怦然心动中英互译

怦然心动中英互译怦然心动中英互译PAGE怦然心动中英互译ThefirstdayImetBryceLoski,Iflipped.Honestly,onelookathimandIbecamealunatic.It'shiseyes.Somethinginhiseyes.They'reblue,andframedintheblacknessofhislashes,they'redazzling.Absolutelybreathtaking.遇见布莱斯·罗斯基的第一天，我就对他怦然心动。呃，好吧，实际上我对他完全是一见钟情。是因为他的眼睛。他的眼神里有某种东西。他有一双蓝色的眼睛，在黑色睫毛下一闪一闪的，让我忍不住屏住了呼吸。It'sbeenoversixyearsnow,andIlearnedlongagotohidemyfeelings,butoh,thosefirstdays.Thosefirstyears!IthoughtIwoulddieforwantingtobewithhim.六年了，我早就学会隐藏自己的感觉了。不过想想最初的日子，还是让人哭笑不得。最初的那几年，我想我大概是太执着地想跟他在一起了。Twodaysbeforethesecondgradeiswhenitstarted,althoughtheanticipationbeganweeksbefore—eversincemymotherhadtoldmethattherewasafamilywithaboymyagemovingintothenewhouse事情源于二年级开学的前两天，虽然几周之前就有了先兆——妈妈告诉我，有一家人要搬到对街的新房子，带着一个跟我同龄的男孩。rightacrossthecamphadended,andI'dbeensoboredbecausetherewasnobody,absolutelynobody,intheneighborhoodtoplaywith.Oh,therewerekids,buteveryoneofthemwasolder.Thatwasdandyformybrothers,butwhatitleftmewashomealone.足球夏令营已经结束了，街坊邻居没有一个人陪我玩，真是无聊死了。附近也有几个孩子，可他们全都是大孩子。对我哥哥们来说当然不错，可我却只能一个人孤零零地留在家里。Mymotherwasthere,butshehadbetterthingstodothankickasoccerballaround.Soshesaid,anyway.AtthetimeIdidn'tthinktherewasanythingbetterthankickingasoccerballaround,especiallynotthelikesoflaundryordishesorvacuuming,butmymotherdidn'tagree.Andthedangerofbeinghomealonewithherwasthatshe'drecruitmetohelpherwashordustorvacuum,andshewouldn'ttoleratethedribblingofasoccerballaroundthehouseasImovedfromchoretochore.妈妈也在家，不过她有的是比踢球更重要的事情要做。反正她是这么说的。对于当年的我来说，没有什么比踢球更好的了，尤其是跟洗衣服、刷盘子、拖地板比起来。但我妈妈不同意。单独跟妈妈待在家里就有这个危险，她会抓住我帮她洗衣服、刷盘子、拖地板。而且她绝对不能容忍我在做家务的间隙踢两脚球。Toplayitsafe,Iwaitedoutsideforweeks,justincasethenewneighborsmovedinearly.Literally,itwasweeks.Ientertainedmyselfbyplayingsoccerwithourdog,Champ.Mostlyhe'djustblockbecauseadogcan'texactlykickandscore,butonceinawhilehe'ddribblewithhisnose.Thescentofaballmustoverwhelmadog,though,becauseChampwouldeventuallytrytochompit,thenlosetheballtome.为保险起见，我在屋子外边晃荡了几个星期，生怕邻居来早了。真的，足有几个星期。为了自娱自乐，我开始跟我的狗“冠军”踢球。大多数时间它只能把球扑住，毕竟狗不是真的会“踢”球。但它有时会用鼻子去捅。不过，球的气味对狗来说一定是难以抵挡的诱惑，因为到最后“冠军”总会试图把它吃下去，然后输球给我。WhentheLoskis'movingvanfinallyarrived,everyoneinmyfamilywashappy.“LittleJulianna”wasfinallygoingtohaveaplaymate.当罗斯基家的卡车终于到来的那一天，我家里的每个人都欢欣鼓舞。“小朱莉安娜”终于有个玩伴了。Mymother,beingthetrulysensibleadultthatsheis,mademewaitmorethananhourbeforegoingovertomeethim.“Givethemachancetostretchtheirlegs,Julianna,”shesaid.“They'llwantsometimetoadjust.”Shewouldn'tevenletmewatchfromtheyard.