考研英語精讀 51

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THE BEGINNING OF A CARREER
    Sylvia Plath
    The Belmont Hotel, cape Cod
    June 11, 1952
    Dear Mother,
    Your amazing telegram [telegram announcing $500 Mademoiselle prize for "Sunday at the Mintons," which I forwarded] came just as I was scrubbing tables in the shady interior of The Belmont dining room. I was so excited that I screamed and actually threw my arms around the head waitress who no doubt thinks I am rather insane! Anyhow, psychologically, the moment couldn't have been better. I felt tired —— one's first night's sleep in a new place never is peaceful —— and I didn't get much! To top it off, I was the only girl waitress here, and had been scrubbing furniture, washing dishes and silver, lifting tables, etc. since 8 a.m. Also, I just learned since I am completely inexperienced, I am not going to be working in the main dining room, but in the "side hall" where the managers and top hotel brass eat. So, tips will no doubt net much less during the summer and the company be less interesting. So I was beginning to worry about money when your telegram came. God! To think "Sunday at the Mintons" is one of two prize stories to be put in a big national slick! Frankly, I can't believe it!
    The first thing I though of was: Mother can keep her intersession money and buy some pretty clothes and a special trip or something! At least I get a winter coat and extra special suit out of the Mintons. I think the prize is $500!
    ME! Of all people!…
    So it's really looking up around here, now that I don't have to be scared stiff about money … Oh, I say, even if my feet kill me after this first week, and I drop 20 trays, I will have the beach, boys to bring me beer, sun, and young gay companions. What a life.
    Love, your crazy old daughter.
    Sivvy
    June 12. 1952
    No doubt after I catch up on sleep, and learn to balance trays high on my left hand, I'll feel much happier. As it is now, I feel stuck in the midst of a lot of loud, brassy Irish Catholics, and the only way I can jolly myself is to say, "Oh, well, it's only for a summer, and I can maybe write about them all." At least I've got a new name for my next protagonist —— Marley, a gabby girl who knows her way around but good. The ration of boys to girls has gotten less and less, so I'll be lucky if I get tagged by the youngest kid here. Lots of the girls are really wise, drinking flirts. As for me, being the conservative, quiet, gracious type, I don't stand much chance of dating some of the cutest ones … If I can only get "in" as a pal with these girls, and never for a minute let them know I'm the gentle intellectual type, it'll be O.K.
    As for the Mlle news, I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I felt sure they made a mistake, or that you'd made it up to cheer me. The big advantage will be that I won't have to worry about earning barely $300 this summer. I would really have been sick otherwise. I can't wait till August when I can go casually down to the drug store and pick up a slick copy of Mlle, flip to the index, and see ME, one of two college girls in the U.S.!
    Really, when I think of how I started it over spring vacation, polished it at school, and sat up till midnight in the Haven House kitchen typing it amidst noise and chatter, I can't get over how the story soared to were it did…
    I get great pleasure out of sharing it [her feeling about the story] with you, who really understand how terribly much it means as a tangible testimony that I have got a germ of writing ability. The only thing, I probably won't have a chance to win Mlle again, so I'll try for a guest editorship maybe next or my senior year, and set my sights for the Atlantic. God, I'm glad I can talk about it with you —— probably you're the only outlet that I'll have that won't get tired of my talking about writing …
    Speaking again of Henry and Liz, it was a step for me to a story where the protagonist isn't always ME, and proved that I am beginning to use imagination to transform the actual incident. I was scared that would never happen, but I think it's an indication that my perspective is broadening.
    Sometime I think —— heck, I don't know why I didn't stay home all summer, writing, doing physical science, and having a small part-time job. I could "afford" to now, but it doesn't do much good to yearn about that, I guess. Although it would have been nice. Oh well, I'll cheer up. I love you.
    Your own Sivvy
    June 15, 1952
    Dear Mother.
    … Do write me letters, Mommy, because I am in a very dangerous of feeling sorry for myself … Just at present, life is awful. Mademoiselle seems quite unreal, and I am exhausted, scared, incompetent, unenergetic and generally low is spirits … Working in side hall puts me part, and I feel completely uprooted and clumsy. The more I see the main hall girls expertly getting special dishes, fixing shaved ice and fruit, etc., the more I get an inferiority complex and feel that each day in side hall leaves me further behind … But as tempted as I am to be a coward and escape by crawling back home, I have resolved to give it a good month's trial —— till July 10 … Don't worry about me, but do send me little pellets of advice now and then.
    June 24, 1952
    … Last night I went on a "gang" birthday party at the "Sand Bar" where we sang and talked for a few hours. There were about forty of us kids from the hotel. I managed by some magic to get myself seated next to a fellow in his first year at Harvard Law —— and he was just a dear … The best part was when we came back. It was a beautiful clear starry night, and Clark went in to get me two of his sweaters to wear because it was cold, and brought out a book of T.S. Eliot's poems. So we sat on a bench where I could just barely read the print, and he put his head in my lap and I read aloud to him for a wile. Most nice. The only thing is I am so inclined to get fond of someone who will do things with me like that —— always inclined to be too metaphysical and serious conversationally —— that's my main trouble … So glad to hear the check from Mlle is real. I hardly could believe it. Just now I am mentally so disorganized that I can't retain knowledge or think at all. The work is still new enough to be tiring, what with three changes a day into uniforms, and I am so preoccupied by mechanics of living and people that I can't yet organize and assimilate all the chaos of experience pouring in on me. In spite of everything, I still have my good old sense of humor and manage to laugh a good deal of the time … I'll make the best of whatever comes my way.
