026 The Interview · 万词百篇

Wednesday, November 4th

I've been a journalist记者 /ˈdʒɜːr.nə.lɪst/ for the school newspaper报纸 /ˈnjuːz.peɪ.pɚ/ for exactly正是 /ɪɡˈzækt.li/ three weeks. Today was my first第一 /fɜːrst/ proper正式的 /ˈprɑː.pɚ/ interview采访 /ˈɪn.tɚ.vjuː/. The subject was Mr Cole — a local author作家 /ˈɔː.θɚ/ who has published出版 /ˈpʌb.lɪʃt/ six novels小说 /ˈnɑː.vəlz/. Our editor编辑 /ˈed.ɪ.tɚ/ Ms Davies said this was a real opportunity机会 /ˌɑː.pɚˈtʃuː.nɪ.t̬i/ and I should treat it as a professional专业的 /prəˈfeʃ.ən.əl/ assignment任务 /əˈsaɪn.mənt/. I spent two evenings preparing准备 /prɪˈper.ɪŋ/ questions问题 /ˈkwes.tʃənz/.

The impression印象 /ɪmˈpreʃ.ən/ I wanted to make结交 /meɪk/ was confident自信的 /ˈkɑːn.fɪ.dənt/ and prepared准备充分的 /prɪˈperd/. In reality现实中 /riˈæl.ɪ.t̬i/, I forgot my second question问题 /ˈkwes.tʃən/ the moment he opened the door. Mr Cole was older年纪较大的 /ˈoʊl.dɚ/ than I expected — quiet安静的 /ˈkwaɪ.ət/, with good很好 /ɡʊd/ posture姿态 /ˈpɑː.stʃɚ/ and a small smile微笑 /smaɪl/. He made tea茶 /tiː/ without不用 /wɪˈðaʊt/ asking and told me to sit wherever I felt comfortable舒适的 /ˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bəl/. That helped.

I asked him about his career职业生涯 /kəˈrɪr/. "Writing is not something you decide决定 /dɪˈsaɪd/ to do," he said. "It decides you. Every article文章 /ˈɑːr.t̬ɪ.kəl/ I ever wrote was a small piece曲子 /piːs/ of progress进步 /ˈprɑː.ɡres/ toward understanding理解 /ˌʌn.dɚˈstæn.dɪŋ/ something I couldn't explain解释 /ɪkˈspleɪn/ any other way路上 /weɪ/." I wrote that down消退 /daʊn/ carefully认真地 /ˈker.fəl.i/.

Then I asked what makes a good writer. He paused停顿 /pɔːzd/. " Talent才能 /ˈtæl.ənt/ matters less than people think想一想 /θɪŋk/. Commitment投入 /kəˈmɪt.mənt/ matters more. The writers I most respect尊重 /rɪˈspekt/ are not the most gifted有天赋的 /ˈɡɪf.t̬ɪd/ — they're the most honest诚实的 /ˈɑːn.ɪst/. You have to reflect反思 /rɪˈflekt/ on what you actually believe, not what sounds clever聪明 /ˈklev.ɚ/."

I asked him about failure失败 /ˈfeɪ.ljɚ/. He smiled properly真正地 /ˈprɑː.pɚ.li/ this time时间 /taɪm/. "My first novel took four years and I discarded扔掉了 /dɪˈskɑːr.dɪd/ most of it. It was a foundation基础 /faʊnˈdeɪ.ʃən/, not a waste浪费 /weɪst/. Every draft草稿 /dræft/ taught me something. Success成功 /səkˈses/ without failure is just luck运气 /lʌk/. The potential潜力 /pəˈten.ʃəl/ you have means nothing if you don't use it badly糟糕地 /ˈbæd.li/ enough足够 /ɪˈnʌf/ times to learn学习 /lɜːrn/ from."

The last上个 /læst/ question I managed成功应对 /ˈmæn.ɪdʒd/ to ask was about audience读者 /ˈɔː.di.əns/. "When I write, I inspire激励 /ɪnˈspaɪr/ myself first — then maybe I inspire someone else. The vision理念 /ˈvɪʒ.ən/ of who is reading should encourage鼓励 /ɪnˈkɜːr.ɪdʒ/ you, not limit限制 /ˈlɪm.ɪt/ you. Write what you'd want to respond回应 /rɪˈspɑːnd/ to."

Before the first question, I asked permission许可 /pɚˈmɪʃ.ən/ to record录音 /rɪˈkɔːrd/ our conversation对话 /ˌkɒn.vəˈseɪ.ʃən/ and explained how the quotation would be used. Mr Cole agreed, but asked to review any passage about his family before publication. That small exchange made the interview feel感觉 /fiːl/ less like a school exercise运动 /ˈek.sə.saɪz/ and more like a real assignment.

Halfway through进行到一半, my recorder录音设备 /rɪˈkɔːr.dɚ/ stopped. Instead of而不是 pretending假装 /prɪˈten.dɪŋ/ everything was fine, I paused, checked the battery电池 /ˈbæt̬.ɚ.i/, and repeated his last answer to confirm that my notes were accurate准确的 /ˈæk.jɚ.ət/. Mr Cole waited without complaint. "A careful journalist checks," he said. "A careless one guesses."

