The Story of an Orphan

佚名/Anonymous

19世纪末20世纪初，一个非凡人物的非凡故事开始了。这是一个关于理想、抱负、成功、爱情和婚姻的故事，它以许多人相信在美国一切都有可能为背景，是一个非常美国化的故事。这个故事是从一个非常平凡的孤儿开始的，他凭借决心和才能实现了自己的美国梦，以及其他更多的梦想。

这个孤儿来自纽约的奥斯维格，他的名字是威拉德·迪克曼·斯特雷特。1897年，17岁的斯特雷特进入康奈尔大学读书，当时学校有2000多名学生，学生们或是住在一起，或是住在镇上人的家里。在康奈尔大学的四年中，斯特雷特加入了“三·十九·三”团体，住在社团公寓，这座公寓位于埃治摩尔大街与斯图沃特大街的拐角处。

斯特雷特就读于康奈尔大学建筑学院，但这并不是因为他想成为建筑师，而是因为他在绘画方面的才能和所显示出的兴趣，这看起来是一个合理的选择。斯特雷特参加了各种校园活动，这使他性格的其他方面得以展现：擅长艺术鉴赏和想象，极具幽默感，并且拥有实现抱负的雄心壮志。他给《寡妇》漫画杂志提供画稿，为严肃性文学出版物《康奈尔时代》写文章，并担任《康奈尔人》的美术编辑。在大学四年级的时候，他担任《康奈尔时代》的编辑和主编。在举行派对的时候，斯特雷特的吉他演奏和男高音演唱使现场气氛异常活跃。为了给资金匮乏的运动员基金会募集资金，斯特雷特创办了“春之日”，这是一种类似于马戏的展览会，带有表演节目。他还创办了“建筑学院节”，这个节日后来发展成为很受欢迎的“绿龙日”。大学四年级时，斯特雷特被选举为野人俱乐部的主席。

1901年，斯特雷特从康奈尔大学毕业之后，进入中国南京的海关服务公司工作。他很快就学会了讲中文，与各个阶层的中国人都变得熟识起来，并与北京的外交官和商人熟识。30岁的时候，斯特雷特成为远东地区最具影响力的人物之一，并获得了与美国总统一样高的名望。

在1906年的一场晚宴上，经人引荐，斯特雷特结识了惠特尼家族财产的继承人多罗西·佩恩·惠特尼。1909年，多罗西带领随行人员访问北京时，这段友谊变成了一段罗曼史。威拉德不断地给多罗西写情书、送花。1911年，他终于赢得了多罗西的芳心。

This extraordinary story about extraordinary people begins at the turn of the century. It is a very American story—about ideals， ambition， success， love， and marriage—that has its roots at a time when many believed anything was possible in America. The story starts with an orphan boy of ordinary means who used his determination and talent to realize the American Dream and more.

The orphan boy was Willard Dickerman Straight from Oswego， New York. He was seventeen when he entered Cornell University in 1897. There were about two thousand students at Cornell then. They lived in fraternity houses or boarded with families in town. Straight joined Delta Tau Delta， and lived in the chapter house on the corner of Edgemoor and Stewart avenues during his four years at Cornell.

Straight entered the College of Architecture at Cornell， not because he had his heart set on becoming an architect， but because， with his talent and interest in drawing， it seemed a logical choice. His activities on campus reflected the different aspects of his personality， as artistic， imaginative bent with a keen sense on fun and the ambition to get things done. He contributed sketches to the comic periodical the Widow； wrote articles for the Cornell Era， a more sober literary publication； became art editor of the Cornellian； and by his senior year was editor and chief of the Cornell Era. He enlivened the party scene with his guitar and good tenor voice. Straight organized the first Spring Day， a circus like fair with sideshows， to make money for the depleted athletic fund. It was his idea to start a distinctive College of Architecture event， which evolved into the popular Green Dragon Day. During his senior year he was president of the Savage Club.

After Straight graduated from Cornell in 1901， he took a job with the Maritime Customs Service in Nanking. He learned the language quickly and became familiar with Chinese people of all ranks and with the diplomats and businessmen in Peking. By the age of 30， Straight was believed to be one of the most powerful men in the Far East， earning as much as the President of the United States.

At a dinner party in 1906， Straight was introduced to Dorothy Payne Whitney， heiress to the Whitney fortune. When Dorothy and her party visited Peking in 1909， friendship turned to romance. Willard pursued Dorothy relentlessly with letters and flowers. He finally won her in 1911.