雙語 ● 機(jī)遇只垂青那些有準(zhǔn)備的人
機(jī)遇只垂青那些有準(zhǔn)備的人
◎ Jack Canfield
Les Brown and his twin brother were adopted by Mamie Brown, a kitchen worker and maid, shortly after their birth in a poverty-stricken Miami neighborhood.
萊斯·布朗和他的雙胞胎兄弟出生在邁阿密一個(gè)非常貧困的社區(qū)，出生后不久就被幫廚女工梅米·布朗收養(yǎng)了。
Because of his hyperactivity and nonstop jabber, Les was placed in special education classes for the learning disabled in grade school and throughout high school. Upon graduation, he became a city sanitation worker in Miami Beach. But he had a dream of being a disc jockey.
由于萊斯非常好動(dòng)，又含含糊糊地說個(gè)不停，所以他小學(xué)就被安排進(jìn)一個(gè)專門為學(xué)習(xí)有障礙的學(xué)生開設(shè)的特教班，直到高中畢業(yè)。畢業(yè)以后，他成了邁阿密灘的一名城市環(huán)衛(wèi)工人。但他卻一直夢(mèng)想成為一名電臺(tái)音樂節(jié)目主持人。
At night he would take a transistor radio to bed where he listened to the local jive-talking deejays. He created an imaginary radio station in his tiny room with its torn vinyl flooring. A hairbrush served as his microphone as he practiced his patter, introducing records to his ghost listeners.
每天晚上，他都要把他的晶體管收音機(jī)抱到床上，聽本地電臺(tái)的音樂節(jié)目主持人談?wù)摀u擺樂。就在他那間狹小的、鋪著已經(jīng)破損的地板革的房間里，他創(chuàng)建了一個(gè)假想的電臺(tái)——用一把梳子當(dāng)麥克風(fēng)，他念經(jīng)一般喋喋不休地練習(xí)用行話向他的“影子”聽眾介紹唱片。
His mother and brother could hear him through the thin walls and would shout at him to quit flapping his jaws and go to sleep. But Les didn’t listen to them. He was wrapped up in his own world, living a dream.
透過薄薄的墻壁，他的母親和兄弟都能聽到他的聲音，于是，就會(huì)對(duì)他大吼大叫，讓他別再耍嘴皮子而去上床睡覺。但是，萊斯根本就不理睬他們，他已經(jīng)完全沉醉在自己的世界里，努力想要實(shí)現(xiàn)他的夢(mèng)想。
One day Les boldly went to the local radio station during his lunch break from mowing grass for the city. He got into the station manager’s office and told him he wanted to be a disc jockey.
一天，萊斯利用在市區(qū)割草的午休時(shí)間，勇敢地來到了本地電臺(tái)。他走進(jìn)經(jīng)理辦公室，說他想成為一名流行音樂節(jié)目主持人。
The manager eyed this disheveled young man in overalls and a straw hat and inquired, “Do you have any background in broadcasting?”
經(jīng)理打量著眼前這位頭戴草帽、衣衫不整的年輕人，然后問道：“你有廣播方面的背景嗎？”
Les replied, “No sir, I don’t.”
萊斯答道：“我沒有，先生?！?
“Well, son, I’m afraid we don’t have a job for you then.”
“那么，孩子，恐怕我們這兒沒有適合你的工作?！?
Les thanked him politely and left. The station manager assumed that he had seen the last of this young man. But he underestimated the depth of Les Brown’s commitment to his goal. You see, Les had a higher purpose than simply wanting to be a disc jockey. He wanted to buy a nicer house for his adoptive mother, whom he loved deeply. The disc jockey job was merely a step toward his goal.
萊斯非常有禮貌地向他道了謝，然后離開了。經(jīng)理以為再也不會(huì)見到這個(gè)年輕人了。然而，他低估了萊斯·布朗對(duì)自己理想的投入程度。要知道，萊斯還有比成為一名音樂節(jié)目主持人更高的目標(biāo)——他要為他深愛的養(yǎng)母買一幢更好的房子。電臺(tái)音樂節(jié)目主持人的工作只不過是他邁向這個(gè)目標(biāo)的一步而已。
Mamie Brown had taught Les to pursue his dreams, so he felt sure that he would get a job at that radio station in spite of what the station manager had said.
梅米·布朗曾經(jīng)教育萊斯要去追尋自己的夢(mèng)想，因此，萊斯覺得無論經(jīng)理怎么說，他都一定會(huì)在這家電臺(tái)找到一份工作。
And so Les returned to the station every day for a week, asking if there were any job openings. Finally the station manager gave in and took him on as an errand boy—at no pay. At first, he fetched coffee or picked up lunches and dinner for the deejays who could not leave the studio. Eventually his enthusiasm for their work won him the confidence of the disc jockeys who would send him in their Cadillacs to pick up visiting celebrities such as the Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes. Little did any of them know that young Les did not have a driver’s license.
于是，萊斯連續(xù)一周每天都到這家電臺(tái)去，詢問是否有職位空缺。最后，電臺(tái)經(jīng)理終于讓步了，決定雇他跑跑腿，但沒有薪水。剛開始的時(shí)候，萊斯的工作是為那些不能離開播音室的主持人取咖啡或者是去買午餐和晚餐。正是由于萊斯對(duì)工作的積極熱情，使他終于贏得了音樂節(jié)目主持人的信任，讓他開著他們的凱迪拉克車去接電臺(tái)邀請(qǐng)來的一些名人，像誘惑合唱團(tuán)、黛安娜·羅斯，還有至高無上樂隊(duì)等等。沒人知道年輕的萊斯竟然沒有汽車駕駛執(zhí)照。
Les did whatever was asked of him at the station—and more. While hanging out with the deejays, he taught himself their hand movements on the control panel. He stayed in the control rooms and soaked up whatever he could until they asked him to leave. Then, back in his bedroom at night, he practiced and prepared himself for the opportunity that he knew would present itself.
