希拉里自传文稿.docx

希拉里自传文稿.docx

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希拉里自传文稿

一In1959,IwrotemyautobiographyforanassignmentinMrs.King’ssixthgrade.Intwenty-ninepages,mosthalf-filledwithearnestscrawl,Idescribedmyparents,brothers,pets,house,hobbies,school,sportsandplansforthefuture.Forty-twoyearslater,Ibeganwritinganothermemoir,thisoneabouttheeightyearsIspentintheWhiteHouselivinghistorywithBillClinton.IquicklyrealizedthatIcouldn’texplainmylifeasFirstLadywithoutgoingbacktothebeginning—howIbecamethewomanIwasthatfirstdayIwalkedintotheWhiteHouseonJanuary20,1993,totakeonanewroleandexperiencesthatwouldtestandtransformmeinunexpectedways.AlthoughI’vehadtobeselective,IhopethatI’veconveyedthepushandpullofeventsandrelationshipsthataffectedmeandcontinuetoshapeandenrichmyworldtoday.SinceleavingtheWhiteHouse,representingNewYorkinUnitedSenatorhasbeenahumblinganddauntingresponsibility,andoneIhopetowriteaboutmorefullyatalatertime.ThehorrificeventsofSep.11th2001madethatclearbybringinghometoNewYorkersandAmericans.TherolewemustallplaytoprotectandstrengthentheDemocraticidealsthathaveinspiredandguidedournationformorethan200years.Thesearethesameidea了sthatasfarbackasIcanrememberornurturedinmegrowingup.ApoliticallifeI'veoftensaidisacontinuingeducationinhumannatureincludingone'sown.My8yearsintheWhiteHousetestedmyfaithandpoliticalbelieves,mymarriageandournation'sconstitutionandsystemofgovernment.IbecamealightningrodforpoliticalandideologicalbattleswagedoverAmerica’sfutureandamagnetforfeelings,goodandbad,aboutwomen’schoicesandroles.ThisisthestoryofhowIexperiencedthose8yearsasFirstLadyandasthewifeofthepresidentandhowImadethedecisiontorunfortheUnitedStatesSenatorfromNewYorkanddevelopmypoliticalvoice.SomemayaskhowIcouldgiveanaccurateaccountofevents,peopleandplacesthataresorecentandofwhichIamstillapart.Ihavedonemybesttoconveymyobservations,thoughtsandfeelingsasIexperiencedthem.Thisisnotmeanttobeacomprehensivehistory,butapersonalmemoirthatoffersaninsidelookatanextraordinarytimeinmylifeandinthelifeofAmerica.

二

Iwasn’tbornafirstladyorasenator.Iwasn’tbornaDemocrat.Iwasn’tbornalawyeroranadvocateforwomen’srightsandhumanrights.Iwasn’tbornawifeormother.IwasbornanAmericaninthemiddleofthetwentiethcentury,afortunatetimeandplace.Iwasfreetomakechoicesunavailabletopastgenerationsofwomeninmyowncountryandinconceivabletomanywomenintheworldtoday.IcameofageonthecrestoftumultuoussocialchangeandtookpartinthepoliticalbattlesfoughtoverthemeaningofAmericaanditsroleintheworld.Mymotherandmygrandmotherscouldneverhavelivedmylife;myfatherandmygrandfatherscouldn’thaveimaginedit.ButtheybestowedonmethepromiseofAmerica,whichmademylifeandmychoicespossible.

MystorybeganintheyearsfollowingWorldWarII,whenmenlikemyfatherwhohadservedtheircountryreturnedhometosettledown,makealivingandraiseafamily.ItwasthebeginningoftheBabyBoom,anoptimistictime.TheUnitedStateshadsavedtheworldfromfascism,andnowournationwasworkingtouniteformeradversariesintheaftermathofwar,reachingouttoalliesandtoformerenemies,securingthepeaceandhelpingtorebuildadevastatedEuropeandJapan.AlthoughtheColdWarwasbeginningwiththeSovietUnionandEasternEurope,myparentsandtheirgenerationfeltsecureandhopeful.Americansupremacywastheresultnotjustofmilitarymight,butofourvaluesandoftheabundantopportunitiesavailabletopeoplelikemyparentswhoworkedhardandtookresponsibility.Middle-classAmericawasflushwithemergingprosperityandallthatcomeswithit―newhouses,fineschools,neighborhoodparksandsafecommunities.Yetournationalsohadunfinishedbusinessinthepost-warera,particularlyregardingrace.AnditwastheWorldWarIIgenerationandtheirchildrenwhowokeuptothechallengesofsocialinjusticeandinequalityandtotheidealofAmerica’spromisetoallofitscitizens.MyparentsweretypicalofagenerationwhobelievedintheendlesspossibilitiesofAmericaandwhosevalueswererootedintheexperienceoflivingthroughtheGreatDepression.Theybelievedinhardwork,notentitlement;self-reliancenotself-indulgence.

