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HanSuyinwasborninBeijingin1917.HerfatherwasaChineserailwayengineerandhermotheraDutchlady.Sheisaphysicianandtheauthorofmanyworks,includingAMortalFlower,whichtellsoftheexperiencesoftheauthorandherfamily,bothinandoutofChina.Thisexcerptdescribestheauthor'sexperienceoflookingforherfirstjobintheearly1930s.韩素音1917年生于北京。她父亲是中国铁路工程师，母亲是位荷兰女子。她是医生，也是作家，著述颇丰，其中包括《尘世的花》。此书讲述了作者及其家庭在国内外的经历。下述节录描写了作者在上世纪30年代初第一次找工作的经历。AMortalFlower尘世的花HanSuyin韩素音1ThedayaftermeetingHildaIwrotealettertotheRockefellerFoundation,applyingforajob.遇见希尔达的第二天，我就给洛克菲勒基金会写信申请工作。2FatherorMotherthoughtIwouldgetin.Youhavetohavepull.It'sanAmericanthing,RockefellerFoundation.Youmusthavepull.父母亲都觉得我不会被录用。“你要有后台才行。那可是一家美国机构，洛克菲勒基金会。你一定要有后台。”3Mothersaid:That'swheretheydoallthoseexperimentsondogsandpeople.AlltheBigShotsoftheNankinggovernmentalsocameheretohavemedicaltreatment,andsometimestookawayanursetobecomeanewwife.母亲说：“那里，他们在狗和人身上做各种试验。南京政府所有的头面人物也都来这里看病，有时还带走个护士做姨太太。”4Itmadesensetome,typinginahospital.Iwouldlearnaboutmedicine,sinceIwantedtostudymedicine.Andastherewasnomoneyathomeformetostudy,Iwouldearnmoney,andpreparemyselftoentermedicalschool.Ihadalreadydiscoveredthataconvent-schooleducationwasnotatalladequate,andthatitwouldtakemeatleastthreemoreyearsofhardstudybeforebeingabletoenteranycollegeatall.Science,mathematics,Chineseliteratureandtheclassics...withthepoorschoolinggiventome,itwouldtakemeyearstogetreadyforauniversity.在医院里当打字员，对我挺合适。那样我就能了解一些医学知识，这很重要，因为我想学医。家里没钱供我上学，所以我得挣钱，自己想办法上医学院。我已经发现在女隐修会学校的教育远远不够，要想上大学，自己至少得再努力三年才行。科学、物理、数学、中国文学、古典文学……就凭我学的那么点儿功课，要上大学还得准备好多年。5Iwilldoit,Butclenchedteeth,decisiontearingmybowels,werenotenough;therewasnomoney,nomoney,mymothersaidit,saidituntilIfeltasifeveryscrapoffoodIatewaswrenchedoffmyfather'sbody.“我要上大学，”可是，咬牙切齿痛下决心是无济于事的；家里没钱，根本没钱，母亲说的，整天这么说，让我觉得自己吃的每一小口东西仿佛都是从父亲身上撕下来的。6Nooneisgoingtofeedyoudoingnothingathome.(2)Ofcourse,onewhodoesnotworkmustnoteatunlessonecangetmarried,whichiscalled:beingsettledatlast.ButwithmylooksIwouldnevergetmarried;Iwastoothin,toosharp(notfullorroundinshape瘦削的；不丰满的),toougly.Mothersaidit,ElderBrotherhadsaidit.EveryoneagreedthatIshouldwork,becausemarriagewouldbedifficultforme.“你在家里闲着不做事，谁来供养你。”当然，不工作就没饭吃，除非嫁人，那叫做“终于有了归宿。”可论我的长相一辈子也嫁不出去；我太瘦小丑陋。母亲这么说，大哥也这么说过。人人都觉得我该找事干，因为嫁人我是没指望了。7Withinaweekareplycame.Themorningpostmanbroughtit,andIchokedovermymilkandcoffee.I'mtogoforaninterview.AtthePekingUnionMedicalCollege.TotheComptroller'soffice.不到一个星期，回信就来了。早上送信的邮差送来的，我正喝着加奶咖啡，一下子给呛着了。“我要去面试。在北京协和医学院。审计主任的办公室。”