By Yang Yafei and Zhuang Xin

　　Mother said: One must do a good job in each and every thing.

　　An important difference between people of my generation and today's youth is that we had no freedom to choose our own occupation. So, no matterswheresI was posted, I would have no other thought except doing the job to the best of my ability.Perhaps this aspect of my personality has something to do with the way my mother raised me.

　　My mother was a perfectionist in everything she undertook, and would not tolerate a task that was not done to perfection. Take brushing the wooden toilet bucket for example. After I had brushed it several times with great efforts, it was still not very clean. So I said to her that it was really impossible to clean it thoroughly. Without uttering a word, she took the bucket away, rolled up her sleeves and began brushing it herself. In one way or another, the end result was always the same: she managed to do things that we were unable to do. This might sound like an overly strict method of educating one's children, but actually, due to the influence of my mother I came to understand at a very early age the simple truth that nothing is impossible as long as you work hard at it and use your brain.

　　"Not a single class brother or sister shall be left behind!"In 1968 when I was not yet 20, I was sent to the countryside to be "re-educated" by the peasants. I stayed there for three years. One day I was working in the watermelon fields when some members of the Workers' Propaganda Team stationed at Beijing Foreign Languages Institute came to recruit students. I was summoned for an interview. As a result, I became one of the "worker-peasant-soldier" students in the English Department of the institute.

　　After I began my studies I realized that, not only was I the oldest in the class, but my grades were the worst. Most of my classmates had come directly from the foreign language middle school affiliated with the institute and therefore already had a solid command of the English language. Moreover, they were several years younger than I was.

　　One day in class the teacher asked me an easy question in English which I did not understand. When he repeated the question, I understood him but didn't know how to answer it, so I stood speechless right in the middle of the classroom. The teacher then asked me to sit. Feeling terribly humiliated, I refused to sit, nor would I speak. With great effort, I held back my tears. The teacher, who was very angry, went on with his lecture, while I, not knowing how to back down, stood there throughout the remainder of the class, unable to hear anything the teacher had said. As soon as the class was over, I ran to the top of the earthen mound at the back of the institute and cried a river of tears. As I was sobbing, I also asked myself: What's the use of me crying? Slowly I came to a clear and correct understanding of my situation. Withoutshavingslunch, I went to apologize to my teacher, and told him that I wanted to answer his question.

　　The next day a large horizontal banner appeared in the classroom, which read: " Not a single class brother or sister shall be left behind!" Clearly, I was such a "class sister". And this was the first and only time in my academic life that I was the recipient of help.

　　Four years of genuine hard work at college

　　From that day on, I made up my mind to become the best student in the class. At first, I believed that there ought to be some shortcuts in learning a foreign language. After speaking to a lot of classmates and teachers, I finally realized that there was no such shortcut to mastering a foreign language. The only correct way to learn a foreign language was to steep oneself in it. So, I became very studious. Every night after the dormitory light was turned off at bed time, I would continue studying in bed by flashlight until midnight. No matter how cold it got, I would rise at 5 a.m., go outside to a tree and begin reading or reciting aloud. Only after I had revised again and again what I had learnt the previous day and made sure that I had grasped it all, would I go to breakfast.

　　The five key skills in English are listening, reading, speaking, writing, and translating, each requiring a lot of work. For listening practice, for example, the campus loudspeakers would broadcast one hour of English news every night at 7 p.m.; we students wrapped up in overcoats would sit in the open air in groups of twos and threes listening to the broadcast. For reading practice, the reading material was the weekly Peking Review. We would read the 20 odd pages of it from beginning to end, copying down every new word. For translation practice, we turned to People's Daily, translating the important articles sentence by sentence and then comparing them with their English versions in Peking Review. The conditions then were a world away from today.

　　During winter vacations there was no heating in the student dormitories. The first duty in the morning for me and the few other students who didn't go home was to fetch hot water.shavingsreturned to the dormitory, we would slip back into bed and bury ourselves in books. Hot water and steamed buns with pickles were all we had for our daily three meals. What we read were mostly novels in English. We would read from dawn to dusk, rarely venturing out.

