Pearl S. Buck: The First American Woman to Win a Nobel Prize in Literature

The year was 1931.

那是1931年。

The top selling book in the United States was The Good Earth by Pearl S.

當時美國最暢銷的書是賽珍珠（Pearl S.）的《大地》（The Good Earth）。

The following year, Buck won the Pulitzer Prize for the best novel by an American writer.

第二年，賽珍珠獲得了頒給美國作家最佳小說的普立茲獎。

In 1938, Buck became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

1938年，賽珍珠成為第一位獲得諾貝爾文學獎的美國女性。

She also wrote short stories, poetry, plays, essays, and children's books.

她還寫過短篇小說、詩歌、劇本、散文和兒童讀物。

But most people remember Pearl Buck for her novels about China.

但大多數人記得賽珍珠，是因為她寫中國的小說。

She knew the country and its people very well.

她非常了解這個國家和那裡的人民。

For nearly 40 years, China was her home.

近40年來，中國一直是她的家。

Pearl's parents were Caroline and Absalom Sydenstricker.

珀爾的父母是卡羅琳和押沙龍·賽登斯特里克。

They were religious workers in China.

他們是在中國的宗教工作者。

Pearl's education began at home.

珀爾的教育是從家裡開始的。

Her mother taught her many of the things she would have learned in an American school.

她的母親教了她許多原本會在美國學校學到的東西。

A Chinese teacher taught Pearl other subjects.

一位中國老師教珀爾其他科目。

In 1910, Pearl went back to the United States to study philosophy at Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia.

1910年，珀爾回到美國，在維吉尼亞州林奇堡的倫道夫-梅肯女子學院攻讀哲學。

After graduation, she returned to China.

畢業後，她回到了中國。

Three years later, she met John Lossing Buck.

三年後，她遇到了約翰·洛辛·巴克。

He was a religious worker who studied agriculture.

他是一位研究農業的宗教工作者。

They were married and moved to a small village in the north of China.

他們結了婚，搬到了中國北方的一個小村莊。

Their life among the poorest people provided the subject matter for many of the books she later wrote.

他們在最貧窮的人們中間的生活，為她後來寫的許多書提供了題材。

The Good Earth

《大地》

His wife is O-Lan.

他的妻子是阿蘭。

They work very hard together and finally make enough money to buy some land for a farm.

他們一起辛勤勞作，終於攢夠了錢，買下一塊地來種田。

After a time, they grow enough crops to feed their family well, with some left over to sell.

過了一段時間，他們種出的莊稼足夠讓全家吃飽，還剩下一些可以賣。

Their lives get much better, and they are happy.

他們的生活好了很多，他們很幸福。

But the good times do not last.

但好日子並沒有持續下去。

After almost 40 years in China, the writer moved back to the United States.

在中國生活了近40年後，這位作家搬回了美國。

She bought Green Hills Farm in eastern Pennsylvania.

她買下了賓州東部的綠山農場。

She began to write articles for newspapers and magazines.

她開始為報紙和雜誌撰寫文章。

She expressed her opinions on war, politics, religion, equal rights for all people and many other subjects.

她就戰爭、政治、宗教、人人平等的權利以及許多其他議題發表了自己的看法。

She also gave many speeches.

她還發表了許多演講。

Buck talked to young people about the importance of a good education.

賽珍珠向年輕人講述良好教育的重要性。

She also told them they needed to know more about other people around the world.

她還告訴他們，需要更多地了解世界各地的其他人。

Pearl Buck died in 1973 at the age of 80.

賽珍珠於1973年去世，享年80歲。