“The Remains of the Day” is a 1989 novel by Nobel Prize-winning British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. The work was awarded the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1989. A film adaptation of the novel, made in 1993 and starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, was nominated for eight Academy Awards.

The novel tells, in the first person, the story of Stevens, an English butler* who has dedicated* his life to the loyal service of Lord Darlington. The novel begins with Stevens receiving a letter from a former colleague, the housekeeper Miss Kenton, describing her married life, which he believes hints at an unhappy marriage.

Stevens’ new employer, a wealthy American named Mr. Farraday, encourages Stevens to borrow his car to take a well-earned break, and Stevens takes the opportunity to arrange to meet with Miss Kenton, now Mrs. Benn, in Cornwall, where she now lives.

As he sets out, Stevens has the opportunity to reflect on* his unshakable loyalty to Lord Darlington, who had hosted lavish meetings between German sympathizers and English aristocrats* in an effort to influence international affairs in the years leading up to World War II, on the meaning of the term “dignity*” and what constitutes a great butler, and even on his relationship with his late father. Ultimately, Stevens is forced to ponder Lord Darlington’s character and reputation, as well as the true nature of his relationship with Miss Kenton.

Both English and Chinese versions are available at online bookstores like jd.com.(SD-Agencies)