　　And after a few years like this, I indeed graduated amongst the top of my grade.

　　(Translated by Theresa Jen and Guohua Chen)

　　＊任小萍：原外交学院副院长、英语教授。

　　母亲说：任何事都必须做好

　　我们这代人，和现在的年轻人不同，我们没有什么择业自主权。所以每一次，不管被派到哪里，我不会想别的，就想着怎么把工作做好，做得最好。

　　也许我这种个性特点和我母亲的教导有关。母亲是个凡事要求尽善尽美的人，她不能原谅一件事没有做好。比如刷马桶，我使劲刷了几次还是没有刷干净，对她说实在刷不干净了。她不说话，自己拎过去，挽起袖子就刷。不管用到些什么工具，最终的结果总是，我们做不到的，她做到了。也许这是一种很可怕的教育方法，但事实上，在她的影响下，从小我就懂得一个道理，任何事，只要你努力去做，动脑筋去做，没有做不成的。

　　“不让一个阶级兄弟掉队”

　　1968年，还不到20岁，我去农村插队了三年。有一天正在西瓜地里干活，北京外语学院工宣队的来招生，把我叫了过去。于是，我成了北外英语系的一名工农兵学员。

　　上大学后，我才知道自己是班里不光年龄最大，也是成绩最差的学生。因为大部分同学是从附中直接上来的，已经很有基础了，年纪也要比我小好几岁。

　　有一天上课，老师问了一个简单问题，第一遍没听懂，第二遍听懂了，却不知道该怎么回答，于是僵在了课堂上。老师让我坐下，我难受极了，觉得很丢脸，不坐也不说话，顽强地忍着眼泪不流下来。老师也很恼火，接着上课，于是完全不知道该怎么下台的我就整整站了一节课，什么也没听进去。下课后，跑到后院山坡上大哭了一场。这时候也开始反省：哭有什么用？慢慢想明白了，中午饭不吃，就去找老师道歉，说要回答老师的问题。

　　第二天，一条横幅悬挂在教室里：“不让一个阶级兄弟掉队！”当然我就是这个“阶级兄弟”。这是我生平第一次也是惟一的一次成了被帮助的对象。

　　四年真正的寒窗苦读

　　从那以后，我就下了决心，一定要成为最好的学生。开始总以为学外语会有什么捷径，问了很多老师和同学，最后才知道，学外语没有什么捷径可言，惟一的正确答案应该就是：外语是“泡”出来的。所以我非常用功，每天晚上打电筒学到12点、1点，早晨5点起床，不管多冷，对着一棵树就大声地念，大声地背，把头一天学的东西翻来覆去地弄好几遍，直到完全掌握，才去吃早餐。

　　主要的五项技能，听、读、说、写、译，每一项都得下工夫。比如说听，每天晚上7点，学校的大喇叭会播送一个小时的英语新闻，大家都裹着大衣三三两两地坐在院子里听；读呢，就是每周一份的《北京周报》，20多页一句不落地从头看到尾，把所有的生词都拿本子记下来；译，就是把《人民日报》上的重要文章，逐字逐句地译出来，再对照《北京周报》的英文译稿。当时可没有现在的条件。

　　放寒假时，宿舍里没有暖气，我和几个没回家的同学早晨起床第一件事就是去打开水，回来后就钻进被窝里读书。开水就着馒头、咸菜，就是一天的饭。读的大都是些英文小说，从早到晚，很少出去。

　　就这么几年下来，毕业的时候，我的确是全年级最好的学生之一了。(摘自1999年1月8日《中国青年报》)

　　译注

　　没有选择的选择：直译是An Option with No Option，但这里说的不是一个或一次选择，因此不能用An Option或The Option。可如果把“选择”译成复数Options，则又有了选择，因此还是按照‘没有选择是我惟一的选择’译成No Option Was My Only Option。不用option用choice也可以。

