我出生在一个安静的小乡村,
I grew up in a quiet suburban town,
就在纽约北部。
just north of New York.
在特殊场合,我爸会带我去城里,
On special occasions, my dad would take me into the city,
我们会去华尔道夫酒店或广场酒店吃甜点。
and we would go and get dessert at the Waldorf or the Plaza.
我喜欢看我们周围的人。
I loved watching the people around us.
他们的生活似乎很有趣。
They seemed to have interesting lives.
我想成为他们中的一员。
I wanted to be one of them.
我想写小说
I wanted to write novels
会说5种语言,还能旅游。
and speak 5 languages and travel.
我不想做一个普通人。
I didn’t want to be ordinary.
我想要与众不同。
I wanted to be extraordinary.
那些记忆在去年强烈地回到我的脑海里
Those memories came storming back to me last year
当我来纽约拜访我最好的朋友的时候
when I came to visit my best friend in New York.
我本来计划在这里就待几天,
I was only supposed to stay a few days,
然后返回伯克利,
and then return to Berkeley,
那是我男朋友希望我去的地方。
where my boyfriend was waiting on me.
但有些事情发生了变化。
But something shifted.
我想在纽约待一段时间。
I want to stay in New York for a while.
一段时间?你指的一段时间是什么?
A while? What do you mean, a while?
那你这学期的学习呢?
What about your semester?
是的,但你看,就是这样。
Yeah, but see, that’s just it.
我不想再分♥析♥别人的作品了,卡尔。
I don’t want to analyze other people’s work anymore, Karl.
我想写作。
I want to write.
在纽约?
In New York?
是的。
Yeah.
在纽约……
In New York…
有抱负的作家不就是这么做的吗?
Isn’t that what aspiring writers did?
住在便宜的公♥寓♥里,在咖啡馆里写作?
Live in cheap apartments and write in cafés?
是的,我知道。
Yeah, I know.
但这正是我想要的!
But it’s what I wanted!
《职场心计文学梦》
我老板说我们要实现无纸化了。
My boss says we’re going paperless.
— 所有的邮件。— 嗯。
– All emails. – Hmm.
我快疯了,每个人都在写什么,
It’s driving me nuts, with everyone writing about nothing,
回答“谢谢”,或者更糟,“不客气”。
answering, “Thanks,” or worse, “You’re welcome.”
我的同事给我发邮件问我什么时候吃午饭。
My colleague sends me emails to ask me when I’m having lunch.
我希望这只是一种逐渐消失的趋势。
I hope this is just a trend that will phase out.
我想念你的咆哮。
I miss your rants.
伯克利的每个人都很严肃
Everyone in Berkeley is so serious
喜欢慢跑,穿Tevas(休闲鞋品牌)。
and into jogging and wearing Tevas.
去他的Tevas !
Fucking Tevas!
我就像一大♥片♥东海岸的云团
I’m like this big cloud of East Coast irony
萦绕着南加州。
haunting Southern California.
把一切都化为灰烬。
Hmm, turning everything into ash.
—这就是我。—嗯!
– That’s me. – Mmm!
卡尔也有同感吗?
Does Karl feel the same?
对他来说就不一样了,
Um, it’s not really the same for him,
因为他已经在那待了几年了,
cause he’s been there for a couple years,
学校把他当明星一样对待。
and the university sort of treats him like a star.
哦,好吧……
Oh, well…
嘿,珍妮,嗯……
Hey, Jenny, um…
我不知道具体要多久
I don’t know exactly how long
我会待在纽约。
I’m gonna be staying in New York.
别担心!你就当自己家好了。
Don’t worry! Just keep making yourself at home.
东西随便吃。
Eat anything.
好的。
OK.
伦敦大学学院英国文学硕士。
MA in English literature, University College in London.
我想那样会让你更有吸引力
I suppose that would make you more appealing
对一些出版商而言,
to some publishers,
最好就是简单点。
less to most.
你发表的诗歌♥吗?
You published poetry?
是的,是的,在巴黎诗会。
Yes, yes, in The Paris Review.
我刚赢了他们的学生比赛。
I just won their student contest.
算了吧。
Leave that out.
