這是奧哈拉寫給女兒的一封信。女兒將從中學(xué)畢業(yè)，這就意味著她將不再是小孩了。在這人生關(guān)鍵時(shí)刻，作為父親，他既對(duì)女兒過去的表現(xiàn)表示滿意，也對(duì)女兒的將來充滿信心。然而，他卻不忘再次重復(fù)自己對(duì)女兒立身行事的一句忠告：真誠地對(duì)待自己。這是要求女兒具有自信、自助、自律、自尊、自愛的品質(zhì)。這句話顯然是作者豐富的生活閱歷和人生經(jīng)驗(yàn)的總結(jié)，也是對(duì)女兒的諄諄教誨，賦予思想一種真切動(dòng)人的感情力量。雖然信是寫給予自己女兒的，但是這句忠告卻具有普遍性的教育意義，是天下父母對(duì)子女的最真摯的希望。作者的語言溫馨自然，平和親切，看似敘述家常，卻在平常中顯示了令人驚嘆的智慧，又讓人產(chǎn)生一種貼心的感覺。
約翰·奧哈拉(John O’ hara,1905-1970)是美國著名小說家。他生于賓夕法尼亞州的波茨維爾，中學(xué)畢業(yè)后父親去世，就離家出走，開始獨(dú)立的生活。他東奔西走，經(jīng)過廣泛的旅行之后，終于在紐約市當(dāng)上記者，撰寫文藝批評(píng)，短篇小說作品常常出現(xiàn)在著名雜志《紐約人》，此外還為好萊塢和百老匯改編電影和戲劇，如音樂喜劇《好友喬依》（1940年）。從第一部長(zhǎng)篇《在薩馬拉的約會(huì)》（1934）到死后出版的短篇小說集《薩馬拉好人及其他小說》（1974），他的作品是20世紀(jì)20—40年代積極上進(jìn)的美國社會(huì)史，以對(duì)20世紀(jì)美國生活習(xí)俗和價(jià)值的敏銳目光而著稱。作為現(xiàn)實(shí)主義作家，他的風(fēng)格是客觀的，實(shí)事求是的。
John O’hara to His Daughter
TLS,1 p.Mrs. Doughty
Quogue, Long Island
16 September 1962, Sunday
My dear:
Well, here we are — but not here. You at St. Tim’s, Sister in Princeton, and me in Quogue, and another brand new year is about to start for you. For me, too. I always seem to approach the autumn in the frame of mind that spring induces in most people. The excitement of new things; the new plays, the new books, new clothes, etc., etc., etc. At the same time the autumn for me is a season of a sweet melancholy that is hard to explain. I love the early evenings, the leaves burning, the lights in houses.
It is the beginning of a big year for you, in many respects your biggest so far. By the time June comes around you will be 18, and graduating from school. In the past week or so I have called you “Kid” but subconsciously I have been doing that because your kid days are over, or just about. I suspect that you are going through the experience of first love, and no matter what else happens, after that experience you are never a kid again.
Most of the nice things we associate with being a kid are okay — while you are still kid. But you gain more than you lose. You gain in understanding standing, in appreciation of people, in understanding and appreciation of yourself. You begin to see the wisdom in that quotation I have so often repeated to you: to thine own self be true. Every year at this time I have repeated that quotation to you, and the time is not really too far distant when you will be passing it on to your own children. It is probably the best single piece of advice I can give you, or you can give them.
You have done well, and I am pleased with you, not only for what you have done, but for what you are. As Miss Finnegan said to Sister, “Wylie has the right reactions.” So good luck in your Senior Year, and always know that the old man loves you very much.
Always
Dad
