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Han Suyin was born in Beijing in 1917. 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 1930s.
韩素音1917年生于北京。她父亲是中国铁路工程师，母亲是位荷兰女子。她是医生，也是作家，著述颇丰，其中包括《尘世的花》。此书讲述了作者及其家庭在国内外的经历。下述节录描写了作者在上世纪30年代初第一次找工作的经历。
A Mortal Flower
Han Suyin
1 The day after meeting Hilda I wrote a letter to the Rockefeller Foundation, applying for a job.
尘世的花
韩素音
遇见希尔达的第二天，我就给洛克菲勒基金会写信申请工作。
2 (1) 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."
父母亲都觉得我不会被录用。“你要有后台才行。那可是一家美国机构，洛克菲勒基金会。你一定要有后台。”
3 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."
母亲说：“那里，他们在狗和人身上做各种试验。南京政府所有的头面人物也都来这里看病，有时还带走个护士做姨太太。”
4 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.
在医院里当打字员，对我挺合适。那样我就能了解一些医学知识，这很重要，因为我想学医。家里没钱供我上学，所以我得挣钱，自己想办法上医学院。我已经发现在女隐修会学校的教育远远不够，要想上大学，自己至少得再努力三年才行。科学、物理、数学、中国文学、古典文学……就凭我学的那么点儿功课，要上大学还得准备好多年。
5 "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. “我要上大学，”可是，咬牙切齿痛下决心是无济于事的；家里没钱，根本没钱，母亲说的，整天这么说，让我觉得自己吃的每一小口东西仿佛都是从父亲身上撕下来的。
6 "No one is going to feed you doing nothing at home." (2) 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.
“你在家里闲着不做事，谁来供养你。”当然，不工作就没饭吃，除非嫁人，那叫做“终于有了归宿。”可论我的长相一辈子也嫁不出去；我太瘦小，嘴快人丑。母亲这么说。大哥这么说过。人人都觉得我该找事干，因为嫁人我是没指望了。
7 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."
不到一个星期，回信就来了。早上送信的邮差送来的，我正喝着加奶咖啡，一下子给呛着了。“我要去面试。在北京协和医学院。审计主任的办公室。”
8 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 31st would be reckoned two years old on the following January 2nd), I could claim to being sixteen.
父母亲都挺高兴。母亲放下咖啡壶，取过信。“多好的纸，这么厚实。”可我们怎么才能掩饰我还不到15足岁的事实呢？我在信里说自己16岁。其实，爸爸说，这也不是撒谎，因为中国人生下来就是1岁，要是到了新年再加1岁，就像广东人和客家人那样，他们第一次过新年就2岁了（所以说12月31日生的孩子到了1月2日就已经2岁了），那么我可以说自己16岁了。
9 "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岁，”妈妈说。“你只要别再蹦蹦跳跳的、别再掐脸上的粉刺就行了。还有就是把裙子放放长。”
10 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.
我该穿哪件衣服呢？我有两套校服，一套绿的和一套褐色的女服，还有一条缀着三排花边的女服，是过节穿的，穿着去面试太花哨了。我也没什么鞋，只有学校发的平跟鞋，还有球鞋。现做是来不及了，那时又没成衣出售，所以母亲就把那套绿颜色的服装放放长。我掐了额头上的两粒粉刺，接着去东单买了些蝴蝶牌香粉，粉红色的，是一家日本公司在上海生产的。
11 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，我带着帽子，鼻子上搽了粉，跟父亲来到医院门口。
12 "It's not this gate, this is for the sick. It's the other gate, round the corner," said the porter.
“不是这个门，这是病人走的。走另外一扇门，拐弯就是，”看门的说。
13 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.
御王府占了整整一个街区。我们绕青灰高墙走，一路听见狗在窝里尖叫，走着走着到了另一扇大门，是行政楼的门。门前是一公一母两个大石狮子。我们穿过大理石庭院，走上正中雕有蟠龙的台阶，来到前厅，看见精致的雕梁画栋，丹漆柱子，还有高高大大的灯台。青石地面上铺着软木垫。
14 "I'll leave you," said Papa. "Try to make a good impression. " And he was gone.
