第7章 面试 The Interview
佚名/Anonymous
The job of a lifetime, that's what it was, secretary for the district attorney. I couldn't wait for my interview. This was the kind of position I'd dreamed of, what all those years of college and entry-level positions were for.
The night before my interview, I spent two hours going through my closet to pick out just the right outfit. What would I say to him? I cuffed up into my pillowy bed and stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. How should I act? Nervous, I shut my eyes and tried to get some rest, but I kept tossing and turning.
Finally, the alarm clock woke me. I tried to open my eyes, but something was wrong. My face felt stiff, strange. My hands flew to my cheeks.“No!” My lips were unable to open all the way. I ran to the bathroom and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, horrified. My face was contorted like a stroke victim's. My eyes were misaligned. I couldn't move the right side of my face. I could barely recognize myself. What was happening to me? What nightmare did I wake up into?
My mother came into the room,“What's wrong?” Her eyes bulged as she withdrew in terror.“What's happening to me?” I slurred to her.“I'll take you to the emergency room,” she finally gasped. We were rushed in. The nurse took one look at me and called in a specialist. There, under the blazing white lights, my mother and I waited.
After several hours of tests, the doctor finally explained,“You have Bell's pal. It is a condition in which your face muscles tighten because of stress. You need to get plenty of sleep, and in a few days your face will return to normal.”“But I have a job interview this afternoon,” I sadly remembered.“I'm sorry,” the doctor said, concerned.“You should reschedule, maybe for later in the week.”
During the long car ride home, all I could think about was how bad it would look to reschedule. Certainly, that would dampen my chances. Nobody reschedules with the district attorney. All the other applicants would have the advantage then, I concluded.
I looked at my watch and made the decision,“Mom, drop me off on Jacob Street. I'm going to the interview.”“Honey, I don't think you should. You look...strange,” she said, ever so gently. I knew she was right. He probably would take one look at me and judge me by my appearance rather than by my experience and talent. I probably shouldn't go. But if I didn't, I'd always wonder if I could have gotten my dream job.“No, Mom, take me there.”
Reluctantly, she took me where I wanted to go. I walked right into the formidable office with the mahogany furniture and pillars of white marble, not letting my own self-consciousness or any disease stop me. Not now, not when I had worked so hard for so long to be given this opportunity.
I went to the woman sitting behind the front desk and said, as well as I could,“Nicole Jenkins! To see Mr. Robertson.” She stared at my face.“He's expecting you. Go right in.” I entered the room to her right and saw a gray-haired man sitting behind the large desk reading a file.
Suddenly my nerves got the best of me, and I had to sit. Took the chair in front of him.“Hello,” he said.“Miss Jenkins? .... Yes. Please excuse me. I'm having a Bell's palsy attack. My doctor explained to me that it would last a few days. I came right from the hospital.”“You're very dedicated to come when you're not feeling up to speed,” he responded, after a pause.“Yes, Sir.”
He spent a few minutes looking over my application.“Is everything on here correct?” He held it out to me. I glanced over the paper,“Yes, but I failed to mention I type seventy five words per minute.”
“Wonderful,” he smiled.“Out of one hundred points, you had our highest score on the application test. You scored well above average on grammar and computer programs.”“It comes easily for me,” I honestly replied.
“Well, you are certainly qualified. You have an impressive background with related experience. I see here you worked for the navy.”“Directly with legal affairs,” I reiterated.
“When are you available? Two weeks.” He gazed down at his desk calendar. “The 27th then, be here at 9:00 A.M.” I gasped.“You hire me! ”“Yes, you're perfect for the position.” I stood.“Thank you for believing in me. I won't let you down.”“I know,” he smiled, rising from his desk to shake my hand.“Not only have you got the skills I'm looking for, you also have the character.”
