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10 What dress should I wear? I had two school uniforms, a green dress, a brown dress, and one dress with three rows of frills for Sunday, too dressy for an interview. I had no shoes except flat-heeled school shoes, and tennis shoes. There was no time to make a dress and in those years no ready-made clothes existed, so Mother lengthened the green dress. I squeezed two pimples on my forehead, then went to the East market and bought some face powder, Butterfly brand, pink, made in Shanghai by a Japanese firm.
我该穿哪件衣服呢？我有两套校服，一套绿的和一套褐色的女服，还有一条缀着三排花边的女服，是过节穿的，穿着去面试太花哨了。我也没什么鞋，只有学校发的平跟鞋，还有球鞋。现做是来不及了，那时又没成衣出售，所以母亲就把那套绿颜色的服装放放长。我掐了额头上的两粒粉刺，接着去东单买了些蝴蝶牌香粉，粉红色的，是一家日本公司在上海生产的。
11 The next morning, straw-hatted, with powder on my nose, I went with my father to the gates of the hospital.
第二天上午，我带着帽子，鼻子上搽了粉，跟父亲来到医院门口。
12 "It's not this gate, this is for the sick. It's the other gate, round the corner," said the porter.
“不是这个门，这是病人走的。走另外一扇门，拐弯就是，”看门的说。
13 The Yu Wang Fu Palace occupied a whole city block. We walked along its high grey outer wall, hearing the dogs scream in the kennels, and came to its other gate, which was the Administration building gate. It had two large stone lions, one male, one female. We crossed the marble courtyard, walked up the steps with their carved dragons coiling in the middle, into an entrance hall, with painted beams and intricate painted ceiling, red lacquered pillars, huge lamps. There was cork matting on the stone floor.
御王府占了整整一个街区。我们绕青灰高墙走，一路听见狗在窝里尖叫，走着走着到了另一扇大门，是行政楼的门。门前是一公一母两个大石狮子。我们穿过大理石庭院，走上正中雕有蟠龙的台阶，来到前厅，看见精致的雕梁画栋，丹漆柱子，还有高高大大的灯台。青石地面上铺着软木垫。
14 "I'll leave you," said Papa. "Try to make a good impression. " And he was gone.
“我走了，”爸爸说。“注意给人留个好印象。”说着他就走了。
15 I found the Comptroller's office easily; there was a messenger in the hall directing visitors. An open door, a room, two typewriters clattering and two women making them clatter.
我没费周折就找到了审计主任的办公室；厅里有个当差的给来访者作指点。一扇开着的门，一间屋子，屋里两台咔嗒作响的打字机，两位女士咔嗒咔嗒在打字。
16 I stood at the door and one of the women came to me. She had the new style of hair, all upstanding curls, which I admired, a dress with a print round the hem; she was very pregnant, so that her belly seemed to be coming at me first. She smiled. "Hello, what can I do for you?"
我站在门口，其中一位女士走上前来。她留着新式的发型，是我所喜欢的那种满头卷发竖立着的式样，穿着沿褶边印有花纹的裙子。由于她怀孕已快足月，所以她向我走过来时似乎是她的肚子最先到达我面前。她微微一笑。“你好，有事儿吗？”
17 "I have an interview."
“我是来面试的。”
18 She took the letter from my hand. "Glad you could come. Now, just sit you down. No, sit down there. I'll tell Mr. Harned you've come."
她从我手里接过信。“真高兴你来了。这样吧，你先坐下。不，坐那儿。我去跟哈内德先生说你来了。”
19 The office had two other doors besides the one to the corridor, on one was "Comptroller." That was the one she went through and returned from.
除了通走廊的门，办公室另外还有两扇门，一扇门上写着“审计主任”。她从这扇门走了进去，一会儿又走出来。
20 "Mr. Harned will see you now."
“哈内德先生这就见你。”
21 Mr. Harned was very tall, thin, with a small bald head, a long chin, enormous glasses. I immediately began to quiver with fright. His head was like a temple on top of a mountain, like the white pagoda on the hill in the North Sea Park. I could not hear a word of what he said. A paper and a pencil were in my hand, however, and Harned was dictating to me, giving me a speed test in shorthand.
哈内德先生高高瘦瘦，小小的秃脑袋，尖尖的下巴，那副眼镜奇大无比。我一下子害怕得哆嗦起来。他的脑袋就像是山顶上的庙宇，就像北海公园山上的白塔。他说了些什么我一句也没听进。可我手里拿着纸和笔，我怎么办呢。哈内德在给我口授着什么，让我做速记的速度测试。