　　任何事都：这里单用一个anything无法表达原文‘每一件事’的意思，因此要说each and every thing。

　　我们这代人：people of my generation，注意中文是“我们”，英文是my。

　　现在的年轻人：today's youth或young people。

　　择业：也就是‘选择自己的职业’(to choose our own occupation)。

　　自主权：这里实际就是‘自由’(freedom)。

　　每一次：有了后面的“不管被派到哪里”，“每一次”的意思显得多余，可不译。

　　派：post或assign。

　　不会想别的，就想着：即‘除了……没有其他想法’(have no other thought except...)。

　　把工作做好，做得最好：即‘尽全力把工作做好’(doing the job to the best of my ability)。

　　我这种个性特点：即‘我性格的这一方面’(this aspect of my personality)或‘我的这种个性’(this individual character of mine)。

　　我母亲的教导：这里直译成my mother's teaching不好，最好还是把“教导”理解为‘教养’，译成the way my mother raised me。

　　凡事：即‘她从事的每一件事’(in everything she undertook)。要求尽善尽美的人：即‘完美主义者’(a perfectionist)。

　　原谅：这里的意思是‘容忍’(tolerate)。

　　一件事：这里的“一件事”是‘一个任务’(a task)。

　　没有做好：that was not done to perfection，这里的“好”是‘完美’的意思。

　　比如：Take ...for example。

　　马桶：这里说的是南方用的木制马桶(the wooden toilet bucket)。

　　使劲：with great efforts。

　　我……还是没有刷干净：即‘马桶仍然不太干净’( it was still not very clean)。

　　刷不干净了：即‘不可能彻底刷干净’(impossible to clean it thoroughly)。

　　她不说话：即‘一声不吭’(Without uttering a word)。

　　自己拎过去：即‘拎到一边’(took the bucket away)。

　　挽起袖子：rolled up her sleeves。

　　不管用到些什么工具：In one way or another或by whatever means。

　　最终的结果：the end result或the final result，前者似乎更客观一些。

　　总是：意思是‘总是一样’(was always the same)。

　　做到了：也就是‘做成了’managed to do things。

　　也许这是：意思是‘也许这听起来’(This might sound like)。

　　很可怕的：这里“可怕”有些过分，译成an overly strict(过于严格)可能更恰当。

　　教育方法：method of educating one's children或method of education。

　　在她的影响下：即‘由于我母亲的影响’(due to the influence of my mother)。

　　从小：即‘在很小的时候’(at a very early age)。

　　我就懂得：这里的“懂”是‘由不懂到懂’(I came to understand)。

　　一个道理：与后面跟的“任何事……”是同位成分，所以要用the simple truth that。

　　努力去做：work hard at it，用it复指“任何事”。把“去做”直译成to do it不符合英语习惯。

　　动脑筋去做：use your brain，“去做”的意思已经隐含，不必译出。

　　不让：Not... shall...或We mustn't let...，这里是号召，不是命令，不能直译成祈使句Don't...。

　　一个：这里的“一个”是“甚至一个”的意思，简单一个不定冠词a或one表达不出这种强调的意思，所以要加上single。

　　阶级兄弟：直译是class brother，但作者是女性，所以译文里又加上or sister。另外在文章主人公写的回忆录《走进英语的殿堂》(《含英咀华：中国英语女教授随笔》，北京：外语教学与研究出版社，2000)里，这条标语写的是“阶级兄弟/姐妹”。

　　掉队：be left behind或lag behind。

　　1968年，还不到20岁：In 1968 when I was not yet 20。凡碰到汉语类似结构，一般可以用when把两个成分连接起来。

　　我去农村插队了三年：原文这里表达不严谨，确切的意思应当是‘1968年……我去农村插队，在那里待了三年’。“插队”很难译，这里可以解释为‘被送到农村，接受农民“再教育”’(I was sent to the countryside to be "re-educated" by the peasants. I stayed there for three years.)。

