一TextBut there was something else. At the back of2everyone's mind was what we would do next, when weleft university in a few months' time. It wasn't alwaysthe high flyers with the top grades who knew what theywere going to do. Quite often it was the quieter, lessimpressive students who had the next stages of theirlife mapped out. One had landed a iob in his brother'sadvertising firm in Madison Avenue, another had gota script under provisional acceptance in Hollywood.More....Translation
2 But there was something else. At the back of everyone's mind was what we would do next, when we left university in a few months' time. It wasn't always the high flyers with the top grades who knew what they were going to do. Quite often it was the quieter, less impressive students who had the next stages of their life mapped out. One had landed a job in his brother's advertising firm in Madison Avenue, another had got a script under provisional acceptance in Hollywood. Text
TextThe most ambitious student among us was going towork as a party activist at a local level. We all sawhim ending up in the Senate or in Congress one day.But most people were either looking to continue theirstudies, or to make a living with a white-collar iob ina bank, local government, or anything which wouldpay them enough to have a comfortable time in theirearly twenties, and then settle down with a family, amortgage and some hope of promotion.Translation
The most ambitious student among us was going to work as a party activist at a local level. We all saw him ending up in the Senate or in Congress one day. But most people were either looking to continue their studies, or to make a living with a white-collar job in a bank, local government, or anything which would pay them enough to have a comfortable time in their early twenties, and then settle down with a family, a mortgage and some hope of promotion. Text
TextI went home at Thanksgiving, and inevitably,my3brothers and sisters kept asking me what I wasplanning to do. I didn't know what to say. Actually, I didknow what to say, but I thought they'd probably criticizeme, so I told them what everyone else was thinking ofdoing.Translation
3 I went home at Thanksgiving, and inevitably, my brothers and sisters kept asking me what I was planning to do. I didn't know what to say. Actually, I did know what to say, but I thought they'd probably criticize me, so I told them what everyone else was thinking of doing. Text
一TextMy father was watching me but saying nothing. Latein the evening, he invited me to his study. We sat downand he poured us a drink"So?" he said.5"Er...sowhat?6"So what do you really want to do?" he asked.7Translation
4 My father was watching me but saying nothing. Late in the evening, he invited me to his study. We sat down and he poured us a drink. 5 "So?" he said. 6 "Er . so what?" 7 "So what do you really want to do?" he asked. Text
TextMy father was a lawyer, and I had always assumed8he wanted me to go to law school, and follow his paththrough life. So I hesitated.Then I replied, "I want to travel, and I want to be a9writer"This was not the answer I thought he would expect.10Travel? Where? A writer? About what? I braced myselffor some resistance to the idea.Translation
8 My father was a lawyer, and I had always assumed he wanted me to go to law school, and follow his path through life. So I hesitated. 9 Then I replied, “I want to travel, and I want to be a writer.” 10 This was not the answer I thought he would expect. Travel? Where? A writer? About what? I braced myself for some resistance to the idea. Text