8FatherandMotherwerepleased.Motherputthecoffeepotdownandtooktheletter.Whatgoodpaper,sothick.ButhowcouldwedisguisethefactthatIwasnot[even]fifteenyearsold?Ihadclaimedtobesixteenintheletter.Infact,saidPapa,itwasnotaliesinceChineseareayearoldwhenborn,andifoneaddedtheNewYearasanextrayear,asdotheCantoneseandtheHakkas,whobecametwoyearsoldwhentheyreachtheirfirstNewYear(sothatababybornonDecember31stwouldbereckonedtwoyearsoldonthefollowingJanuary2nd),Icouldclaimtobeingsixteen.父母亲都挺高兴。母亲放下咖啡壶，取过信。“多好的纸，这么厚实。”可我们怎么才能掩饰我还不到15足岁的事实呢？我在信里说自己16岁。其实，爸爸说，这也不是撒谎，因为中国人生下来就是1岁，要是到了新年再加1岁，就像广东人和客家人那样，他们第一次过新年就2岁了（所以说12月31日生的孩子到了1月2日就已经2岁了），那么我可以说自己16岁了。9Youlooksixteen,saidMama;allyouhavetodoistostophoppingandpickingyourpimples.Andlengthenyourskirt.“你看上去有16岁，”妈妈说。“你只要别再蹦蹦跳跳的、别再掐脸上的粉刺就行了。还有就是把裙子放放长。”10WhatdressshouldIwear?Ihadtwoschooluniforms,agreendress,abrowndress,andonedresswiththreerowsoffrillsforSunday,toodressyforaninterview.Ihadnoshoesexceptflat-heeledschoolshoes,andtennisshoes.Therewasnotimetomakeadressandinthoseyearsnoready-madeclothesexisted,soMotherlengthenedthegreendress.Isqueezedtwopimplesonmyforehead,thenwenttotheEastmarketandboughtsomefacepowder,Butterflybrand,pink,madeinShanghaibyaJapanesefirm.我该穿哪件衣服呢？我有两套校服，一套绿的和一套褐色的女服，还有一条缀着三排花边的女服，是过节穿的，穿着去面试太花哨了。我也没什么鞋，只有学校发的平跟鞋，还有球鞋。现做是来不及了，那时又没成衣出售，所以母亲就把那套绿颜色的服装放放长。我掐了额头上的两粒粉刺，接着去东单买了些蝴蝶牌香粉，粉红色的，是一家日本公司在上海生产的。11Thenextmorning,straw-hatted,withpowderonmynose,Iwentwithmyfathertothegatesofthehospital.第二天上午，我带着帽子，鼻子上搽了粉，跟父亲来到医院门口。12It'snotthisgate,thisisforthesick.It'stheothergate,roundthecorner,saidtheporter.“不是这个门，这是病人走的。走另外一扇门，拐弯就是，”看门的说。13TheYuWangFuPalaceoccupiedawholecityblock.Wewalkedalongitshighgreyouterwall,hearingthedogsscreaminthekennels,andcametoitsothergate,whichwastheAdministrationbuildinggate.Ithadtwolargestonelions,onemale,onefemale.Wecrossedthemarblecourtyard,walkedupthestepswiththeircarveddragonscoilinginthemiddle,intoanentrancehall,withpaintedbeamsandintricatepaintedceiling,redlacqueredpillars,hugelamps.Therewascorkmattingonthestonefloor.御王府占了整整一个街区。我们绕青灰高墙走，一路听见狗在窝里尖叫，走着走着到了另一扇大门，是行政楼的门。门前是一公一母两个大石狮子。我们穿过大理石庭院，走上正中雕有蟠龙的台阶，来到前厅，看见精致的雕梁画栋，丹漆柱子，还有高高大大的灯台。青石地面上铺着软木垫。14I'llleaveyou,saidPapa.Trytomakeagoodimpression.Andhewasgone.“我走了，”爸爸说。“注意给人留个好印象。”说着他就走了。15IfoundtheComptroller'sofficeeasily;therewasamessengerinthehalldirectingvisitors.Anopendoor,aroom,twotypewritersclatteringandtwowomenmakingthemclatter.我没费周折就找到了审计主任的办公室；厅里有个当差的给来访者作指点。一扇开着的门，一间屋子，屋里两台咔嗒作响的打字机，两位女士咔嗒咔嗒在打字。16Istoodatthedoorandoneofthewomencametome.Shehadthenewstyleofhair,allupst