Alan

Every Christmas that I can remember， I asked for and received an art kit1）. Supplied with crayons， color pencils， markers and watercolors， I had the magic to unleash2） my inner child's3） imagination. I habitually drew Sailor Moon， Pokémon， Digimon， and created my own characters. Moving up through elementary school， I generally was found drawing and excelled4） my skills in drawing so much that my teachers would unbelievably say， "Did you really draw this？" or "Wow， that is amazing， you're very talented." I felt I was a rising artist.

When I finally arrived in middle school， I found the inspiration that would inspire me for a life time. Anime and manga was my utmost discovery. Anime is Japanese animation and cartoons that are known for their large eye style. Manga is Japanese comics that are read from right to left. Suddenly， I came to realize that I had loved anime longer than I had ever acknowledged. The characters that I had drawn when I was a child were anime all along. I started to draw a lot of characters from manga and I illustrated5） many of my own unique figures with an anime approach. Furthermore， I began to read multiple series of manga that transported6） me to novel7） ideas. From science fiction to comedy， there is a manga for everyone.

Before entering high school， I didn't have the slightest knowledge what my career field would be. When high school's welcoming doors opened， I knew at the end of the four year journey that I would have to commit to8） who or what I wanted to be. I always dreamed of being a cartoonist. At school， they offered graphic arts9）. This elective10） is art and technology combined； they permitted me to grow my passion. I learned design， filming， editing and programs like Adobe Photoshop11） and Flash12）. I had the skills to advance myself in graphic arts that I never knew existed. I had the power to bring my art to life. Alongside all the chaos in a digital universe， I still returned home to anime. Anime and manga assisted me to boost my creativity level. Primarily， ideas that I brought to the table13） were seeded14） by anime， but later I learned not to rely on anime as a crutch15） for inspiration. I was capable of generating original ideas on my own.

When I look back at my past， anime appeared to be there and will always be. Anime was there when I was young and encouraged me to draw， anime was there when I needed inspiration， and anime is more than a hobby， but a passion. I see a zealous and animated future ahead. The flow of time may have changed me， but some things will always remain. I will find myself someday creating world known characters. I will find my way to dream a never-ending dream of being a cartoonist. I will forever draw.

在我能記起的每一個圣誕節(jié)，我都會索要并收到一個美術(shù)工具盒。有了一支支蠟筆、彩色鉛筆、記號筆，以及水彩顏料，我便擁有了魔法，能將自己富有童真的想象力突然釋放出來。我經(jīng)常畫美少女戰(zhàn)士、神奇寶貝、數(shù)碼寶貝，也經(jīng)常創(chuàng)作自己的動漫人物。升入小學(xué)后，在大多數(shù)情況下，大家都會發(fā)現(xiàn)我在畫畫，我的畫技日益精湛，老師們總會不敢相信地說：“這真的是你畫的嗎？”或者會說：“哇，真讓人難以相信，你很有天分。”我覺得自己是一位畫家新秀。

當(dāng)我終于升入初中之后，我發(fā)現(xiàn)了那將在我的人生中持續(xù)不斷激勵我的東西。動畫和漫畫正是我最大的發(fā)現(xiàn)。動畫是指日本的動畫片和卡通片，以其大眼睛的風(fēng)格而知名；漫畫是指從右向左讀的日本連環(huán)漫畫。突然間，我才意識到我喜愛動畫的時間比自己認為的還要長。當(dāng)我還是個孩子的時候，我畫的那些人物一直都是動畫。我開始畫漫畫中的許多人物，還用動畫的方式為自己創(chuàng)作的許多獨具特色的人物繪制了插圖。不僅如此，我還開始看各種各樣的系列漫畫，它們帶我發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些新奇的想法。從科幻漫畫到喜劇漫畫，總有一種漫畫適合你。

進入高中之前，我一點兒都不知道自己今后將從事什么職業(yè)。當(dāng)高中向我敞開歡迎的大門后，我在四年的高中之旅結(jié)束時意識到，我必須忠實于自己想要成為的那種人，或忠實于自己想要從事的職業(yè)。我一直夢想著成為一名漫畫家。學(xué)校里開設(shè)了繪畫藝術(shù)這門選修課，它將藝術(shù)和科技結(jié)合在一起，讓我能夠培養(yǎng)自己對于繪畫的熱愛。我學(xué)會了設(shè)計、攝影、編輯，以及如何操作Adobe Photoshop和Flash這樣的軟件。我有能力在繪畫藝術(shù)方面提升自己，此前我從來都不知道它們的存在。我有能力把自己的繪畫作品創(chuàng)作得生動有趣。在數(shù)字世界的一片混亂中，我還是回歸了動畫的家園。動畫和漫畫幫我提升了創(chuàng)造力水平。起初，我可以拿得出手的那些想法都源自動畫，不過后來，我學(xué)會了不去依賴動畫來汲取靈感——我有能力獨自形成原創(chuàng)性的構(gòu)思。

當(dāng)我回首過去時，動畫似乎一直都在那里，并將永遠在那里。我年幼時，它在那里，鼓勵我畫畫；我需要靈感時，它在那里。動畫不僅僅是一種業(yè)余愛好，而是一種激情所在。我看到前面有一個充滿熱情、生氣勃勃的未來。時間的流逝可能已經(jīng)改變了我，但有些東西將永遠不變。有一天，我會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己正在創(chuàng)作全球知名的動畫人物。我會找到自己的方式，去做成為一名漫畫家這個永遠不會終結(jié)的夢。我會永遠地畫下去。

1. kit [k?t] n. 成套工具；（適應(yīng)特定需要的）成套用品

2. unleash [?n?li??] vt. 突然釋放；使爆發(fā)

3. inner child： （成年人的）童真，童心；內(nèi)心自我

4. excel [?k?sel] vt. 擅長；精通

5. illustrate [??l??stre?t] vt. 給（書籍、雜志等）畫插圖

6. transport [?tr?nsp??t] vt. （在想象中）把……帶入特定境地

7. novel [?n?vl] adj. 新穎的；新奇的；與眾不同的

8. commit to： 忠于（某個人、機構(gòu)等）；全心全意投入（工作、活動等）

9. graphic arts： 繪畫藝術(shù)

10. elective [??lekt?v] n. 選修課程

11. Adobe Photoshop： 是一款圖像處理軟件，可以有效地進行圖片編輯工作，簡稱PS。

12. Flash： 一款多媒體軟件，可用于動畫創(chuàng)作和應(yīng)用程序開發(fā)等。

13. bring ... to the table： 帶來（有價值的東西）

14. seed [si?d] vt. 培養(yǎng)，促進

15. crutch [kr?t?] n. 支持；依靠；精神支柱