Jarrett J. Krosoczka: How a boy became an artist

Translator: Thu-Huong Ha Reviewer: Morton Bast

翻译人员: xueling Sun 校对人员: Hanzhuo Zhang

Hello. My name is Jarrett Krosoczka,

大家好。我叫 Jarrett Krosoczka

and I write and illustrate books for children for a living.

我以写儿童书籍和给书配插图为生

So I use my imagination as my full-time job.

想象力，因此贯穿我工作的始终

But well before my imagination was my vocation,

但就在想象力成为我的工作之前

my imagination saved my life.

它拯救了我

When I was a kid, I loved to draw,

当我还是一个孩子时，我非常喜爱画画

and the most talented artist I knew

对我来说，最天才的艺术家

was my mother,

就是妈妈

but my mother was addicted to heroin.

但她对海洛因上瘾

And when your parent is a drug addict,

而当你的父母之一和毒品有染时

it's kind of like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football,

你就会有种就 查理斯布朗（snoopy的主人）想去踢足球一样的感觉

because as much as you want to love on that person,

你是那么想去爱那个人

as much as you want to receive love from that person,

也是那么想得到那个人的关爱

every time you open your heart, you end up on your back.

但当每次你试图敞开心扉时，

So throughout my childhood, my mother was incarcerated

在我的整个童年，母亲是被监禁起来的

and I didn't have my father because

我也没有父亲

I didn't even learn his first name until I was in the sixth grade.

甚至在上六年级之前不知道自己父亲的名字

But I had my grandparents,

但幸好还有祖父母在

my maternal grandparents Joseph and Shirley,

Joseph 和Shirley

who adopted me just before my third birthday

他们在我满三岁的时候收养了我

and took me in as their own,

并把我带到他们家

after they had already raised five children.

在他们已经养了5个孩子之后。

So two people who grew up in the Great Depression,

因此在80年代早期，极度萧条中生活过来的祖父母

there in the very, very early '80s took on a new kid.

又收养了一个孩子.

I was the Cousin Oliver of the sitcom

我是那情景喜剧中

of the Krosoczka family,

Krosoczka 家庭中的表亲 Oliver

the new kid who came out of nowhere.

一个不知道打哪儿来的新成员

And I would like to say that life was totally easy with them.

我可以这么说，生活对他们而言很容易

They each smoked two packs a day, each, nonfiltered,

他们一天抽2包烟，我指的是每个人，绝不夸张

and by the time I was six,

而那时我才六岁

I could order a Southern Comfort Manhattan,

我会点一杯鸡尾酒

dry with a twist, rocks on the side,

一口喝干，然后再一边发抖

the ice on the side so you could fit more liquor in the drink.

鸡尾酒中的冰块，使你能适应度数更高的饮料

But they loved the hell out of me. They loved me so much.

即使是这样，他们还是很爱我。他们是这样的爱我

And they supported my creative efforts,

以至于他们支持我创造性的尝试

because my grandfather was a self-made man.

祖父白手起家

He ran and worked in a factory.

他经营着一个工厂

My grandmother was a homemaker.

祖母则是家庭主妇

But here was this kid who loved Transformers

但这个孩子喜爱变形金刚

and Snoopy and the Ninja Turtles,

喜爱史努比和忍者神龟

and the characters that I read about, I fell in love with,

以及其他在书中认识的角色

and they became my friends.

他们成了我的朋友

So my best friends in life were the characters

因而我这辈子最好的朋友就是

I read about in books.

书里这些卡通形象

I went to Gates Lane Elementary School in Worcester, Massachusetts,

我上的是位于马萨诸塞州 ，伍斯特的Gates Lane小学

and I had wonderful teachers there,

在那里有很多出色的老师教过我

most notably in first grade Mrs. Alisch.

其中我印象最深的是一年级的 Alisch 老师

And I just, I can just remember the love that she offered

尤其是她

us as her students.

对我们学生的爱

When I was in the third grade,

我三年级那年

a monumental event happened.

一件值得纪念的事情发生了

An author visited our school, Jack Gantos.

Jack Gantos ，这位作家访问了我们学校

A published author of books came to talk to us

一位出过书的作家向我们讲述

about what he did for a living.

他所为生的事业

And afterwards, we all went back to our classrooms

演讲结束后，我们陆续回到教室

and we drew our own renditions of his main character,

画了有关他构造的主要人物的作品

Rotten Ralph.

