一个自由译者的生命记录

An Irish Woman Student (Hantown's Reflection)

                                      

I want to share an excerpt from the novel I’ve been reading these days. Before moving on, let me summarize the context of the conflict you are going to see in a few words.-- Hantown

 

Context:

Kathleen is an Irish lady trying to pursue her doctorate. Her husband Brien, who turned out to be a gay, is running for senator. After a bitter talk with her husband, Kathleen was beaten and raped by the sadist wife-beater. She was determined to leave him but had to finish her prelim paper before going into any legal process. The outcome of paper grading was out of her expectation – she was the only student who passed the prelim with honors. However, things are not what she thought…(Hantown)

 

(The following Excerpt from page 129-130, “Fall From Grace” by Andrew M. Greeley is related in the first-person perspective of Kathleen.)

(The board reads:

RESULTS OF PRELIMINARY EXAMS

Pass with Honors – Kathleen Anne Leary Donahue.)

 

No other names. I felt sorry for the others at first, then very happy for myself. I whispered a quick Hail Mary in gratitude.

There was a note in my box that I should call Mr. Mills, my adviser, for an appointment.

……

It took Mr. Mills a week to squeeze in ten minutes to see me.

“I’m very sorry to have to tell you, Mrs., ah, Donahue” – he fussed with a small sheet of paper from which he pretended to be reading – “that this committee, after considerable deliberation, has decided not to admit you to candidacy for the doctoral program.”

“What?”

“We recognize your enthusiasm and industry and, if I may say so, respect both very much. You have many commendable talents as a student. However, this committee administers a very special program and feels that it must be very selective in choosing the students we admit to candidacy. Admission to candidacy in this committee is not a right, it is a privilege that we must preserve for a very few students and so –”

“I passed the prelims with honors – ”

“Mastery of test materials, in and of itself, does not establish that a student has the intellectual maturity, the emotional strength, and the proper balance of creativity and responsibility which are required of the select few that we feel we can best serve with our program.”

……

“We don’t feel,” he droned on, “that we would be being fair to you if we gave you reason to think that you had the qualifications required for one of our doctoral candidates. This committee feels that you would simply not be happy with us.”

“The committee feels that way, Mr. Mills, or you feel that way?” I was being very calm, letting the head of steam build up slowly.

“If I may say so” – his face turned redder – “I speak for the whole committee.”

“I see… What you’re saying, Mr. Mills, is that you don’t want an Irish Catholic matron from Beverly with three kids in your program.”

He began to shutter. “Young woman, we only accept first-rate minds into this committee. Most of my students, you included, do not have a first-rate mind. That last remark of yours merely illustrates my point.”

“Irish Catholics can’t have first-rate minds, right?”

“This conversation is over!” He stood up.

“Sit down, Mr. Mills – it’s not over.”

Surprisingly, he sat.

(The following monologue of Kathleen is what struck me greatly, which I want to share some of my reflections with you all. -- Hantown)

“The committee will reverse its decision. I have kept careful notes of all our conversations (first lie) including your anti-Irish Catholic slurs; moreover, your colleagues, not knowing the name of the student, graded me with an honors pass; these two facts create grounds for filing suit charging sexual and religious discrimination. I propose to file such a suit (second lie). The lawyers which abound in my family would enjoy enormously dragging you and the University into court (third lie). Moreover, I am reasonably well known in this city; the University would be seriously injured in its upcoming fund-raising drive if I engaged in a public attack on it. I have every intention of doing so (fourth lie).”

I stood up and very calmly left his office.

“This committee,” he shouted after me, “and this University will not be intimidated.”

But I had scared the daylights out of him.

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What Hantown thinks:

What impresses me so much is Kathleen’s courage to fight for her right. Look at what we are doing to injustice. The school canteen is selling shabby food at an outrageous price where one of the two air conditioners is always shutdown to save their money perhaps. The boiler serves boiled water on limited terms and eats money out of every student’s purse for every drip, charging them on time basis instead of justly according to the quantity of water they fetch. No one ever stood up to say – fix or change the bloody money vampire. Everyone is complaining to everyone and nobody has the fucking guts to fight for themselves. That, is the difference between what education means in China and the US.

Like what Mr. Mills says, “no one will be intimidated”, but things are going to be damn different only if you stand up and say—“Fuck you if you don’t do you job.” Then, everyone’s job will be well done.

             

【作者: 翰唐】【访问统计:】【2006年01月11日 星期三 14:54】【 加入博采】【打印】