002 难得的机会

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" The question of your future came up at today's meeting," Mrs. Lippett repeated

“今天会议上提出了关于你未来的问题，” 李皮特太太重复道。

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" And we discussed it in great detail."

“并且我们对此进行了详细的讨论。”

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I continued to sit in stunned silence in the matron's office

我继续在女总管的办公室里坐着，惊愕得说不出话来。

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" You've done well here, Jerusha," she went on

“你在这儿表现得不错，洁露莎，” 她继续说道。

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" And we let you attend the village high school

“我们也让你去读了村里的高中。

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Despite some problems with your behavior."

尽管你的行为举止有些问题。”

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She frowned at me. I tried to look guilty

她对我皱起了眉头。我努力装出一副愧疚的样子。

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" But you're 18 now and finishing high school

“但你现在已经18岁了，而且很快就要读完高中了。

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We can't take care of you for much longer

我们无法再照顾你更久了。

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As you know, we don't often keep orphans after age 16

你知道的，我们通常不会收留超过16岁的孤儿。”

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You were lucky to have two extra years here."

你能在这里多待两年，已经很幸运了。

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I'd worked hard in exchange for my stay at the orphanage for those two extra years

我勤奋工作，才换来在孤儿院多住那两年。

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And my education had always come second

而我的学业始终被放在次要位置。

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Today, for example, Mrs. Lippett had kept me home from school to work

比如今天，利皮特太太就让我没去上学，留在家里干活。

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But I was too anxious about my future to say anything

可我太担心自己的前途，什么也没说。

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" Usually we'd send you out to find a job

“通常我们会送你出去找份工作。

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However, your grades have been excellent

不过，你的成绩一直很出色。

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Miss Pritchard, who's on our ladies' committee, talked to your English teacher

妇女委员会的普里查德小姐跟你的英语老师谈过。

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The teacher said your work was brilliant

“老师说你的作业非常优秀。

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She also gave Miss Pritchard a story you'd written called ' Blue Wednesday.'"

她还把你写的一篇叫《蓝色星期三》的故事交给了普里查德小姐。”

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This time my guilty expression was real

这次我内疚的表情是真的。

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Mrs. Lippett always said my imagination would get me into trouble

李皮特夫人总说我的想象力会给我惹麻烦。

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And now, I guess, it had." Blue Wednesday " was a work of fiction

现在看来，还真惹麻烦了。《蓝色星期三》是一篇虚构作品。

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But it was based on the days when the trustees and ladies' committee came to visit

但它是根据董事和女士委员会来访时的日子写的。

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" Miss Pritchard read that story aloud to us

“普里查德小姐把那篇故事大声念给我们听了。

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I think it was rude to mock the orphanage

我觉得嘲笑孤儿院很无礼。

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Especially after we've done so much for you." Mrs. Lippett looked at me with disapproval

尤其是在我们为你做了这么多之后。”李皮特夫人不以为然地看了我一眼。

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" Luckily, some people have a strange sense of humor and found your story funny

“幸运的是，有些人有奇怪的幽默感，觉得你的故事很好笑。

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Mr. — that is, the trustee who just left — thought it quite amusing

那位——就是刚离开的那位董事——觉得它相当有趣。

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On the strength of that disrespectful paper, he's sending you to college!"

就凭那篇无礼的文章，他要送你去上大学！”

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" To college?" My eyes grew big

“上大学？”我瞪大了眼睛。

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Mrs. Lippett nodded

李皮特夫人点了点头。

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" He waited until after the meeting to discuss the details with me

“他会后才跟我讨论细节。

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They are quite unusual. I must say the gentleman is odd

条件很不寻常。我得说那位先生有点古怪。

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He believes you have talent

他认为你有天赋。

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He plans to educate you to become a writer!"

他打算培养你成为作家！”

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" A writer?" I said in shock

“作家？”我震惊地说。

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" Who knows if you'll succeed. Only time will tell."

