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Text 1
About the author
Lawrence Grobel is a freelance writer living
in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in the N.Y. Times,
Newsday, Playboy, Rolling Stone,
Reader's Digest, Details, Modern Maturity,
Movieline, Architectural Digest, Writer's
Digest and numerous other publications. He is the author
of Conversations with Capote, Conversations with
Brando, The Hustons, Talking with Michener,
Above the line: Conversations About the Movies, and
Endangered Species: Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their
Visions, Their Lives. He is the recipient of an NEA Fellowship
for Fiction and a Pen Special Achievement Award for his book
on Truman Capote. He currently teaches a course on "
The Art of the Interview" in the English Department at
University of California.
About James Michener
James Michener(1907─1997) was a New
York-born novelist. After graduation from Swarthmore study
at Colorado State College, he was led into literature by his
naval experiences in World War Two. In his memoirs, The
World Is My Home, he wrote that he was determined to explore
the world once he saw the road outside his childhood home
in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He was famous for his novels,
which
were mostly realistic. Michener was more adept at getting
the Americans to learn about the alien environment than any
other American novelists. At the end of his autobiography
Michener expressed his hope that young travelers aspiring
to become writers would be encouraged by his life. But most
of all, he said he wanted to be remembered by the row of his
books resting on library shelves throughout the world.
Language notes
1.Nevertheless,
Hana told me it was really important that she talk to him.
（ 尽管这样，海娜还是告诉我说，能与麦切纳谈一谈，对她来讲真的很重要。）
Pay attention to the subjunctive mood used
in the that-clause after the word important. It is
a way to express emphasis.
2."I've just given away my last 15 million dollars—all
my money."
（“我刚刚捐出了我最后的1500万美元—我所有的钱。”）
Here give away means to get rid of
something by giving.
3.I'm
going to have to make do with what she's got and with whatever
I can earn from future books.
(我以后得靠她的收入和写书赚钱来维持生计了。）
Make do with means to use something
even though it may not be exactly what is wanted or needed.
4.Michener
had heard how the talented student had to drop out of school
to work.
(米切纳曾经听人讲过，这位才华出众的学生是如何被迫辍学去工作的。)
Drop out means to stop attending or
taking part.
5.During
the week I was with him in Maine, he had been called daily
regarding his offer to fund a writing program there.
(在我与他一同呆在缅因州的一周内，每天都有电话打来，与他商谈他要资助一个当地写作项目的事。)
Regarding is used as a preposition
meaning on the subject of or in connection with or concerning.
6.We're
bearing up under it.
(我们正在英勇搏斗。）
Bear up means to show courage or strength
by continuing in spite of difficulties.
Text 2
About the story
Sue Torr only learned to read at the age of
38 and through her own efforts she managed to become a playwright.
At the World Education Forum 2000, as an adult literary learner,
Sue Torr said: "I want to tell you what it's like learning
to read at 38 years of age. Every day of your life is frustration,
fear, anger, isolation and rage when you don't know how to
read. You've got no self-esteem...I remember the first time
I actually read a book from cover to cover... I found myself
reading the book over and over again, out loud. It's a fantastic
feeling—being able to read."
Language notes
1.Sue
lived on her wits.
(苏完全靠自己的小聪明度日。）
Because Sue couldn't read or write she
had to depend on her cleverness to work.
2.It
was not long before she fell head over heels in love with
Dave Douch, 19.
(很快她便与19岁的戴夫·多奇坠入了爱河。）
Head over heels means completely or
uncontrollably.
3.Street
names and bus destinations could have been written in a foreign
language for all the sense they made to her.
（那些街道和公交车站的名字就象是用外语写的，她根本看不懂。）
In the attributive clause there is a common
phrase make sense which means to have a clear meaning.
4.The
misery of living a lie took its toll on her marriage.
(依靠谎言过日子的痛苦，最终落到婚姻上。)
Toll is a noun which is usually used
in its singular form, meaning the cost in life, health, etc.
of an illness, an accident, etc. Here take toll means
to harm.
5.He's
gone through hell with me.
(他和我一起经历了许多痛苦。）
Go through hell means to suffer or
experience a lot of difficulties.
6.When
she was handed the award, she was too overcome to say a word.
(她接过这个奖时，激动得说不出话来。）
Overcome means very excited.
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