    Much love to you,
    Sivvy
    New Words
    mademoiselle
    n. French title equivalent to Miss, abbr. Mlle
    shady
    a. full of or providing shad; dark
    interior
    n. the inner part of sth; inside
    insane
    a. seriously ill in the mind; mad
    anyhow
    ad. in any case; anyway
    brass
    n.?。╯l.) high officials, executives, etc.
    net
    vt. gain as profit 凈賺
    slick
    n. a popular magazine printed on heavy, glassy paper(用油光紙印制的)通俗雜志
    frankly
    ad. in an open, honest and straightforward way
    frank
    a.
    intersession
    n. a period between two academic terms, sometime utilized for brief concentrated courses
    beer
    n. a bitter alcoholic drink made from grain 啤酒
    companion
    n. one who is often with another person; friend 同伴
    brassy
    a. loud and daring in a tasteless manner
    jolly
    vt. make (sb.) feel good or agreeable, esp. to gain and end
    protagonist
    n. the chief character in a play or novel
    gabby
    a. very talkative
    ratio
    n. the relationship in number, quantity or size between two different things 比率
    tag
    vt. follow closely
    flirt
    n. a person who behaves with a member of the opposite sex in a way that attracts interest and attention
    gracious
    a. very well-mannered and pleasant
    cute
    a. sharp-witted, clever, charmingly attractive
    pal
    n.?。╥nfml) friend
    flip
    vi. turn over quickly
    index
    n. an alphabetical list of the names and subjects in a printed work 索引
    polish
    vt. improve; perfect 潤色
    soar
    vi. fly high into the air; rise beyond what is common and ordinary
    tangible
    a. real; clear or definite enough to be easily seen, felt or noticed
    testimony
    n. proof; evidence
    germ
    n. the beginning of anything; origin 萌芽,起源
    editorship
    n. the position of an editor
    senior
    a. of the final year at high school or college
    n. student in the senior class
    outlet
    n. a way of releasing sth.
    perspective
    n. view; outlook; way of thinking about things 觀點,看法
    broaden
    v. make or become broader
    heck
    int. (used mainly as a mild curse) hell
    yearn
    vi. have a strong desire; long
    uproot
    vt. tear up by the roots
    inferiority
    n. the state or condition of being not good or less good in quality or value
    inferiority complex
    an abnormal feeling not as good as other people, sometimes resulting in avoidance of others or overly aggressive behavior 自卑情結
    inferior
    a.
    coward
    n. a person who is afraid to face danger, pain or hardship
    pellet
    n. a little ball or similarly shaped object; piece
    gang
    n. a group of friends who frequently meet
    starry
    a. filled with stars that are visible
    sweater
    n. a warm knitted piece of clothing, which covers the upper part of one's body and arms 毛線衫,厚運動衫
    fond
    a. having a great liking or love for sb. or sth.
    metaphysical
    a. highly abstract; philosophical 高度抽象的,哲理的
    disorganized
    a. in a confused state; badly planned or managed
    preoccupy
    vt. fill the thoughts of sb. almost completely, esp. so that not enough attention is given to other things
    mechanics
    n. the way in which sth. works or is done
    mechanics of living
    simple routine matters of life
    assimilate
    vt. take into the body and digest; understand completely and be able to use properly
    chaos
    n. a state of complete and thorough disorder and confusion
    Phrases & Expressions
    no doubt
    without doubt; certainly
    to top it off
    (usu. introducing sth. undesirable) in addition to everything else
    be stuck in
    be unable to escape from (a disadvantageous position)
    know one's way around/ about
    understand how things happen in the world; be experienced in the way of the world
    as for
    in regard to; speaking of; concerning
    sink in
    get a firm place in the mind; become fully understood
    get over
    believe; learn to live with the shock of (sth. Very surprising or shocking)
    set one's sight for
    aim for, wish to get or win
    cheer up
    become hopeful, joyous or glad; stop being sad or discouraged
    at present
    at this time; now
    what with
    as a result of (used to introduce the reasons for a particular situation, esp. an undesirable one)
    be preoccupied by/with
    have the mind fixed on sth., esp. sth. worrying so that no attention is paid to anything else
    make the best of
    do as well as one can with
    come one's way
    happen to one
    Proper Names
    Sylvia Plath
    西爾維亞。普拉斯
    Belmont
    貝爾蒙特
    Cape Cod
    科德角
    Mademoiselle
    《小姐》雜志
    Minton
    明頓
    Marley
    馬莉
    the Atlantic
    《大西洋》月刊
    Henry
    亨利
    Liz
    莉茲
    Harvard Law (School)
    哈佛大學法學院
    Clark
    克拉克
    T.S. Eliot
    T.S. 艾略特