“Iknowyou,thatballwillwindupintheiryardandyou'lljusthavetogoretrieveit.”作为一个极度敏感体贴的成年人，妈妈硬是让我在家里待了足足一个小时才出门见邻居。“给他们留点时间伸个懒腰，朱莉安娜，”她说，“他们需要一些时间休整。”她甚至不允许我从院子里往外看，“我很了解你，宝贝。没准儿最后你的球不知怎么就掉到人家的院子里，而你不得不过去捡回来。SoIwatchedfromthewindow,andeveryfewminutesI'dask,“Now”andshe'dsay,“Givethemalittlewhilelonger,wouldyou”所以，我只好趴在窗户旁边，隔几分钟就问：“现在能去了吗”她每次都回答：“再给他们一点儿时间，好吗”Thenthephonerang.AndtheminuteIwassureshewasgoodandpreoccupied,Ituggedonhersleeveandasked,“Now”这时电话响了。当我能肯定她正心情愉悦并且全神贯注在电话上时，我就拽着她的袖子问：“现在好了吗”Shenoddedandwhispered,“Okay,buttakeiteasy!I'llbeoverthereinaminute.”她点点头，轻声说：“好吧，但是放松一点儿！我马上就过去。”Iwastooexcitednottochargeacrossthestreet,butIdidtryveryhardtobecivilizedonceIgottothemovingvan.Istoodoutsidelookinginforarecord-breakinglengthoftime,whichwashardbecausetherehewas!Abouthalfwayback!Mynewsure-to-bebestfriend,BryceLoski.我太兴奋了，忍不住横穿了马路，但我努力在接近卡车的时候保持了礼貌。我站在车外朝里望去，破纪录地保持这个姿势挺长时间，但是这太有难度了，因为差不多等到一半的时候，我看到了他！我坚信即将成为我新的最佳死党的人——布莱斯·罗斯基！Brycewasn'treallydoingmuchofanything.Hewasmorehangingback,watchinghisfathermoveboxesontothelift-gate.IrememberfeelingsorryforMr.Loskibecausehelookedwornout,movingboxesallbyhimself.IalsorememberthatheandBrycewerewearingmatchingturquoisepoloshirts,whichIthoughtwasreallycute.Reallynice.其实布莱斯并没有做什么。他只是在那边晃荡着，看他爸爸把箱子搬到汽车尾板上。记得当时我真的很同情罗斯基先生，因为他看上去疲惫不堪，全靠他一个人在那里搬。我还记得他和布莱斯穿着相同款式的蓝绿色Polo衫（一种休闲服装），非常可爱。真是太好看了。WhenIcouldn'tstanditanylonger,Icalled,“Hi!”intothevan,whichmadeBrycejump,andthenquickasacricket,hestartedpushingaboxlikehe'dbeenworkingallalong.我不好意思再呆呆地站在那儿，于是朝车里喊道：“你们好！”布莱斯惊得跳了起来，然后像只蟋蟀似的迅速开始推起一只箱子，假装他一直在工作。IcouldtellfromthewayBrycewasactingsoguiltythathewassupposedtobemovingboxes,buthewassickofit.He'dprobablybeenmovingthingsfordays!Itwaseasytoseethatheneededarest.Heneededsomejuice!wasalsoeasytoseethatMr.Loskiwasn'tabouttolethimquit.Hewasgoingtokeeponmovingboxesarounduntilhecollapsed,andbythenBrycemightbedead.Deadbeforehe'dhadthechancetomovein!布莱斯的内疚感让我猜到，他本来应该乖乖地帮忙搬箱子，但他却烦透了这活儿。没准儿他已经干了好几天了！很明显，他需要休息。他需要喝点什么，比如果汁！同样很明显，罗斯基先生不可能放他走。他可能准备干到自己累倒为止，那时候布莱斯估计已经累死了——他大概都没机会走进新家！Thetragedyofitcatapultedmeintothemovingvan.Ihadtohelp!Ihadtosavehim!眼前的这一幕惨剧推动我走进了卡车。我必须去帮忙！我必须救他！WhenIgottohissidetohelphimshoveaboxforward,thepoorboywassoexhaustedthathejustmovedasideandletmetakeover.Mr.Loskididn'twantmetohelp,butatleastIsavedBryce.I'dbeeninthemovingvanallofthreeminuteswhenhisdadsenthimofftohelphismotherunpackthingsinsidethehouse.我走到他身边，准备帮他一起推箱子，这个可怜的孩子实在太累了，他只是让出位置，把活儿交给了我。