　　西瓜地：the watermelon fields，注意：同一个“地”字，英文里用不同的词。

　　北京外语学院：北京外国语大学的前身，英文名是Beijing Foreign Languages Institute。

　　工宣队的：意思是‘工人宣传队的队员’(some members of the

　　Workers' Propaganda Team)。当时工宣队是进驻到各大学的，所以这里最好加上stationed at...。

　　招生：recruit students。

　　把我叫了过去：意思是‘招呼我过去面试’(I was summoned for an interview.)。

　　于是：这里的意思是‘结果’(As a result)。

　　一名工农兵学员：“工农兵学员”的意思是‘学员中有的入学前是工人，有的是农民，有的是士兵’，英文是"worker-peasant-soldier" students，给"worker-peasant-soldier"加引号是表示‘所谓’的意思。这里“一名”不能简单译成a，而要译成one of the...，因为“工农兵学员”是集体概念。

　　上大学后：这里的具体意思是‘开始学习之后’(After I began my studies)，不宜直译成After I went to university。

　　才知道：这里的意思不是‘直到……才知道’，而是‘发觉，意识到’(realized)。

　　自己是班里不光年龄最大：这里英文须用主谓倒装结构not only was I the oldest in the class。

　　成绩：即‘分数’(my grades)。

　　附中：当时的北外附中是一所外语中学，所以最好点明这一点，译成the foreign language middle school affiliated with the institute。

　　很有基础了：意思是‘对英语的掌握已经很扎实了’(already had a solid command of the English language)。

　　也要：这里的意思是‘另外’(Moreover)。

　　上课：即‘在课堂上’(in class)。

　　老师：从上下文看不出这位老师是男是女，这给翻译造成极大困难，因为英文不能总说the teacher，那样会显得行文不流畅。好在《走进英语的殿堂》告诉我们，这是位男老师。

　　一个简单问题：这里应点明是用英语问的问题(an easy question in English)。

　　第一遍……第二遍：这里的意思是‘……我没听懂，老师又问了一遍’(...I did not understand...When he repeated the question)，不必直译成the first time...the second time。

　　没听懂……听懂了：这里的两个“听懂”都应按及物动词译成which I did not understand ...I understood him。

　　僵在了课堂上：这个“僵”不好译，勉强译成stood speechless right in the middle of the classroom。

　　我难受极了，觉得很丢脸：译成Feeling terribly humiliated就够了。

　　不坐：意思是‘拒绝坐下’(refused to sit)。

　　顽强地：这里可理解为‘尽了极大的努力’(With great effort)。

　　忍着眼泪不流下来：I held back my tears。

　　恼火：这里angry比annoyed更恰当。

　　接着上课：即‘接着讲课’(went on with his lecture)。

　　于是完全不知道该怎么下台的我：这种欧化句式近年来似乎日益时髦，其实英语很少以代词定语从句修饰对象。这里还是用分词从句(I, not

　　knowing how to back down)对译较好。“下台”这里是‘下台阶’、‘认输’的意思，有时可以译成climb down。

　　整整站了一节课：意思是‘那堂课剩下的时间一直都站在那里’(stood there throughout the remainder of the class)。

　　什么也：即‘老师说的任何话’(anything the teacher had said)。

　　后院：北外有东院和西院，没有后院，或许说话人指的是西院，这里含糊译成at the back of the institute。

　　山坡上：北外院内和院外附近没有山坡，当时土坡倒可能有，因此译成top of the earthen mound。主人公在其回忆录《走进英语的殿堂》中说，她“跑到离教学区很远的秧田区，坐在一棵大树下痛哭起来”。

　　大哭了一场：cried a river of tears，也可以说cried my heart/eyes out。

　　这时候：也就是‘我一边哭’(As I was sobbing)。

　　反省：这里可以理解为‘问我自己’(asked myself)。

　　想明白了：即‘对自己的情况有了清楚正确的认识’(came to a clear and correct understanding of my situation)。

　　找老师道歉：即‘向老师道歉’(went to apologize to my teacher)。

　　第二天：The next day，注意：这里不能直译成The second day。

　　横幅：horizontal banner或streamer。

　　悬挂：这里应理解为‘出现在……上面写着……’(appeared...,which read...)。

　　当然：这里是‘显然’(Clearly)的意思。

　　生平：这里的“生平”并不是简单的‘一辈子’，因为一个人从小到大不可能从未接受过别人的任何帮助，这里应当是在‘学习上一辈子’的意思，因此译成in my academic life。

