He was sitting on an upright chair beside his bed, reading.

他正坐在床边一把有靠背无扶手的椅子上阅读。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

I sit beside it, reading or drinking my coffee, as though it is some sort of tamed, predictable animal that has no closer connection with me.

我坐在海边，看书或是喝咖啡，这时它就像一只经过驯服的容易控制的动物一样，安静地待在那里，跟我并没有更近的接触。

youdao

In the middle of the room, a twin mattress lay beside a plastic milk crate supporting a reading lamp.

在房间正中间摆着一张双人床垫，旁边倒扣着一个塑料的牛奶箱，上面放着一只台灯。

youdao

When he woke, the carriage was half empty and there was a man who looked part Indian sitting beside him, reading a Batman comic book.

NEWYORKER: The Insufferable Gaucho

Reading a book, he would stroke the table beside it.

ECONOMIST: Alan Peters

Barbara was reading by the swimming pool at their Palm Beach mansion while her husband was drowning beside her.

FORBES: Magazine Article