Unit 10 The Transaction课文翻译综合教程三.pdf

Unit10

TheTransaction

WilliamZinsser
1AbouttenyearsagoaschoolinConnecticutheld“adaydevotedtothearts,”andI
wasaskedifIwouldcomeandtalkaboutwritingasavocation.WhenIarrivedIfound
thatasecondspeakerhadbeeninvited—Dr.Brock(asI’llcallhim),asurgeonwhohad
recentlybeguntowriteandhadsoldsomestoriestonationalmagazines.Hewasgoingto
talkaboutwritingasanavocation.Thatmadeusapanel,andwesatdowntofaceacrowd
ofstudentnewspapereditors,Englishteachersandparents,alleagertolearnthesecrets
ofourglamorouswork.
2Dr.Brockwasdressedinabrightredjacket,lookingvaguelybohemian,asauthors
aresupposedtolook,andthefirstquestionwenttohim.Whatwasitliketobeawriter?
3Hesaiditwastremendousfun.Cominghomefromanarduousdayatthehospital,
hewouldgostraighttohisyellowpadandwritehistensionsaway.Thewordsjustflowed.
Itwaseasy.
4Ithensaidthatwritingwasn’teasyanditwasn’tfun.Itwashardandlonely,and
thewordsseldomjustflowed.
5NextDr.Brockwasaskedifitwasimportanttorewrite.“Absolutelynot,”hesaid.
“Letitallhangout,andwhateverformthesentencestakewillreflectthewriterathis
mostnatural.”
6Ithensaidthatrewritingistheessenceofwriting.Ipointedoutthatprofessional
writersrewritetheirsentencesrepeatedlyandthenrewritewhattheyhaverewritten.I
mentionedthatE.B.WhiteandJamesThurberrewrotetheirpieceseightorninetimes.
7“Whatdoyoudoondayswhenitisn’tgoingwell?”Dr.Brockwasasked.Hesaidhe
juststoppedwritingandputtheworkasideforadaywhenitwouldgobetter.
8Ithensaidthattheprofessionalwritermustestablishadailyscheduleandstickto
it.Isaidthatwritingisacraft,notanart,andthatthemanwhorunsawayfromhiscraft
becausehelacksinspirationisfoolinghimself.Heisalsogoingbroke.
9“Whatifyou’refeelingdepressedorunhappy?”astudentasked.“Won’tthataffect
yourwriting?”
10Probablyitwill,Dr.Brockreplied.Gofishing.Takeawalk.
11Probablyitwon’t,Isaid.Ifyourjobistowriteeveryday,youlearntodoitlikeany
otherjob.
12Astudentaskedifwefounditusefultocirculateintheliteraryworld.Dr.Brocksaid

thathewasgreatlyenjoyinghisnewlifeasamanofletters,andhetoldseveralstoriesof
beingtakentolu