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.

当时美国最畅销的书是赛珍珠（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，赛珍珠获得了颁给美国作家最佳小说的普利策奖。

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

1938年，赛珍珠成为第一位获得诺贝尔文学奖的美国女性。

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

她还写过短篇小说、诗歌、剧本、散文和儿童读物。

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

但大多数人记住赛珍珠，是因为她写中国的小说。

She knew the country and its people very well.

她非常了解这个国家和那里的人民。

For nearly 40 years, China was her home.

近40年来，中国一直是她的家。

Pearl's parents were Caroline and Absalom Sydenstricker.

珀尔的父母是卡罗琳和押沙龙·赛登斯特里克。

They were religious workers in China.

他们是在中国的宗教工作者。

Pearl's education began at home.

珀尔的教育是从家里开始的。

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

她的母亲教了她许多原本会在美国学校学到的东西。

A Chinese teacher taught Pearl other subjects.

一位中国老师教珀尔其他科目。

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

1910年，珀尔回到美国，在弗吉尼亚州林奇堡的伦道夫-梅肯女子学院学习哲学。

After graduation, she returned to China.

毕业后，她回到了中国。

Three years later, she met John Lossing Buck.

三年后，她遇到了约翰·洛辛·巴克。

He was a religious worker who studied agriculture.

他是一位研究农业的宗教工作者。

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

他们结了婚，搬到了中国北方的一个小村庄。

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

他们在最贫穷的人们中间的生活，为她后来写的许多书提供了题材。

The Good Earth

《大地》

His wife is O-Lan.

他的妻子是阿兰。

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

他们一起辛勤劳作，终于攒够了钱，买下一块地来种田。

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

过了一段时间，他们种出的庄稼足够让全家吃饱，还剩下一些可以卖。

Their lives get much better, and they are happy.

他们的生活好了很多，他们很幸福。

But the good times do not last.

但好日子并没有持续下去。

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

在中国生活了近40年后，这位作家搬回了美国。

She bought Green Hills Farm in eastern Pennsylvania.

她买下了宾夕法尼亚州东部的绿山农场。

She began to write articles for newspapers and magazines.

她开始为报纸和杂志撰写文章。

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

她就战争、政治、宗教、人人平等的权利以及许多其他议题发表了自己的看法。

She also gave many speeches.

她还发表了许多演讲。

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

赛珍珠向年轻人讲述良好教育的重要性。

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

她还告诉他们，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.

赛珍珠于1973年去世，享年80岁。