Neither Alfred nor I had had any training as teachers, and I at least had no books for the lessons in French, maths and physics that I was supposed to give.

阿尔弗雷德来自南罗得西亚，我俩谁也没有接受过任何正规的教学培训，至少，我连任何要教授的法语、数学和物理课程的书籍都没有。

youdao

I had no aspirations, because I didn't know I was allowed to aspire to write books and songs, like, for real, you know?

当时的我并没有什么理想，因为我并不知道，我是否有能力出书，写歌，在现实生活中，实现它们，我不知道自己能不能做到。

youdao

I had no attention deficit when it came to baseball or girls or dinosaurs or chess or Scrabble or certain books or making money mowing lawns.

若论交女友、打垒球、恐龙、下棋、涂涂画画、或给邻居剪草挣钱，我一点都不会走神。

youdao

He says: It had only been through books, at best no more than vicarious cultural transfusions, that I had managed to keep myself alive in a negatively vital way.

并加以思索，他说，：,“唯有通过读书，这种让文化在我心中产生共鸣的方式,才能维系我生存的勇气。

耶鲁公开课 - 1945年后的美国小说课程节选

As a result, I spent my cash on comic books and computer gadgets and lots of Stuff that simply had no meaning or purpose.

FORBES: Saving Without A Goal