“谁知道你会不会成功呢，只有时间能证明。”

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The matron described the trustee's plan

女总管描述了那位受托人的计划。

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I would spend the rest of the summer working at the orphanage

我将在孤儿院工作度过剩余夏天。

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Miss Pritchard would help me choose new clothes

普里查德小姐会负责帮我挑选新衣服。

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The trustee would pay for them

这些衣服的费用由那位资助人支付。

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He would also pay my tuition and board directly to the college

他还会把我的学费和食宿费直接付给大学。

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I would also receive an allowance of 35 dollars a month

此外，我还会得到每月三十五美元的零用钱。

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" That's a very generous amount, Jerusha," said Mrs. Lippett

“洁露莎，这是一笔非常慷慨的资助。”李皮特夫人说。

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" Far too generous for a girl who has never managed her own money

“对于一个从未管理过自己钱财的女孩来说，这未免太过慷慨了。”

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But he wanted you to feel equal to the other girls at college."

但他希望你能因此感到自己不输于大学里的其他女孩。

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Mrs. Lippett explained that the trustee's secretary would send me the money every month

李皮特夫人解释说，那位资助人的秘书会每月给我汇钱。

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" In return for all this, you must write letters to the trustee," she said

“作为这一切的回报，你必须给那位资助人写信。”她说。

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" These letters should not just be thank-you notes!"

“这些信可不能仅仅是感谢信！”

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" Then what should I write about?" This gentleman did sound very odd

“那我该写些什么呢？”这位绅士听起来确实很古怪。

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" He wants you to write about your studies and your daily life

“他要你写写你的学习和日常生活。

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Write a letter like you'd write to your parents — if you had parents."

就像给父母写信那样写——如果你有父母的话。”

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Mrs. Lippett had more strange instructions for me

李皮特夫人还有更多奇怪的指示要给我。

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The gentleman's name was not Mr. John Smith, yet that was how I should address the letters

那位绅士的名字不叫约翰·史密斯先生，但我却要用这个名字来称呼收信人。

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I should mail them to his secretary, Mr. Griggs

我该把信寄给他的秘书，格里格斯先生。

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" Mr. Smith will never answer your letters

“史密斯先生永远不会给你回信。

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He hates writing letters!

他最讨厌写信了！

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However, he wants to keep track of your progress

不过，他想随时了解你的进步。

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He thinks letter writing is good training for a future author

他认为写信是培养未来作家的好训练。

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The letters are the only thanks he requires, so treat them like a bill that must be paid

这些信是他唯一要求的感谢，所以要像对待必须偿还的账单一样对待它们。

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If there is an emergency..."

如果遇到紧急情况……”

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" An emergency?" I hadn't thought about having an emergency at college

“紧急情况？”我还没想过在大学里会遇到紧急情况。

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" For example, if you are expelled... Oh my!

“比方说，要是你被开除了……天哪！

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I hope that doesn't happen

希望不会发生这种事。

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What an embarrassment for the John Grier Home!"

那会让约翰·格里尔孤儿院多难堪啊！”

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Mrs. Lippett paused for a moment to calm herself, and then began again

李皮特夫人顿了顿，让自己平静下来，然后又开始说了。

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" If you have an emergency, you may write to Mr. Griggs."

“如果你有紧急情况，可以写信给格里格斯先生。”

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I looked at the door

我看了看门口。

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My head was whirring with excitement, and I wanted to escape

我的脑子兴奋得嗡嗡作响，只想赶紧逃开。

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I needed to think

我需要好好想想。

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I stood up. But Mrs. Lippett shook her head and I sat back down

我站了起来。可李皮特夫人摇了摇头，我又坐了回去。

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" I hope that you're grateful for this wonderful opportunity

“我希望你对这个绝佳的机会心存感激。

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Not many orphans get a chance to rise in the world

没有多少孤儿能得到这种出人头地的机会。

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I hope your behavior will make us proud at the John Grier Home

我希望你的行为能让我们约翰·格里尔孤儿院引以为傲。

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You must always remember — "

你必须永远记住——”

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" Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am

“好的，夫人。谢谢您，夫人。

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I must sew a patch on one of the orphan's shirts. Right now."

我得去给一个孤儿的衬衫缝补丁。现在就得去。”

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I leaped up and fled, leaving Mrs. Lippett standing there with her mouth open

我跳起来跑掉了，留下李皮特夫人目瞪口呆地站在原地。