What books are you reading right now?

您最近在读哪些书？

I’ve got a pile of books stacked on my night stand that I’m reading — or hoping to get to soon. I’m usually working on more than one at a time. So right now it’s “The Goldfinch,” by Donna Tartt; “Mom & Me & Mom,” by Maya Angelou; and “Missing You,” by Harlan Coben.

在我床头的桌子上放了一摞我正在读和想要读的书。我总是会同时看好几本书。现在正在看的是唐娜·塔特的《金翅雀》、玛雅·安吉罗的《妈妈，我和妈妈》以及哈兰·科本的《想念你》。

What was the last truly great book you read?

上一本觉得非常好的书是什么？

I can’t stop thinking about “The Hare With Amber¹ Eyes,” by Edmund de Waal; “The Signature of All Things,” by Elizabeth Gilbert; “Citizens of London,” by Lynne Olson; and “A Suitable Boy,” by Vikram Seth.

让我难以忘掉的有埃德蒙·德瓦尔的《琥珀眼睛的兔子》、伊丽莎白·吉尔伯特的《万物的签名》、莱恩·奥尔森的《伦敦市民》和维克拉姆·塞斯《合适郎君》。

Who are your favorite contemporary writers? Are there any writers whose books you automatically read when they come out?

您最喜欢的当代作家是哪位？有没有那样一位作家，他只要出书您就会读呢？

I will read anything by Laura Hillenbrand, Walter Isaacson, Barbara Kingsolver, John le Carré, John Grisham, Hilary Mantel, Toni Morrison, Anna Quindlen and Alice Walker. And I love series that follow particular characters over time and through their experiences, so I automatically read the latest installments² from Alex Berenson, Linda Fairstein, Sue Grafton, Donna Leon, Katherine Hall Page, Louise Penny, Daniel Silva, Alexander McCall Smith, Charles Todd and Jacqueline Winspear.

劳拉·希伦布兰德、沃尔特·艾萨克森、芭芭拉.金索沃尔、约翰·勒·卡雷、约翰·格里森姆、希拉里·曼特尔、托尼•莫里森、安娜·昆德兰和艾丽斯·沃克等这些作家的所有书我都会读。我比较喜欢那种讲述某些人物长期经历的系列小说，所以亚历克斯·贝伦森、琳达·费尔史坦、苏·格拉夫顿、唐娜·列昂、凯瑟琳•霍尔•佩奇、露意丝·佩妮、丹尼尔·西尔瓦、亚历山大˙梅可˙史密斯、查尔斯·托德和杰奎琳·温斯皮尔的书只要出新我就会买来看。

What are your favorite novels? Your favorite short stories? Poems you hold especially dear?

您最喜欢的长篇小说、短篇小说、诗歌有哪些？

“The Brothers Karamazov” made a lasting³ impression on me when I read it as a young woman; I intend to reread it this summer to see what I now think about it. My favorite short stories are by Alice Munro, especially her collections “Carried Away” and “Runaway⁴.” That’s an easy choice for me compared with the many poets I’ve appreciated over time. Included in that list are E. E. Cummings, T. S. Eliot, Seamus Heaney, Pablo Neruda, Mary Oliver and W. B. Yeats.

卡拉马佐夫兄弟》给我的印象很深刻，我看这部小说的时候还很年轻，我计划今年夏天再读一篇，看看现在的我会有什么新的体会。我最喜欢的短篇小说家是艾丽丝·门罗，尤其是她的《忘乎所以》《逃离》等作品。诗人卡明斯、艾略特、谢默斯·希尼、巴勃罗·聂鲁达、玛丽·奥利弗和叶芝的诗歌我都很喜欢。

And the best books about Washington, D.C.? Is there one book you’d recommend to someone planning to move to or work in the capital?

有关华盛顿最好的书是哪本？有没有哪本书您想推荐给计划来华盛顿工作的人？

“Our Divided Political Heart,” by E. J. Dionne, shows how most everybody has some conservative and liberal impulses, but just as individuals have to reconcile them within ourselves, so does our political system if we expect to function productively. “After the Music Stopped,” Alan Blinder’s account of the financial crisis, is clear in its analysis and recommendations.

