起初是一天吃四个烧饼，或者两个小面包，后来由四个减成两 个，再由两个减成一个，最后简直穷得连买开水的一个铜板也没有 了。
At first, T ate nothing but four baked cakes or two small buns per day, then cut them down by half and then by another half, until I didn't even own a copper for buying boiled water.
口渴时就张开嘴来，站在自来水管的龙头下，一扭开来，就让水 灌进嘴里，喝得肚子胀得饱饱的，又冷又痛，那滋味真有说不出的难 受。
When I was thirsty, I would stand a under a tap and let its running water pour down my throat through my wide-open mouth.
我那时一面还进行援救被捕同学的工 作，一面又要筹备自己的生活费，真是忙得头昏眼花。
While trying to rescue the arrested fellow students, I meanwhile had to find enough money to pay my living expenses.
实在饿得不能忍受了，才每天跑去春潮书店借钱。
Pressed by hunger, I would visit Chunchao Bookstore every day to seek a loan of money.
那是我最快乐的一天，《从军日记》出版了！
I was beside myself with joy the day when I found my book The Diary of a Woman Soldier published at long last.
春潮书店的大门口 贴着一张用各种不同颜色写的又鲜明又动人的广告，我怀着一颗好奇 心走了进去，也像顾客一般，从书架上抽出来一本封面鲜红、是丰子 恺先生的女公子画的小兵骑牛的《从军日记》来看。
I went into the store full of curiosity, and, as an ordinary customer would MO o0 108 do, took from the shelf a copy of the book.
Which had on its bright-red front cover a cartoon by Feng Zikai's daughter portraying a little woman soldier riding on a cow.
但我没有买它， 因为我知道，至少可以无条件地得到十本的。
I didn't 1 buy it for knew was entitled as its author to at least ten complimentary copies. "T need money badly.
"我没有钱用了，请你付几元钱的版税给我好吗？
May have a few dollars now out of the royalties on my book?" Secing no customers around.
"不能，版税一年只能结算两次，现在还不到时候，我怎好付给 你呢？
How could I pay you ahead of time?" "I just can't wait.
你不信，我连回去搭电车的钱 都没有，来的时候也是跑路的。
Believe me, I can't even afford the streetcar fare going back home.
" 饥饿之火在我的腹内燃烧着，我忘记了什么是羞耻，这样诉苦 时，好像一点也不觉得难为情。
I came here On foot." The uncontrollable desire for food burning within me, I ignored all propriety and poured out my complaints without feeling ashamed.
但对方只是冷冷地一笑，似乎并不同 情我，倒是一个小伙计对我很好，他说： "你多等一会儿吧，买你的书的人一定不少，等下收进多少钱，你 就通通拿去好了。
A young clerk, however, was kind enough to tell me, "You just need to wait a little while.
我充当临时的店员，进来买《从军日记》的青年，我都愿意亲自 将书递给他。
I volunteered to serve as a temporary clerk, ready to hand the book in person to any young customer who wanted to buy it.
快到黄香的时候，我居然拿到了五元钱。
J To my great surprise, I got as much as five dollars towards evening.
归来，我不再搭三等车 了，趾高气扬地跑进了头等车，那位售票员忙指着前面一节车说："到 三等车去吧！
The moment' stepped into it, chin up and chest out, the conductor barked pointing to the front compartment, Third class in the front!' Judging by the way I was dressed, he must have thought was too poor to travel first class.
我忙把五块钱的钞票拿在手里，故意向他示威： "喂，找钱来吧！
Iquickly showed him the fiver in my hand and demanded by way of a protest, "Hey, give me my change!" He was silent, lowering his head.
一小山公 意外地遇到一个青年拿了一本 《从军日记》坐在我的旁边看，他 竟大胆地向我宣传，要我去买一本来看看，我回答他： "我不赞成女人当兵，所以也不喜欢看这本书。
A young man sitting beside me happened to be reading my The Diary of a Woman Soldier.
我故意和他辩论了很久，惹得全车厢的人都注意起来。
I purposely kept up the argument till it attracted the attention of all passengers.
她和元真正 穷得没法过日子，见我去时很高兴，猜想我一定拿到了钱，连忙向我 瓜分。
Being hard up, she and Yuan Zhen were immensely pleased to see me, guessing I must have brought some money with me to share with them.
我立刻给了她们两元，其余的两元多，就花在请她们吃饭的小 馆子里，等到回去，又只剩几毛钱了。
I quickly gave them two dollars and spent the remaining two dollars and something treating them to dinner at a small eatery.
但我并不难受，我觉得吃了一 顿饱饭，至少可以挨俄三天。
But I didn't care, because I knew I had had a full meal to last me three days without feeling hungry.
学会喝酒，也是在这个时候。
It was also at this time that I started to take to drinking.
一个人到了越穷困的时候，对于金 钱便越视为美土，我常常奇怪一钱如命的守财奴，为什么要这样刻苦 自己，半文钱也不肯花。
I often wonder why a miser should be so rigid in self-denial, even grudging to spend every single cent I for himself.
有钱时我分些给穷朋友用，或者跑到 馆子里大吃大喝一顿，或者买许多我爱吃的虾米、牛肉干、鸭肫肝和 糖果回来，穷困时，就一个人跑去马路上喝西北风，躲在亭子间里 喝自来水四，或者索性蒙在被窝里睡两天，看看有趣的小说，以消磨 这可怕的长日。
When I have money, T'1l share it with friends in need, or g0 to a restaurant to eat and drink to my heart's content, Or buy and bring home many things I like to eat, such as dried shrimps, dried roast beef, salted duck's gizzard and liver, candies.