名人家書:約翰奧哈拉致 女兒（威利奧哈拉）（2）中英文對(duì)照
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我親愛的：
好了，我們到了——但不是到這兒。你在圣·蒂姆斯，西斯特在普林斯頓，而我在奎基，對(duì)你來說嶄新的一年又開始了。對(duì)于我，也是如此。我似乎總是帶著一種春天在大多數(shù)人身上所激發(fā)的心情走近秋季。新生事物給人們帶來的興奮；新劇目、新書、新服裝，等等，等等，等等。同時(shí)，秋天對(duì)于我則是帶著美麗的憂郁的季節(jié)。這是難以用言語表達(dá)的。我愛黃昏，愛像火一樣燃燒著的紅艷艷的樹葉，愛房屋里的燈光。
對(duì)你來說，這是至關(guān)重要的一年的開始，從許多方面來說這是你最重要的一年。到六月份你就18歲了，將中學(xué)畢業(yè)。在過去的幾周里，我稱你為“小孩子”，但在潛意識(shí)里我這樣做是因?yàn)槟愕纳倌陼r(shí)代已經(jīng)過去，或正要過去。我猜想你已在經(jīng)歷你的初戀，不管發(fā)生什么，有過初戀的經(jīng)歷之后，你再也不是小孩子了。
與當(dāng)個(gè)孩子相關(guān)的許多美好的事物都是很不錯(cuò)的——然而你仍然是個(gè)孩子。但你將得到比所失去的更多的東西。你將得到理解、人們的欣賞，以及你對(duì)你自己的理解和欣賞。你將明白我常常告訴你的那句話所隱含的智慧：真誠(chéng)地對(duì)待你自己。每一年的這個(gè)時(shí)候我都對(duì)你重復(fù)這句話，而且這離你把這句話告訴你的孩子們的時(shí)候也為時(shí)不遠(yuǎn)了。這句話也許是我能夠給你的最好的一條建議，或許也是你能夠給你的孩子們的最好的一條建議。
你做得很好，我對(duì)你很滿意，并不只是因?yàn)槟闼龅哪切┦拢乙驗(yàn)槟惚救恕＞拖穹夷岣〗銓?duì)西斯特所說的那樣“威利反應(yīng)敏捷”。因此，祝你中學(xué)的最后一年交好運(yùn)，并且永遠(yuǎn)記住，我這個(gè)老人非常愛你。
永遠(yuǎn)愛你的，爸爸
于奎基，長(zhǎng)島，星期日
1962年9月16日
tls，1 p.mrs.doughty
quogue，long island
16 september1962，sunday
my dear：
well，here we are——but not here.you at st.tim's，sister in princeton，and me in quogue，andanother brand new year is about to start for you.for me，too.i always seem to approach the autumnin the frame of mind that spring induces in mostpeople.the excitement of new things；the newplays，the new books，new clothes，etc.，etc.，etc.at the same time the autumn for me is a season ofa sweet melancholy that is hard to explain.i lovethe early evenings，the leaves burning，the lights inhouses.
it is the beginning of a big year for you，inmany respects your biggest so far.by the time junecomes around you will be 18，and graduating fromschool.in the past week or so i have called you“kid” but subconsciously i have been doing thatbecause your kid days are over，or just about.i suspect that you are going through the experienceof first love，and no matter what else happens，afterthat experience you are never a kid again.
most of the nice things we associate withbeing a kid are okay——while you are still a kid.but you gain more than you lose.you gain inunderstanding standing，in appreciation of people，in understanding and appreciation of yourself.youbegin to see the wisdom in that quotation i have sooften repeated to you：to thine own self be true.every year at this time i have repeated thatquotation to you，and the time is not really too fardistant when you will be passing it on to your ownchildren.it is probably the best single piece ofadvice i can give you，or you can give them.
you have done well，and i am pleased withyou，not only for what you have done，but for whatyou are.as miss finnegan said to sister，“wyliehas the right reactions.”so good luck in yoursenior year，and always know that the old manloves you very much.
always
dad
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