Han Suyin was born in Beijing in . Her father was a Chinese railway engineer and her mother a Dutch lady. She is a physician and the author of many works, including A Mortal Flower, which tells of the experiences of the author and her family, both in and out of China. This excerpt describes the author's experience of looking for her first job in the early s.
韓素音年生于北京。她父親是中國(guó)鐵路工程師，母親是位荷蘭女子。她是醫(yī)生，也是作家，著述頗豐，其中包括《塵世的花》。此書(shū)講述了作者及其家庭在國(guó)內(nèi)外的經(jīng)歷。下述節(jié)錄描寫(xiě)了作者在上世紀(jì)年代初第找工作的經(jīng)歷。
A Mortal Flower
塵世的花
Han Suyin
韓素音
The day after meeting Hilda I wrote a letter to the Rockefeller Foundation, applying for a job.
遇見(jiàn)希爾達(dá)的第二天，我就給洛克菲勒基金會(huì)寫(xiě)信申請(qǐng)工作。
Neither Father nor Mother thought I would get in. "You have to have pull. It's an American thing, Rockefeller Foundation. You must have pull."
父母親都覺(jué)得我不會(huì)被錄用。“你要有后臺(tái)才行。那可是一家美國(guó)機(jī)構(gòu)，洛克菲勒基金會(huì)。你一定要有后臺(tái)?！?BR> Mother said: "That's where they do all those experiments on dogs and people. All the Big Shots of the Nanking government also came here to have medical treatment, and sometimes took away a nurse to become a new wife."
母親說(shuō)：“那里，他們?cè)诠泛腿松砩献龈鞣N試驗(yàn)。南京政府所有的頭面人物也都來(lái)這里看病，有時(shí)還帶走個(gè)護(hù)士做姨太太?！?BR> It made sense to me, typing in a hospital; I would learn about medicine, since I wanted to study medicine. And as there was no money at home for me to study, I would earn money, and prepare myself to enter medical school. I had already discovered that a convent-school education was not at all adequate, and that it would take me at least three more years of hard study before being able to enter any college at all. Science, mathematics, Chinese literature and the classics . . .with the poor schooling given to me, it would take me years to get ready for a university.
在醫(yī)院里當(dāng)打字員，對(duì)我挺合適。那樣我就能了解一些醫(yī)學(xué)知識(shí)，這很重要，因?yàn)槲蚁雽W(xué)醫(yī)。家里沒(méi)錢(qián)供我上學(xué)，所以我得掙錢(qián)，自己想辦法上醫(yī)學(xué)院。我已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)在女隱修會(huì)學(xué)校的教育遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不夠，要想上大學(xué)，自己至少得再努力三年才行?？茖W(xué)、物理、數(shù)學(xué)、中國(guó)文學(xué)、古典文學(xué)……就憑我學(xué)的那么點(diǎn)兒功課，要上大學(xué)還得準(zhǔn)備好多年。
"I will do it," But clenched teeth, decision tearing my bowels, were not enough; there was no money, no money, my mother said it, said it until I felt as if every scrap of food I ate was wrenched off my father's body.
“我要上大學(xué)，”可是，咬牙切齒痛下決心是無(wú)濟(jì)于事的；家里沒(méi)錢(qián)，根本沒(méi)錢(qián)，母親說(shuō)的，整天這么說(shuō)，讓我覺(jué)得自己吃的每一小口東西仿佛都是從父親身上撕下來(lái)的。
"No one is going to feed you doing nothing at home." Of course, one who does not work must not eat unless one can get married, which is called: "being settled at last." But with my looks I would never get married; I was too thin, too sharp, too ugly. Mother said it, Elder Brother had said it. Everyone agreed that I should work, because marriage would be difficult for me.
