大学英语精读第三版（第一册）学习笔记（原文及全文翻译）——5A - I Never Write Right（我写作一向是野路子）

Unit 5A - I Never Write Right

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a writer, only to be put off by fears that you lacked the ability? If so, then reading Linda Stafford's story will have you reaching for your pen with renewed hope.

I Never Write Right

When I was 15, I announced to my English class that I was going to write and illustrate my own books. Half of the students nearly fell out of their chairs laughing.

Don't be silly. Only geniuses can become writers, the English teacher said. "And you are getting a D this semester."

I was so embarrassed that I burst into tears. That night I wrote a short, sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the Capper's Weekly. To my astonishment they published it, and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer! I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed.

Just plain dumb luck, the teacher said.

I'd tasted success. I'd sold the first thing I'd ever written. That was more than any of them had done, and if it was "just plain dumb luck," that was fine with me.

During the next two years I sold dozens of poems, letters, jokes and recipes. By the time I graduated from high school, I had scrapbooks filled with my published work. I never mentioned my writing to my teachers, friends or my family again. They were dream killers. And if people must choose between their friends and dreams, they must always choose the latter.

But sometimes you do find a friend who supports your dreams. "It's easy to write a book," my new friend told me. "You can do it."

I don't know if I'm smart enough, I said, suddenly feeling 15 again and hearing echoes of laughter.

Nonsense! she said. "Anyone can write a book if they want to."

I had four children at the time, and the oldest was only four. We lived on a goat farm in Oklahoma, miles from anyone. All I had to do each day was take care of four kids, milk goats, and do the cooking, laundry and gardening.

While the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months, just like a baby.

I chose a publisher at random and put the manuscript in an empty diapers package, the only box I could find. The letter I enclosed read: "I wrote this book myself, and I hope you like it. I also drew the illustrations. Chapters 6 and 12 are my favorites. Thank you."

I tied a string around the diaper box and mailed it without a self-addressed stamp envelope, and without making a copy of the manuscript. A month later I received a contract, an advance on royalties and a request to start working on another book.

Crying Wind became a bestseller, was translated in to 15 languages and sold worldwide. I appeared on TV talk shows during the day and changed diapers at night. I traveled from New York to California and Canada on promotional tours. My first book also became required reading in Native American schools in Canada.

It took six months to write my next book. My Searching Heart also became a bestseller. My next novel, When I Give My Heart, was finished in only three weeks.

People ask what college I attended, what degree I have, and what qualifications I have to be a writer.

The answer is none. I just write. I'm not a genius, I'm not gifted and don't write right. I'm not disciplined, either, and spend more time with my children and friends than I do writing.

I didn't own a thesaurus until four years ago and I use a small Webster's dictionary that I bought for 89 cents. I use an electric typewriter that I paid $129 for six years ago. I've never used a word processor. I do all the cooking, cleaning and laundry for a family of six and fit my writing in a few minutes here and there. I write everything in longhand while sitting on the sofa with my four kids, eating pizza and watching TV. When the book is finished, I type it and mail it to the publisher.

I've written eight books. Four have been published, and three are still out with the publishers. One stinks.

To all those who dream of writing, I'm shouting at you, "Yes, you can! Yes, you can!" I don't write right, but I've beaten the odds. Writing isn't difficult, it's fun, and anyone can write a book if they set their mind on it. Of course, a little dumb luck doesn't hurt.

参考译文——我写作一向是野路子

你是否曾梦想成为一名作家，却因为担心自己缺乏这方面的才能而却步？如果是这样，那么读一读琳达·斯塔福德的故事就会使你怀着重燃的希望拿起笔来。

我写作一向是野路子

在我十五岁的时候，我在我们英语课上宣布说我要写书并为自己的书作插图。当时有一半同学大笑不止，差一点从他们座位上摔出去。

“别犯傻了。只有天才能成为作家。”英语老师说，“而你这学期的英语只能得D。”

我感到很难堪，一下子哭了起来。当天晚上我就写了一首短诗，抒发梦想破灭的悲哀，然后把它寄给了《卡珀周刊》。令我惊讶的是，他们竟发表了我的诗，还寄给了我两美元。我成了一个发表过作品拿到过稿费的作家了！我拿给老师和同学们看。他们都笑了。

“纯粹是傻运气，”老师说。

我已经尝到了成功的滋味。我已经卖掉了我的第一篇作品。这超过了他们任何人取得的成绩，就算它“纯粹是傻运气”，我也觉得很好。

在随后的两年里，我卖出去几十件作品，其中包括诗歌、信件、笑话和食谱。到我中学毕业时（平均分为C¯），我已经有了好几本剪贴簿，上面贴满了我发表过的作品。我再也没有对老师们、朋友们或家人谈起我写作的事。他们都是些扼杀梦想的人。而如果人们必须在朋友和梦想之间作出选择的话，他们必须永远选择后者。

