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美国“琼瑶”丹尼尔斯蒂尔的枕边书
Danielle Steel: By the Book

[2018年4月23日] 来源:纽约时报 作者:The New York Times   字号 [] [] []  

The author, most recently, of “Blue” says Alex Haley was her mentor. “We both wrote late at night, and when my phone rang at 3 a.m., I always knew it was him, making sure I was working.”


最新作品为《蓝》(Blue)的作者说,亚历克斯·哈利(Alex Haley)是她的导师。“我们都在深夜写作,我的电话凌晨3点响起时,我知道一定是他打来的,以确定我在工作。”


Which books are currently on your night stand?


问:现在你的床头柜上放着什么书?


“The Girl on the Train,” by Paula Hawkins, and a recent John Grisham, “Gray Mountain.”


答:葆拉·霍金斯(Paula Hawkins)的《火车上的女孩》(The Girl on the Train)以及约翰·格里沙姆(John Grisham)的新书《灰山》(Gray Mountain)。


What’s the last great book you read?

丹妮尔·斯蒂尔。
丹妮尔·斯蒂尔。

问:你读的上一本很棒的书是什么?


“All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr, and “The Nightingale,” by Kristin Hannah — those are both World War II books, which I love. And the most recent, “The Power of I Am,” by Joel Osteen.


答:安东尼·多尔(Anthony Doerr)的《我们看不见的光》(All the Light We Cannot See)以及克里斯廷·汉娜(Kristin Hannah)的《夜莺》(The Nightingale)。这两本书都是关于“二战”的,我很喜欢。我最近很喜欢的是乔尔·奥斯廷(Joel Osteen)的《我的力量》(The Power of I Am)。


What genres do you especially enjoy reading? And which do you avoid?


问:你特别喜欢读什么类型的书?又不喜欢什么类型的书?


I like books that inspire me in my own life. I don’t like depressing books, or books and stories where terrible things happen to children. I won’t read either.


答:我喜欢那些能对我自己的生活有所启发的书。我不喜欢压抑的书或者讲述孩子身上发生可怕事情的书或故事。那两种书我都不会读。


What moves you most in a work of literature?


问:文学作品中什么最打动你?


How well it’s written, how real it is, how well the story grabs me and keeps my interest, and how touching it is.


答:它写得怎么样,有多真实,故事有多吸引我,能否让我一直有兴趣读下去,有多感人。


What’s the last book that made you cry?

问:上一本让你大哭的书是哪本?


The most recent one I was writing (I always cry when I write sad scenes).


答:我前不久写的那本(写到悲伤的场景时,我总会大哭)。


The last book that made you laugh?


问:上一本让你大笑的书是什么?


I love Joel Osteen’s books; they inspire me, and he also has a great sense of humor, in order to deliver his message with a light touch, and occasionally makes me laugh out loud.


答:我很喜欢乔尔·奥斯廷的书。它们能给我带来灵感。他也很有幽默感,为了轻松地表达自己的意思,有时能让我笑出声来。


The last book that made you furious?


问:上一本让你愤怒的书是什么?


One by an author I used to like, and tried to read again. The author unexpectedly killed a child at the end with no warning. I absolutely hate that!


答:是我以前挺喜欢的一位作家写的一本书,我当时是想再读一些这位作家写的书。没想到这位作家在结尾处毫无征兆地把一个孩子给写死了。我真的很讨厌那样!


Tell us about your favorite fairy tale.


问:说说你最喜欢的童话故事吧。


Any fairy tale with a happy ending.


答:所有结局幸福的童话故事。


Tell us about your favorite poem.


问:说说你最喜欢的诗歌吧。


I used to like Edna St. Vincent Millay (“First Fig,” “The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver”) when I was very young, but today I find her poems to be somewhat depressing.


答:我很年轻的时候喜欢埃德娜·圣·文森特·米莱(Edna St. Vincent Millay,比如她的《第一颗无花果》[First Fig]和《竖琴谣》[The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver]),但是现在我觉得她的诗歌有点令人沮丧。


And the best movie adaptation of a book?


问:你认为最棒的改编自图书的电影是哪一部?


I always think the books are better than the movies.


答:我一直认为,书比电影好。


What kind of reader were you as a child?


问:你小时候是怎么读书的?


I was an avid reader and read constantly. I read mostly in French, my first language, and loved “The Little Prince,” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, but also loved “The Secret Garden,” by Frances Hodgson Burnett; “Little Women,” by Louisa May Alcott; and “Eloise,” by Kay Thompson, for how naughty she was.


