英語(yǔ)聽力 學(xué)英語(yǔ),練聽力,上聽力課堂! 注冊(cè) 登錄
> 在線聽力 > 有聲讀物 > 英語(yǔ)美文 > 《瘋狂英語(yǔ)》精選輯 >  第59篇

《瘋狂英語(yǔ)》精選輯: 我不懂寫作

所屬教程:《瘋狂英語(yǔ)》精選輯

瀏覽:

手機(jī)版
掃描二維碼方便學(xué)習(xí)和分享
https://online2.tingclass.net/lesson/shi0529/0008/8010/Write(1).mp3
https://image.tingclass.net/statics/js/2012

瘋狂英語(yǔ)精選緝 I never write right


When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write and illustrate my own books. Half the students sneered, the rest nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. "Don’t be silly, only geniuses can become writers," the English teacher said smugly, "and you are getting a D this semester." I was so humiliated I burst into tears. That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the Capri’s Weekly newspaper. To my astonishment, they published it and sent me two dollars. I was published and paid writer. I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed. "Just plain dumb luck," the teacher said. I 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 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, with a C minus average, 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 their dreams, they must always choose their dreams. I had four children at the time, and the oldest was only four. While the children napped, I typed at 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 Pampers disappears package, the only box I could find. I’d never heard of manuscript boxes. The letter I enclosed read: wrote this book myself, I hope you like it. I also do the illustrations. Chapter six and twelve are my favourites. Thank you." I tied the string around the diaper box and mailed it without a self addressed stamped envelope and without making a copy of the manuscript.

A month later I received a contract, an advance and royalties, and a request to start working on another book. Crying Wind, the title of my book, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and Braille 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. The worst year I ever had as a writer I earned two dollars. I was fifteen, remember? In my best year I earned 36,000 dollars. Most years I earned between five thousand and ten thousand. No, it isn’t enough to live on, but it’s still more than I’d make working part time and it’s five thousand to ten thousand more than I’d make if I didn’t write at all. People ask what college I attended, what degrees I had 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 I don’t write right. I’m lazy, undisciplined, 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’d bought at K- Mart for 89 cents. I use an electric typewriter that I paid 129 dollars for six years ago. I’ve never used the 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 on yellow tablets 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. Don’t listen to them."

I don’t write right but I’ve beaten the odds. Writing is easy, it’s fun and anyone can do it. Of course, a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.

 
我不懂寫作 


十五歲的時(shí)候,我對(duì)班上同學(xué)宣布說(shuō)準(zhǔn)備寫書,并自己畫插圖。 一半的學(xué)生開始竊笑,其余的則幾乎從椅子上笑得跌到地上。“別傻了, 只有天才才能成為作家,”英文老師自以為是地說(shuō)道,“而你這個(gè)學(xué)期只有可能得D。” 我羞愧得大哭起來(lái)。 那天晚上,我寫了一首關(guān)于夢(mèng)想破滅的傷心短詩(shī),并將它寄給了《卡普里周報(bào)》。 出乎意料的是,他們發(fā)表了這首小詩(shī)并給我寄來(lái)了兩美元。我是作家了,我的作品發(fā)表了并因此而得到了報(bào)酬。我拿給老師和同學(xué)看,他們都笑我。“瞎貓逮著死耗子,”老師說(shuō)道。我嘗到了成功的甜頭。我的第一篇作品就賣出去了。這比他們?nèi)魏稳俗龅亩紡?qiáng),如果這是瞎貓逮著死耗子,那么我不在乎。 在接下來(lái)的兩年里,我賣掉了幾十首詩(shī)歌、書信、笑話和食譜。中學(xué)畢業(yè)時(shí),我的平均成績(jī)是C+,但我的剪貼簿里已經(jīng)貼滿了我發(fā)表的作品。我再也沒(méi)有將自己的寫作情況告訴老師、同學(xué)或家人。他們都是無(wú)情的摧夢(mèng)者。如果有人要從朋友和夢(mèng)想之間作出選擇,他們總該選擇后者?,F(xiàn)時(shí)我有四個(gè)孩子,最大的只有四歲。孩子們進(jìn)入夢(mèng)鄉(xiāng)時(shí),我就在那臺(tái)老掉牙的打字機(jī)前打字。我寫下自己的感受,這花了我九個(gè)月的時(shí)間,就像十月懷胎。我隨意選擇了一家出版社,將手稿用空的“潘泊斯”尿布的盒子包起來(lái)——這是我唯一能找到的盒子了。我從來(lái)沒(méi)聽說(shuō)過(guò)手稿箱。在附信中我寫道:這本書是我自己寫的,希望你喜歡。插圖也是我自己畫的。我本人最喜歡第六章和第十二章。謝謝。” 我用繩子捆好尿布箱,然后寄了出去,甚至沒(méi)有在信封上加蓋自己的地址,也沒(méi)有留下一份手稿的復(fù)印件。

