The sky is extremely blue, and the sun shines on the head of gargoyle (滴水嘴怪兽) of the Ponte Neuve in Paris, where Mr. Gallais has been peddling (叫卖）dusty classic books to various tourists for more than 30 years.
Parisians and tourists around the world would come to Mr. Callais's shop and 230 other open-air booksellers' go along the left and right banks of the Seine for nearly four miles before. However, as lockdown bans to control the COVID-19 pandemic promulgated(公布), the booksellers had to face the problem of losing the tourists these years. Many of them are worrying this time might be the last period for the centuries-old profession that is regarded as a landmark to the Louver and Note Dame.
Sales have decreased by an average of 80 percent this year, Mr. Callais said, which throwing many booksellers into dangerous situations. Still, some booksellers want to work. They are eager to keep the tradition that dates back to the 16th century. many of the booksellers are retired workers living on pensions(养老金). They are the collectors of literature and magazines. A growing number of people in their 30s and 40s have joined their ranks. They are attracted by the freedom of working outside an office in rain or shine.
Even before the pandemic, the booksellers were fighting with the cultural changes that people don't read physical books as much as they used to. If they do read physical books, most readers often chose Amazon to buy books.