Rotten Ralph

And suddenly the author appeared in our doorway,

突然，作家出现在教室的门口

and I remember him sort of sauntering down the aisles,

我还记得他那时闲逛一般的在走道间穿过

going from kid to kid looking at the desks, not saying a word.

一言不发的一个个的浏览孩子们的作品

But he stopped next to my desk,

到我的桌子旁，他停下了

and he tapped on my desk, and he said,

然后轻轻敲了几下桌子，说

"Nice cat." (Laughter)

“这猫不错” （笑声）

And he wandered away.

之后又游荡走了

Two words that made a colossal difference in my life.

这简短的话语却对我人生产生了巨大影响

When I was in the third grade, I wrote a book for the first time,

三年级的时候，我写出了自己的第一本书

"The Owl Who Thought He Was The Best Flyer." (Laughter)

“一只觉得自己是最好飞行员的猫头鹰” （笑声）

We had to write our own Greek myth,

那时我们被要求自创希腊神话

our own creation story, so I wrote a story about an owl

自编自创，于是我就写了个猫头鹰的故事

who challenged Hermes to a flying race,

它向赫尔墨斯下挑战飞行速度

and the owl cheated,

还作弊了

and Hermes, being a Greek god, grew angry and bitter,

赫尔墨斯，这位希腊神祗，又气又恨

and turned the owl into a moon,

把猫头鹰变成了月亮

so the owl had to live the rest of his life as a moon

这猫头鹰只好每夜眼睁睁地看这他的家人和朋友玩耍

while he watched his family and friends play at night.

自己却只能作为月亮孤独的度过余生

Yeah. (Laughter)

没错 (笑声）

My book had a title page.

这本书还有个标题页

I was clearly worried about my intellectual property when I was eight.

很显然我在8岁的时候就开始担心知识产权的问题了

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And it was a story that was told with words and pictures,

这是本图文并茂的书

exactly what I do now for a living,

正如我现在所做的事情一样

and I sometimes let the words have the stage on their own,

书中有些页全靠文字讲述

and sometimes I allowed the pictures to work on their own

也有些页我全交给

to tell the story.

图画来阐释

My favorite page is the "About the author" page.

我最爱的一页是 “ 关于作者” 页

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So I learned to write about myself in third person

看，这么小小年纪

at a young age.

我就会用第三人称介绍自己了

So I love that last sentence: "He liked making this book."

尤其是最后一句话 ：“ 来自他满怀热爱之作。”

And I liked making that book because I loved using my imagination,

我爱写书是因为喜欢让自己的想象力满页跑

and that's what writing is.

而这也正是写作本身

Writing is using your imagination on paper,

就是一股脑儿把想象力涂到纸页上去

and I do get so scared because I travel to so many schools now

当我看到现在在很多学校，想象力已经变成一个陌生的概念的时候

and that seems like such a foreign concept to kids,

我觉得这是一件可怕是事情

that writing would be using your imagination on paper,

因为写作本应是和想象力相关的事情

if they're allowed to even write now within the school hours.

因为孩子们如果被允许的话，即使是在上课时间也是好的。

So I loved writing so much that I'd come home from school,

我热爱写作以至于每每放学回家

and I would take out pieces of paper,

就会拿出几张纸

and I would staple them together,

把它们订在一起

and I would fill those blank pages with words and pictures

然后就会又写又画把空白纸填的满满当当

just because I loved using my imagination.

仅仅因为发挥想象力是这么让我开心

And so these characters would become my friends.

我创造出的卡通形象也成了我的朋友

There was an egg, a tomato, a head of lettuce and a pumpkin,

这是鸡蛋兄，土豆兄，莴笋头，和南瓜兄

and they all lived in this refrigerator city,

它们都住在冰箱城

and in one of their adventures they went to a haunted house

在它们的奇遇记中，它们闯进了一间鬼屋

that was filled with so many dangers

危机四伏

like an evil blender who tried to chop them up,

有 想把它们一同绞碎的恶魔搅拌机

an evil toaster who tried to kidnap the bread couple,

有 试图绑架面包夫妇的邪恶烤面包机

and an evil microwave who tried to melt their friend

还有想要融化它们的朋友 黄油兄

who was a stick of butter. (Laughter)

的微波炉怪

And I'd make my own comics too,

此外我还自制漫画

and this was another way for me to tell stories,

这也是我通过文字和图画

through words and through pictures.