我几乎等不及面试了。我所期待的终生职业正是这份检查官秘书的工作，而且多年的大学学习和所做的基层工作都是为了这个梦寐以求的职位。
明天就要面试了，为挑选合适的套装我花了两个小时的时间。我躺在柔软的**，望着天花板，难以入睡。我该对他说什么呢？我应该怎样表现呢？我闭上眼睛想休息一会，但我紧张得翻来覆去睡不着。
最后，闹铃叫醒了我。我想睁开眼睛，但有些不太对劲。我感到脸部僵硬，有些异样。我赶紧用手捏了捏脸。“不！”我的嘴唇怎样也张不开。我跑到浴室，看着镜中的自己，太可怕了。我的脸扭曲的就像是中风的病人，眼睛也斜到了一边，右边的脸已不能动弹了。我无法辨认自己，究竟出什么事了？我刚醒来又被卷入了怎样的梦魇？
这时妈妈走了进来，“出什么事了？”她恐慌的盯着我，往后退了一步。我口齿不清地问她：“我这是怎么了？”她气喘吁吁说：“我得马上带你去看急诊。”我们匆忙赶去医院。护士看了看我便叫来了医生，在耀眼的白炽灯光下我和母亲急切地等待着。
经过几个小时的化验，医生解释说：“你得了面部神经麻痹症，这是由于心理压力导致面部肌肉紧绷所造成的。你需要充分的休息，过几天你的脸就会恢复正常了。”我痛苦地说：“可是，我下午要参加面试。”“对不起。”医生关切的说，“你应该重新安排时间了，最好迟些天再去。”
在漫长的回家路上，我脑海里一直在想着重约时间会是怎样的不合适。那当然可能会让我失去机会，没有人会跟检查官重约时间。我最终总结道，这样其他所有的应聘者就会处于优势。
我看了看表，然后下定了决心：“妈妈，把我带到雅各布大街，我得去参加面试。”“宝贝，我觉得你不应该去，你看上去有点……怪异。”她很温柔地说。我知道她是对的。面试官可能只看我一眼，就会以我的外表来作评价，而不是我的经验和才华。也许我不应该去，但如果我不去，我永远也不知道自己是否可以拥有这份梦想中的工作。“不，妈妈，带我去那儿。”
妈妈极其不愿意地把我带到了目的地。我走进了这个摆放着红木家具，竖立着白色大理石柱的庄严的办公室。害怕和病态没有阻止我的步伐，至少不是在此刻，我经过了长时间的努力才最终获得这个好机会的时候。
我走近坐在前台的女士，尽量清晰地说：“我叫尼科尔·詹金斯，来见罗伯逊先生。”她盯着我的脸看了看，说：“他正在等你，直接进去吧。”我进入她右边的房间，只见一位头发灰白的老人坐在一张大书桌后面，正在看文件。
突然我觉得有些紧张，不得不在他面前的椅子上坐了下来。“你好。”他说，“詹金斯小姐？”“是的，对不起，我刚患了面部神经麻痹症。医生说可能得过几天才能康复，我刚从医院赶过来。”他停顿了一下说，“就算身体不适，你还是赶来参加面试，你很看重这次面试啊。”“是的，先生。”
他用几分钟的时间看了我的申请表，然后说：“这些全部属实吗？”并把它递给了我。我浏览了一下说：“是的，但我忘了提到我每分钟可以打75个字。”
“很好。”他笑着说，“超过了一百分，你得到了申请测验的最高分。你的语法和计算机程序的分数也远超过了平均分。”“那些其实并不太难。”我诚恳地答道。
“好的，你很符合条件。你的相关工作经验也让我印象深刻，在这上面我看到你曾在海军工作。”“是跟法律有直接关系的。”我反复地说。
“你什么时候可以上班？”“两周以后。”他低头凝视着桌上的日历说：“那就27号吧，上午9点来这儿。”我吞吞吐吐说：“您雇用我了！”“是的，你非常合适。”我站起来。“谢谢您信任我，我不会让您失望的。”“我明白。”他笑着说，并站起来和我握手。“我所要求的技能和期待的品质都在你身上找到了。”
1.What would I__________to him? I cuffed up into my pillowy bed and stared at the ceiling, unable to__________. How should I act? Nervous, I shut my__________and tried to get some rest, but I__________tossing and turning.
2.He spent a__________minutes looking over my application.“Is everything on here correct?” He held it out__________me. I glanced over the paper,“Yes, but I failed to mention I type seventy five__________per minute.”
1.我闭上眼睛想休息一会，但我紧张得翻来覆去睡不着。
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2.在漫长的回家路上，我脑海里一直在想着重约时间会是怎样的不合适。
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3.也许我不应该去，但如果我不去，我永远也不知道自己是否可以拥有这份梦想中的工作。
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1.The night before my interview, I spent two hours going through my closet to pick out just the right outfit.
pick out：挑选出；拣出
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2.She stared at my face.“He's expecting you. Go right in.”
stare at：目不转睛地看；凝视；盯着
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