“你在家里閑著不做事，誰(shuí)來(lái)供養(yǎng)你。”當(dāng)然，不工作就沒(méi)飯吃，除非嫁人，那叫做“終于有了歸宿?！笨烧撐业拈L(zhǎng)相一輩子也嫁不出去；我太瘦小，嘴快人丑。母親這么說(shuō)。大哥這么說(shuō)過(guò)。人人都覺(jué)得我該找事干，因?yàn)榧奕宋沂菦](méi)指望了。
Within a week a reply came. The morning postman brought it, and I choked over my milk and coffee. "I'm to go for an interview. At the Peking Union Medical College. To the Comptroller's office."
不到一個(gè)星期，回信就來(lái)了。早上送信的郵差送來(lái)的，我正喝著加奶咖啡，一下子給嗆著了?！拔乙ッ嬖嚒Ｔ诒本﹨f(xié)和醫(yī)學(xué)院。審計(jì)主任的辦公室?！?BR> Father and Mother were pleased. Mother put the coffee pot down and took the letter. "What good paper, so thick." But how could we disguise the fact that I was not [even] fifteen years old? I had claimed to be sixteen in the letter. In fact, said Papa, it was not a lie since Chinese are a year old when born, and if one added the New Year as an extra year, as do the Cantonese and the Hakkas, who became two years old when they reach their first New Year (so that a baby born on December st would be reckoned two years old on the following January nd), I could claim to being sixteen.
父母親都挺高興。母親放下咖啡壺，取過(guò)信?！岸嗪玫募垼@么厚實(shí)?！笨晌覀?cè)趺床拍苎陲椢疫€不到15足歲的事實(shí)呢？我在信里說(shuō)自己16歲。其實(shí)，爸爸說(shuō)，這也不是撒謊，因?yàn)橹袊?guó)人生下來(lái)就是1歲，要是到了新年再加歲，就像廣東人和客家人那樣，他們第過(guò)新年就2歲了（所以說(shuō)12月31日生的孩子到了1月2日就已經(jīng)2歲了），那么我可以說(shuō)自己16歲了。
"You look sixteen," said Mama; "all you have to do is to stop hopping and picking your pimples. And lengthen your skirt."
“你看上去有16歲，”媽媽說(shuō)?！澳阒灰?jiǎng)e再蹦蹦跳跳的、別再掐臉上的粉刺就行了。還有就是把裙子放放長(zhǎng)?！?BR> What dress should I wear? I had two school uniforms, a green dress, a brown dress, and one dress with three rows of frills for Sunday, too dressy for an interview. I had no shoes except flat-heeled school shoes, and tennis shoes. There was no time to make a dress and in those years no ready-made clothes existed, so Mother lengthened the green dress. I squeezed two pimples on my forehead, then went to the East market and bought some face powder, Butterfly brand, pink, made in Shanghai by a Japanese firm.
我該穿哪件衣服呢？我有兩套校服，一套綠的和一套褐色的女服，還有一條綴著三排花邊的女服，是過(guò)節(jié)穿的，穿著去面試太花哨了。我也沒(méi)什么鞋，只有學(xué)校發(fā)的平跟鞋，還有球鞋?，F(xiàn)做是來(lái)不及了，那時(shí)又沒(méi)成衣出售，所以母親就把那套綠顏色的服裝放放長(zhǎng)。我掐了額頭上的兩粒粉刺，接著去東單買(mǎi)了些蝴蝶牌香粉，粉紅色的，是一家日本公司在上海生產(chǎn)的。
The next morning, straw-hatted, with powder on my nose, I went with my father to the gates of the hospital.
第二天上午，我?guī)е弊樱亲由喜肓朔?，跟父親來(lái)到醫(yī)院門(mén)口。
"It's not this gate, this is for the sick. It's the other gate, round the corner," said the porter.
“不是這個(gè)門(mén)，這是病人走的。走另外一扇門(mén)，拐彎就是，”看門(mén)的說(shuō)。
The Yu Wang Fu Palace occupied a whole city block. We walked along its high grey outer wall, hearing the dogs scream in the kennels, and came to its other gate, which was the Administration building gate. It had two large stone lions, one male, one female. We crossed the marble courtyard, walked up the steps with their carved dragons coiling in the middle, into an entrance hall, with painted beams and intricate painted ceiling, red lacquered pillars, huge lamps. There was cork matting on the stone floor.
