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Have you ever dreamed of becoming a writer, only to be put off by fears that you lacked the ability? If so, then reading Linda Stafford's story will have you reaching for your pen with renewed hope.
你是否曾夢想成為一名作家，卻因為擔心自己缺乏這方面的才能而卻步？如果是這樣，那么讀一讀琳達·斯塔福德的故事就會使你懷著重燃的希望拿起筆來。
I Never Write Right
我寫作一向是野路子
When I was 15, I announced to my English class that I was going to write and illustrate my own books. Half of the students nearly fell out of their chairs laughing.
在我十五歲的時候，我在我們英語課上宣布說我要寫書并為自己的書作插圖。當時有一半同學大笑不止，差一點從他們座位上摔出去。
Don't be silly. Only geniuses can become writers, the English teacher said. "And you are getting a D this semester."
“別犯傻了。只有天才能成為作家。”英語老師說，“而你這學期的英語只能得D。”
I was so embarrassed that I burst into tears. That night I wrote a short, sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the Capper's Weekly. To my astonishment they published it, and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer! I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed.
我感到很難堪，一下子哭了起來。當天晚上我就寫了一首短詩，抒發夢想破滅的悲哀，然后把它寄給了《卡珀周刊》。令我驚訝的是，他們竟發表了我的詩，還寄給了我兩美元。我成了一個發表過作品拿到過稿費的作家了！我拿給老師和同學們看。他們都笑了。
Just plain dumb luck, the teacher said.
“純粹是傻運氣，”老師說。
I'd 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 plain dumb luck," that was fine with me.
我已經嘗到了成功的滋味。我已經賣掉了我的第一篇作品。這超過了他們任何人取得的成績，就算它“純粹是傻運氣”，我也覺得很好。
During the next two years I sold dozens of poems, letters, jokes and recipes. By the time I graduated from high school, 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 dreams, they must always choose the latter.
在隨后的兩年里，我賣出去幾十件作品，其中包括詩歌、信件、笑話和食譜。到我中學畢業時（平均分為C¯），我已經有了好幾本剪貼簿，上面貼滿了我發表過的作品。我再也沒有對老師們、朋友們或家人談起我寫作的事。他們都是些扼殺夢想的人。而如果人們必須在朋友和夢想之間作出選擇的話，他們必須永遠選擇后者。