来讲故事的又一种方式

Now when I was in sixth grade,

后来我上六年级的时候

the public funding all but eliminated the arts budgets

伍斯特公立学校系统的公共资金

in the Worcester public school system.

单单不承担艺术开支

I went from having art once a week

我上艺术班的频率从一周一次

to twice a month

到一个月两次

to once a month to not at all.

到一个月一次，最后干脆取消了

And my grandfather, he was a wise man,

外祖父是个聪明人

and he saw that as a problem, because he knew

他很快就发现了这个问题，他知道这是我有的唯一乐趣

that was, like, the one thing I had. I didn't play sports.

我从不参加体育活动

I had art.

艺术就是我的天下

So he walked into my room one evening,

于是一天晚上，他走进我的房间

and he sat on the edge of my bed,

在我的床边坐下

and he said, "Jarrett, it's up to you, but if you'd like to,

说道：“Jarrett，这事儿你来定，我们想送你

we'd like to send you to the classes at the Worcester Art Museum."

去伍斯特艺术馆的班学习，你觉得怎么样？“

And I was so thrilled.

再没有比这更令我惊喜的事情了

So from sixth through 12th grade,

于是从六年级到十二年级

once, twice, sometimes three times a week,

一周一到三次

I would take classes at the art museum,

我会去艺术馆上课

and I was surrounded by other kids who loved to draw,

在那里我被那些热爱绘画，

other kids who shared a similar passion.

有着相同热情的孩子们围绕着

Now my publishing career began when I designed the cover

我的出版事业是从我设计

for my eighth grade yearbook,

我们八年级课本封面开始的

and if you're wondering about the style of dress I put our mascot in,

如果你好奇为什么我给这吉祥物穿上这样风格的服装

I was really into Bell Biv DeVoe and MC Hammer

我可以告诉你那时我超爱Bell Biv Devoe 和 MC Hammer

and Vanilla Ice at the time. (Laughter)

以及Vanilla Ice （笑声)

And to this day, I still can do karaoke to "Ice, Ice Baby"

即使到今天，我还能在卡拉OK中吼出 ” Ice,Ice Baby"

without looking at the screen.

不带看屏幕的哦

Don't tempt me, because I will do it.

别惹我，我真做的出来

So I get shipped off to private school,

我给送去了私立学校

K through eight, public schools, but for some reason

之前从幼儿园到八年级我一直在公立学校，但因为某些原因

my grandfather was upset that somebody

祖父有些不安

at the local high school had been stabbed and killed,

因为在当地高校，有人被刺杀了

so he didn't want me to go there.

因此他不想让我去公立学校

He wanted me to go to a private school, and he gave me an option.

而想送我去私立学校了，那时他给了我几个选项

You can go to Holy Name, which is coed,

可以去Holy Name, 一所男女混校

or St. John's, which is all boys.

也可以选男子学校 St.John's

Very wise man, because he knew I would,

他了解我会

I felt like I was making the decision on my own,

自己做这个选择

and he knew I wouldn't choose St. John's,

他也知道我不会去 St.John's

so I went to Holy Name High School,

之后我去了Holy Name 高中

which was a tough transition because, like I said,

这真是个艰难的转变

I didn't play sports,

因为我对体育活动不感兴趣

and it was very focused on sports,

而这个学校很重视体育

but I took solace in Mr. Shilale's art room.

但我在 Shilale 老师的画室找到了安慰.

And I just flourished here.

我天天泡在那里

I just couldn't wait to get to that classroom every day.

每天都迫不及待的想去那个教室

So how did I make friends?

你问我这样怎么交到朋友的？

I drew funny pictures of my teachers -- (Laughter) --

那时我画了很多关于老师的搞笑漫画 （笑声）

and I passed them around.

并且在全班传着看

Well, in English class, in ninth grade,

额，我们九年级的时候，有天英语课，

my friend John, who was sitting next to me,

我朋友 John，我的同桌

laughed a little bit too hard.

笑的太厉害了

Mr. Greenwood was not pleased.

弄的Greenwood 老师不太高兴

(Laughter)

（笑声）

He instantly saw that I was the cause of the commotion,

他立刻发现了我是罪魁祸首

and for the first time in my life, I was sent to the hall,

于是我这辈子第一次给“请”去了办公室

and I thought, "Oh no, I'm doomed.

那时我想：“ 天，这下我完了。

My grandfather's just going to kill me."

外公他会杀了我的....."

