我小学的时候，当时学校还没有 图书馆。
The primary school where I studied didn't have a library.
打念中学开始，一直到出国深造，我几乎一天也没离开过图 书馆。
But, all the way from middle school to university abroad, \] never let a day pass without consulting a library.
如离开图书馆，将一事无成，这不是我一个人的意见，大凡搞 学问的都有这种体会。
I believe I would have achieved nothing without the help of libraries.
我大学是在清华念的。
I am not the one and only one holding such a view. a Generally speaking, all men of learning would agree with me On this point.
清华图书馆，大家都知道，是相当不错 的，我与它打了四年交道。
I obtained higher education at Tsinghua University, Beijing, where I had four-year dealings with its prestigious library.
后来，我出国到德国哥廷根大学留学，在 欧洲待了十年多。
Later, I went abroad to study at Gottingen University, Germany, and stayed in Europe for altogether eleven years.
哥廷根虽然是个小城，但图书馆的藏书却极其丰 富。
Gottingen is a small town, but Gottingen University Library boasts a rich collection of books.
我研究的是古代印度语言，应该说这是一门偏僻的学问"。
I specialized in the ancient language of India, obviously a little-known branch of learning.
在那 十年中，我写了不少文章，需要用大量资料，可哥廷根大学图书馆几 乎都能满足我，借不到书的时候非常少。
During the eleven years, 】 wrote many articles thanks to the University Library providing me with whatever materials I needed.
若借不到，他们会到别的地 方去帮你借。
Seldom did they fail to supply my wants.
1946年，在落叶铺满长安街的深秋季节，我回到了北京，到北 大工作。
Otherwise they would help me out by borrowing from other sources.
北大图书馆藏书甲全国大学。
In the late autumn of 1946, when Chang'an Street in Beijing was strewn with fallen leaves, I returned to China to work at Peking University.
当时图书馆领导对我格外开 恩，在图书馆里给了我一间研究室，并允许我从书库中提一部分必 要的书，拿回我的研究室，供我随时查用和研读。
Of all university libraries in China, Peking University Library has the largest collection of books.
我一有空闲，便潜 入我的研究室，"躲进小楼成一统"，潜心默读，坐拥书城。
The curator was thoughtful enough to assign me a research room in the library building and allow me to equip it with necessary books for ready reference taken direct from the stack rooms.
在那 个动荡的岁月，能觅到一处可以安身立命的清静世界且有书读，简直 是太令人兴奋了。
So would withdraw at the first opportunity to my research room to enjoy the privacy of the small place and sit among my roomful of books reading avidly.
我与北京图书馆有很深的历史渊源。
How happy was to have, in time of turmoil, this quiet haven plus books SO that I could settle down and get on with my pursuit of learning!
我回国时，当时的北图馆长 是袁同礼。
I've long been connected with Beijing Public Library.
那时，我受袁同礼的聘请，任务是把北图有关梵文的藏书 检查一下，看看全不全，这个工作我做了。
At the time when I retuned from Europe, Mr. Yuan Tongli, then its curator, engaged me to check up its collection of books on Sanskrit and see if it was incomplete. fulfilled the job accordingly.
解放后，王重民先生代北图馆长。
On the founding of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Wang Chongmin became deputy curator of Beijing Public Library.
郑振铎是文化部文物局局长。
And, Mr. Zheng Zhenduo, one of my former teachers at Tsinghua University, was Director of the State Bureau for the Preservation of Cultural and Historical Relics.
郑先生是我的老师，在清华我曾听过他的课。
He was a man with great drive, so I offered him the following suggestion: "Our libraries have too few books on orientalism to initiate its study in China.
郑先生很有魄力，我当 时曾向他建议，若要在中国建立东方学，仅靠当时图书馆的一点点藏 书是远远不够的，解决的办法是"腰缠千万贯，骑鹤下欧洲"。
The only way out is to buy books from Europe.
据说， 日本明治维新后，很重视文化事业，特意派人到欧洲、美国等地，专 找旧书店，不管什么书，也不管当时有没有用，文理法工等什么都买， 就这样，日本搜罗了大量的典籍。
They say the Japanese paid great attention to cultural undertakings after the Meiji Restoration.
单就东方学来讲，日本图书馆的藏 书比我们强多了。
They sent people to Europe and America to visit exclusively second-hand bookstores to buy books on any subjects, useful or not, ranging from liberal arts, science, law to engineering.