御王府占了整整一個(gè)街區(qū)。我們繞青灰高墻走，一路聽(tīng)見(jiàn)狗在窩里尖叫，走著走著到了另一扇大門(mén)，是行政樓的門(mén)。門(mén)前是一公一母兩個(gè)大石獅子。我們穿過(guò)大理石庭院，走上正中雕有蟠龍的臺(tái)階，來(lái)到前廳，看見(jiàn)精致的雕梁畫(huà)棟，丹漆柱子，還有高高大大的燈臺(tái)。青石地面上鋪著軟木墊。
"I'll leave you," said Papa. "Try to make a good impression. " And he was gone.
“我走了，”爸爸說(shuō)。“注意給人留個(gè)好印象?！闭f(shuō)著他就走了。
I found the Comptroller's office easily; there was a messenger in the hall directing visitors. An open door, a room, two typewriters clattering and two women making them clatter.
我沒(méi)費(fèi)周折就找到了審計(jì)主任的辦公室；廳里有個(gè)當(dāng)差的給來(lái)訪者作指點(diǎn)。一扇開(kāi)著的門(mén)，一間屋子，屋里兩臺(tái)咔嗒作響的打字機(jī)，兩位女士咔嗒咔嗒在打字。
I stood at the door and one of the women came to me. She had the new style of hair, all upstanding curls, which I admired, a dress with a print round the hem; she was very pregnant, so that her belly seemed to be coming at me first. She smiled. "Hello, what can I do for you?"
我站在門(mén)口，其中一位女士走上前來(lái)。她留著新式的發(fā)型，是我所喜歡的那種滿頭卷發(fā)豎立著的式樣，穿著沿褶邊印有花紋的裙子。由于她懷孕已快足月，所以她向我走過(guò)來(lái)時(shí)似乎是她的肚子先到達(dá)我面前。她微微一笑?！澳愫茫惺聝?jiǎn)?？?BR> "I have an interview."
“我是來(lái)面試的?！?BR> She took the letter from my hand. "Glad you could come. Now, just sit you down. No, sit down there. I'll tell Mr. Harned you've come."
她從我手里接過(guò)信。“真高興你來(lái)了。這樣吧，你先坐下。不，坐那兒。我去跟哈內(nèi)德先生說(shuō)你來(lái)了。”
The office had two other doors besides the one to the corridor, on one was "Comptroller." That was the one she went through and returned from.
除了通走廊的門(mén)，辦公室另外還有兩扇門(mén)，一扇門(mén)上寫(xiě)著“審計(jì)主任”。她從這扇門(mén)走了進(jìn)去，一會(huì)兒又走出來(lái)。
"Mr. Harned will see you now."
“哈內(nèi)德先生這就見(jiàn)你。”
Mr. Harned was very tall, thin, with a small bald head, a long chin, enormous glasses. I immediately began to quiver with fright. His head was like a temple on top of a mountain, like the white pagoda on the hill in the North Sea Park. I could not hear a word of what he said. A paper and a pencil were in my hand, however, and Harned was dictating to me, giving me a speed test in shorthand.
哈內(nèi)德先生高高瘦瘦，小小的禿腦袋，尖尖的下巴，那副眼鏡奇大無(wú)比。我一下子害怕得哆嗦起來(lái)。他的腦袋就像是山頂上的廟宇，就像北海公園山上的白塔。他說(shuō)了些什么我一句也沒(méi)聽(tīng)進(jìn)?？晌沂掷锬弥埡凸P，我怎么辦呢。哈內(nèi)德在給我口授著什么，讓我做速記的速度測(cè)試。
I went out of his office and the pregnant secretary sat me in front of her own typewriter. I turned a stricken face to her, "I couldn't hear. I couldn't hear what he said..."