但有时候你确实能找到一个支持你梦想的朋友。“写本书很容易”，我新交的朋友告诉我，“你能写书。”

“我不知道自己是不是够聪明，”我说，突然之间又感到自己回到了15岁的时候，听到了那些笑声在回响。

“胡说！”她说，“任何人都能写书，只要他们想写。”

当时我已经有四个孩子，最大的一个才四岁。我们住在俄克拉何马的一个山羊饲养场里，离开任何人都很远。我每天要做的事就是照看四个孩子，挤羊奶，烧饭，洗衣和收拾果园。

孩子们睡觉时，我就在我那台老式打字机上打字。我写我的亲身感受。一共花了九个月，就像怀孩子一样。

我随便选了一个出版商，把手稿放进一只放尿布的空盒子里——我唯一能找到的盒子。我附了一封信，上面写道：“这本书是我自己写的，希望你喜欢它。插图也是我自己画的。我最喜欢第 6章和第12章。谢谢。”

我用绳子扎好尿布盒就把它寄了出去，既没有附上一个写好回信地址贴好邮票的信封，也没有把手稿复印一份。一个月后我收到了一份合同和一笔预支的版税，他们还要求我开始动手写另一本书。

《哭泣的风》成了一本畅销书，被译成15种文字在全世界销售。我白天出现在电视台的访谈节目中，晚上则给孩子们换尿布。为推销我的书我到处旅行，从纽约到加利福尼亚，还去过加拿大。我的第一本书还成了加拿大印第安人学校的必读书。

我写第二本书花了半年时间。《我不断探索的心》也成了一本畅销书。我的下一部小说《当我交出我的心》只三个星期就完成了。

人们问我读过什么大学，有什么学位，有什么资历成为一个作家。

我的回答是什么都没有。我只是写。我不是天才，我没有天赋，写作是野路子。我也没受过什么训练，而且在孩子和朋友们身上花的时间比写作还多。

直到四年前我才有了一本同类词汇编，我一直用一本89美分买的韦氏小词典。我用的电动打字机是六年前花129美元买的。我从未用过文字处理机。我们一家六口，烧饭、洗衣、打扫卫生全是我一个人做，只能见缝插针地抽空写那么几分钟。我是跟四个孩子坐在沙发上边吃匹萨饼边看电视时以手写的方式写东西的。书写完后，再把它打出来寄给出版商。

我已经写了八本书。四本已经出版，三本还在出版商手里。只有一本水平较差。

对所有梦想着当作家的人，我要大声对你们说：“是的，你能！是的，你能！”我没有按正规路子在写作，但我已战胜了种种困难。写作并不难，写作很有趣，只要下定决心任何人都能写书。当然，有一点小小的傻运气也没坏处。

Key Words:

astonishment [əs'tɔniʃmənt]

n. 惊讶，令人惊讶的事

embarrassed  [im'bærəst]   

adj. 尴尬的，局促不安的，拮据的

announced    [ə'naunst]      

宣布的

burst      [bə:st]    

n. 破裂，阵，爆发

v. 爆裂，迸发

fell   [fel] 

动词fall的过去式

n. 兽皮

plain       [plein]    

n. 平原，草原

adj. 清楚的，坦白的，简

illustrate  ['iləstreit]

v. 举例说明，（为书）作插图，图解

contract  ['kɔntrækt,kən'trækt]   

n. 合同，契约，婚约，合约

v. 订合同，缩

stamp     [stæmp] 

n. 邮票，图章，印，跺脚

v. 跺脚，盖章

      

request   [ri'kwest]

n. 要求，请求

vt. 请求，要求

envelope ['enviləup]     

n. 信封，封皮，壳层

laundry   ['lɔ:ndri] 

n. 洗衣店，要洗的衣服，洗衣

random  ['rændəm]     

adj. 随机的，随意的，任意的

adv. 随

typewriter      ['taip.raitə]     

n. 打字机，打字员

manuscript    ['mænjuskript]     

adj. 手抄的

n. 手稿，原稿

smart      [smɑ:t]   

adj. 聪明的，时髦的，漂亮的，敏捷的，轻快的，整洁的

string      [striŋ]     

n. 线，一串，字串

laundry   ['lɔ:ndri] 

n. 洗衣店，要洗的衣服，洗衣

genius    ['dʒi:njəs]

n. 天才，天赋

minutes  ['minits] 

n. 会议记录，(复数)分钟

gifted      ['giftid]   

adj. 有天赋的，有才华的

typewriter      ['taip.raitə]     

n. 打字机，打字员

disciplined     ['disiplind]     

adj. 受过训练的，遵守纪律的 动词discipline

参考资料：

大学英语精读(第三版) 第一册:Unit05A I Never Write Right(1)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语