Making the Grade
取得好成绩
Varda One
瓦尔达·翁
In 1951, I was eighteen and traveling with all the money I had in the world-fifty dollars. I was on a bus heading from Los Angeles to Berkeley. My dream of attending the university was coming true. I'd already paid tuition for the semester and for one month at the co-op residence. After that, I had to furnish the rest-my impoverished parents couldn't rescue me.
1951年，我18岁，带着我所有的钱--50美元去旅行。我坐在从洛杉矶开往伯克利的车上。我上大学的梦想即将实现。我已付了一学期的学费以及在合租公寓一个月的住宿费。除此之外，其余的费用都靠我承担，我贫困的父母帮不了我。
I'd been on my own as a live-in mother's helper since I was fifteen, leaving high school at noon to care for children till midnight. All through high school and my first year of college, I'd longed to participate in extracurricular activities, but my job made that impossible. Now that I was transferring to Berkeley, I hoped to earn a scholarship.
自从16岁起我就自食其力，以帮助住在雇主家的母亲，中午我离开我所念的高中，回家照顾孩子到半夜。整个高中以及大一期间，我就一直渴望参加课外活动，但是我的工作不允许。既然我转到伯克利来，我希望能获得奖学金。
That first week I found a waitress job, baby-sat and washed dishes at the coop as part of my rent. At the end of the semester, I had the B average I needed for a scholarship. All I had to do was achieve the B average next term.
第一周我找了份服务生的工作,在合租公寓做临时保姆并洗碗碟以支付我的部分租金。学期结束的时候，我的平均成绩是B,这是申请奖学金所需要的成绩。我需要做的就是下学期也能拿到平均成绩B。
It didn't occur to me to take a snap course: I'd come to the university to learn something. I believed I could excel academically and take tough subjects.
我从没想过选修容易（通过考试）的课程：我来这所学校是要学习东西的。我相信我在学业上出类拔萃，能够选修有难度的课程。