我走出他的辦公室，那個(gè)懷孕的秘書(shū)讓我在她的打字機(jī)前坐下。我愁眉苦臉地對(duì)她說(shuō)：“我沒(méi)聽(tīng)清。他說(shuō)的我沒(méi)聽(tīng)清……”
"Wait, I'll tell him." She bustled off. At the other desk was a blonde, thin girl, who had thrown one look at me and then gone back to clattering. The pregnant one reappeared, a pink sheet in hand: "Now just copy this on the typewriter, best you can."
“別急，我去跟他說(shuō)。”她匆匆走開(kāi)去。另一張桌子前坐著的是一個(gè)苗條的金發(fā)姑娘，她看了我一眼，接著又咔嗒咔嗒打字了。懷孕的那位回來(lái)了，手里拿著一張粉紅色的紙：“你就把這個(gè)打一份，盡你大努力吧?！?BR> I hit the keys, swiftly; the typewriter was the same make as mine, a Royal.
我快速擊打著字鍵；打字機(jī)的牌子跟我自己的那臺(tái)一樣，是皇家牌的。
"My, you are fast. I'll tell Mr. Harned."
“喲，你打得真夠快的。我要去跟哈內(nèi)德先生說(shuō)?！?BR> And Mr. Harned came out, benign behind those enormous goggle glasses. "Well, Miss Chou, we've decided to take you on as a typist, at thirty-five dollars a month. To start Monday. Is that all right?"
哈內(nèi)德先生走了出來(lái)，他戴著那副奇大的有色眼鏡，看上去和顏悅色。“行，周小姐，我們決定聘用你當(dāng)打字員，一個(gè)月35美元。星期一開(kāi)始上班。行嗎？”
I nodded, unable to speak. Had he said ten dollars I would have accepted.
我點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，話都說(shuō)不出來(lái)。他即使說(shuō)10美元我也會(huì)答應(yīng)。
The kind secretary said: "Now take your time, and wipe your face. How old are you, by the way?"
那位好心的秘書(shū)說(shuō)：“好了，別著急，擦擦臉。對(duì)了，你多大了？”
"Sixteen, nearly."
“16，快了。”
"Is that all? Why my eldest is bigger than you, and she isn't through school yet. I told Mr. Harned you were shy and upset, and that's why you couldn't take dictation. He's all right, just takes getting used to, that's all."
“才16？瞧，我的大閨女都比你大，她還沒(méi)畢業(yè)哪。我跟哈內(nèi)德先生說(shuō)了，你剛才是因害羞不安而沒(méi)法做記錄的。他挺不錯(cuò)的，只要慢慢習(xí)慣起來(lái)就行了?！?BR> "I couldn't understand his English."
“我聽(tīng)不懂他說(shuō)的英語(yǔ)?！?BR> "Oh, you'll get used to it. Now, I won't be around on Monday, I'm going to have a baby. It's your letter that got them interested in you, you wrote such good English, better than all the other letters we've had. Mr. Harned will give you a try." She whispered, "I put in a good word for you."
“嗯，你會(huì)習(xí)慣的。好了，星期一我不來(lái)了，我要生孩子了。是你的信引起了他們對(duì)你的興趣，你的英文寫(xiě)得真好，寫(xiě)得比我們收到的其他的信都好。哈內(nèi)德先生要試試你。”她壓低了聲音說(shuō)：“我?guī)湍阏f(shuō)了好話。”
"Thanks, thanks a lot, ... I need the money, I ..."
“謝謝，多謝了，…… 我需要錢(qián)，我……”
"Yes, dear, we know." Obviously she wanted her typewriter back, and her chair. I was still sitting on it. "Well, bye-bye for now; hope you enjoy yourself in this job. I've been here six months and I've enjoyed every minute. Don't let Mr. Harned worry you; he's really great, once you get used to him."
“是啊，孩子，我們明白?！憋@然她想坐回到自己的椅子里，回到打字機(jī)前。可我還坐在那張椅子上呢?！昂昧耍僖?jiàn)了；但愿你喜歡這活兒。我在這兒干了六個(gè)月了，一直干得挺開(kāi)心。別因?yàn)榕鹿?nèi)德先生而發(fā)愁；他人真的挺好，只要你習(xí)慣了就行了?！?BR> I had a job, had a job, had a job.
