7: "Being independent"
第七章 学会独立
She has been anticipating this moment for months. She has been holding her breath until the 12th of September 1979. On this day, Mylene turns 18. She knows that coming of age gives her the right to say no. Sure of herself, she informs her parents that she is dropping out of school. Of her own volition? “I did what I had to do to be expelled”, she will say, using the kind of vague terminology of which only she knows the secret. All in all, she will spend only a total of two days in her terminale A4 class (terminale = last year of study before graduation). Raised voices in the living-room. Max Gautier, who bagged an engineer’s diploma at the prestigious Ponts et Chaussées school, dreamt of better things for his daughter. As for Marguerite, she is crestfallen to see Mylene giving up so close to the prize. If she had at least got her baccalauréat...But it’s impossible to go against her choice. Her parents know it: she has given her decision a lot of thought.
几个月来她一直在等待这一刻,知道1979年的9月12日她都屏住呼吸。这天她18岁了,她知道成年之后她便有权利说“不”。在对自己充分了解的情况下,她告知双亲要辍学。这是出自她自己的意志吗?“为了被开除,我竭尽全力。”她会以只有她才知晓其中秘密的模糊词语形容。而更重要的是她付诸行动了,只在A4毕业班里上过两天课。家中充满了意见。父亲拥有道路桥梁工程知名学府的文凭,他希望女儿能走得更远。而母亲为女儿在离文凭一步之遥时放弃十分困惑。至少拿到中学文凭吧。。。但是要反对女儿的选择是不可能的。双亲心知肚明:Mylene为自己的选择充分考虑过。
第七章 学会独立
She has been anticipating this moment for months. She has been holding her breath until the 12th of September 1979. On this day, Mylene turns 18. She knows that coming of age gives her the right to say no. Sure of herself, she informs her parents that she is dropping out of school. Of her own volition? “I did what I had to do to be expelled”, she will say, using the kind of vague terminology of which only she knows the secret. All in all, she will spend only a total of two days in her terminale A4 class (terminale = last year of study before graduation). Raised voices in the living-room. Max Gautier, who bagged an engineer’s diploma at the prestigious Ponts et Chaussées school, dreamt of better things for his daughter. As for Marguerite, she is crestfallen to see Mylene giving up so close to the prize. If she had at least got her baccalauréat...But it’s impossible to go against her choice. Her parents know it: she has given her decision a lot of thought.
几个月来她一直在等待这一刻,知道1979年的9月12日她都屏住呼吸。这天她18岁了,她知道成年之后她便有权利说“不”。在对自己充分了解的情况下,她告知双亲要辍学。这是出自她自己的意志吗?“为了被开除,我竭尽全力。”她会以只有她才知晓其中秘密的模糊词语形容。而更重要的是她付诸行动了,只在A4毕业班里上过两天课。家中充满了意见。父亲拥有道路桥梁工程知名学府的文凭,他希望女儿能走得更远。而母亲为女儿在离文凭一步之遥时放弃十分困惑。至少拿到中学文凭吧。。。但是要反对女儿的选择是不可能的。双亲心知肚明:Mylene为自己的选择充分考虑过。