　　被帮助的对象：recipient of help，直译成object of help不好。

　　寒窗苦读：“寒窗”就是‘学校’(at college)，“苦读”就是‘用功’(hard work)。

　　从那以后：这里讲的是那一天发生的事，因此译成From that day on较好。

　　最好的学生：the best student in the class，最高级最好加上其范围。

　　总以为：believed或thought。

　　会有：there ought to be或there was，这里不能把“会”直译成would be。

　　什么捷径：即‘某种捷径(some shortcuts)。

　　最后才：finally，这里“才”的意思不重要。

　　学外语没有什么捷径：there was no such shortcut to mastering a foreign language，注意shortcut后面跟的是介词to。

　　答案：这里的“答案”其实是‘方法’(way)。

　　“泡”出来的：即‘把自己浸泡在外语里’steep oneself in it。

　　每天晚上：Every night after the dormitory light was turned off at bed time，这里补充一些内容是为了方便英语读者理解。

　　打电筒：即‘借助手电筒’(by flashlight)。

　　到12点、1点：until midnight即可。

　　对着一棵树：即‘走到一棵树前’(go outside to a tree)。

　　翻来覆去地：即‘一遍又一遍，反反复复’(again and again)。

　　弄：这里的意思是‘复习’(revise)。

　　直到……才：英语没有一个相应的词表达“才”的意思，只能用Only after... would I...这样的句式。

　　完全掌握：grasped it all，这里英文与中文在选词上有相似之处。

　　得下工夫：即‘需要/要求下很多功夫’(requiring a lot of work)。

　　比如说听：这里按‘例如，作为听力练习’理解，译为For listening

　　practice, for example。

　　学校的大喇叭：即‘校园里的扩音器’(the campus loudspeakers)。

　　大家：即‘我们学生’(we students)。

　　裹着大衣：wrapped up in overcoats。

　　三三两两地：in groups of twos and threes。

　　在院子里：这里的“院子”最好按‘露天’(in the open air)理解，英文的yard在backyard里跟中文“后院”里的“院”对应，其他时候往往不对应。

　　听：这里单说一个listening不行，得说listening to the broadcast。

　　就是：这里隐含‘阅读材料’(the reading material)作为主语。

　　每周一份的：即‘周刊’(the weekly)。

　　《北京周报》：Peking Review。

　　20多页：这里是‘20来页’(the 20 odd pages of it)，不可译成more than 20 pages。

　　一句不落地从头看到尾：read...from beginning to end，即可，“一句不落地”(without skipping over a single sentence)可不译。

　　逐字逐句：sentence by sentence。

　　译稿：这里应当是“英文本”(English versions)。

　　当时可没有现在的条件：意思是‘当时的条件跟现在相比可是差得太远了’(The conditions then were a world away from today)。

　　暖气：heating。

　　我……早晨起床第一件事：The first duty in the morning for me...。一般可以直译译成The first thing I and ...did in the morning，可是由于原文里有“几个没回家的同学”这样一个定语从句，不便于直译。

　　几个……同学：the few other students，注意英文加了other。

　　打开水：fetch hot water，不必说boiling water。

　　钻进被窝里：slip back into bed，注意英文slip强调‘滑’。

　　读书：这里可以译得形象一些，bury ourselves in books。

　　就着：英文就是and。

　　馒头：steamed buns。

　　咸菜：英文pickles既可是酸菜，也可是咸菜。

　　一天的饭：这里不妨在译文里加上“三顿”all we had for our daily three meals。

　　从早到晚：read from dawn to dusk或from morning till night。

　　出去：北京严冬季节外面很冷，出去不是一件舒服的事，因此可以用venturing out译“出去”。

　　就这么几年下来：即‘这样过了几年之后’(after a few years like this)。

　　毕业的时候，我的确是：graduated amongst the top of my grade，也可以说by the time we graduated, I had become...。(阳亚菲庄欣文长慧国华译注)