迪翁的《我们分裂的政治心》显示了大多数普通人都有保守和自由的冲动，但是就像我们每个人都得在内心深处调和二者一样，如果我们想让政治体系有效运转，也要调和这二者。艾伦·布林德尔的《音乐停止之后》是对金融危机的描述，他的分析和建议非常清晰。

What do you like to read when you travel?

您旅行的时候喜欢读什么书？

When I traveled as secretary of state, I was deluged⁵ with thick briefing books full of information about the politics, economy and culture of each destination, so those took up most of my reading time. But when I could, I’d read a novel or travelogue⁶ about the places I was visiting, such as “The House at Sugar Beach,” by Helene Cooper, about her childhood in Liberia, and “Finding George Orwell in Burma,” by Emma Larkin.

任国务卿时，我在旅行期间要读大量关于目的地的政治、经济和文化信息的简报，它们占据了我大部分的阅读时间。但是只要有机会，我会读我要去的地方的小说或旅行见闻，比如海伦妮·库珀讲述她在西非利比里亚童年时代的《糖果海滩的家》以及艾玛·拉金的《在缅甸寻找乔治·奥威尔》。

Is there one book you wish all students would read?

哪些书所有的学生都该读一读？

“Pride and Prejudice,” by Jane Austen; “Out of Africa,” by Isak Dinesen; “Schindler’s List,” by Thomas Keneally.

奥斯汀的《傲慢与偏见》（、迪内森的《走出非洲》、托马斯·肯尼利的《辛德勒的名单》。

What kind of reader were you as a child? What were your favorite childhood books? And the books you were most eager to pass along to your daughter?

您小时候是个怎样的读者？您童年时代最喜欢的书是什么？您最想传给女儿的书是什么？

Oh, I was always reading something, from “Winnie-the-Pooh” to Nancy Drew to “Little Women” to James Michener. And I started reading to Chelsea with “Goodnight Moon” and “The Runaway Bunny” and “Curious George” and all the favorites which led her to make her own reading choices.

我小时候总是在读书，从《小熊维尼》、神探南茜、《小妇人》，到詹姆斯·米切纳。我最早给女儿读的是《晚安，月亮》、《离家的小兔》、《好奇的乔治》以及其他一些我喜欢的书，这些书引导她做出了自己的阅读选择。

If you had to name one book that made you who you are today, what would it be?

如果您必须选一本对造就现在的您影响最大的书，您会选哪本？

At the risk of appearing predictable, the Bible was and remains⁷ the biggest influence on my thinking. I was raised reading it, memorizing passages from it and being guided by it. I still find it a source of wisdom, comfort and encouragement.

虽然这么说可能显得很老套，但《圣经》一直都是对我的思想影响最大的书。我从小就读它，背它，按它的指导做事；现在仍然觉得它是我智慧、安慰和鼓励的源泉。

Which books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

您书架上的哪些书可能会让我们觉得意外？

You might be surprised to see memoirs⁸ by Republicans such as “Decision Points,” by President George W. Bush, and “Faith of My Fathers,” by Senator John McCain.

你们可能不会想到我的书架上有共和党人的回忆录，比如布什的《抉择时刻》和参议员约翰·麦凯恩的《父辈的信仰》。

What was the last book to make you laugh?

上一本让您开怀大笑的书是什么？

Janet Evanovich’s series about Stephanie Plum’s adventures in Trenton always makes me laugh.

珍妮特·伊万诺维奇关于斯芬蒂尼·普拉姆在特伦顿历险的系列故事总能让我大笑。

You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

如果举办一个文学晚宴，您会邀请哪三位作家？

I’d choose to have one guest for a long dinner: William Shakespeare. I’m curious to see who would show up and what he really wrote.

我只会邀请一位客人共进一顿漫长的晚餐：莎士比亚。我很好奇会有谁出现以及他到底写了什么。

What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?

有哪些书因为还没读过所以让您觉得难为情？

I’m embarrassed to admit how many — so I won’t! But one example is Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time.” I’ve never made the time.

要承认究竟有多少书还没读过让我很难为情，我不会！但是其中一本是普鲁斯特的《追忆似水年华》，我一直没腾出时间来读它。