutral tone) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) shénme (second tone, rising) zhuāngxiū, (first tone, high and level) zhǐyǒu (third tone, dipping) yì (fourth tone, falling) zhāng (first tone, high and level) jiù (fourth tone, falling) zhuōzi, (first tone, high and level) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) xiǎo (third tone, dipping) dēng (first tone, high and level) hé (second tone, rising) qiáng (second tone, rising) shang (neutral tone) guà (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) de (neutral tone) jǐshí (third tone, dipping) kuài (fourth tone, falling) jiù (fourth tone, falling) shǒubiǎo. (third tone, dipping)

The shop has no decoration to speak of: an old desk, a small lamp and a few dozen old watches hanging on the wall.

现在大家都用手机看时间，戴手表的人越来越少，来修表的人就更少了。

Xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) dàjiā (fourth tone, falling) dōu (first tone, high and level) yòng (fourth tone, falling) shǒujī (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling) shíjiān, (second tone, rising) dài (fourth tone, falling) shǒubiǎo (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) rén (second tone, rising) yuè (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising) yuè (fourth tone, falling) shǎo, (third tone, dipping) lái (second tone, rising) xiūbiǎo (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) rén (second tone, rising) jiù (fourth tone, falling) gèng (fourth tone, falling) shǎo (third tone, dipping) le. (neutral tone)

These days everyone checks the time on their phone; fewer and fewer people wear a watch, and fewer still bring one in to be repaired.

有一次，我好奇地问他：“生意这么差，您为什么不换个工作呢？”

Yǒu (third tone, dipping) yí (second tone, rising) cì, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) hàoqí (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) wèn (fourth tone, falling) tā: (first tone, high and level) “Shēngyi (first tone, high and level) zhème (fourth tone, falling) chà, (fourth tone, falling) nín (second tone, rising) wèishénme (fourth tone, falling) bú (second tone, rising) huàn (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) gōngzuò (first tone, high and level) ne?” (neutral tone)

Once I asked him, out of curiosity, “Business is so poor — why don’t you change jobs?”

陈师傅笑了笑，没有直接回答，而是从抽屉里拿出一块很旧的手表给我看。

Chén (second tone, rising) shīfu (first tone, high and level) xiào (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) xiào, (fourth tone, falling) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) zhíjiē (second tone, rising) huídá, (second tone, rising) ér (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) cóng (second tone, rising) chōuti (first tone, high and level) li (neutral tone) náchū (second tone, rising) yí (second tone, rising) kuài (fourth tone, falling) hěn (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shǒubiǎo (third tone, dipping) gěi (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) kàn. (fourth tone, falling)

Master Chen smiled and did not answer directly. Instead he took a very old watch out of a drawer and showed it to me.

那块表已经很旧了，表面上的字都快看不清楚了。

Nà (fourth tone, falling) kuài (fourth tone, falling) biǎo (third tone, dipping) yǐjīng (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) le, (neutral tone) biǎomiàn (third tone, dipping) shang (neutral tone) de (neutral tone) zì (fourth tone, falling) dōu (first tone, high and level) kuài (fourth tone, falling) kàn (fourth tone, falling) bu (neutral tone) qīngchu (first tone, high and level) le. (neutral tone)

The watch was very worn; the numbers on its face could hardly be read.

他说，这是一位老太太三年以前送来的，是她丈夫年轻时买给她的第一件礼物。

Tā (first tone, high and level) shuō, (first tone, high and level) zhè (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) wèi (fourth tone, falling) lǎotàitai (third tone, dipping) sān (first tone, high and level) nián (second tone, rising) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) sòng (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising) de, (neutral tone) shì (fourth tone, falling) tā (first tone, high and level) zhàngfu (fourth tone, falling) niánqīng (second tone, rising) shí (second tone, rising) mǎi (third tone, dipping) gěi (third tone, dipping) tā (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) jiàn (fourth tone, falling) lǐwù. (third tone, dipping)

He said an old woman had brought it in three years ago. It was the first present her husband had bought her when they were young.

