2006年NPR美国国家公共电台十二月-My Mother's Story: Dot the Welder

And it is time again for Story Core. This traveling oral history project is recoding the stories of everyday Americans. And today we have memories of a real life--“Rosie the Riveter”.

Dorothy Kelley helped to build ships in May during War World Ⅱ, a divorced poster to seek work at this South Portland Shipyards. She was raising 4 children on her own. Dorothy Kelley's daughter Jones Palter visits its Jury core to remember her mom’s struggle to keep the family together.

After the divorce, there wasn't much money. So my mother walked in the laundry in different places. And she finally got the job in Margaunmary wares¹, department store. And these young women would come in, all dressed in these big boos and these kind of rough overalls² and they would have checks of $600 to cash. And she finally asked one of them where did you work that you make so much money. And they said in the Shipyard. So my mother went over, and the man who interviewed her said, did she wanna be a welder³ or a burner? And my mother said which pays the most? And he said the welder. And she said that is what I wanna do. He said Oh versanary, ha, and she said no I have four children to take care.

It was bitter cold in the winter going into the bottom of those steel ships. They had to wiggled into nearly cross basis and lay on their backs, and well overheat. And I remember her neck and her chest here all spotted⁴ with burn marks from the sparks. And her shift was midnight to 6AM, so she can be home with us during the day. I remember her dressing⁵ and not heavy clothing, man's clothing. Once she fell and hurt her ankle and they brought her home in the middle of the night, and she was weeping. I remember that. After to the Shipyard closed, she needed to have 2 jobs to make enough money. And we kids were more or less on our own, and that was not a happy time. But still she was determined⁶ to keep us together as a family.

Jones Palter talking about her mother Dorothy Kelley at the Story Core in Portland Main.

These Story Core interviews are archived in the library of Congress, and you can listen to some of those..

wiggle
To move or cause to move from side to side with short irregular twisting motions:
无规则地前后摆动：从一边到另一边略带有不规则弯曲地短暂移动或引起这种移动：
wiggled restlessly in her chair; wiggle a finger at a waitron.
在她的椅子中不停地前后摆动；冲侍者晃了一下手指

1 wares   

n. 货物, 商品

参考例句：

• They sold their wares at half-price. 他们的货品是半价出售的。
• The peddler was crying up his wares. 小贩极力夸耀自己的货物。

2 overalls   

n.（复）工装裤；长罩衣

参考例句：

• He is in overalls today.他今天穿的是工作裤。
• He changed his overalls for a suit.他脱下工装裤，换上了一套西服。

3 welder   

n电焊工

参考例句：

• He left school at 15 to become an apprentice to a welder.他15岁离开了中学成为一个焊接工人的学徒。
• Welder done at least once a month when the dust handling.焊机时每月至少做一次除尘处理。

4 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

5 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。