这封信记录了美国作家西尔维亚·普莱思早期职业生涯中的起伏，她赢得写作奖金后的兴奋、对工作的适应挑战与内心转变，反映了她的写作热情和成长过程。
Unit 2 - The Beginning Of A Career
There is something fascinating about reading other people's mail if you are allowed to. Here is your chance to read the letters of American writer Sylvia Plath, which she wrote home to her mother from a hotel where she had a summer job as a waitress. At the time, she was a college student and was still at the start of her writing career. Through the letter we learn of her changing thoughts and moods concerning, boys and writing.
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 thought 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.
Sometimes 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
参考译文——职业的开端
被允许阅读别人的信件是一件很吸引人的事情。今天我们来读一封美国作家西尔维亚·普莱思写的信。这是她在某个暑假在一家饭店里当服务员打工时写给她母亲的信。那时，她还是一个大学生， 刚刚开始她的写作生涯。通过阅读这封信，我们可以了解她关于工作、男孩、写作的思想和心情上的改变。
职业的开端
西尔维亚·普莱思
贝尔蒙特宾馆，1952年6月11日
亲爱的妈妈：
你那份令我吃惊的电报，说是由我投稿的《明顿家的星期天》获得了《小姐》杂志五百元奖金，正好是我在阴暗的贝尔蒙特餐厅清理餐桌时收到的。我非常激动，大声叫了起来，竟一把抱住了女服务员领班。毫无疑问，她当时一定认为我是发疯了。不管怎样，从心理上讲，你的电报来得正是时候。那时我觉得很累——人到一个新地方，第一夜总是睡不好的——而我就没有睡多少觉。更糟糕的是，我是这里唯一的女招待。一直要擦洗家具、盘子和银质餐具，搬桌子等，从上午８点开始。我刚知道，因为我完全没有经验，餐厅不会让我在正厅工作，而是让我在经理们和主管人员就餐的“侧厅”工作。所以，这个暑假的能挣到的小费毫无疑问会少很多，而且，一起干活的伙伴也缺乏风趣。我正开时为缺钱发愁时你的电报来了。上帝啊！想想看，《明顿家的星期天》竟是一家全国性通俗刊物的两篇获奖小说之一！说实话，我真地不敢相信！
我当时想到的第一件事是：妈妈可以将她要给我暑假用的钱留下，买些好衣服，进行一次特别旅游什么的。我至少也能用奖金买一件冬装和一套非常精美的衣服。奖金有五百元之多啊！
这么多人中，获奖的竟是我！
现在一切都好起来了，因为我不必为钱担心了啊，虽然在这第一个星期之后我的双脚疼得要命，虽然摔破了二十个盘子，我仍然会到海滩去，要侍者为我拿酒，要享受海边的阳光，要与年轻的伙伴同乐。多么美好的生活！
爱你，你这爱疯的女儿。
西维
1952年6月12日
毫无疑问，我睡足觉，学会用左手高高端稳盘子后，我会感到更高兴的。实际上，现在我觉得自己陷入了一伙闹哄哄、厚脸皮的爱尔兰天主教徒之中，无法脱身，而我能够自乐的唯一办法就是说：“嗯，只是一个夏天，而我还可以把他们写到我的小说里去呢。”至少，我已经为我的下一个主人公取了一个新名字——马莉，一个能说会道熟知人情世故的女孩。小伙子们与大姑娘的比例越来越小。所以如果我被这儿哪个最年轻的小伙子追求的话，那我是很幸运的。这里的很多女孩确实机灵，能喝酒，会调情卖俏。而我又是那种保守、文静、优雅的女孩，所以不太可能和一些帅小伙儿约会……要是我能与这些女孩相处很好，作她们朋友而决不让她们知道我是个文雅的知识分子的话，那就好了。
对于《小姐》杂志那条消息，我还是感到不可理解。我曾想是不是他们弄错了，或是你杜撰出来让我高兴的。最大的好处将是我不必为这个夏天只能挣到300美金发愁了。不然的话，我会忧心忡忡的。我现在真是急不可耐地希望八月到来，到那时我可随意走进杂货店拿起一册漂亮的《小姐》杂志，赶快翻到索引部分，看到我，美国两名女大学生之一！
真的，当我想起整个春假期间怎样着手写这篇小说，在学校修改润色，在海文豪斯厨房喧闹的环境中熬夜打字到深夜的时候，我真的无法相信这篇小说会获得如此大奖……
因为你能真正理解，它对我来说有多么重要的意义。它充分表明我有创作潜力。唯一的事就是我极有可能再也没有机会获得《小姐》杂志的大奖了。所以也许明年，也许在大四，我要努力争取做一名客座编辑，而且我的目标是要做《大西洋》月刊的客座编辑。天哪，能和你谈论这事，我很高兴——很可能你是我拥有的唯一——一位不厌其烦地听我谈论写作的听众……
再谈谈亨利和莉兹，它是我小说创作迈出的一步。故事中的主人公不再总是“我”，它还证明我开始动用想象力来改变真事。我还真害怕过这事办不到，不过我想这表明我观察事物的能力在扩大.
有时我想：见鬼，我不知道我为何不在整个夏天待在家里写作、学习自然科学，却出来做一份兼职的小事。我现在“有能力”做到了，不过我想过于想得到这个并不一定是好事，虽然这样做了会很好。好啦，我会振作精神的，我爱你。
你的西维
1952年6月12日
亲爱的妈妈，
妈妈，你一定要给我写信，因为我现在处在一种自惭形秽的危险状态……就眼下，生活糟透了。《小姐》获奖好象完全不是真的，我现在总的来说，情绪低落：疲惫、害怕、无能、精力不济……
在侧厅工作把我撇在一边，我感到孤立无援，非常尴尬。我越是看见正厅的女孩们熟练地准备特别的菜肴，做刨冰，水果等，就越是感到自叹不如，感到每天在侧厅工作使我大大落后了……但是尽管我受到诱惑去当胆小鬼、爬回家去，我还决心试着干完这一个月——直到7月10日……不要为我担心，不过请一定时常给我寄些简短的建议来。
1952年6月15日
昨天晚上我到“桑德酒吧”参加了一个“同伙”生日聚会。在哪儿我们唱啊、谈啊几个小时。从宾馆我们去了大约四十个少男少女。受到某种魔力的驱使，我设法挨着一名哈佛法学院的一年级学生坐了下来——而且他的确招人喜爱……最好的时光是我们回来的时候。那是一个美丽、明净、星光满天的夜晚，因为天气冷，克拉克进屋去拿了两件毛衣让我穿，还拿出了一本T·S·艾略特诗集。我们坐在一张我能够勉强看得清字的长凳上，他把头靠在我的膝上，我给他念了一会儿诗。真好。唯一的问题就是我非常容易爱上像这样和我一起欣赏诗歌的人——总是容易谈论非常抽象、严肃的话题——这就是我的主要问题……所以非常高兴听到《小姐》杂志的支票是真的。我简直不敢相信。现在我的思绪混乱，所以完全记不住东西，也不能清楚考虑问题。工作仍然不熟练，觉得累。由于一天要换三次制服。我总是忙于日常琐事、与人交往，还没来得及整理、消化我所经历的这些杂乱的事情。尽管如此，我还是像以往那样具有幽默感，很多时候还是尽量让自己开怀大笑……不管我发生什么事，我都会全力以赴的。
非常爱你的
西维
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