參考:http://bighousegod.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-post_9983.html
I got a pretty exciting package from my mom recently: A container of my grandfathers’ Christmas cards from 1955. These aren’t personal Christmas cards, but rather leftover cards from my grandfather’s failed attempt at starting a greeting card company a few years after WWII. Here is a picture of the original Bradwick McGinty from around that time.
我最近從我媽那邊得到一個驚喜包:那是一個我祖父在1955年的聖誕卡片箱子,那些不是私人的聖誕卡片,那是我祖父在二次大戰後經營失敗的賀卡公司留下來的卡片,這些大約是那時候前前代的Bradwick McGinty照片
My dad said that instead of going to church on Sundays, my grandfather would often go “Irish fishing,” which entailed leaving before sun-up and returning late in the day with a bunch of stones. My father was never allowed to go with him, because he was half woman (on his mother’s side).
Anyway, that picture wasn’t in the package. But this one was:
我爸說我祖父星期日經常去“Irish fishing,”而不是去教堂,很早去很晚回來,而且帶著一堆石頭,我爸沒被允許跟著他去,因為他是一半的女人(繼續他媽媽媽的傳統)
不管如何,這張照片不是在那個驚喜包,但是這個才是:
A few years after my Grandfather returned from the war he decided to start a greeting card company. Armed with one terrible idea and no artistic ability whatsoever, he turned to someone he had met during the war for help, a young Japanese solider he had shot in the face named Haruo. My grandfather spoke no Japanese, and Haruo spoke no English, so how they actually got together is beyond me or anyone else in my family. The idea involved creating American-style greeting cards for both the Japanese and the American markets. It also required Haruo to create all the artwork and handle all of the printing. My grandfather would simply mail Haruo photos of what he wanted, and Haruo would see to the rest. The above picture was taken in the office of my grandfather’s lawyer. An interesting side note is that my grandfather had to travel all the way to Grantville, Georgia to use a “colored” lawyer, due to the fact that the Irish were considered “colored” in Georgia until 1963.
一些年過後,我的祖父從戰爭中回來,他決定開一定卡片公司,他只有爛的想法也沒有美術的才能。他找了一個在戰爭中見過面的年輕日本士兵,他叫Haruo(春雄),臉上曾經被子彈射中過。 我祖父不會說日文,春雄不會說英文,他們是真是超越我或是家庭成員的任何一人的認知。他們的構想是創作一個美國風格的賀卡,在日本和美國的市場販售。春雄被要求做所有的美工和處理所有的印刷的事情。我祖父的工作就是寄給他一些他想要的照片,春雄會處理剩下來的事。上面這張照片是在我祖父的律師辦公室拍的。一個有趣的事是:我祖父曾經旅行一路到Grantville。Georgia被認為是一個「有色的律師」直到1963年,Irish在Georgia都被認為是「有色的」
一
The story of my grandfather’s failed card company was pretty well known in my family. My grandfather always insisted that it ruined his life and was the cause of his “whiskey fits.” Not only did he blame Haruo for the fiasco, but all of Japan for his financial ruin. He even went as far as to contact the Irish Press in 1956 with a completely fictitious tale about being swindled out of his money while trying to stop a Japanese murder plot against the Pope.
No one in the family had ever seen any of the cards that were produced. It was thought that my grandfather set fire to all of the cards (and the boat) the moment they arrived in the states. That is, until my mom stumbled upon this ammo case in the attic:
我爺爺失敗的卡片公司故事在我們家族是很知名的。我爸爸總是堅持毀掉他生活的是"whiskey fits(大概是酒)"他把自己的失敗歸咎於全日本,他甚至在1956年聯絡了Irish Press,提供他們這個的虛構故事:因為要阻止日本人謀殺教皇而被騙了錢。
家裡的人從來沒有看過這些卡片的產品,傳說是我祖父放火燒了在抵達美國的時的所有的卡片和船。直到我媽偶然在閣樓找到了彈藥盒。I can’t even tell you how excited I was to finally see the cards that “killed my grandfather” and drove my family into extreme poverty. I actually think Haruo did a pretty good job interpreting my grandfather’s original sketch, considering the severely confusing nature of his drawing. It’s anybody’s guess as what my grandfather expected to get back, but needless to say it wasn’t this beautiful card:
我簡直說不出我有多興奮,我終於看到了殺了我爺爺和使我們家族走向極貧困的卡片,看到了我爺爺畫的草圖,想到他的繪畫如此的混亂,我其實覺得春雄已經做的很好了。我祖父所期待是什麼沒人能知道,但不用說,這不是一張美麗的卡片。
內容註:(你有問候調味? 肥男臉 毒禮物肝 胃王子 祝福的腸 美國聖誕惡魔)
Why not make my grandfather happy and send some of these cards to your friends and family this holiday season? That’s right, I’m offering what is left of my grandfather’s hopes and dreams for a mere $5!
5 dollars gets you 5 cards!
為什麼不讓我祖父高興,在假期的時候寄這些卡片給朋友和家人呢?是的,我提供我祖父遺留下來的希望和夢想,只要5元,5元給你5張卡
可以請你給我你的信箱嗎 我想和你討論一些翻譯的問題哦~:)
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