Extra Good Luck
好运符:一张两美元钞票
I keep a two dollar bill in my wallet that was given to me by my mother when I was six years old. I am not superstitious but the bill goes with me wherever I go.
有一张两美元的钞票一直保存在我的钱夹里，那是我6岁时妈妈给的。
My mother gave it to me so that luck would follow me everywhere. She looked at me and said, 'I want you to carry this two dollar bill for extra good luck.'
我不迷信，但无论到哪里，我都随身带着它。妈妈希望这张两美元钞票能让我事事顺利。当时，她看着我说：“带上这两美元吧，它会带给你好运。”
'Thanks mom,' I replied. 'I will keep it close to me always.'
“谢谢妈妈，”我说，“我会永远带着它。”
Every morning I would get dressed and my two dollar bill went into my pocket. My mother passed away when I was 17 years old and I remember taking out my two dollar bill. I held it in my hand for the longest time and knew that she would be watching over me the rest of my life.
每天早上，穿好衣服后，我就将这两美元装进口袋。17岁那年，妈妈去世了。当时，我掏出那张两美元钞票，久久地攥在手中。我知道，妈妈会一直关注我以后的生活。
Each time I felt I had a crisis on my hands, I would reach for my two dollar bill and set it on the table. I would stare at it for several hours and could always come up with a solution.
每每遇到棘手问题，我就拿出那两美元，放在桌上，一连几个小时盯着它，最终总能想出办法。
When I applied for my first job, I was thirty years old and very shy.
第一次找工作时我已经30岁了，又有些羞怯。
The thought of being interviewed for a job was scary but I had to work. On my first interview, as I sat in the waiting room, I noticed there were five women ahead of me.
一想到要面试，我就很害怕，但我必须得工作。第一次面试，在等候室里，除了我还有五位女xìng求职者。她们都比我年轻，并且衣着考究。
All of the women were younger and very well dressed. One of them was impeccable in her blue striped suit with matching purse and shoes.
其中一位穿着蓝色斑纹套装，配以类似风格的钱包和鞋子，简直太完美了。
I knew I was up against women better qualified by looking at the length of their resumes.
我很清楚，若以履历论长短，我不是这五位女士的对手。
Mrs. Martin, the office manager, summoned me into her office.
业务经理马丁太太把我叫进办公室。
'What makes you feel you are qualified for this job?' she asked.
“你觉得你能胜任这份工作的理由是什么？”她问道。
'I really need this job and there is nothing I cannot do,' I responded.
“我很需要这份工作，而且，也没有我做不来的事。”我答道。