罗斯基先生不想让我帮忙，但我至少救出了布莱斯。我在卡车里最多只待了三分钟，他就被他爸爸发配去屋子里帮妈妈整理行李。IchasedBryceupthewalkway,andthat'swheneverythingchanged.Yousee,Icaughtuptohimandgrabbedhisarm,tryingtostophimsomaybewecouldplayalittlebeforehegottrappedinside,andthenextthingIknowhe'sholdingmyhand,lookingrightintomyeyes.我追着他上了人行道，从这一刻起，一切都变了。这么说吧，我追上他，抓住他的胳膊，只想在他被困在屋里之前截住他，跟我玩一会儿。然后突然之间，他牵起我的手，直直地看着我的眼睛。Myheartstopped.Itjuststoppedbeating.Andforthefirsttimeinmylife,Ihadthatfeeling.Youknow,liketheworldismovingallaroundyou,allbeneathyou,allinsideyou,andyou'refloating.Floatinginmidair.Andtheonlythingkeepingyoufromdriftingawayistheotherperson'seyes.毫无原因地，我心脏就那么漏跳了一拍。我的人生中第一次有了那样的感觉。就像整个世界在你四周，从你身体由内而外地翻滚，而你飘浮在半空中。唯一能绑住你不会飘走的，就是那双眼睛。They'reconnectedtoyoursbysomeinvisiblephysicalforce,andtheyholdyoufastwhiletherestoftheworldswirlsandtwirlsandfallscompletelyaway.当你们两个人的眼睛被一种看不见的力量连接在一起，在外面的世界旋转、翻腾并彻底分崩离析的时候，一把抓住了你。Ialmostgotmyfirstkissthatday.I'msureofit.Butthenhismothercameoutthefrontdoorandhewassoembarrassedthathischeeksturnedcompletelyred,andthenextthingyouknowhe'shidinginthebathroom。那天，我差一点儿就得到了我的初吻。我十分肯定。但是紧接着他妈妈就从屋子里走出来，他尴尬得脸都红透了，接下来他就躲进了洗手间。Iwaswaitingforhimtocomeoutwhenhissister,Lynetta,sawmeinthehallway.Sheseemedbigandmaturetome,andsinceshewantedtoknowwhatwasgoingon,Itoldheralittlebitaboutit.Ishouldn'thave,though,becauseshewiggledthebathroomdoorknobandstartedsomethingfierce.“Hey,babybrother!”shecalledthroughthedoor.“There'sahotchickoutherewaitingforyou!WhatsamatterAfraidshe'sgotcooties”我在门厅里等他出来，这时他的姐姐利奈特发现了我。她看上去比我大，更成熟一些。她问我怎么回事，我就简单地说了一点儿。不过，我不该告诉她的，因为她摇晃着洗手间的门把手，疯狂地嘲笑起布莱斯。“嘿，小弟弟！”她朝门的那一边大声喊着，“外面有个漂亮小姑娘在等你！你怎么不敢出来怕她身上有虱子吗”Itwassoembarrassing!Iyankedonherarmandtoldhertostopit,butshewouldn't,sofinallyIjustleft.这太尴尬了！我拽着她的胳膊想让她停下来，但她不肯，最后我只好走开了。IfoundmymotheroutsidetalkingtoMrs.Loski.MomhadgivenherthebeautifullemonBundtcakethatwassupposedtobeourdessertthatnight.Thepowderedsugarlookedsoftandwhite,andthecakewasstillwarm,sendingsweetlemonsmellsintotheair.我看见妈妈正在门口和罗斯基太太说话。妈妈送给她一个漂亮的烘烤柠檬蛋糕，那恐怕应该是我家今晚的甜点。上面的糖霜看起来又白又软，蛋糕还热着，散发着甜甜的柠檬香气。Mymouthwaswateringjustlookingatit!ButitwasinMrs.Loski'shands,andIknewtherewasnogettingitback.AllIcoulddowastrytoeatupthesmellswhileIlistenedtothetwoofthemdiscussgrocerystoresandtheweatherforecast.看到它我的口水就流出来了！但它现在属于罗斯基太太，再也回不来了。我只能在她们讨论杂货店和天气预报的时候狠狠地吞咽着空气中的香味。AfterthatMomandIwenthome.Itwasverystrange.Ihadn'tgottentoplaywithBryceatall.AllIknewwasthathiseyeswereadizzyingblue,thathehadasisterwhowasnottobetrusted,andthathe'dalmostkissedme.