When people ask me how I started writing, I find myself describing an urgent need that I felt to work with language. Having said that, I did not know for a long time what I was looking for. It was not until I followed this feeling to its source that I discovered I had a passion for writing. With some encouragement from my colleagues, I had one of my poems published. This bit of success, however, was the point where my problem began.
当人们问起我是如何开始写作的，我总是描述一种迫切的需要，我感觉到必须用语言来表达自己。尽管如此，我很长一段时间不知道自己在寻找什么。直到我追寻这种感觉的源头，我才发现自己对写作有着激情。在同事们的鼓励下，我出版了一首诗。然而，这点成功也是我问题开始的起点。

Back in 1978, I had to travel between three different campuses in the morning, teaching freshman composition. Afternoons I spent taking my daughter to her ballet and horse-riding lessons. I composed my lectures on the way, and that was all the thinking time I had. When I returned home, there was not enough of me left for writing after a full working day.
回到1978年，早上我必须在三个不同的校园间奔波，上课教授大一的写作课。下午我要带女儿去上芭蕾舞和骑马课。我在路上构思我的讲座内容，这已经是我全部的思考时间了。回到家后，整天的工作后留给我的精力已经不够写作了。

As a way out, I decided to get up two hours before my usual time. My alarm was set for 5:00 A.M. The first day I shut it off because I had placed it within arm’s reach. The second day I set two clocks, one on my night table, and one out in the hallway. I had to jump out of bed and run to silence it before my family was awoken. This was when my morning writing began.
为了摆脱这种困境，我决定比平时早起两个小时。我的闹钟定在早上5点。第一天我把它关闭了，因为太靠近我，可以随手够到。第二天我放了两个闹钟，一个在床头柜上，一个放在走廊上。我必须跳起来跑去把它关掉，以免惊醒家人。这就是我的早起写作开始的时刻。

Since that first morning in 1978, I have been following the habit to this day, not making or accepting many excuses for not writing. I wrote my poems in this manner for nearly ten years before my first book was published. When I decided to write a novel, I divided my two hours: the first for poetry, the second for fiction. Well or badly, I wrote at least two pages a day. This is how my novel, The Line of the Sun. was finished. If I had waited to have the time, I would still be waiting to write my novel.
自从1978年的第一个早晨起，我一直保持着这个习惯，不为不写作找借口或接受借口。在我第一本书出版之前的近十年里，我以这种方式写作我的诗。当我决定写一部小说时，我分割了我的两个小时：第一个小时写诗，第二个小时写小说。无论好坏，我每天至少写两页。这就是我完成小说《太阳线》的方式。如果我等待有时间来写作，那我现在还会在等待中。

What I got out of getting up in the dark to work is the feeling that I am in control. For many people, the initial sense of urgency to create easily dies away because it requires making the tough decision: taking the time to create, stealing it from yourself if it’s the only way.
通过在黑暗中起床工作，我获得了一种掌控感。对于许多人来说，创作的最初紧迫感很容易消失，因为这需要做出艰难的决定：抽出时间来创作，如果必须的话从自己那里偷取时间。

1. What motivated the author to start her writing career?
   A. Her strong wish to share.
   B. Her keen interest in writing.
   C. Her urgent need to make a living.
   D. Her passionate desire for fame.
   答案：B

2. What problem did the author face when she decided to begin her writing?
   A. She was too exhausted to write after a busy day.
   B. She had trouble in deciding on her writing style.
   C. She had to take time to discipline her daughter.
   D. She was unsure about her writing skills.
   答案：A

3. Why did the author place an alarm clock in the hallway?
   A. In case the clock in her room broke down.
   B. In case she failed to hear the ringing.
   C. To force herself out of bed.
   D. To wake up her family.
   答案：C

4. How did the author manage to finish her novel?
   A. By sticking to writing every morning.
   B. By writing when her mind was most active.
   C. By drawing inspirations from classic novels.
   D. By reducing her teaching hours at school.
   答案：A

5. What can we learn from the author’s success in her writing career?
   A. It is never too late to change your job.
   B. Imaginative ideas die away if not taken in time.
   C. A tight schedule is no excuse for lack of action.
   D. Daily life provides ideas for creative writing.
   答案：C