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GrowingUp1Fiftyyearsagoparentsstillaskedboysiftheywantedtogrowuptobepresident,andaskeditnotjokinglybutseriously.Manyparentswhowerehardlymorethanpaupersstillbelievedtheirsonscoulddoit.AbrahamLincolnhaddoneit.Wewereonlysixty-fiveyearsfromLincoln.ManyofgrandfatherwhowalkedamonguscouldremeberLincoln.Menofgrandfatherlyageweretheworstforaskingifyouwantedtogrowuptobepresident.Asurprisingnumberoflittleboyssaidyesandmeantit.五十年前父母大都会问男孩子们长大后想不想当总统，问这话时一本正经，并非开玩笑。许多穷得跟乞丐似的父母也仍然相信他们的孩子能当上总统。亚伯拉罕・林肯就做到了。我们与林肯那个时代仅仅差65年。依然健在的许多爷爷辈的人还能记得林肯时代。就是他们最喜欢问你长大后想不想当总统。回答说想当的小男孩数量多得惊人，而且他们是当真的。2Iwasaskedmanytimesmyself.No,Ididn’twanttogrowuptobepresident.Mymotherwaspresentduringoneoftheseinterrogations.Anelderlyuncle,havingposedtheusualquestionandexposedmylackofinterestinthepresidency,asked,“Well,whatdoyouwanttobewhenyougrowup.我就曾经被问过多次。我会回答说不，我长大后不想当总统。有一个年纪大的叔叔，当着母亲的面向我提出这个问烂了的问题，发现了我对当总统不感兴趣，他就接着又问：“那你长大了想干什么呢？”3Ilovedtopickthroughtrashpilesandcollectemptybottles,tincanswithprettylabels,anddiscardedmagazines.Themostdesirablejobonearthspranginstantlytomind.“Iwanttobeagarbageman,”Isaid.我那时喜欢到垃圾堆上去拣东西，收集空瓶子、有漂亮标签的罐子和废弃的杂志。世界上最吸引我的工作立刻浮现在我的脑子里。“我想当一个垃圾工。”我说道。4Myunclesmiled,butmymotherhadseenthefirstdistressingevidenceofabumpbuddingonalog.“Havealittlegumption,Russell,”shesaid.HercallingmeRussellwasasignalofunhappiness.WhensheapprovedofmeIwasalways“Buddy”.叔叔听后笑了，而母亲却觉察到了我那呆头呆脑的苗头，不免伤心。“有点上进心吧，拉塞尔。”她说道。她叫我“拉塞尔”表明她不高兴，因为她夸我的时候总是叫我“小家伙”。5WhenIturnedeightyearsoldshedecidedthatthejobofstartingmeontheroadtowardmakingsomethingofmyselfcouldnolongerbesafelydelayed,“Buddy,”shesaidoneday,“Iwantyoutocomehomerightafterschoolthisafternoon.Somebody’scomingandIwantyoutomeethim.”转眼间我长到了八岁，她觉得我得找个工作，开始踏上那条让我自己成就点什么的道路，而不能再四平八稳地坐失良机了。“巴迪”，有一天她跟我说，“今天放学后马上回家。有人要来，我要你见见他。”6WhenIburstinthatafternoonshewasinconferenceintheparlorwithanexecutiveoftheCurtisPublishingCompany.Sheintroducedme.Hebentlowfromthewaistandshookmyhand.Wasittrueasmymotherhadtoldhim,heasked,thatIlongerfortheopportunitytoconquertheworldofbusiness?那天下午我冲进家门的时候，她正在客厅里跟柯蒂斯出版公司的一个负责人谈话。他把我介绍给他。他弯下腰和我握了握手，问我是不是像母亲说的那样渴望获得进入商界的机会。7MymotherrepliedthatIwasblessedwithararedeterminationtomaketosucceedinbusiness.”母亲在一旁忙说我决意要使自己成为一个有所成就的人。8“That’sright,”Isaid.“是的。”我低声说。9“Buthaveyougotthegrit,thecharacter,thenever-say-quitspiritittakestosucceedinbusiness.”“那么，你是否具备在商业上获得成功所需要的刚强、勇气和绝不放弃的精神呢？”10MymothersaidIcertainlydid.母亲回答说我当然具备。11“That’sright,”Isaid.“是的。”我说。