我有工作了，有工作了，有工作了。
韓素音年生于北京。她父親是中國(guó)鐵路工程師，母親是位荷蘭女子。她是醫(yī)生，也是作家，著述頗豐，其中包括《塵世的花》。此書(shū)講述了作者及其家庭在國(guó)內(nèi)外的經(jīng)歷。下述節(jié)錄描寫(xiě)了作者在上世紀(jì)年代初第找工作的經(jīng)歷。
A Mortal Flower
塵世的花
Han Suyin
韓素音
The day after meeting Hilda I wrote a letter to the Rockefeller Foundation, applying for a job.
遇見(jiàn)希爾達(dá)的第二天，我就給洛克菲勒基金會(huì)寫(xiě)信申請(qǐng)工作。
Neither Father nor Mother thought I would get in. "You have to have pull. It's an American thing, Rockefeller Foundation. You must have pull."
父母親都覺(jué)得我不會(huì)被錄用。“你要有后臺(tái)才行。那可是一家美國(guó)機(jī)構(gòu)，洛克菲勒基金會(huì)。你一定要有后臺(tái)?！?BR> Mother said: "That's where they do all those experiments on dogs and people. All the Big Shots of the Nanking government also came here to have medical treatment, and sometimes took away a nurse to become a new wife."
母親說(shuō)：“那里，他們?cè)诠泛腿松砩献龈鞣N試驗(yàn)。南京政府所有的頭面人物也都來(lái)這里看病，有時(shí)還帶走個(gè)護(hù)士做姨太太?！?BR> It made sense to me, typing in a hospital; I would learn about medicine, since I wanted to study medicine. And as there was no money at home for me to study, I would earn money, and prepare myself to enter medical school. I had already discovered that a convent-school education was not at all adequate, and that it would take me at least three more years of hard study before being able to enter any college at all. Science, mathematics, Chinese literature and the classics . . .with the poor schooling given to me, it would take me years to get ready for a university.
在醫(yī)院里當(dāng)打字員，對(duì)我挺合適。那樣我就能了解一些醫(yī)學(xué)知識(shí)，這很重要，因?yàn)槲蚁雽W(xué)醫(yī)。家里沒(méi)錢(qián)供我上學(xué)，所以我得掙錢(qián)，自己想辦法上醫(yī)學(xué)院。我已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)在女隱修會(huì)學(xué)校的教育遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不夠，要想上大學(xué)，自己至少得再努力三年才行?？茖W(xué)、物理、數(shù)學(xué)、中國(guó)文學(xué)、古典文學(xué)……就憑我學(xué)的那么點(diǎn)兒功課，要上大學(xué)還得準(zhǔn)備好多年。
"I will do it," But clenched teeth, decision tearing my bowels, were not enough; there was no money, no money, my mother said it, said it until I felt as if every scrap of food I ate was wrenched off my father's body.
“我要上大學(xué)，”可是，咬牙切齒痛下決心是無(wú)濟(jì)于事的；家里沒(méi)錢(qián)，根本沒(méi)錢(qián)，母親說(shuō)的，整天這么說(shuō)，讓我覺(jué)得自己吃的每一小口東西仿佛都是從父親身上撕下來(lái)的。
"No one is going to feed you doing nothing at home." Of course, one who does not work must not eat unless one can get married, which is called: "being settled at last." But with my looks I would never get married; I was too thin, too sharp, too ugly. Mother said it, Elder Brother had said it. Everyone agreed that I should work, because marriage would be difficult for me.
“你在家里閑著不做事，誰(shuí)來(lái)供養(yǎng)你。”當(dāng)然，不工作就沒(méi)飯吃，除非嫁人，那叫做“終于有了歸宿?！笨烧撐业拈L(zhǎng)相一輩子也嫁不出去；我太瘦小，嘴快人丑。母親這么說(shuō)。大哥這么說(shuō)過(guò)。人人都覺(jué)得我該找事干，因?yàn)榧奕宋沂菦](méi)指望了。
Within a week a reply came. The morning postman brought it, and I choked over my milk and coffee. "I'm to go for an interview. At the Peking Union Medical College. To the Comptroller's office."
