She asked me a series of questions and the interview was over. As I exited her office, I turned around and said, 'Mrs. Martin, I know that I am not qualified like your other applicants, but please give me a chance. I learn quickly and can be a very productive member of your team.'
回答完一连串的问题后，面试结束了。我正要迈出办公室时，转过身对马丁太太说：“马丁太太，我知道自己并不如其他人优秀，但是，请您给我一个机会。我接受能力很强，会成为公司优秀的一员。”
I thanked her and went home exhausted. Oh well, I thought, tomorrow would be another day.That evening as I was getting ready for bed, I received a phone call from Mrs. Martin.
谢过马丁太太后，回到家时，我已经疲惫不堪了。我心想，算了，没有关系，明天又是新的一天。当晚，我正准备睡觉时，突然接到了马丁太太的电话。
'Gina,' she said 'you were not the most qualified applicant, but you have so much confidence in yourself that we decided to give you a chance to prove yourself.'
“吉娜，”她说，“你虽不是应试者中最出色的，但你对自己充满信心，因此我们决定给你一个展示自己的机会。”
I screamed out loud, was jumping all over the room in disbelief. I could hear Mrs. Martin laughing in the background and suddenly I realized that Mrs. Martin was still on the line.
我简直难以相信这是真的，我激动得大叫起来，兴奋得在房间里又蹦又跳。电话那头传来马丁太太的笑声，我这才意识到我们还在通话。
'Thank you Mrs. Martin, you will not regret this decision,' I said and hung up the phone.
“马丁太太，谢谢您！我不会令您失望的。”说完，我挂断了电话。
I got my wallet and took out my two dollar bill.
我掏出钱夹，拿出了那张两美元钞票。
'Thanks mom, I am going to make it,' I said out loud so my mother could hear me.
“谢谢您，妈妈，我的好运来了。”我大声地说，妈妈应该听得到。
At that instant, I remember the time she pulled all of us into the living room and said, 'You are all brilliant in my mind, but if you fail once don't give up. Don't fear failure. It is a way of getting us to try harder. You will succeed, I promise.'
那一刻，我想起了妈妈说的一番话，她把我们拉到客厅里说：“在妈妈眼里，你们都很棒。无论做什么事情，失败了，千万别放弃。失败并不可怕，我们可以化失败为动力。我相信，你们一定能够成功。”
I still think of mom everyday and still keep my two dollar bill in my wallet. At a family reunion years later, I found out that my brothers and sisters all had a two dollar bill in their wallet. We all laughed and talked about how special this gift from Mom had been to each and everyone of us. It had reinforced the confidence Mom had instilled in us.
我时刻都想念妈妈，那两美元也依然珍藏在我的钱夹里。多年后，在一次家庭聚会上，我才发现，我们兄弟姐妹的钱夹里都各有一张两美元钞票。我们都笑了，谈论着妈妈赠给我们的这份特殊礼物。她在我们心底播下了自信的种子，而这两美元让这粒种子迅速茁壮地成长起来。
重点讲解
1. a series of 一系列
例句：She asked me a series of questions and the interview was over.
回答完一连串的问题后，面试结束了。
2. haveconfidence in 对···有信心
例句：'Gina,' she said 'you were not the most qualified applicant, but you have so much confidence in yourself that we decided to give you a chance to prove yourself.'
“吉娜，”她说，“你虽不是应试者中最出色的，但你对自己充满信心，因此我们决定给你一个展示自己的机会。”
3. hung up 挂断电话，念念不忘的；过于担心的
例句：'Thank you Mrs. Martin, you will not regret this decision,' I said and hung up the phone.
“马丁太太，谢谢您！我不会令您失望的。”说完，我挂断了电话。
4. on the line 在线上
例句：I could hear Mrs. Martin laughing in the background and suddenly I realized that Mrs. Martin was still on the line.
电话那头传来马丁太太的笑声，我这才意识到我们还在通话。
5. At that instant 那一刻
例句：At that instant, I remember the time she pulled all of us into the living room.
那一刻，我想起了妈妈说的一番话，她把我们拉到客厅里。