12Heeyedmesilentlyforalongpause,asthoughweighingwhetherIcouldbetrustedtokeephisconfidence,thenspokeman-to-man.Beforetakingacrucialstep,hesaid,hewantedtoadvisemethatworkingfortheCurtisPublishingCompanyplacedenormousresponsibilityonayoungman.ItwasoneofthegreatcompaniesofAmerica.Perhapsthegreatestpublishinghouseintheworld.Ihadheard,nodoubt,oftheSaturdayPost?他盯着我好一会儿，默不作声，似乎在掂量着我是否值得他的信任，然后和我坦率地谈了起来。他说，在走出关键性的一步之前，他得提醒我，年轻人为柯蒂斯出版公司工作要承担巨大的责任。它是美国最了不起的公司之一，也许是世界上最了不起的出版公司。毫无疑问，我肯定听说过《星期六晚邮报》吧？13Heardofit?MymothersaideveryoneinourhousehadheardoftheSaturdayPostandthat,I,infact,readitwithreligiousdevotion.岂止听说过母亲说全家人可是都知道《星期六邮报》的，而且说我实际上是它的忠实读者。14HesaidhehadbeensoimpressedbywhathehadseenofmethathewasgoingtomakemearepresentativeoftheCurtisPublishingCompany.OnthefollowingTuesday,hesaid,thirtyfreshlyprintedcopiesoftheSaturdayEveningPostwouldbedeliveredatourdoor.Iwouldplacethesemagazinesstilldampwiththeinkofthepresses,inahandsomecanvasbag,slingitovermyshoulder,andsetforththroughthestreetstobringthebestinjournalism,fiction,andcartoonstotheAmericanpublic.最后，他说他对我的印象非常深刻，打算吸纳我为柯蒂斯出版公司的一员。他说，下周二会有三十份刚印刷出来的《星期六晚邮报》送到我家门口。我要把这些还带着印刷油墨潮气的期刊放到一个漂亮的帆布包里，吊挂在我的肩上，然后走上大街小巷，把新闻、小说和卡通的精华带给美国大众。15Hehadbroughtthecanvasbagwithhim.Hepresenteditwithreverencefitforachasuble.Heshouldmehowtodrapetheslingovermyleftshoulderandacrossthechestsothatthepouchlayeasilyaccessibletomyrighthand,allowingthebestinjournalism,fiction,andcartoonstobeswiftlyextractedandsoldtoacitizenrywhosehappinessandsecuritydependeduponussoldiersofthefreepress.他随身带着那个帆布包。他把它打开时那毕恭毕敬的神情简直像是神父在打开一件十字褡。他向我演示如何把吊带搭在我的左肩上，从胸前穿过，这样我的右手就能方便地伸到邮袋里，以便迅速地取出那些新闻、小说和卡通的精华卖给市民，他们的幸福和安全可全指望着我们这些自由报业的战士呢。16ThefollowingTuesdayIracedhomefromschool,putthecanvasbagovermyshoulder,dumpedthemagazinesin,and,tiltingtothelefttobalancetheirweightonmyrighthip,embarkedonthehighwayofjournalism.星期二放学后我跑回家，把帆布包挎在肩上，装上杂志，左右移了移，让它的重量平衡，然后迈开步伐踏上了新闻业的征途。17WelivedinBelleville,NewJersey,acommutertownatthenorthernfringeofNewark.Itwas1932,thebleakestyearoftheDepression.Myfatherhaddiedtwoyearsbefore,leavinguswithafewpiecesofSearsRoebuckfurnitureandnotmuchelse,andmymotherhadtakenDorisandmetolivewithoneofheryoungerbrothers.ThiswasmyUncleAllenhadmadesomethingofhimselfby1932.Asasalesmanforasoft-drinkbottlerinNewark,hehadanincomeof$30aweek,worepearl-grayspats,detachablecollars,andathree-piecesuit;washappilymarried;andtookinthreadbarerelatives.我们住在新泽西州贝勒镇，它位于纽瓦克北部边缘，处于一个市郊间上下班的枢纽上。那是1932年，大萧条最严峻的年代。父亲两年前就去世了，只留给我们几件从希尔斯・罗巴克公司买来的家具，就没别的了。母亲带着多丽丝和我跟小舅舅艾伦住在一起。艾伦舅舅在1932年的时候就已经小有成就了。他在纽瓦克推销软饮料装瓶机。他每周的收入30美元；他总是脚上套着珠灰色的鞋套，颈上系着可脱卸衣领，身上穿着三件套的西服。他的婚姻也很美满。就是他接纳了我们这