当时老太太跑了好几家店，别人都说零件早就不生产了，没办法修。

Dāngshí (first tone, high and level) lǎotàitai (third tone, dipping) pǎo (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) hǎo (third tone, dipping) jǐ (third tone, dipping) jiā (first tone, high and level) diàn, (fourth tone, falling) biéren (second tone, rising) dōu (first tone, high and level) shuō (first tone, high and level) língjiàn (second tone, rising) zǎo (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) shēngchǎn (first tone, high and level) le, (neutral tone) méi (second tone, rising) bànfǎ (fourth tone, falling) xiū. (first tone, high and level)

She had already tried several shops, and all of them said the parts had long since gone out of production; it could not be fixed.

陈师傅却把表留了下来，一有时间就研究。

Chén (second tone, rising) shīfu (first tone, high and level) què (fourth tone, falling) bǎ (third tone, dipping) biǎo (third tone, dipping) liú (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) xiàlái, (fourth tone, falling) yì (fourth tone, falling) yǒu (third tone, dipping) shíjiān (second tone, rising) jiù (fourth tone, falling) yánjiū. (second tone, rising)

Master Chen, though, kept the watch and worked on it whenever he had a moment.

没有零件，他就自己做；做坏了，就重新再来。

Méiyǒu (second tone, rising) língjiàn, (second tone, rising) tā (first tone, high and level) jiù (fourth tone, falling) zìjǐ (fourth tone, falling) zuò; (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) huài (fourth tone, falling) le, (neutral tone) jiù (fourth tone, falling) chóngxīn (second tone, rising) zài (fourth tone, falling) lái. (second tone, rising)

Where there were no parts, he made them himself; when one came out wrong, he started again.

陈师傅说，那段时间，他晚上常常在灯下工作到很晚，有好几次都想放弃了。

Chén (second tone, rising) shīfu (first tone, high and level) shuō, (first tone, high and level) nà (fourth tone, falling) duàn (fourth tone, falling) shíjiān, (second tone, rising) tā (first tone, high and level) wǎnshang (third tone, dipping) chángcháng (second tone, rising) zài (fourth tone, falling) dēng (first tone, high and level) xià (fourth tone, falling) gōngzuò (first tone, high and level) dào (fourth tone, falling) hěn (third tone, dipping) wǎn, (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) hǎo (third tone, dipping) jǐ (third tone, dipping) cì (fourth tone, falling) dōu (first tone, high and level) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) fàngqì (fourth tone, falling) le. (neutral tone)

He said that during that time he often worked under the lamp until late at night, and more than once he nearly gave up.

用了半年多的时间，那块表终于又走了起来。

Yòng (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) bàn (fourth tone, falling) nián (second tone, rising) duō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shíjiān, (second tone, rising) nà (fourth tone, falling) kuài (fourth tone, falling) biǎo (third tone, dipping) zhōngyú (first tone, high and level) yòu (fourth tone, falling) zǒu (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) qilai. (neutral tone)

After more than six months, the watch was finally running again.

老太太来取表的那天，拿着表看了很久，突然就哭了。

Lǎotàitai (third tone, dipping) lái (second tone, rising) qǔ (third tone, dipping) biǎo (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) nà (fourth tone, falling) tiān, (first tone, high and level) ná (second tone, rising) zhe (neutral tone) biǎo (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) jiǔ, (third tone, dipping) tūrán (first tone, high and level) jiù (fourth tone, falling) kū (first tone, high and level) le. (neutral tone)

The day the old woman came to collect it, she held it and looked at it for a long time, and then suddenly began to cry.

她问陈师傅要多少钱，陈师傅摇了摇头，一分钱也没有收。

Tā (first tone, high and level) wèn (fourth tone, falling) Chén (second tone, rising) shīfu (first tone, high and level) yào (fourth tone, falling) duōshao (first tone, high and level) qián, (second tone, rising) Chén (second tone, rising) shīfu (first tone, high and level) yáo (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) yáo (second tone, rising) tóu, (second tone, rising) yì (fourth tone, falling) fēn (first tone, high and level) qián (second tone, rising) yě (third tone, dipping) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) shōu. (first tone, high and level)

She asked how much she owed. Master Chen shook his head and would not take a single fen.