答:我是个书迷,一直在读书。我大多是读法语书,法语是我的母语,我非常喜欢安东尼·德·圣-埃克苏佩里(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)的《小王子》(The Little Prince),不过我也很喜欢弗朗西丝·霍奇森·伯内特(Frances Hodgson Burnett)的《秘密花园》(The Secret Garden),路易莎·梅·奥尔科特(Louisa May Alcott)的《小妇人》(Little Women),以及凯·汤普森(Kay Thompson)的《埃洛伊塞》(Eloise),我喜欢她的调皮劲儿。


Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine? Your favorite antihero or villain?


问:你最喜欢的虚构男主人公或女主人公是谁?你喜欢的反派主角呢?


Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet.


答:维尼熊(Winnie-the-Pooh)和小猪皮杰(Piglet)。


If you had to name one book that made you who you are today, what would it be?


问:如果你必须选出哪本书造就了今天的你,你会选哪本?


The Bible.


答:《圣经》。


What author, living or dead, would you most like to meet, and what would you like to know?


问:在世和去世的作者中,你最想与谁会面?你想知道什么?


Alex Haley (author of “Roots”) was a dear friend, and my mentor early in my career. He predicted I would do well, and I thought he was crazy. He was a remarkable human being. We both wrote late at night, and when my phone rang at 3 a.m., I always knew it was him, making sure I was working. I miss him greatly and would love to see him again (rather than an author I don’t know).


答:亚历克斯·哈利(《根》[Roots]的作者)是我的挚友,他是我事业早期的导师。他预言我能写得很好,我当时觉得他这么想很疯狂。他是个了不起的人。我们都在深夜写作,我的电话凌晨3点响起时,我知道一定是他打来的,以确定我在工作。我很想念他,很想再次见到他(而不想去见我不认识的人)。


Disappointing, overrated, just not good: What book did you feel you were supposed to like, and didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?


问:失望,评价过高,不好看:哪些书让你觉得自己应该会喜欢但实际上不喜欢?你还记得上一本没看完就放下的书吗?


I do remember the book, but it would be unkind to mention it. I’m a very disciplined person, so I finish a book even if I hate it, and always wish I didn’t waste the time! I always hope it will get better right to the very end.


答:我的确记得有这样一本书,但我觉得说出来不太好。我是个非常自律的人,所以就算我很讨厌一本书,也会把它读完,然后一直希望自己没浪费那些时间!我一直希望那些书到后面会写得好一些。


Of all the books you’ve written, which is your favorite or the most personally meaningful?


问:在你写过的所有的书中,你最喜欢的或者对你个人最有意义的书是哪一本?


The most personally meaningful is the one I wrote about my son Nick, “His Bright Light,” who died at 19. He was bipolar all his life and committed suicide. I wrote the book to honor him, and help parents of similar children. The favorite one I’ve written is always the one I’m currently writing or just finished.


答:对我个人最有意义的是关于我儿子尼克(Nick)的书——《他的光芒》(His Bright Light),他19岁时去世。他一生都患有躁郁症,最后自杀了。我写那本书是为了纪念他,同时帮助有类似孩子的父母。我写过的书中最喜欢的一直是我正在写或刚写完的书。


Whom would you want to write your life story?


问:你想让谁来写你的人生故事?


No one — ever. Perhaps my children, who know me better than anyone. But a life written about by another person, viewed from the outside, is never accurate. Whatever happened in my life is history and should remain private, and not shared with the world. I prefer that people come to know me through the books I’ve written. I have no desire to see my real life written about, and hope it never will be.


答:我不想让任何人写。我的孩子们或许可以,他们比其他任何人都更了解我。但是外人写的人生永远都不会准确。我生活中发生的任何事情都是历史,都应该保密,不应该与世人分享。我更希望人们通过我写的书认识我。我不想看到任何人写我的真实生活,希望永远也不会有人写。


What do you plan to read next?


:你接下来打算读什么书?


A lot of my own work. I have too little time to read, and only read when I take a break from writing in the summer for a few weeks. The rest of the time, I’m writing, and I never read other people’s work when I’m writing.


答:我有很多工作要做。我阅读的时间很少,我只在夏季休假的那几周读书。其他的时间我都在写作,我写作的时候从不读别人的作品。


Which writers — novelists, playwrights, critics, journalists, poets — working today do you admire most?


问:目前还在写作的作家中,你最欣赏哪位?不管是小说家、剧作家、记者或诗人。


I wish I had more time to read new novelists, see plays and read magazines, but my new publishing schedule of six books a year keeps me very busy. As I’ve said, I wish I did!


答:我希望自己有更多时间读新小说家们的作品,读剧本,或者读杂志,但我每年要出六本书,特别忙。就像我说的,我希望自己有时间去读别人的作品!


翻译:王相宜

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