出版商会避免想成为作家的人。
Publishers avoid wannabe writers.
哦。可这正是我想做的。
Oh. That is what I wa-want to do, though.
最终目的。
Event-eventually.
哦!我理解了!那别考虑出版商了。
Oh! I got it! Not a publisher.
做个文学代理怎么样?
How about a literary agency?
是的,太棒了!
Yeah, great!
纽约最老的职业之一。
The oldest in New York.
你会打字吗?
Do you type?
我七年级时学过打字。
Uh, I took typing in, um, 7th grade.
你当然不会打字。
Of course you don’t type.
她会问你是否打字,你会说……
She’s gonna ask if you type, and you’re gonna say…
是的!
Yes!
一分钟60个字。
Sixty words a minute.
但你用打字机打字吗?
But do you type on a typewriter?
这和在那些电脑上打字很不一样。
It’s very different from typing on one of those computers.
是的。
Yes.
你喜欢读什么书?
What do you like to read?
一切。
Everything.
卢瑞,汉密特,唐纳德·韦斯特莱克
Uh, Lurie, Hammet, Donald Westlake.
嗯……
Hmm…
我刚读完《情感教育》,
I just finished A Sentimental Education,
我很喜欢。
and I loved it.
它是如此的现代。我很惊讶。
It was so contemporary. I was amazed.
古斯塔夫·福楼拜……(法国现实主义文学大♥师♥)
Gustave Flaubert…
是的,是très bien, ma chère,
Oui, c’est très bien, ma chère,
但在这个领域,
but to be in this field,
你需要阅读那些还活着的作家。
you’ll need to read authors who are alive.
嗯……我爱福楼拜!
Mmm… I love Flaubert!
我喜欢西湖。他很有趣。
I like Westlake. He’s funny.
我想你可以在圣诞节后开始。
I guess you can start after Christmas.
我们到时再谈杰瑞。
We’ll talk about Jerry then.
啊,杰瑞!
Ah, Jerry!
你肯定听说过他要么疯了,要么老了
I’m sure you’ve heard that he’s crazy or senile
或愤世嫉俗者。
or a misanthrope.
所有的谎言。他不是问题所在。
All lies. He’s not the problem.
就是这些人不停地打电♥话♥
It’s these people who relentlessly call
他的地址,电♥话♥号♥码,
for his address, his phone number,
要求和他联♥系♥,甚至和我联♥系♥!
asking to be put in touch with him, or even with me!
记者,学生,大学院长,制片人。
Reporters, students, university deans, producers.
他们可能很有说服力,很有控制欲。
They can be persuasive, manipulative.
但是,你永远不能
But, you must never, ever
把他的地址给别人。
give out his address.
你明白吗?
Do you understand?
我明白了。
I understand.
好。
Good.
记住,大学毕业生并不短缺
Remember, there’s no shortage of college graduates
想要这份工作的人。
who want this job.
做好长时间工作的准备。
Be prepared for long hours.
帕姆会给你钥匙的。
Pam will give you a key.
帕姆。好的。
Pam. OK.
非常感谢。
Thank you so much.
我无法表达我有多荣幸和激动。
I can’t tell you how honored and thrilled I am.
没必要受宠若惊。
No need to be honored.
激动,也许。玛格丽特很令人兴奋。
Thrilled, maybe. Margaret is pretty thrilling.
对了,我叫丹尼尔。
I’m Daniel, by the way.
她会在假期后,一月开始工作。
She’ll be starting after the holidays, January.
杰里!
That Jerry!
啊……
Ah…
我还不知道什么是文学代理,
I didn’t know yet what a literary agency was,
但我感觉,可以进一步地了解
but felt like I’d stepped closer
那些世界闻名的作家了。
to the world of writers.
我将被那些美妙的文学名字所环绕。
I was to be surrounded by godlike literary names.
毫无疑问,接触他们会激发我写作的灵感。
No doubt, their proximity would inspire my own writing.
恭喜你找到了新工作。
Well, congratulations on your new job.
这是您的钥匙。
Here is your key.
不要失了。
Do not lose it.
我们期待你在1月8日早上8点准时到场。