That evening I sent a short follow-up后续的 /ˈfɑː.loʊˌʌp/ email. I thanked him, attached the two quotations引语 /kwoʊˈteɪ.ʃənz/ I planned to publish, and gave him a clear deadline for corrections修改；更正 /kəˈrek.ʃənz/. His reply contained only three words: Accurate准确的 /ˈæk.jɚ.ət/. Fair. Approved.

Walking home, I thought about the mission使命 /ˈmɪʃ.ən/ of a good article. It wasn't just to achieve实现 /əˈtʃiːv/ accuracy准确性 /ˈæk.jɚ.ə.si/ — it was to find a principle原则 /ˈprɪn.sɪ.pəl/ worth passing传递 /ˈpæs.ɪŋ/ on. Mr Cole had been independent独立的 /ˌɪn.dɪˈpen.dənt/ in his thinking — no approach方式 /əˈproʊtʃ/ borrowed from fashion时尚潮流 /ˈfæʃ.ən/ or trend趋势 /trend/. That, I decided, was the confidence自信 /ˈkɑːn.fɪ.dəns/ I needed to publish发表 /ˈpʌb.lɪʃ/ my own words someday. I trust相信 /trʌst/ that now.

📖 参考译文

11月4日，周三

我在学校报纸担任记者刚好三周。今天是我第一次正式采访。采访对象是 Cole 先生——一位本地作家，已出版了六部小说。编辑 Davies 老师说这是个难得的机会，应当作为一项专业任务对待。我花了两个晚上准备问题。

我想给人留下自信、准备充分的印象。而现实是，他一开门我就忘了第二个问题。Cole 先生比我想象的年纪大——沉静，姿态端正，带着淡淡的微笑。他没问我就去泡了茶，让我在舒适的地方坐下来。这让我放松了不少。

我问他职业生涯的事。"写作不是你决定去做的事，"他说，"是它选择了你。我写过的每一篇文章，都是朝着理解某件我用其他方式无法解释的事情所迈出的一小步。"我认真地把这话记了下来。

然后我问他觉得什么造就了一位好作家。他停顿了一下。"才能没有人们想的那么重要，投入才更关键。我最尊重的作家，不是最有天赋的那些——而是最诚实的那些。你必须反思自己真正相信什么，而不是什么听起来聪明。"

我问他关于失败的事。他这次真正地笑了。"我的第一部小说写了四年，大部分都扔掉了。那是基础，不是浪费。每一稿都教会了我一些东西。没有失败的成功只是运气。你拥有的潜力，如果不经历足够多次糟糕的尝试去学习，就毫无意义。"

我设法问出的最后一个问题是关于读者的。"写作时，我先激励自己——然后也许能激励别人。对读者的想象应该鼓励你，而不是限制你。写你自己想要回应的东西。"

第一个问题开始前，我先征求录音许可，并说明引语将如何使用。Cole 先生同意了，但希望发表前查看涉及家人的段落。这个小环节让采访不再像课堂练习，而像一项真正的记者任务。

采访进行到一半，录音设备停了。我没有假装一切正常，而是暂停采访、检查电池，并复述他的上一个回答，以确认笔记准确。Cole 先生耐心等候，说：“谨慎的记者会核对，粗心的记者才会猜。”

当晚，我发送了一封简短的跟进邮件，向他致谢，附上准备发表的两段引语，并给出明确的修改期限。他的回复只有三个词：“准确。公正。批准。”

走回家的路上，我想到了一篇好文章的使命。它不只是要做到准确——而是要找到一个值得传递的原则。Cole 先生在思想上是独立的——他的方式不借用任何时尚或潮流。我决定，这就是我有朝一日发表自己文字时所需要的自信。我现在相信这一点了。

✏️ 填空练习

根据文章内容填写英文单词或短语，填完后按 Enter 或点击空格外检查答案。

Jack was a school （记者） who got his first （正式的）（采访） with a local （作家） who had （出版） six （小说）.

The （编辑） said it was a real （机会） to treat as a （专业的）（任务）.

Jack wanted to make a good （印象） and seem （自信的） and （准备充分的）, but in （现实中） he forgot his second question.

Mr Cole said every （文章） was （进步） toward （理解） something he couldn't （解释） another way. Writing had defined his （职业生涯）.

He said （才能） matters less than （投入）. The writers he most （尊重） were the most （诚实的） — they would （反思） on what they truly believed.

His first novel was a （基础）, not a （浪费）. Each （草稿） taught him something. （成功） without （失败） is just luck.

Your （潜力） means nothing without learning from mistakes. Mr Cole asked the （读者） to （激励） themselves first.

The （理念） of your readers should （鼓励） you, not （限制） you. Write what you'd want to （回应） to.

Jack reflected on the （使命） of a good article — to find a （原则） worth （传递） on. Mr Cole was （独立的） — his （方式） borrowed nothing from （时尚潮流）.

That gave Jack the （自信） to want to （发表） his own words. He said he （相信） that now.

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📖 参考译文

✏️ 填空练习