and up to the 1980s, that the list, a literature list

直到19世纪80年代文学作品的名单
(and that's the list of books that any

(一份关于出版社所出版书的清单)
publisher publishes), the list should be profitable.

是可以盈利的
That does not mean that every single item on that list will

当然这并不意味着清单上的每项
be profitable.

都能盈利
So editors in the old-time mode could work with writers who they

所以说那些以前的编辑能和他们发现
found to be difficult and interesting,

难以理解但有趣的作者相处下去
path breaking, unusual,

他们不独树一帜非常特别
not catering to what was popular.

他们不为迎合主流思想的
They could work with writers and cultivate them

他们会与作家一块工作并培养他们
and they knew that they were taking on a book--

他们知道要出书的话
say it's a collection of short stories; these are notoriously hard to sell--

比如短篇小说集是出了名的难卖