然后我就和妈妈回家了。这太奇怪了。我根本没能和布莱斯一起玩。我只记得他那双闪闪发亮的蓝眼睛，他有个不靠谱的姐姐，以及他差点亲了我。Ifellasleepthatnightthinkingaboutthekissthatmighthavebeen.Whatdidakissfeellike,anywaySomehowIknewitwouldn'tbeliketheoneIgotfromMomorDadatbedtime.Thesamespecies,maybe,butaradicallydifferentbeast,tobesure.Likeawolfandawhippet—onlysciencewouldputthemonthesametree.晚上，我想着那个本该发生的初吻睡着了。被人亲吻到底是什么感觉？不知怎的，我知道它一定和爸爸妈妈的晚安吻不一样。毫无疑问，虽然它们看起来差不多，却有本质上的不同。就像狼和狗——只有科学家才会认为它们同属一个科目。Lookingbackonthesecondgrade,Iliketothinkitwasatleastpartlyscientificcuriositythatmademechaseafterthatkiss,buttobehonest,itwasprobablymorethoseblueeyes.AllthroughthesecondandthirdgradesIcouldn'tseemtostopmyselffromfollowinghim,fromsittingbyhim,fromjustwantingtobenearhim.回首二年级，我总是希望自己至少有一部分是出于对科学的好奇，才如此执着于我的初吻。但诚实地说，恐怕更重要的原因是那双蓝眼睛。从那一刻起，直到三年级结束，我无法自拔地追随着他，坐在他旁边，希望自己至少能离他近一点儿。BythefourthgradeI'dlearnedtocontrolmyself.Thesightofhim—thethoughtofhim—stillsentmyhearthumming,butmylegsdidn'tactuallychaseafterhimanymore.Ijustwatchedandthoughtanddreamed.到了四年级，我学会控制自己。看到他——想到他——仍然让我的心怦怦直跳，但我已经不再真的追着他跑。我只是在那里望着，想着，盼望着。TheninthefifthgradeShellyStallscameintothepicture.ShellyStallsisaninny.Awhiny,gossipy,backstabbingninnywhosaysonethingtoonepersonandtheoppositetoanother.Nowthatwe'reinjuniorhigh,she'stheundisputeddivaofdrama,butevenbackinelementaryschoolsheknewhowtoputonaperformance.Especiallywhenitcameto.Ineveroncesawherrunlapsordocalisthenics.Instead,shewouldgointoher“delicate”act,claimingherbodywouldabsolutelycollapsefromthestrainifsheranorjumpedorstretched.五年级的时候，忽然冒出了一个雪莉·斯道尔斯。她是个傻瓜，一个爱发牢骚、爱传八卦、爱背后中伤别人的家伙。她总是把一件事对一个人说成是黑的，对另一个人说成是白的。现在我们都升上了初中，她是个无可争议的演技派天后，就算回到时代，她也知道该怎么装样子。尤其是体育课上，我既没见过她跑圈也没见过她做操。相反，她会奉上一出“完美”的表演，声明她的身体在跑步、Itworked.Everyyear.She'dbringinsomenoteandbesuretoswoonalittlefortheteacherthefirstfewdaysoftheyear,afterwhichshe'dbeexcusedfromanythingthatrequiredmuscles.Sheneverevenputupherownchairattheendoftheday.Theonlymusclessheexercisedregularlyweretheonesaroundhermouth,andthosesheworkedoutnonstop.IftherewasanOlympiccontestfortalking,ShellyStallswouldsweeptheevent.Well,she'datleastwinthegoldandsilver—onemedalforeachsideofhermouth.这很管用，每年都很管用。她带来医生的证明，并在学年开始的那几天小小地晕倒几次，然后逃过一年当中任何需要力量的事情。甚至放学的时候都不搬自己的椅子。唯一经常得到锻炼的肌肉是她的嘴唇，而且动起来几乎一刻不停。假如奥运会增加一个比赛说话的项目，雪莉·斯道尔斯一定能横扫一切奖项。好吧，至少是金牌和银牌——上下嘴唇各得一项。Whatbuggedmeaboutitwasnotthefactthatshegotoutof.