不到一個(gè)星期，回信就來(lái)了。早上送信的郵差送來(lái)的，我正喝著加奶咖啡，一下子給嗆著了?！拔乙ッ嬖嚒Ｔ诒本﹨f(xié)和醫(yī)學(xué)院。審計(jì)主任的辦公室?！?BR> Father and Mother were pleased. Mother put the coffee pot down and took the letter. "What good paper, so thick." But how could we disguise the fact that I was not [even] fifteen years old? I had claimed to be sixteen in the letter. In fact, said Papa, it was not a lie since Chinese are a year old when born, and if one added the New Year as an extra year, as do the Cantonese and the Hakkas, who became two years old when they reach their first New Year (so that a baby born on December st would be reckoned two years old on the following January nd), I could claim to being sixteen.
父母親都挺高興。母親放下咖啡壺，取過(guò)信?！岸嗪玫募垼@么厚實(shí)?！笨晌覀?cè)趺床拍苎陲椢疫€不到15足歲的事實(shí)呢？我在信里說(shuō)自己16歲。其實(shí)，爸爸說(shuō)，這也不是撒謊，因?yàn)橹袊?guó)人生下來(lái)就是1歲，要是到了新年再加歲，就像廣東人和客家人那樣，他們第過(guò)新年就2歲了（所以說(shuō)12月31日生的孩子到了1月2日就已經(jīng)2歲了），那么我可以說(shuō)自己16歲了。
"You look sixteen," said Mama; "all you have to do is to stop hopping and picking your pimples. And lengthen your skirt."
“你看上去有16歲，”媽媽說(shuō)?！澳阒灰?jiǎng)e再蹦蹦跳跳的、別再掐臉上的粉刺就行了。還有就是把裙子放放長(zhǎng)?！?BR> What dress should I wear? I had two school uniforms, a green dress, a brown dress, and one dress with three rows of frills for Sunday, too dressy for an interview. I had no shoes except flat-heeled school shoes, and tennis shoes. There was no time to make a dress and in those years no ready-made clothes existed, so Mother lengthened the green dress. I squeezed two pimples on my forehead, then went to the East market and bought some face powder, Butterfly brand, pink, made in Shanghai by a Japanese firm.
我該穿哪件衣服呢？我有兩套校服，一套綠的和一套褐色的女服，還有一條綴著三排花邊的女服，是過(guò)節(jié)穿的，穿著去面試太花哨了。我也沒(méi)什么鞋，只有學(xué)校發(fā)的平跟鞋，還有球鞋?，F(xiàn)做是來(lái)不及了，那時(shí)又沒(méi)成衣出售，所以母親就把那套綠顏色的服裝放放長(zhǎng)。我掐了額頭上的兩粒粉刺，接著去東單買(mǎi)了些蝴蝶牌香粉，粉紅色的，是一家日本公司在上海生產(chǎn)的。
The next morning, straw-hatted, with powder on my nose, I went with my father to the gates of the hospital.
第二天上午，我?guī)е弊樱亲由喜肓朔?，跟父親來(lái)到醫(yī)院門(mén)口。
"It's not this gate, this is for the sick. It's the other gate, round the corner," said the porter.
“不是這個(gè)門(mén)，這是病人走的。走另外一扇門(mén)，拐彎就是，”看門(mén)的說(shuō)。
The Yu Wang Fu Palace occupied a whole city block. We walked along its high grey outer wall, hearing the dogs scream in the kennels, and came to its other gate, which was the Administration building gate. It had two large stone lions, one male, one female. We crossed the marble courtyard, walked up the steps with their carved dragons coiling in the middle, into an entrance hall, with painted beams and intricate painted ceiling, red lacquered pillars, huge lamps. There was cork matting on the stone floor.
