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But sometimes you do find a friend who supports your dreams. "It's easy to write a book," my new friend told me. "You can do it."
但有时候你确实能找到一个支持你梦想的朋友。“写本书很容易”，我新交的朋友告诉我，“你能写书。”
I don't know if I'm smart enough, I said, suddenly feeling 15 again and hearing echoes of laughter.
“我不知道自己是不是够聪明，”我说，突然之间又感到自己回到了15岁的时候，听到了那些笑声在回响。
Nonsense! she said. "Anyone can write a book if they want to."
“胡说！”她说，“任何人都能写书，只要他们想写。”
I had four children at the time, and the oldest was only four. We lived on a goat farm in Oklahoma, miles from anyone. All I had to do each day was take care of four kids, milk goats, and do the cooking, laundry and gardening.
当时我已经有四个孩子，最大的一个才四岁。我们住在俄克拉何马的一个山羊饲养场里，离开任何人都很远。我每天要做的事就是照看四个孩子，挤羊奶，烧饭，洗衣和收拾果园。
While the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months, just like a baby.
孩子们睡觉时，我就在我那台老式打字机上打字。我写我的亲身感受。一共花了九个月，就像怀孩子一样。
I chose a publisher at random and put the manuscript in an empty diapers package, the only box I could find. The letter I enclosed read: "I wrote this book myself, and I hope you like it. I also drew the illustrations. Chapters 6 and 12 are my favorites. Thank you."
我随便选了一个出版商，把手稿放进一只放尿布的空盒子里——我唯一能找到的盒子。我附了一封信，上面写道：“这本书是我自己写的，希望你喜欢它。插图也是我自己画的。我最喜欢第 6章和第12章。谢谢。”
I tied a string around the diaper box and mailed it without a self-addressed stamp envelope, and without making a copy of the manuscript. A month later I received a contract, an advance on royalties and a request to start working on another book.
我用绳子扎好尿布盒就把它寄了出去，既没有附上一个写好回信地址贴好邮票的信封，也没有把手稿复印一份。一个月后我收到了一份合同和一笔预支的版税，他们还要求我开始动手写另一本书。
Crying Wind became a bestseller, was translated in to 15 languages and sold worldwide. I appeared on TV talk shows during the day and changed diapers at night. I traveled from New York to California and Canada on promotional tours. My first book also became required reading in Native American schools in Canada.
《哭泣的风》成了一本畅销书，被译成15种文字在全世界销售。我白天出现在电视台的访谈节目中，晚上则给孩子们换尿布。为推销我的书我到处旅行，从纽约到加利福尼亚，还去过加拿大。我的第一本书还成了加拿大印第安人学校的必读书。
It took six months to write my next book. My Searching Heart also became a bestseller. My next novel, When I Give My Heart, was finished in only three weeks.
我写第二本书花了半年时间。《我不断探索的心》也成了一本畅销书。我的下一部小说《当我交出我的心》只三个星期就完成了。