And he came out to the hallway and he said,

这时老师出来了，站在走廊上，说

"Let me see the paper."

“ 把那张纸给我看看。”

And I thought, "Oh no. He thinks it's a note."

“ 天，不是吧，他以为那是笔记...."我想道

And so I took this picture, and I handed it to him.

我拿出那张画，递给了他

And we sat in silence for that brief moment,

一瞬间的沉默之后

and he said to me,

他开口了

"You're really talented." (Laughter)

”你太有才了.“ （笑声）

"You're really good. You know, the school newspaper

” 这画的真不错，知道么，

needs a new cartoonist, and you should be the cartoonist.

校报需要新的漫画家，我觉得你应该去。

Just stop drawing in my class."

但以后别在我的课上画画了啊。”

So my parents never found out about it.

因此我的父母从不知道这件事情

I didn't get in trouble. I was introduced to Mrs. Casey,

我并没惹出麻烦，还被介绍给了 Casey老师，

who ran the school newspaper,

她是校报的负责人

and I was for three and a half years

于是我担任了三年半的

the cartoonist for my school paper,

校报漫画家

handling such heavy issues as,

担负重任，像

seniors are mean,

学长们的不近人情

freshmen are nerds,

新人的书呆气质

the prom bill is so expensive. I can't believe how much it costs to go to the prom.

毕业舞会都贵的离谱。我不敢相信它要花这么多钱

And I took the headmaster to task

校长也没能幸免

and then I also wrote an ongoing story about a boy named Wesley

后来我写了个连载的故事，关于一个在恋爱中不幸的男生Wesley，

who was unlucky in love, and I just swore up and down

我一直在努力澄清

that this wasn't about me,

这不是我的故事

but all these years later it was totally me.

但多年后我真变成了他

But it was so cool because I could write these stories,

但这并没有什么坏处，相反我认为 我能写这些故事、

I could come up with these ideas,

想出这些点子实在是一件太酷的事情了

and they'd be published in the school paper,

这些故事被发表在校报上

and people who I didn't know could read them.

被那些我不认识的人读到

And I loved that thought, of being able to share my ideas

这种可以通过印刷物 分享自己点子的感觉

through the printed page.

我非常喜欢

On my 14th birthday, my grandfather and my grandmother

在我14岁生日那年，我的祖父祖母

gave me the best birthday present ever:

给了我有史以来最棒的一件礼物

a drafting table that I have worked on ever since.

一张制图桌，我自那起一直在用它

Here I am, 20 years later,

看，现在20年过去了

and I still work on this table every day.

我每天还是伏在这张桌子上工作

On the evening of my 14th birthday,

14岁生日的那天晚上

I was given this table, and we had Chinese food.

我收到了那张桌子，吃了中餐

And this was my fortune:

这就是我的财富：

"You will be successful in your work."

“ 你会在你的工作中取得成功的。”

I taped it to the top left hand of my table,

我把这句话印在了桌子左上方

and as you can see, it's still there.

你们可以看到，它还在那里

Now I never really asked my grandparents for anything.

其实 我还真没有找我的祖父母要过什么东西

Well, two things: Rusty, who was a great hamster

不，还是有两件的：四年级的时候要了Rusty，一只可爱的仓鼠

and lived a great long life when I was in fourth grade.

，它真的活了很久。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And a video camera.

以及一台摄影机

I just wanted a video camera.

我特别想要一台摄影机

And after begging and pleading for Christmas,

在以圣诞礼物的名义下苦苦哀求之后

I got a second-hand video camera,

我终于得到了一台二手摄影机

and I instantly started making my own animations

然后立马开始做我自己的卡通动画

on my own,

全由我一手制作

and all throughout high school I made my own animations.

整个高中我都在做原创的动画片

I convinced my 10th grade English teacher to allow me

还说服了我10年级的英语老师允许我

to do my book report on Stephen King's "Misery"

用短动画的方式来做

as an animated short. (Laughter)

斯蒂芬金 《一号书迷》的读书报告。 （笑声）

And I kept making comics.

我也一直在画漫画

I kept making comics, and at the Worcester Art Museum,

一直坚持着，并且在伍斯特的艺术馆里

I was given the greatest piece of advice by any educator I was ever given.