—who'dwantherontheirteam,anywayWhatbuggedmeaboutitwasthatanyonewhobotheredtolookwouldknowthatitwasn'tasthmaorweakanklesorherbeing“delicate”thatwasstoppingher.Itwasherhair.Shehadmountainsofit,twistedthiswayorthat,clippedorbeaded,braidedorswirled.Herponytailsrivaledtheonesoncarouselhorses.Andonthedayssheletitallhangdown,she'dsortofshimmyandcuddleinsideitlikeitwasablanket,sothatpracticallyallyousawofherfacewashernose.其实，我烦恼的倒不是她不用上体育课这件事——说实话，又有谁愿意跟雪莉分在一组呢？我烦恼的是，只要谁有心，就一定能看出妨碍她上课的根本不是哮喘、脚踝有伤或是她表现出的那种“娇弱”，而是她的头发。她有那么多头发，一会儿卷成这样，一会儿卷成那样；一会儿剪短，一会儿缀上珠花；一会儿编辫子，一会儿盘成发髻。她的马尾辫就跟旋转木马的尾巴差不多。那段时间她总是披散着头发，把它们当成毯子似的把自己的脑袋裹在里面，所以别人只能看到她的鼻子。Goodluckplayingfour-squarewithablanketoveryourhead.在脑袋上裹着一床毯子玩抛球游戏？还是算了吧。MysolutiontoShellyStallswastoignoreher,whichworkedjustdandyuntilabouthalfwaythroughthefifthgradewhenIsawherholdinghandswithBryce.我对待雪莉·斯道尔斯的方式是无视她，这一直都很奏效，直到五年级的时候我看到她握着布莱斯的手。MyBryce.Theonewhowasstillembarrassedoverholdingmyhandtwodaysbeforethesecondgrade.Theonewhowasstilltooshytosaymuchmorethanhellotome.那是我的布莱斯，是那个始终为了二年级开学前两天握了我的手而害羞的家伙。是那个因为太害羞，除了“你好”以外不敢跟我多说一句话的家伙Theonewhowasstillwalkingaroundwithmyfirstkiss.是那个一直还欠我一个初吻的家伙。HowcouldShellyhavewormedherhandintohisThatpushylittleprincesshadnobusinesshangingontohimlikethat!雪莉怎么敢把她的手塞进他的手心里？这个爱出风头的娇气小公主根本没理由和他混在一起！Brycelookedoverhisshoulderfromtimetotimeastheywalkedalong,andhewaslookingatme.Myfirstthoughtwasthathewastellingmehewassorry.Thenitdawnedonme—heneededmyhelp.Absolutely,that'swhatithadtobe!当他们经过的时候，布莱斯时不时小心翼翼地回头看，他看的是我。我首先想到的是，他是在向我表示抱歉。然后我忽然领悟了——他是想让我帮忙。没错，只能是这个意思！ShellyStallswastoodelicatetoshakeoff,tooswirlytobepushedaway.She'dunravelandstartsnifflingandoh,howembarrassingthatwouldbeforhim!No,thiswasn'tajobaboycoulddogracefully.雪莉·斯道尔斯太娇弱了，让布莱斯不好意思甩掉她，而且她太缠人了，让他挣脱不掉。她一定会心碎的，然后开始抽搐，这对布莱斯来说得有多尴尬！这件事男生做起来姿态绝对不好看。Thiswasajobforagirl.只能由女生来代为完成。Ididn'tevenbothercheckingaroundforothercandidates—Ihadheroffofhimintwosecondsflat.Bryceranawaytheminutehewasfree,butnotShelly.Oh,no-no-no!Shecameatme,scratchingandpullingandtwistinganythingshecouldgetherhandson,tellingmethatBrycewashersandtherewasnowayshewaslettinghimgo.我根本没有考虑过是否还有其他人选——两秒钟之内我就把她从他身边拽开了。一挣开，布莱斯立刻跑掉了，但是雪莉没跑。哦，不——不——不！她冲我过来了，对着她能够到的地方又抓又扯又拧，说布莱斯是属于她的，她绝不放手。Howdelicate.真是太娇弱了。IwashopingforherdsofteacherstoappearsotheycouldseetherealShellyStallsinaction,butitwastoolatebythetimeanyonearrivedonthescene.IhadFluffyinaheadlockandherarmtwistedbackinahammerlock,andnoamountofhersquawkingorscratchingwasgoingtogetmetounlockheruntilateacherarrived.我满心希望这时候冒出一大群老师，看看真实生活中的雪莉·斯道尔斯到底是什么样子，可惜等人们来到这里已经太晚了。