御王府占了整整一個(gè)街區(qū)。我們繞青灰高墻走，一路聽(tīng)見(jiàn)狗在窩里尖叫，走著走著到了另一扇大門(mén)，是行政樓的門(mén)。門(mén)前是一公一母兩個(gè)大石獅子。我們穿過(guò)大理石庭院，走上正中雕有蟠龍的臺(tái)階，來(lái)到前廳，看見(jiàn)精致的雕梁畫(huà)棟，丹漆柱子，還有高高大大的燈臺(tái)。青石地面上鋪著軟木墊。
"I'll leave you," said Papa. "Try to make a good impression. " And he was gone.
“我走了，”爸爸說(shuō)。“注意給人留個(gè)好印象?！闭f(shuō)著他就走了。
I found the Comptroller's office easily; there was a messenger in the hall directing visitors. An open door, a room, two typewriters clattering and two women making them clatter.
我沒(méi)費(fèi)周折就找到了審計(jì)主任的辦公室；廳里有個(gè)當(dāng)差的給來(lái)訪者作指點(diǎn)。一扇開(kāi)著的門(mén)，一間屋子，屋里兩臺(tái)咔嗒作響的打字機(jī)，兩位女士咔嗒咔嗒在打字。
I stood at the door and one of the women came to me. She had the new style of hair, all upstanding curls, which I admired, a dress with a print round the hem; she was very pregnant, so that her belly seemed to be coming at me first. She smiled. "Hello, what can I do for you?"
我站在門(mén)口，其中一位女士走上前來(lái)。她留著新式的發(fā)型，是我所喜歡的那種滿頭卷發(fā)豎立著的式樣，穿著沿褶邊印有花紋的裙子。由于她懷孕已快足月，所以她向我走過(guò)來(lái)時(shí)似乎是她的肚子先到達(dá)我面前。她微微一笑?！澳愫茫惺聝?jiǎn)?？?BR> "I have an interview."
“我是來(lái)面試的?！?BR> She took the letter from my hand. "Glad you could come. Now, just sit you down. No, sit down there. I'll tell Mr. Harned you've come."
她從我手里接過(guò)信。“真高興你來(lái)了。這樣吧，你先坐下。不，坐那兒。我去跟哈內(nèi)德先生說(shuō)你來(lái)了。”
The office had two other doors besides the one to the corridor, on one was "Comptroller." That was the one she went through and returned from.
除了通走廊的門(mén)，辦公室另外還有兩扇門(mén)，一扇門(mén)上寫(xiě)著“審計(jì)主任”。她從這扇門(mén)走了進(jìn)去，一會(huì)兒又走出來(lái)。
"Mr. Harned will see you now."
“哈內(nèi)德先生這就見(jiàn)你。”
Mr. Harned was very tall, thin, with a small bald head, a long chin, enormous glasses. I immediately began to quiver with fright. His head was like a temple on top of a mountain, like the white pagoda on the hill in the North Sea Park. I could not hear a word of what he said. A paper and a pencil were in my hand, however, and Harned was dictating to me, giving me a speed test in shorthand.
哈內(nèi)德先生高高瘦瘦，小小的禿腦袋，尖尖的下巴，那副眼鏡奇大無(wú)比。我一下子害怕得哆嗦起來(lái)。他的腦袋就像是山頂上的廟宇，就像北海公園山上的白塔。他說(shuō)了些什么我一句也沒(méi)聽(tīng)進(jìn)?？晌沂掷锬弥埡凸P，我怎么辦呢。哈內(nèi)德在給我口授著什么，讓我做速記的速度測(cè)試。
I went out of his office and the pregnant secretary sat me in front of her own typewriter. I turned a stricken face to her, "I couldn't hear. I couldn't hear what he said..."
我走出他的辦公室，那個(gè)懷孕的秘書(shū)讓我在她的打字機(jī)前坐下。我愁眉苦臉地對(duì)她說(shuō)：“我沒(méi)聽(tīng)清。他說(shuō)的我沒(méi)聽(tīng)清……”
"Wait, I'll tell him." She bustled off. At the other desk was a blonde, thin girl, who had thrown one look at me and then gone back to clattering. The pregnant one reappeared, a pink sheet in hand: "Now just copy this on the typewriter, best you can."