得到了我的教育者所能给我的最伟大建议

Mark Lynch, he's an amazing teacher

Mark Lynch，他是个极好的老师

and he's still a dear friend of mine,

也始一直是我非常要好的朋友

and I was 14 or 15,

那时我十四五岁的样子

and I walked into his comic book class halfway through the course,

我在他漫画课的中途加入了

and I was so excited, I was beaming.

我兴奋的要命，特别开心。

I had this book that was how to draw comics in the Marvel way,

我当时有一本教人如何用一种奇异的方式来表现漫画的书

and it taught me how to draw superheroes,

其中还包括如何画超级英雄

how to draw a woman, how to draw muscles

怎样描绘一个女人，怎么绘出肌肉的肌理

just the way they were supposed to be

如果我来画X-Men 或者 蜘蛛人的话

if I were to ever draw for X-Men or Spiderman.

他们就是这个样子

And all the color just drained from his face,

他的脸一下子就失去了应有的颜色，黯淡下来，

and he looked at me, and he said,

他看着我说

"Forget everything you learned."

“ 忘记你所学的全部。”

And I didn't understand. He said, "You have a great style.

我没有理解。他解释到：“你有自己独特的风格。

Celebrate your own style. Don't draw the way you're being told to draw.

发挥自己的特点。不要被规矩所束缚。

Draw the way you're drawing and keep at it,

坚持你自己的方式不要改变

because you're really good."

因为这样真的很好。“

Now when I was a teenager, I was angsty as any teenager was,

那时做为一个少年，我和其他人一样多愁善感

but after 17 years of having a mother

但这17年，在拥有一个像悠悠球一样在我生命中

who was in and out of my life like a yo-yo

进进出出的母亲

and a father who was faceless, I was angry.

以及一个从未露面的父亲之后，我有些愤世嫉俗

And when I was 17, I met my father for the first time,

而17岁那年，我第一次和自己的父亲见了面

upon which I learned I had a brother and sister I had never known about.

那时我才知道我有一个哥哥和一个姐姐

And on the day I met my father for the first time,

并且就在我们见面的那天

I was rejected from the Rhode Island School of Design,

我被我选择的唯一一个大学

my one and only choice for college.

Rhode Island 学院拒绝了

But it was around this time I went to Camp Sunshine

但在这段时间，我去了阳光夏令营

to volunteer a week and working with the most amazing kids,

去做了一个星期的志愿者，和那些最神奇的孩子共事

kids with leukemia, and this kid Eric changed my life.

那些患有白血病的孩子，其中一个叫Eric的孩子改变了我的人生

Eric didn't live to see his sixth birthday,

他没能活过6岁

and Eric lives with me every day.

之前的那些时光他是同我一块度过的

So after this experience, my art teacher, Mr. Shilale,

在经历了这些之后，我的美术老师，Shilale

he brought in these picture books,

带来了这些图画书

and I thought, "Picture books for kids!"

我灵光一闪：“ 给孩子们看的画书！“

and I started writing books for young readers

于是在高中三年级的时候

when I was a senior in high school.

我开始为年轻读者写书

Well, I eventually got to the Rhode Island School of Design.

我最终还是进入了Rhode Island 设计学院

I transferred to RISD as a sophomore,

作为一名大二的转校生。

and it was there that I took every course that I could on writing,

在那里的时光，我尽可能的上所有的写作课

and it was there that I wrote a story about a giant orange slug

就是那时候我写出了一个关于

who wanted to be friends with this kid.

一个想和这个孩子做朋友的巨大橙色鼻涕虫的故事

The kid had no patience for him.

这小孩对它一点耐心也没有。

And I sent this book out to a dozen publishers

我试着把这本书送去了一大堆的出版商那里

and it was rejected every single time,

但每次都遭了拒

but I was also involved with the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,

但我加入了 Hole in the Wall Gang 露营

an amazing camp for kids with all sorts of critical illnesses,

它是为那些有着各种重病的孩子所办的，神奇的地方

and it's those kids at the camp that read my stories,

正是那里的孩子，成为了我读者

and I read to them, and I saw that they responded to my work.

当我给他们讲这些故事的时候，我可以看到他们给我的回应

I graduated from RISD. My grandparents were very proud,

后来我从RISD 毕业了，祖父母非常自豪

and I moved to Boston, and I set up shop.

再后来我搬去了波士顿，自立门户

I set up a studio and I tried to get published.

创立了一个工作室，试图出版那些书

I would send out my books. I would send out hundreds of postcards

我把自己的书，还有上百张明信片

to editors and art directors,

寄给编辑和美术导演

but they would go unanswered.

