我如何幫父母融入美國生活

Each year, to urge them on, we put out an open call for application essays about these subjects and publish the best essays that we can find. This year, we chose seven with the help of Julie Lythcott-Haims, the former dean of freshmen at Stanford whose new book, “How to Raise an Adult,” is coming out next month.

《紐約時報》每年公開號召學生撰寫有關金錢、職業和社會階層方面的大學申請陳述，並且發表了七篇我們所能找到的最好的文章。紐約時報中文網選登了其中的五篇，以下是第五篇。

HOMETOWN

家鄉

Centreville, Va.

弗吉尼亞州森特維爾

HIGH SCHOOL

高中

Westfield High School

維斯特菲爾德高中

COLLEGE PLANS

大學計劃

Georgetown University

喬治城大學

"Just another illegal looking for a job," the chubby cashier whispers to his coworker as my dad and I walk out of the convenience store. We had just driven up to buy lunch, and my dad was delighted to see a "Help Wanted" sign.

當我和父親走出便利店時，肥胖的收銀員和他的同事耳語道，“又是一個在找工作的非法移民。”在這之前，我們開車去買午飯，父親看到“招聘啓示”時十分欣喜。

"Mi hija, por favor pregunta si puedo aplicar" he eagerly pleads to me. Despite my hesitations of seeing an army of white-faced workers, I reluctantly agreed to ask the chubby cashier for an application. The cashier, whose name tag said Dave, informed us that the first part of the application was a verbal interview. Dave would ask the questions, and my dad would do his best to respond. His English was broken and he frequently looked to me for translating. After a few questions Dave concluded the interview and looked over to me,

“女兒啊，我可以申請嗎？”父親急切地向我懇求道。儘管我很不請願看到一羣白色面孔的工人，但還是勉強同意去向肥胖的收銀員問一問工作申請的事。胸卡上寫着戴夫(Dave)的這名收銀員告訴我們，申請的第一步是口頭面試。戴夫會問一些問題，父親要努力作答。父親的英文很糟，所以頻繁地望着我讓我幫他翻譯。在問了一些問題之後，戴夫轉過頭望着我。

"Listen, girl. He's over 60 and speaks no English. There is no way we would hire him." His tone was rude, but I sadly understood why my dad wasn't hired. I faced my hopeful dad and watched his smile drop as I told him that Dave just remembered that they hired someone yesterday and that they really couldn't afford to hire anyone else. My dad was disappointed, but nonetheless he graciously shook Dave's hand and thanked him for his time.

他看着我說：“聽我說，姑娘，他已經60多歲了，一點英語都不會。我們沒辦法聘請他。”他的語氣很粗魯，但是我難過地明白了，爲什麼父親沒應聘成功。我面對着滿懷希望的父親，告訴他戴夫剛想起來昨天就已經招過其他人了，而且他們真的沒錢再招聘其他人了，這時我看到父親的笑容褪去了。父親很失望，但是很有禮貌地握了握戴夫的手，感謝他抽空進行面試。

Job searching is difficult for everyone, but in a world full of Daves, it's almost impossible. Daves are people who look at my family and immediately think less of us. They think illegal, poor and uneducated. Daves never allow my dad to pass the first round of job applications. Daves watch like hawks as my brother and I enter stores. Daves inconsiderately correct my mother's grammar. Because there are Daves in the world, I have become a protector for my family. I excuse their behavior as just being a "typical American." I convince my mother that they are only staring at her lovely new purse. I convince my dad they are only shouting about store sales to us. Aside from being a protector, I am also an advocate. As an advocate, I make sure my family is never taken advantage of. I am always looking out for scams and discrepancies. I am the one asking the questions when we buy or sell a car. I make sure all details are discussed and no specifics are left unanswered.

找工作對每一個人來說都很困難，但是在一個到處都是戴夫這樣的人的世界裏，它變成了幾乎不可能的事情。戴夫們一看到我的家人就會立刻看扁我們，認爲我們是貧窮、沒有接受過教育的非法移民。戴夫們永遠不會讓我的父親通過第一輪工作申請。我和我的兄弟進入商店時，戴夫們就會像老鷹一樣緊盯着我們。戴夫們會糾正我母親的語法，絲毫不顧及她的感受。因爲世界上有戴夫們的存在，我成了家人的守護者。對於他們的行爲，我就理解爲“典型的美國人”就是這樣的。我說服母親，他們只是在盯着她新買的可愛錢包看。我說服父親，他們朝我們大聲嚷嚷，只是店鋪的推銷。除了當一個守護者，我還是一個倡議者，我要確保自己的家人永遠不會被人佔便宜。我總是在留心那些騙局，以及與事實不符的表述。買賣車輛時，都由我來問所有的問題。我要確保所有細節都要談到，所有具體問題都有解答。

I have been committed to helping my parents since I was 8 years old. Although I didn't always enjoy acting like a mini-adult, I was always delighted to see my parents smile when I finished a task. I quickly came to a conclusion that I liked making other people happy. It felt good to do something for others that they couldn't do for themselves. My parents never shielded me from reality. I was very aware of their past struggles with poverty and I knew how lucky I was to have food on the table, a roof over my head and a school to attend, and after years of helping just my parents, I decided to expand my clientele: I began volunteering.

從8歲開始，我就一直致力於幫助父母。儘管我並非總是很喜歡扮演一個小大人，但是每次完成一個任務時，看着父母的笑容我總是很開心。我很快得出了一個結論，那就是我很喜歡讓別人幸福。爲別人做一些他們自己無法做到的事情讓我感覺很舒服。我的父母從來都沒有幫我抵擋現實，我很清楚他們過去與貧困的抗爭，我知道自己何其幸運，能夠有飯吃，有地方住，有學可上。在幫助父母數年後，我決定拓寬自己的客戶羣：開始做志願服務。

I have volunteered at soup kitchens, retirement homes, public libraries and parks. I have worked with inspiring leaders, traveled to unique locations and met with engaging people of all ages. I quickly developed a love for both service and my community, and after eight years the love still flourishes.

我在救濟站、養老院，公共圖書館和公園都做過志願者。我還曾和鼓舞人心的領導者一起共事，前往到偏僻的地方，遇到了各個年齡段的頗具魅力的人。我很快就愛上了公共服務，也愛上了我的社區，即便在八年之後，這份愛依舊不滅。

I am excited to widen my impact and hope to pursue a career in either public service, politics or diplomacy. I am so grateful for all the support I have received. From caring public school teachers to subsidized lunches, the United States has put me on a path to success. Undoubtedly this path wasn't always paved, but rugged and relentless feet have carried me along.

對於能夠擴大自己的影響力，我感到很興奮，也希望能夠從事公共服務、政治或者外交領域的工作。我很感激自己所獲得的所有支持。從關心照顧我的公立學校的老師到補貼午餐，美國爲我走向成功鋪墊了一條道路。無疑，這條道路並不總是順利的，但是我那雙強健且堅韌的雙腳鼓舞着我前進。