Last spring, she founded TruStar Consulting, a service for parents of high-school students who want help navigating the admissions process and its attendant anxieties. Then last summer, she started a second company called Marilee Jones Consulting, through which she offers her expertise to high schools and colleges. Her Web site lists numerous endorsements22), including a quote from The Boston Globe: “the most celebrated and outspoken admissions dean in America.”
Although Ms. Jones no longer has that title, she believes she has a right to the good side of her name. “What I did at MIT was my work,” she says.
琼斯女士是在2007年4月辞职的,辞职当天,她承认自己的三个文凭都是假的。很快,琼斯女士的名字变得无处不在。记者们蜂拥而入她在康科德的家。那时,已和丈夫分居的琼斯女士躲到了曼哈顿一个老朋友的家里。她一连几个星期都不出门,多数时间都在睡觉。“我觉得自己就像一条正在蜕皮的蛇。”她说。
2008年,她移居纽约。从那以后,琼斯女士就一直致力于她所谓的“收复失地”工作。她专门聘请了一位公共关系专家——罗丝·玛丽·泰伦齐奥。泰伦齐奥女士向她解释了复出的首要规则:“如果你犯了错,就要坦白承认,为此道歉,并尽力地修复、弥补。然后,迈步向前。”
泰伦齐奥女士帮琼斯女士联系了哥伦比亚大学医学中心的幸存者健康中心,这是一家专为接受癌症治疗的青少年服务的机构。从2008年11月以来,琼斯女士每周三早上都去那里当志愿者,一对一地为那些因病而中断学业的孩子们服务。她还帮助其中一些学生筹划他们人生的下一步,比如上大学或者就业,并且指导一些学生撰写申请文章。
去年春天,她创办了TruStar咨询公司,专为中学生家长提供服务,帮助他们通过大学录取程序,消除由此带来的焦虑。接着,去年夏天,她又创办了一家公司,叫玛丽莉·琼斯咨询公司,利用自己的专业技能向中学和大学提供咨询服务。她的网站上列举了许多支持她的言论,包括《波士顿环球报》上的一句评论:“美国最著名、最直率的招生办主任。”
尽管琼斯女士已不再拥有这一头衔,但她相信,她有权拥有自己名字中好的一面。“我在麻省理工学院做的一切都是我的工作。”她说。
What’sin a Name? 名声 意味着什么?
When Ms. Jones left MIT, many of her supporters worried that people would dismiss everything she had ever said. Among those who worried was Scott White, director of guidance at Montclair High School. Mr. White lamented23) her lie but praised her message. He urged his colleagues to remember her “vision of sanity, compassion, and concern”.
So when Ms. Jones contacted Mr. White about the possibility of presenting at Montclair, he told her she could come. Why not?
Then Mr. White arranged for Ms. Jones to speak at a gathering for parents of juniors. Two days before the event, Mr. White predicted that Ms. Jones would win over parents, just like the last time she spoke there, several years ago. Still, Mr. White wondered if someone would complain about Ms. Jones. After all, a curious parent might ask why—in a world full of admissions deans who have never lied about their degrees—had the school invited Ms. Jones? “It’s a bit of a risky move,” he said.
In the end, Mr. White apparently decided it was too risky. Two nights before Ms. Jones was to speak at Montclair, he called to cancel her invitation. So Ms. Jones must wait awhile longer to face the first audience of her new life.
Marilee Jones has reclaimed her name, but the best part is also the worst: Nobody seems to have forgotten it.
琼斯女士离开麻省理工学院时,许多支持她的人都担心人们会否定她曾说过的一切。在这些人中,有一位叫斯各特·怀特的,是蒙特克莱尔中学的辅导主任。怀特先生对琼斯女士的谎言深表遗憾,但同时赞扬了她曾说过的那些话。他呼吁自己的同事记住她的“关于心智、激情和关爱的见解”。
因此,当琼斯女士和怀特先生联系,询问她是否有可能来蒙特克莱尔中学演讲时,他告诉她可以来。为什么不可以呢?
接着,怀特先生着手安排琼斯女士在初中生家长会议上演讲。在会议即将举行的两天前,怀特先生还预测琼斯女士将会赢得家长的支持,就像上一次她在这里演讲时一样,那是几年前的事了。然而,怀特先生到底还是担心会有人对请琼斯女士作演讲心怀抱怨。毕竟,喜欢刨根问底的家长可能会问,这个世界上到处都有文凭没有造假的招生主任,为什么学校却偏偏要邀请琼斯女士呢?“这样做的确是有点冒险。”他说。
最后,怀特先生显然是认定了这样做很冒险。就在琼斯女士即将在蒙特克莱尔中学演讲的前两晚,他打电话取消了对她的邀请。因此,琼斯女士不得不再等待一段时日才能和她新生活中的第一批听众见面了。
玛丽莉·琼斯努力恢复自己的名声,但最好的部分往往也是最差的:对于她曾犯过的错,似乎没有人轻易忘记。
1. fabricate [5fAbrIkeIt] vt. 捏造;伪造(文件等)
2. credential [krI5denFEl] n. 文凭
3. project [5prCdVekt] vt. 投射(热、声、光、影等)
4. resonate [5rezEneIt] vi. 回响;回荡
5. Cambridge [5keImbrIdV] n. 坎布里奇,美国马萨诸塞州东部城市,麻省理工学院的所在地
6. shovel [5FQvEl] vt. 用铲挖出
7. disciplinarian [7dIsIplI5neErIEn] n. 厉行纪律的人
8. EKG machine:心电图仪(Electrocardiogram machine)
9. Diane von Furstenberg:黛安·冯·芙丝汀宝(1946～),俄罗斯犹太裔设计师,曾被《新闻周刊》(Newsweek)贯以“纽约时装皇后”的美誉。文中此处指黛安于1973年创建的同名品牌。
10. screw up:弄糟,搞砸,铸下大错
11. top-of-one’s-head:由美国习惯用语“off the top of one’s head”而来,表示“不假思索的,未经仔细考虑的”。
12. alumnus [E5lQmnEs] ([复] -ni [-naI]) n. (男)校友,(男)毕业生
13. barricade [7bArI5keId] vt. 使躲在路障(或挡墙)等后面
14. spine [spaIn] n. [解] 脊柱,脊椎
15. vet [vet] vt. 审查,审核
16. arrhythmia [E5rITmIE] n. [医] 心律不齐, 心律失常
17. sought-after:很吃香的,广受欢迎的
18. sanity [5sAnEtI] n. 心智健全
19. cut corners:抄近路
20. bogus [5bEu^Es] adj. 〈美〉假的,伪造的
21. own up to:坦白,承认错误
22. endorsement [In5dC:smEnt] n. 赞同,支持,认可
23. lament [lE5ment] vt. 为……感到遗憾