一個(gè)月后,我收到一份合同、一份預(yù)付款和特許權(quán),以及另一本書的約稿。這本名為《哭泣的風(fēng)》這本書成了暢銷的書,并被譯成15國(guó)文字和盲文,銷往世界各地。白天我出現(xiàn)在電視上的言談節(jié)目中,晚上則回家換尿片。從紐約到加利福利亞,到加拿大。我往返于作促銷旅行。我的第一本書被列為加拿大美語(yǔ)學(xué)校的必讀課程。自從成了作家以來(lái),我掙最少的一年只有兩美元,那時(shí)我十五歲,還記得嗎? 而最多的一年我可以掙三萬(wàn)六千美元。多數(shù)時(shí)候我掙的錢城五千到一萬(wàn)之間。不,這當(dāng)然不夠維生,但兼職能賺這些已經(jīng)夠多,而且如果我不寫作,就不可能多賺了五千到一萬(wàn)美元。人們問(wèn)我曾上過(guò)什么大學(xué),曾得過(guò)什么學(xué)位,曾獲過(guò)什么資格證書才可以成為作家。答案是:“什么也沒(méi)有。”我只是寫。我不是天才。我并沒(méi)有寫作天分也不懂寫作。我懶惰、沒(méi)有經(jīng)過(guò)正式訓(xùn)練,與孩子和朋友相處的時(shí)間要多過(guò)寫作的時(shí)間。直到四年前我才有了一本詞典。我使用的是用89美分在市場(chǎng)里買來(lái)的一本韋氏小詞典。電動(dòng)打字機(jī)是我六年前花129美元買來(lái)的。我從來(lái)不使用單詞處理程序。我包攬了家里六個(gè)人所有的烹調(diào)、清潔和洗滌的活兒,這里寫幾分鐘,那里寫幾分鐘。所有的東西我都是坐在沙發(fā)上速記在黃色的筆記薄上,和四個(gè)孩子一邊吃比薩餅和一邊看電視。書寫完了,我就打出來(lái)然后寄到出版社。我寫了八本書。四本已出版,三本在出版社。還有一本寫砸了。對(duì)于那些夢(mèng)想寫作的人,我想大喊一聲:“行的,你一定能行。不要聽信別人。”

我不懂寫作,可是我戰(zhàn)勝了不可能。寫作很容易,十分有趣,每個(gè)人都做得來(lái)。當(dāng)然,哪怕是瞎貓逮著死耗子也無(wú)關(guān)緊要。

用戶搜索

瘋狂英語(yǔ) 英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)法 新概念英語(yǔ) 走遍美國(guó) 四級(jí)聽力 英語(yǔ)音標(biāo) 英語(yǔ)入門 發(fā)音 美語(yǔ) 四級(jí) 新東方 七年級(jí) 賴世雄 zero是什么意思廣州市愉景南苑英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)交流群

網(wǎng)站推薦

英語(yǔ)翻譯英語(yǔ)應(yīng)急口語(yǔ)8000句聽歌學(xué)英語(yǔ)英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)方法

  • 頻道推薦
  • |
  • 全站推薦
  • 推薦下載
  • 網(wǎng)站推薦