在電臺(tái)里，無論人們讓他做什么，萊斯都會(huì)去做——有時(shí)候甚至做得更多。整日和主持人們待在一起，他自學(xué)著他們的手在控制面板上的動(dòng)作。他總是盡量待在控制室里，潛心學(xué)習(xí)，直到他們讓他離開。晚上回到自己的臥室，他就認(rèn)真地投入練習(xí)，準(zhǔn)備迎接他確信一定會(huì)到來的機(jī)遇。
One Saturday afternoon while Les was at the station, a deejay named Rock was drinking while on the air. Les was the only other person in the building, and he realized that Rock was drinking himself toward trouble. Les stayed close. He walked back and forth in front of the window in Rock’s booth. As he prowled, he said to himself. “Drink, Rock, drink!”
一個(gè)星期六的下午，萊斯還在電臺(tái)里，有一位叫羅克的主持人一邊播著音，一邊喝著酒。而此時(shí)，整個(gè)大樓里除了他就只有萊斯一個(gè)人了。萊斯意識(shí)到：照這樣下去，羅克一定會(huì)喝出問題的。萊斯密切注意著，在羅克的演播室窗前來回徘徊，還不停地自言自語：“喝吧，羅克，喝??！”
Les was hungry, and he was ready. He would have run down the street for more booze if Rock had asked. When the phone rang, Les pounced on it. It was the station manager, as he knew it would be.
萊斯躍躍欲試，而且他早就為此作好了準(zhǔn)備！如果此刻羅克讓他去買酒的話，他會(huì)沖到街上去給他買更多的酒。正在這時(shí)，電話鈴響了，萊斯立刻沖過去，拿起聽筒。如他所料，電話是電臺(tái)經(jīng)理打來的。
“Les, this is Mr. Klein.”
“萊斯，我是克萊恩先生。”
“Yes,” said Les. “I know.”
“嗯，我知道。”萊斯答道。
“Les, I don’t think Rock can finish his program.”
“萊斯，我看羅克是不能把他的節(jié)目堅(jiān)持到底了?！?
“Yes sir, I know.”
“是的，先生。”
“Would you call one of the other deejays to come in and take over?”
“你能打電話通知其他主持人，讓誰過來接替羅克嗎？”
“Yes, sir. I sure will.”
“好的，先生，我一定會(huì)辦好的。”
But when Les hung up the telephone, he said to himself, “Now, he must think I’m crazy.”
但是，萊斯一掛斷電話，就自言自語道：“馬上，他就會(huì)認(rèn)為我一定是瘋了！”
Les did dial the telephone, but it wasn’t to call in another deejay. He called his mother first, and then his girlfriend.
萊斯確實(shí)打了電話，但卻并沒有打給其他主持人。他先打電話給他媽媽，然后是他女朋友。
“You all go out on the front porch and turn up the radio because I’m about to come on the air!” he said.
“你們快到外面的前廊去，打開收音機(jī)，因?yàn)?，我就要開始播音了！”他說。
He waited about 15 minutes before he called the general manager. “Mr. Klein, I can’t find anybody,” Les said.
等了大約15分鐘，他給經(jīng)理打了個(gè)電話?！翱巳R恩先生，我一個(gè)主持人也找不到，”他說。
Mr. Klein then asked, “Young man, do you know how to work the controls in the studio?”
“小伙子，你會(huì)操作演播室里的控制鍵嗎？”克萊恩先生問道。
“Yes sir,” replied Les.
“我會(huì)，先生，”他答道。
Les darted into the booth, gently moved Rock aside and sat down at the turntable. He was ready. And he was hungry. He flipped on the microphone switch and said, “Look out! This is me LB, triple P—Les Brown, Your Platter Playing Poppa. There were none before me and there will be none after me. Therefore, that makes me the one and only. Young and single and love to mingle. Certified, bona fide, indubitably qualified to bring you satisfaction, a whole lot of action. Look out, baby, I’m your lo-o-ove man.”
萊斯沖進(jìn)演播室，輕輕地把羅克移到一邊，坐在了錄音轉(zhuǎn)播臺(tái)前。他準(zhǔn)備好了！并早就渴望這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)來臨。他輕輕打開麥克風(fēng)開關(guān)，說：“注意了！我是萊斯·布朗，人稱唱片播放大叔，可以說是前無古人，后無來者，因此，我是舉世無雙，天下唯一。我年紀(jì)輕輕，單身一人，喜歡和大家在一起傾聽音樂，品味生活。我的能力是通過了認(rèn)證的，絕對(duì)真實(shí)可靠，一定能夠帶給你們一檔豐富多彩的節(jié)目，讓你們滿意。注意了，寶貝，我就是你們最喜愛的人！”
Because of his preparation, Les was ready. He vowed the audience and his general manager. From that fateful beginning, Les went on to a successful career in broadcasting, politics, public speaking and television.
有了精心準(zhǔn)備，萊斯才能如此從容。他贏得了聽眾和總經(jīng)理的心！從那改變一生的機(jī)遇起，萊斯開始了在廣播、政治、演講和電視等方面的成功的職業(yè)生涯。
