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I have a better idea, he said. "We need a new public-information assistant out here, and we're paying $ 6,000 a year. If you want it, you can have it."
他說，“我有個更好的主意。我們這里要新招一個公共信息助理，年薪六千。想要的話，這位子就是你的了?！?/div>
Six thousand a year! That was real money in 1960. I could get a nice apartment, a used car, pay off debts and maybe save a little something. What's more, I could write on the side.
一年六千！在1960年，那可是一大筆錢了。我可以買套不錯的房子，一輛二手車，還清所有的債，甚至還可以有點積蓄，而且我還可以在業余時間寫作。
As the dollars were dancing in my head, something cleared my senses. From deep inside a bull-headed resolution welled up. I had dreamed of being a writer—full time. And that's what I was going to be. "Thanks, but no," I heard myself saying. "I'm going to stick it out and write."
鈔票在我腦海中舞動，但我的頭腦驀地清醒了。從內心深處，一個固執的決定涌上心頭。我的夢想是要當作家，全職作家。我一定要實現夢想。“謝謝，我不去，”我聽到自己在這樣說，“我要堅持寫作?！?/div>
Afterward, as I paced around my little room, I started to feel like a fool. Reaching into my cupboard—an orange crate nailed to the wall—I pulled out all that was there: two cans of sardines. Plunging my hands in my pockets, I came up with 18 cents. I took the cans and coins and jammed them into a crumpled paper bag. There Alex, I said to myself. There's everything you've made of yourself so far. I'm not sure I ever felt so low.
放下電話，我在小小的房間里踱著步，開始覺得自己像個傻瓜。我把手伸進壁櫥(一個釘在墻上的裝橘子的板條箱），拿出里面所有的東西：兩個沙丁魚罐頭。我把手伸進口袋，找到了18分錢。我把罐頭和硬幣塞進一個皺巴巴的紙袋。我對自己說，看吧，亞歷克斯，這就是你的全部家當了。我覺得前所未有的沮喪。
I wish I could say things started getting better right away. But they didn't. Thank goodness I had George to help me over the rough spots.
我希望我可以說，情況馬上有了好轉，可是沒有。幸虧還有喬治幫我渡過難關。
