I remember the first time I saw Robert De Niro up on screen. I was 13 years old and despite what I learned career day. I discovered that acting was in fact a profession. My father and I went to see Midnight Run and I remember my dad at the beginning of the film pointed the screen and saying "See that guy there? And that guy is cool! His name is Robert De Niro. You wanna watch a great actor? You remember his face."
我记得我第一次在银幕上看到罗伯特·德尼罗时，我才13岁，那时我还瞧不起这个我毕生的职业。后来我发现事实上演戏是一个职业。我和父亲去看《午夜狂奔》，我记得父亲在电影开始时指着银幕对我说：“看到那个家伙了吗？那个家伙很厉害。他叫罗伯特·德尼罗。你想看到一个了不起的演员吗？那你就记住他。”
Three years later I was in the position while I needed him to remember my face. I was one of the last of many contenders for the lead and what would become my first fiche film This Boy's Life. And before this critical condition I watched as many as films that I could. And I asked myself over and over and over again what is the one quality that he would see in me that he would respect and that came to me. Menace. I knew that I needed to work in that audition and be a menacing force to be reckoned with.
三年后，情况改变了，是他记住我的容貌的时候了。那时包括我在内的许多人都在竞争电影《男生生活》的主角，而我排在最后。事实上这是我演的第一部电影。在这关键时刻之前，我看了很多电影。我一次又一次地问自己，什么样的素质能引起他的注意，并且让他选中我。最后我想出来了：震慑。我知道在试演中我需要表现得有威慑力才能得到重视。
We'll make an appointment to see De Niro's character actually ran me a muster jar into my eye and asking me repeatedly "Is it empty? Is it empty?" I knew this is my moment.
我们这些竞争者相约去见证一下德尼罗的个性。可实际上他指着摆在我面前的一个罐子，一遍一遍地问我：“这是空的吗？这是空的吗？”我知道我的时刻到来了。