她说，丈夫已经去世十年了，听到这块表的声音，就好像他又回来了。

Tā (first tone, high and level) shuō, (first tone, high and level) zhàngfu (fourth tone, falling) yǐjīng (third tone, dipping) qùshì (fourth tone, falling) shí (second tone, rising) nián (second tone, rising) le, (neutral tone) tīng (first tone, high and level) dào (fourth tone, falling) zhè (fourth tone, falling) kuài (fourth tone, falling) biǎo (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) shēngyīn, (first tone, high and level) jiù (fourth tone, falling) hǎoxiàng (third tone, dipping) tā (first tone, high and level) yòu (fourth tone, falling) huílái (second tone, rising) le. (neutral tone)

She said her husband had died ten years before; hearing the watch tick, it was as if he had come back.

“后来她每年都来看我一次，”陈师傅说，“这块表是她上个月又送来的，说是有点儿慢。其实我知道，表一点儿问题也没有，她只是想来跟我说说话。”

“Hòulái (fourth tone, falling) tā (first tone, high and level) měi (third tone, dipping) nián (second tone, rising) dōu (first tone, high and level) lái (second tone, rising) kàn (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yí (second tone, rising) cì,” (fourth tone, falling) Chén (second tone, rising) shīfu (first tone, high and level) shuō, (first tone, high and level) “zhè (fourth tone, falling) kuài (fourth tone, falling) biǎo (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) tā (first tone, high and level) shàng (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) yuè (fourth tone, falling) yòu (fourth tone, falling) sòng (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising) de, (neutral tone) shuō (first tone, high and level) shì (fourth tone, falling) yǒudiǎnr (third tone, dipping) màn. (fourth tone, falling) Qíshí (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) zhīdào, (first tone, high and level) biǎo (third tone, dipping) yìdiǎnr (fourth tone, falling) wèntí (fourth tone, falling) yě (third tone, dipping) méiyǒu, (second tone, rising) tā (first tone, high and level) zhǐshì (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) lái (second tone, rising) gēn (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuōshuo (first tone, high and level) huà.” (fourth tone, falling)

“Since then she has come to see me once a year,” said Master Chen. “She brought this watch in again last month, saying it runs a little slow. Actually, I know there is nothing wrong with it at all. She just wants to come and talk.”

陈师傅把表轻轻地放回抽屉，接着说：“你看，我修的不只是表，还有人们的回忆。只要还有人需要，我就会一直做下去。”

Chén (second tone, rising) shīfu (first tone, high and level) bǎ (third tone, dipping) biǎo (third tone, dipping) qīngqīng (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) fànghuí (fourth tone, falling) chōuti, (first tone, high and level) jiēzhe (first tone, high and level) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Nǐ (third tone, dipping) kàn, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiū (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) bù (fourth tone, falling) zhǐ (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) biǎo, (third tone, dipping) hái (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) rénmen (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) huíyì. (second tone, rising) Zhǐyào (third tone, dipping) hái (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) rén (second tone, rising) xūyào, (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) huì (fourth tone, falling) yìzhí (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) xiàqù.” (fourth tone, falling)

Master Chen gently put the watch back in the drawer and went on: “You see, it is not only watches I repair, but people’s memories. As long as someone still needs me, I will keep doing this.”

从那以后，我每次经过他的小店，都会停下来，看一看店里亮着的灯。

Cóng (second tone, rising) nà (fourth tone, falling) yǐhòu, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) měi (third tone, dipping) cì (fourth tone, falling) jīngguò (first tone, high and level) tā (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) xiǎo (third tone, dipping) diàn, (fourth tone, falling) dōu (first tone, high and level) huì (fourth tone, falling) tíng (second tone, rising) xiàlái, (fourth tone, falling) kàn (fourth tone, falling) yi (neutral tone) kàn (fourth tone, falling) diàn (fourth tone, falling) li (neutral tone) liàng (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) de (neutral tone) dēng. (first tone, high and level)

Since then, every time I pass his little shop I stop and look at the lamp shining inside.