但它们仿佛入海的石，悄无声息

And my grandfather would call me every week,

每周我的祖父都会给我打电话

and he would say, "Jarrett, how's it going? Do you have a job yet?"

有时他会问，“ Jarrett，最近怎么样，你现在找到工作了吗？”

Because he had just invested a significant amount of money

因为他在我的大学教育中

in my college education.

投入了很大一笔钱

And I said, "Yes, I have a job. I write and illustrate children's books."

我回答道，“ 找到了啊，我编写儿童书籍 ."

And he said, "Well, who pays you for that?"

他又问 ” 那谁为你买单呢？”

And I said, "No one, no one, no one just yet.

我说 “ 还没有，暂时还没有 .

But I know it's going to happen."

不过我知道很快就会有了.”

Now, I used to work the weekends at the Hole in the Wall off-season programming

那时，我常常几个周末几个周末的投入 Hole in the Wall 的淡季工作

to make some extra money as I was trying to get my feet off the ground,

为了能自立，我得多赚些外快

and this kid who was just this really hyper kid,

这孩子一直非常精力旺盛

I started calling him "Monkey Boy,"

于是我给他取了个外号 “ 猴仔"

and I went home and wrote a book called "Good Night, Monkey Boy."

回到家后，我写了一本书 叫做 《晚安，猴仔》

And I sent out one last batch of postcards.

并寄出了最后一批明信片

And I received an email from an editor at Random House

不久之后我就收到了一封来自兰登书屋编辑的邮件

with a subject line, "Nice work!" Exclamation point.

标题是 ” 好样的! "

"Dear Jarrett, I received your postcard.

" Dear Jarrett, 我们收到了你的明信片.

I liked your art, so I went to your website

我很喜欢你的作品，于是去了你的网站

and I'm wondering if you ever tried writing any of your own stories,

我很好奇你有没有试着写过你自己的故事

because I really like your art and it looks like there are some stories that go with them.

我真的很喜欢你的作品，感觉这之中有这一些故事

Please let me know if you're ever in New York City."

如果你到了纽约，请务必通知我."

And this was from an editor at Random House Children's Books.

这封邮件来自Random House少儿书籍的编辑

So the next week I "happened" to be in New York.

于是下一周我 “正好“出现在纽约

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I met with this editor,

于是我见到了这个编辑

and I left New York for a contract for my first book,

之后为了我的第一本书我离开了纽约

"Good Night, Monkey Boy,"

” 晚安，猴仔“

which was published on June 12, 2001.

后来在2001年的 六月12号出版

And my local paper celebrated the news.

当地的报纸还报导庆祝了这事。

The local bookstore made a big deal of it.

书店也大幅宣传了这件事

They sold out of all of their books.

进的书都被卖完了

My friend described it as a wake, but happy,

我的朋友说这事挺累的但也很让人开心

because everyone I ever knew was there in line to see me,

因为所有人都排着队想来见我

but I wasn't dead. I was just signing books.

这可不是因为我去世了，我在签售呢

My grandparents, they were in the middle of it.

祖父母在人群之中

They were so happy. They couldn't have been more proud.

感到非常高兴。他们实在是自豪的不能更自豪了

Mrs. Alisch was there. Mr. Shilale was there. Mrs. Casey was there.

Alisch，Shilale，Casey这几位老师都在这里

Mrs. Alisch cut in front of the line and said,

Alisch老师插到了队伍的前排，一边说

"I taught him how to read." (Laughter)

”是我教会他识字的。“ （笑声)

And then something happened that changed my life.

后来发生了件改变了我人生的事情

I got my first piece of significant fan mail,

我收到了第一封正式的粉丝来信

where this kid loved Monkey Boy so much

来自一个非常热爱猴仔的孩子

that he wanted to have a Monkey Boy birthday cake.

他很想要一个猴仔的生日蛋糕

For a two-year-old, that is like a tattoo. (Laughter)

给一个两岁的男生，看起来就像个纹身一样

You know? You only get one birthday per year.

想想看你一年就只有一次生日

And for him, it's only his second.

对他而言，是他的两岁

And I got this picture, and I thought,

于是我拍了这张照片，

"This picture is going to live within his consciousness

" 这张照片会一直存在在他的意识之中

for his entire life. He will forever have this photo

这一生他都会把这张照片

in his family photo albums."

