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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."
他说，“我有个更好的主意。我们这里要新招一个公共信息助理，年薪六千。想要的话，这位子就是你的了。”
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，那可是一大笔钱了。我可以买套不错的房子，一辆二手车，还清所有的债，甚至还可以有点积蓄，而且我还可以在业余时间写作。
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."
钞票在我脑海中舞动，但我的头脑蓦地清醒了。从内心深处，一个固执的决定涌上心头。我的梦想是要当作家，全职作家。我一定要实现梦想。“谢谢，我不去，”我听到自己在这样说，“我要坚持写作。”
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.
放下电话，我在小小的房间里踱着步，开始觉得自己像个傻瓜。我把手伸进壁橱(一个钉在墙上的装橘子的板条箱），拿出里面所有的东西：两个沙丁鱼罐头。我把手伸进口袋，找到了18分钱。我把罐头和硬币塞进一个皱巴巴的纸袋。我对自己说，看吧，亚历克斯，这就是你的全部家当了。我觉得前所未有的沮丧。
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.
我希望我可以说，情况马上有了好转，可是没有。幸亏还有乔治帮我渡过难关。