我蓬头垢面地被她夹住脑袋，而她的双手被我反剪到背后，不管她怎样尖叫、抓人，都不可能让我在老师到达之前放开她。Intheend,Shellywenthomeearlywithabadcaseofmussed-uphair,whileItoldmysideofthingstotheprincipal.Mrs.Shultzisasturdyladywhoprobablysecretlyappreciatesthevalueofaswiftkickwellplaced,andalthoughshetoldmethatitwouldbebetterifIletotherpeopleworkouttheirowndilemmas,shedefinitelyunderstoodaboutShellyStallsandherhairandtoldmeshewasgladI'dhadtheself-controltodonothingmorethanrestrainher.最后，雪莉带着一头乱发提前回家了，而我则留下跟校长复述情况。舒尔茨夫人是个健硕的女人，也许私下里会欣赏一记正确的飞踢，但是她告诉我最好还是让别人去解决他们自己的困境，她完全明白雪莉·斯道尔斯和她的头发是怎么回事，还说她很高兴看到我能够控制住自己，没有做出除了制止她以外更离谱的事。Shellywasbackthenextdaywithaheadfullofbraids.Andofcourseshegoteverybodywhisperingaboutme,butIjustignoredthem.Thefactsspokeforthemselves.Brycedidn'tgoanywherenearherfortherestoftheyear.第二天，雪莉带着满头的辫子回来了。当然，她成功地让所有人都在私下议论我，但我根本不理他们。事实是不言自明的。在这个学年剩下的时间里，布莱斯从来不走近她。That'snottosaythatBryceheldmyhandafterthat,buthedidstartbeingalittlefriendliertome.Especiallyinthesixthgrade,afterMr.Mertinssatusrightnexttoeachotherinthethirdrowback.这倒不是说布莱斯从此跟我走在一起了，但他开始变得友善一些。尤其是六年级马丁斯先生把我们安排在倒数第三排成了同桌之后。SittingnexttoBrycewasnice.Hewasnice.He'dsayHi,Julitomeeverymorning,andonceinawhileI'dcatchhimlookingmyway.He'dalwaysblushandgobacktohisownwork,andIcouldn'thelpbutsmile.Hewassoshy.Andsocute!坐在布莱斯旁边感觉很好。他会每天早上对我说“朱莉，你好”，偶尔我会发现他在看我。他总会脸红，转回去做他的事，然后我就不由自主地笑了。他太害羞了，而且那么可爱！Wetalkedtoeachothermore,too.EspeciallyafterMr.Mertinsmovedmebehindhim.Mr.Mertinshadadetentionpolicyaboutspelling,whereifyoumissedmorethansevenoutoftwenty-fivewords,youhadtospendlunchinsidewithhim,writingyourwordsoverandoverandoveragain.我们聊天的机会也更多了。尤其是马丁斯先生安排我坐在他后面以后。马丁斯先生会让拼写不合格的人留堂，比如，25个词里写错7个的人午饭时分必须跟着他，一遍又一遍地抄写自己的名字。ThepressureofdetentionmadeBrycepanic.Andeventhoughitbotheredmyconscience,I'dleaninandwhisperanswerstohim,hopingthatmaybeIcouldspendlunchwithhiminstead.Hishairsmelledlikewatermelon,andhisear-lobeshadfuzz.Soft,blondfuzz.AndIwonderedaboutthat.HowdoesaboywithsuchblackhairwindupwithblondearfuzzWhat'sitdoingthere,anywayIcheckedmyownear-lobesinthemirrorbutcouldn'tfindmuchofanythingonthem,andIdidn'tspotanyonotherpeople'seither.留堂的阴影把布莱斯变成了惊弓之鸟。虽然良心上有点过意不去，但我还是会靠向他悄悄说出答案，希望自己也许有机会和他一起吃午饭。他的头发闻起来有股西瓜味，耳垂上长着绒毛，柔软的金色绒毛。我十分好奇，为什么一个长着黑头发的男孩耳朵上的绒毛却是金色的它们为什么会长在那里我在镜子里研究自己的耳垂，但上面什么也没有，我注意到没有一个人像他这样。IthoughtaboutaskingMr.Mertinsaboutearlobefuzzwhenwewerediscussingevolutioninscience,butIdidn't.Instead,Ispenttheyearwhisperingspellingwords,sniffingwatermelon,andwonderingifIwasevergoingtogetmykiss.