好好的保留在家庭相册里。“

So that photo, since that moment,

这张照片，从那刻起

is framed in front of me while I've worked on all of my books.

就成了我在创作其他作品时，照亮前路的光芒

I have 10 picture books out.

至今我已经出版了10本图画书了

"Punk Farm," "Baghead," "Ollie the Purple Elephant."

《朋克庄园》《布袋头》《紫象Ollie》

I just finished the ninth book

我刚刚完成

in the "Lunch Lady" series, which is a graphic novel series

《午餐女士》系列的第九本书，这是个绘图小说系列

about a lunch lady who fights crime.

关于一个和罪恶势力作斗争的食堂大妈

I'm expecting the release of a chapter book

我很期待 那本章回小说

called "Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked."

《鸭嘴兽警察队：呱呱叫的青蛙》的发行

And I travel the country visiting countless schools,

我在全国旅行，拜访了无数的学校

letting lots of kids know that they draw great cats.

让很多孩子相信他们画的猫很棒

And I meet Bagheads.

我遇见了一大群 布袋头

Lunch ladies treat me really well.

还有对我很好的 午餐女士们

And I got to see my name in lights

我看见自己的名字变得闪闪发亮

because kids put my name in lights.

是这些孩子给我的荣耀

Twice now, the "Lunch Lady" series has won

”午餐女士“系列曾两次获得了

the Children's Choice Book of the Year in the third or fourth grade category,

”年度孩子最喜爱图书 “三四年级组的奖项

and those winners were displayed

获奖者的姓名被陈列在

on a jumbotron screen in Times Square.

时代广场的巨大液晶屏幕上

"Punk Farm" and "Lunch Lady" are in development to be movies,

《朋克农庄》和《午餐女士》都将被拍成电影

so I am a movie producer

而我是电影制作人

and I really do think, thanks to that video camera

我必须说的是，多亏了那台我在九年级

I was given in ninth grade.

得到的摄影机

I've seen people have "Punk Farm" birthday parties,

我见过 人们举办《朋克庄园》的生日聚会

people have dressed up as "Punk Farm" for Halloween,

在万圣节的时候打扮成《朋克庄园》里角色的样子

a "Punk Farm" baby room,

这是个朋克庄园风的婴儿房

which makes me a little nervous for the child's well-being in the long term.

弄的我有点担心这个孩子今后的长期发展

And I get the most amazing fan mail,

我还收到了这些绝妙的粉丝来信

and I get the most amazing projects,

还有最让人叫绝的设计

and the biggest moment for me came last Halloween.

对我而言最重要的瞬间来自上个万圣节

The doorbell rang and it was a trick-or-treater

门铃响后跳出来个 ”不给糖就捣乱“的孩子

dressed as my character. It was so cool.

打扮成我笔下角色的样子。这实在太帅了

Now my grandparents are no longer living,

如今我的祖父母已经不在人世

so to honor them, I started a scholarship at the Worcester Art Museum

为了纪念他们，我在伍斯特的艺术馆开设了一项奖学金

for kids who are in difficult situations

给那些处于艰难状况

but whose caretakers can't afford the classes.

抚养人无法负担艺术课程费用的孩子们

And it displayed the work from my first 10 years of publishing,

在那里展出我出版事业前十年的作品

and you know who was there to celebrate? Mrs. Alisch.

猜猜谁在那儿为我庆祝？是Alisch老师

I said, "Mrs. Alisch, how are you?"

我问道 ' Alisch老师，你现在怎么样了？“

And she responded with, "I'm here." (Laughter)

她回答道：”我不是在这儿么。“ （笑声）

That's true. You are alive, and that's pretty good right now.

的确。您还活着，而且状况不错。

So the biggest moment for me, though,

但我人生中最重大的一个瞬间

my most important job now is I am a dad myself,

是我当了爸爸

and I have two beautiful daughters,

我有两个美丽的女儿

and my goal is to surround them by inspiration,

我现在的目标就是让他们的生活中处处充满着灵感之光

by the books that are in every single room of our house

通过把书摆在屋里的每个房间

to the murals I painted in their rooms

通过我在墙上画的壁画

to the moments for creativity where you find, in quiet times,

通过把握 在安静之中发现的创意瞬间

by making faces on the patio

通过在天井上画出笑脸

to letting her sit in the very desk

通过让她们坐在那张

that I've sat in for the past 20 years.

我已经坐了20年的桌子上。

Thank you. (Applause)

谢谢大家。（掌声）