“別急，我去跟他說(shuō)。”她匆匆走開(kāi)去。另一張桌子前坐著的是一個(gè)苗條的金發(fā)姑娘，她看了我一眼，接著又咔嗒咔嗒打字了。懷孕的那位回來(lái)了，手里拿著一張粉紅色的紙：“你就把這個(gè)打一份，盡你大努力吧?！?BR> I hit the keys, swiftly; the typewriter was the same make as mine, a Royal.
我快速擊打著字鍵；打字機(jī)的牌子跟我自己的那臺(tái)一樣，是皇家牌的。
"My, you are fast. I'll tell Mr. Harned."
“喲，你打得真夠快的。我要去跟哈內(nèi)德先生說(shuō)?！?BR> And Mr. Harned came out, benign behind those enormous goggle glasses. "Well, Miss Chou, we've decided to take you on as a typist, at thirty-five dollars a month. To start Monday. Is that all right?"
哈內(nèi)德先生走了出來(lái)，他戴著那副奇大的有色眼鏡，看上去和顏悅色。“行，周小姐，我們決定聘用你當(dāng)打字員，一個(gè)月35美元。星期一開(kāi)始上班。行嗎？”
I nodded, unable to speak. Had he said ten dollars I would have accepted.
我點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，話都說(shuō)不出來(lái)。他即使說(shuō)10美元我也會(huì)答應(yīng)。
The kind secretary said: "Now take your time, and wipe your face. How old are you, by the way?"
那位好心的秘書(shū)說(shuō)：“好了，別著急，擦擦臉。對(duì)了，你多大了？”
"Sixteen, nearly."
“16，快了。”
"Is that all? Why my eldest is bigger than you, and she isn't through school yet. I told Mr. Harned you were shy and upset, and that's why you couldn't take dictation. He's all right, just takes getting used to, that's all."
“才16？瞧，我的大閨女都比你大，她還沒(méi)畢業(yè)哪。我跟哈內(nèi)德先生說(shuō)了，你剛才是因害羞不安而沒(méi)法做記錄的。他挺不錯(cuò)的，只要慢慢習(xí)慣起來(lái)就行了?！?BR> "I couldn't understand his English."
“我聽(tīng)不懂他說(shuō)的英語(yǔ)?！?BR> "Oh, you'll get used to it. Now, I won't be around on Monday, I'm going to have a baby. It's your letter that got them interested in you, you wrote such good English, better than all the other letters we've had. Mr. Harned will give you a try." She whispered, "I put in a good word for you."
“嗯，你會(huì)習(xí)慣的。好了，星期一我不來(lái)了，我要生孩子了。是你的信引起了他們對(duì)你的興趣，你的英文寫(xiě)得真好，寫(xiě)得比我們收到的其他的信都好。哈內(nèi)德先生要試試你。”她壓低了聲音說(shuō)：“我?guī)湍阏f(shuō)了好話。”
"Thanks, thanks a lot, ... I need the money, I ..."
“謝謝，多謝了，…… 我需要錢(qián)，我……”
"Yes, dear, we know." Obviously she wanted her typewriter back, and her chair. I was still sitting on it. "Well, bye-bye for now; hope you enjoy yourself in this job. I've been here six months and I've enjoyed every minute. Don't let Mr. Harned worry you; he's really great, once you get used to him."
“是啊，孩子，我們明白?！憋@然她想坐回到自己的椅子里，回到打字機(jī)前。可我還坐在那張椅子上呢?！昂昧耍僖?jiàn)了；但愿你喜歡這活兒。我在這兒干了六個(gè)月了，一直干得挺開(kāi)心。別因?yàn)榕鹿?nèi)德先生而發(fā)愁；他人真的挺好，只要你習(xí)慣了就行了?！?BR> I had a job, had a job, had a job.
我有工作了，有工作了，有工作了。