我想过在马丁斯先生跟我们讨论科学史的时候，提出耳垂绒毛的问题，但我没问过。相反，整整一年时间我都趴在他耳边拼着单词，闻着西瓜味道，想着自己是不是和初吻无缘了。Buddy,Beware!哥们儿，小心点！Seventhgradebroughtchanges,allright,butthebiggestonedidn'thappenatschool—ithappenedathome.GranddadDuncancametolivewithus.好吧，七年级是充满变化的一年，但是最大的变化并非发生在学校，而是在家里。邓肯外公搬来和我们一起住了。Atfirstitwaskindofweirdbecausenoneofusreallyknewhim.ExceptforMom,ofcourse.Andeventhoughshe'sspentthepastyearandahalftryingtoconvinceushe'sagreatguy,fromwhatIcantell,thethinghelikestodobestisstareoutthefront-roomwindow.There'snotmuchtoseeoutthereexcepttheBakers'frontyard,butyoucanfindhimtheredayornight,sittinginthebigeasychairtheymovedinwithhim,staringoutthewindow.最开始的时候是有点奇怪，因为我们中间没有谁真正认识他。当然，除了妈妈。虽然她用了一年半的时间告诉我们他是个多么伟大的人，但在我看来，他最喜欢做的事就是从临街的窗户朝外望。除了贝克家的前院，那里没什么好看的，但他不管白天黑夜都待在那儿，坐在和他一起搬进家门的大号安乐椅上，望着窗外。Okay,sohealsoreadsTomClancynovelsandthenewspapersanddoescrosswordpuzzlesandtrackshisstocks,butthosethingsarealldistractions.Givennoonetojustifyitto,themanwouldstareoutthewindowuntilhefellasleep.Notthatthere'sanythingwrongwiththat.Itjustseemsso…boring.好吧，他也读汤姆·克兰西的惊悚小说、看报纸、做填字游戏、看看股票行情，但这些不过是对他看街景这件事的插花。没人提出反对，这人总是看着窗外直到睡着为止。虽然也说不上有什么不对，但这样真的……挺无聊的。MomsayshestareslikethatbecausehemissesGrandma,butthat'snotsomethingGranddadhadeverdiscussedwithme.Asamatteroffact,heneverdiscussedmuchofanythingwithmeuntilafewmonthsagowhenhereadaboutJuliinthenewspaper.妈妈说，他眺望窗外是因为想念外婆，但外公是不会和我讨论这件事的。实际上，他从来不跟我讨论什么事，直到几个月前，他在报纸上看到了朱莉。Now,JuliBakerdidnotwinduponthefrontpageoftheMayfieldTimesforbeinganeighth-gradeEinstein,likeyoumightsuspect.No,myfriend,shegotfront-pagecoveragebecausesherefusedtoclimboutofasycamoretree.不像你想的那样，朱莉安娜·贝克并不是作为八年级的未来的爱因斯坦登上了《梅菲尔德时报》头版。不，伙计，她能登上头版是因为她不愿意从一棵无花果树上下来。NotthatIcouldtellasycamorefromamapleorabirchforthatmatter,butJuli,ofcourse,knewwhatkindoftreeitwasandpassedthatknowledgealongtoeverycreatureinherwake.虽然我分不清无花果树、枫树和桦树，但朱莉显然知道那是什么树，并且守在那里把这个常识分享给她遇见的每一个人。Sothistree,thissycamoretree,wasupthehillonavacantlotonCollierStreet,anditwasmassive.Massiveandugly.Itwastwistedandgnarledandbent,andIkeptexpectingthethingtoblowoverinthewind.所以，这棵树，这棵无花果树，长在山坡上克里尔街的一片空地里，很大很大，而且又大又丑。它的树干扭曲，长满节疤，弯弯曲曲，我总觉得一阵风就能把它吹倒。