ThatistheworldandthefamilyIwasbornintoonOctober26,1947.Weweremiddle-class,Midwesternandverymuchaproductofourplaceandtime.Mymother,DorothyHowellRodham,wasahomemakerwhosedaysrevolvedaroundmeandmytwoyoungerbrothers.Myfather,HughE.Rodham,ownedasmallbusiness.Thechallengesoftheirlivesmademeappreciatetheopportunitiesofmyownlifeevenmore.I’mstillamazedathowmymotheremergedfromherlonelyearlylifeassuchanaffectionateandlevelheadedwoman.ShewasborninChicagoin1919.In1927,mymother’syoungparentsEdwinJohnHowellJrandDellaMurraygotadivorce.Dellaessentiallyhadabandonedmymotherwhenshewasonlythreeorfour,livingheralonewithmealticketstousetouseatarestaurant.

三Neitherwaswillingtocarefortheirchildren,sotheysenttheirdaughtersaloneona3-daytraintripfromChicagotoAlhambrainCaliforniatolivewiththeirpaternalgrandparents.Mymother'sgrandfather,EdwinSr.,aformerBritishsailor,leftthegirlstohiswife,Emma,aseverewomanwhoworeblackVictoriandressesandresentedandignoredmymotherexceptwhenenforcingherrigidhouserules.MymotherfoundsomerelieffromtheoppressiveconditionsofEmma’shouseintheoutdoors.SheranthroughtheorangegrovesthatstretchedformilesintheSanGabrielValley,losingherselfinthescentoffruitripeninginthesun.Atnight,shewouldescapedintoherbooks.Shelefthomeduringherfirstyearinthehighschooltoworkasamother'shelper,caringfortwoyoungchildreninreturnforroom,boardandthreedollarsaweek.Forthefirsttime,shelivedinahouseholdwherethefatherandmothergavetheirchildrenthelove,attentionandguidanceshehadneverreceived.Whenshegraduatedfromhighschool,mymothermadeplanstogotocollegeinCalifornia.ButhermotherDellacontactedher—forthefirsttimeintenyears—andaskedhertocomelivewithherinChicago.WhenmymotherarrivedinChicago,shefoundthatDellawantedheronlyasahousekeeper.OnceIaskedmymotherwhyshewentbacktoChicago,shetoldme,“I’dhopedsohardthatmymotherwouldlovemethatIhadtotakethechanceandfindout.”

MyfatherwasborninScranton,Pennsylvania,themiddlesonofHughRodham,Sr.,andHannahJones.Hegothislooksfromalineofblack-hairedWelshcoalminersonhismother’sside.TheScrantonofmyfather’syouthwasaroughindustrialcityofbrickfactories,textilemills,coalmines,railyardsandwoodenduplexhouses.TheRodhamsandJoneseswerehardworkersandstrictMethodists.Myfatherwasalwaysintroubleforjoyridinginaneighbor’sbrand-newcarorroller-skatinguptheaisleoftheCourtStreetMethodistChurchduringaneveningprayerservice.AftergraduatingfromPennStatein1935andattheheightoftheDepression,hereturnedtoScrantonwithadegreeinphysicaleducation.Withoutalertinghisparents,hehoppedafreighttraintoChicagotolookforworkandfoundajobsellingdraperyfabricsaroundtheMidwest.DorothyHowellwasapplyingforajobasaclerktypistatatextilecompanywhenshecaughttheeyeofatravelingsalesman,HughRodham.Shewasattractedtohisenergyandself-assuranceandgruffsenseofhumor.Afteralengthycourtship,myparentsweremarriedinearly1942,shortlyaftertheJapanesebombedPearlHarbor.TheymovedintoasmallapartmentintheLincolnParksectionofChicagonearLakeMichigan.MydadenlistedinaspecialNavyprogramandwasassignedtotheGreatLakesNavalStation,wherehebecameachiefpettyofficerresponsiblefortrainingthousandsofyoungsailorsbeforetheywereshippedouttosea.

四Eachsummer,aschildren,mybrotherandIspentmostofAugustatthecottageGrandpaRodhamhadbuiltin1921abouttwentymilesnorthwestofScrantoninthePoconoMountainsoverlookingLakeWinola.Therusticcabinhadnoheatexceptforthecast-ironcookstoveinthekitchen,andnoindoorbathorshower.Tostayclean,weswaminthelakeorstoodbelowthebackporchwhilesomeonepouredatubofwaterontoourheads.Thebigfrontporchwasourfavoriteplacetoplayandwhereourgrandfathersharedhandsofcardswithmybrothersandme.Hetaughtuspinochle,thegreatestcardgameintheworld,inhisopinion.Hereadusstoriesandtoldusthelegendofthelake,whichheclaimedwasnamedafteranIndianprincess,Winola,whodrownedherselfwhenherfatherwouldnotlethermarryahandsomewarriorfromaneighboringtribe.WhenIwasasyoungastenoreleven,Iplayedpinochlewiththemen—mygrandfather,myfather,andassortedothers,includingsuchmemorablecharactersas“OldPete”andHank,whowerenotorioussorelosers.Petelivedattheendofadirtroadandshoweduptoplayeveryday,invariablycursingandstompingoffifhestartedlosing.Hankcameonlywhenmyfatherwasthere.Hewouldtotteruptothefrontporchwithhiscaneandclimbthesteepstairsyelling,“Isthatblack-hairedbastardhome?

Iwanttoplaycards.”He’dknownmydadsincehewasbornandhadtaughthimtofish.Hedidn’tlikelosinganybetterthanPete,occasionallyupendedthetableafteraparticularlyirksomedefeat.

Afterthewar,mydadstartedasmalldraperyfabricbusines