美國一男子借書逾期47年被罰171美元
Man pays library $171, 47-year late fee
一位名叫羅伯特·努拉南的美國人在自己上初中三年級時曾經為了完成某項家庭作業而從圖書館內借出了一本書，前不久他終於回到那家圖書館辦理了還書手續，而此時距離該書原定的歸還日期已經過去了整整47年!而他也因此而被罰款171美元。
HANCOCK, Mich. - Robert Nuranen handed the local librarian a book he'd checked out for a ninth-grade assignment — along with a check for 47 years' worth of late fees.
據美聯社1月7日報導，努拉南表示，他媽媽在收拾房間時將那本名為《埃及王子》的書放錯了地方才導致了此事的發生。在這段時間裡，努拉南和他的家人其實經常會看到那本書，但卻總是隨手將它丟棄在一旁。直到上個星期他在自家閣樓內翻查一個盒子時才注意到這本借來的書已經過期很久了。
Nuranen said his mother misplaced the copy of "Prince of Egypt" while cleaning the house. The family came across it every so often, only to set it aside again. He found it last week while looking through a box in the attic.
「我想最好還是馬上把它還了吧，不然可能又會耽擱上10年時間了。」努拉南表示，他已於上周五(1月5日)時將那本書「完壁歸趙」，同時還交納了一張金額為171.32美元的支票。
"I figured I'd better get it in before we waited another 10 years," he said after turning it in Friday with the $171.32 check. "Fifty-seven years would be embarrassing."
按照規定，這本書本來的最後歸還日期應為1960年6月2日，而努拉南之所以將其借回家主要是緣於自己兒時對於埃及的深深迷戀。另外他還特地指出，自己在這些年裡先後遊歷了包括埃及在內的55個國家以及美國本土的所有50個州，但卻始終沒有能夠讀完那本書。
The book, with its last due date stamped June 2, 1960, was part of the young Nuranen's fascination with Egypt. He went on to visit that country and 54 others, and all 50 states, he said, but he never did finish the book.
努拉南目前生活在洛杉磯市，身為初中一年級教師的他負責教授社會研究和語言藝術這兩門課程。而那家圖書館的女館員休·祖比埃娜則表示，他們那裡有關該書的全部記錄早就消失得無影無蹤了。
Nuranen now lives in Los Angeles, where he teaches seventh-grade social studies and language arts.The library had long ago lost any record of the book, librarian Sue Zubiena said.
「我打算把這件事情做為一個例子來告訴那些讀者，無論過期了多長時間，該還的書也總還是要物歸原主的。」
"I'm going to use it as an example," she said. "It's never too late to return your books."