And Emerson gave me that opportunity
爱默生给了我这个机会
Plus I learned stuff, I learned real stuff
而且我学到了真正的东西
I remember taking a black history course
我记得上过一门黑人历史课
and reading James Baldwin and Dick Gregory
读詹姆斯·鲍德温和迪克·格雷戈里的作品
and for the first time in my life
我人生中第一次意识到
I realized all the things I didn't know
自己不知道这么多东西
I mean, I always knew I couldn't do math
当然 我一直知道自己不懂数学
but I had no idea I was this clueless
但我原来不知道连这些我也不知道
My problem was at that time, Emerson College had no stand-up comedy program
我的问题是 当时在爱默生学院没有单口喜剧节目
I tried out for the drama department
我去过戏剧系
but was intimidated and I just failed miserably
结果失败了 而且失败很惨重
So rather than try again, I got a chip on my shoulder
我没有再尝试 而是感到非常憋屈
to the attitude, oh, this is going to be on the test
我很不喜欢他们的态度 我心想
I was right, they were wrong, I'll show them
我是对的 他们错了 我要证明给他们看
I won't learn anything
我不打算学任何东西
So I kind of turned my back on Emerson
这时 我转身背离了爱默生
and decided to try and go it alone
决定自己出去打拼
I mean, I didn't drop out or anything like that
当然 我没有退学
I just did the basic minimum necessary to get by
我只是在学校中花最小精力 得过且过
So then I literally went door-to-door trying to be a comedian
之后我尝试逐门逐户推销自己的喜剧
You know Boston was a very serious place
波士顿是一个很严肃的地方
especially students in the 60s and 70s
特别是六七十年代的学生
Most clubs did a lot of stop you warm machine music and that kind of stuff
很多俱乐部都只允许一些音乐节目
with the exception of maybe George Carlin and Richard Pryor
除了乔治·卡林和理查德·普赖尔之外
most comedy didn't really fit in with college students
大多数喜剧都不受大学生欢迎
I will go to music clubs and I tell them, I'm a comedian
我去这些音乐俱乐部 说我是喜剧演员
and they said, get lost
他们说 滚开
And then I put a $50 bill on the bar and I'd say
我于是掏出五十美元放到台上 说
look, if people leave, you keep the 50
如果观众离场 这五十就是你的了
but if they laugh and stay, give me my 50 back
如果他们笑了 这五十我就收回来
And that worked out hard at the time
这在当时能起作用 才怪了
Sometimes it was just gut wrenching
有时 这非常虐心
There was just one club I went to said, you're in union?
我去的一家俱乐部问 你是协会成员吗
I said no I didn't know there was union
我说 不是 我不知道有协会
They said, oh yeah, I can't hire you unless you're in union
他们说 我们不能招你 你连协会都没入
He said, go and see my friend at the after office over that street down
他说 你可以到街那头去找我的一位朋友