“我走了，”爸爸说。“注意给人留个好印象。”说着他就走了。
15 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.
我没费周折就找到了审计主任的办公室；厅里有个当差的给来访者作指点。一扇开着的门，一间屋子，屋里两台咔嗒作响的打字机，两位女士咔嗒咔嗒在打字。
16 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?"
我站在门口，其中一位女士走上前来。她留着新式的发型，是我所喜欢的那种满头卷发竖立着的式样，穿着沿褶边印有花纹的裙子。由于她怀孕已快足月，所以她向我走过来时似乎是她的肚子最先到达我面前。她微微一笑。“你好，有事儿吗？”
17 "I have an interview."
“我是来面试的。”
18 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."
她从我手里接过信。“真高兴你来了。这样吧，你先坐下。不，坐那儿。我去跟哈内德先生说你来了。”
19 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.
除了通走廊的门，办公室另外还有两扇门，一扇门上写着“审计主任”。她从这扇门走了进去，一会儿又走出来。
20 "Mr. Harned will see you now."
“哈内德先生这就见你。”
21 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.
哈内德先生高高瘦瘦，小小的秃脑袋，尖尖的下巴，那副眼镜奇大无比。我一下子害怕得哆嗦起来。他的脑袋就像是山顶上的庙宇，就像北海公园山上的白塔。他说了些什么我一句也没听进。可我手里拿着纸和笔，我怎么办呢。哈内德在给我口授着什么，让我做速记的速度测试。
22 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..."
我走出他的办公室，那个怀孕的秘书让我在她的打字机前坐下。我愁眉苦脸地对她说：“我没听清。他说的我没听清……”
23 "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."
“别急，我去跟他说。”她匆匆走开去。另一张桌子前坐着的是一个苗条的金发姑娘，她看了我一眼，接着又咔嗒咔嗒打字了。怀孕的那位回来了，手里拿着一张粉红色的纸：“你就把这个打一份，尽你最大努力吧。”
24 I hit the keys, swiftly; the typewriter was the same make as mine, a Royal.
我快速击打着字键；打字机的牌子跟我自己的那台一样，是皇家牌的。
25 "My, you are fast. I'll tell Mr. Harned."
“哟，你打得真够快的。我要去跟哈内德先生说。”
26 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?"
哈内德先生走了出来，他戴着那副奇大的有色眼镜，看上去和颜悦色。“行，周小姐，我们决定聘用你当打字员，一个月35美元。星期一开始上班。行吗？”
27 I nodded, unable to speak. Had he said ten dollars I would have accepted.
我点了点头，话都说不出来。他即使说10美元我也会答应。
28 The kind secretary said: "Now take your time, and wipe your face. How old are you, by the way?"
那位好心的秘书说：“好了，别着急，擦擦脸。对了，你多大了？”
29 "Sixteen, nearly."
“16，快16了。”
30 "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，我的大闺女都比你大，她还没毕业哪。我跟哈内德先生说了，你刚才是因害羞不安而没法做记录的。他挺不错的，只要慢慢习惯起来就行了。”
31 "I couldn't understand his English."
“我听不懂他说的英语。”
32 "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，你会习惯的。好了，星期一我不来了，我要生孩子了。是你的信引起了他们对你的兴趣，你的英文写得真好，写得比我们收到的其他的信都好。哈内德先生要试试你。”她压低了声音说：“我帮你说了好话。”
33 "Thanks, thanks a lot, ... I need the money, I ..."
“谢谢，多谢了，…… 我需要钱，我……”
34 "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，我们明白。”显然她想坐回到自己的椅子里，回到打字机前。可我还坐在那张椅子上呢。“好了，再见了；但愿你喜欢这活儿。我在这儿干了六个月了，一直干得挺开心。别因为怕哈内德先生而发愁；他人真的挺好，只要你习惯了就行了。”
35 I had a job, had a job, had a job.
我有工作了，有工作了，有工作了。
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