OnedaylastyearI'dfinallyhadenoughofheryakkingaboutthatstupidtree.Icamerightoutandtoldherthatitwasnotamagnificentsycamore,itwas,inreality,theugliesttreeknowntoman.AndyouknowwhatshesaidShesaidIwasvisuallychallenged.Visuallychallenged!Thisfromthegirlwholivesinahousethat'sthescourgeoftheneighborhood.They'vegotbushesgrowingoverwindows,weedsstickingoutallovertheplace,andabarnyard'sworthofanimalsrunningwild.I'mtalkingdogs,cats,chickens,evensnakes.IsweartoGod,herbrothershaveaboaconstrictorintheirroom.TheydraggedmeintherewhenIwasabouttenandmademewatchiteatarat.Alive,beady-eyedrat.Theyheldthatrodentupbyitstailandgulp,theboaswalloweditwhole.Thatsnakegavemenightmaresforamonth.去年的某一天，我终于听够了她关于这棵蠢树的唠叨。我径直走到她面前，告诉她那棵无花果树一点儿也不美，实际上，那是有史以来最难看的一棵树。你猜她怎么回答？她说我的眼睛大概有毛病。眼睛有毛病！这就是那个邻里环境破坏之王家的姑娘说出来的话。她家的灌木长得比窗户还高，到处杂草丛生，谷仓前面的空场快变成野生动物园了。我是说，她家有狗、猫、鸡，甚至养了几条蛇。我敢对天发誓，她哥哥在卧室里养了条大蟒蛇。十岁那年，他们把我拽进屋子，强迫我看着那条大蟒蛇吞下一只耗子。一只活蹦乱跳、眼睛滴溜溜转的耗子。他们提着那只啮齿动物的尾巴，大蟒一下子就整只吞下去了。这条蛇让我做了一个月的噩梦。Anyway,normallyIwouldn'tcareaboutsomeone'syard,buttheBakers'messbuggedmydadbig-time,andhechanneledhisfrustrationintoouryard.Hesaiditwasourneighborlydutytoshowthemwhatayard'ssupposedtolooklike.不管怎么说，我平时很少关心别人家的院子，但贝克家一团混乱的院子是我爸爸最大的心病，而他则把这种挫折的情绪倾泻在我家院子里。他说，我们有义务让邻居看看一个正常的院子该有的模样。SowhileMikeandMattarebusyplumpinguptheirboa,I'mhavingtomowandedgeouryard,thensweepthewalkwaysandgutter,whichisgoingalittleoverboard,ifyouaskme.所以，当麦克和马特忙于投喂蟒蛇的时候，我只好忙着给院子除草、修剪草坪，打扫车道和水沟，而且依我看，我好像还真干得越来越投入了。Andyou'dthinkJuli'sdad—who'sabig,strong,bricklayingdude—wouldfixtheplaceup,butno.Accordingtomymom,hespendsallhisfreetimepainting.Hislandscapesdon'tseemlikeanythingspecialtome,butjudgingbyhispricetags,hethinksquitealotofthem.WeseethemeveryyearattheMayfieldCountyFair,andmyparentsalwayssaythesamething:“Theworldwouldhavemorebeautyinitifhe'dfixuptheyardinstead.”如果你以为朱莉的爸爸——一位又高又壮的砖瓦工——会打理院子，那就错了。据我妈妈透露，他把全部业余时间都用来画画了。他的风景画对我来说没什么特别的，但是从价签上看，他很看重这些画。每年梅菲尔德县交易会上都能看到它们，我爸妈从来只说一句话：“如果他肯把花在画画上的时间拿来打理院子，世界会变得更美好。”MomandJuli'smomdotalksome.IthinkmymomfeelssorryforMrs.Baker—shesaysshemarriedadreamer,andbecauseofthat,oneofthetwoofthemwillalwaysbeunhappy.我妈妈和朱莉的妈妈有时聊天。我猜想妈妈比较同情贝克夫人——她说她嫁了一个梦想家，所以，他们俩当中总有一个人过得不快乐。Whatever.MaybeJuli'saestheticsensibilitieshavebeenpermanentlyscrewedupbyherfatherandnoneofthisisherfault,butJulihasalwaysthoughtthatthatsycamoretreewasGod'sgifttoourlittlecorneroftheuniverse.那又怎样。也许朱莉对美的敏感正是遗传自她爸爸，并不是她的错。但朱莉总觉得那棵无花果树是上帝送给我们宇宙中这个小小角落的一份礼物。Backinthethirdandfourthgradessheusedtoclownaroundwithherbrothersinthebranchesorpeelbigchunksofbarkoffsotheycouldslidedownthecrookinitstrunk.Itseemedliketheywereplayinginitwhenevermymomtookussomewhereinthecar.Juli'dbeswingingfromthebranches,readytofallandbreakeveryboneinherbody,whilewewerewaitingatthestoplight,andmymomwouldshakeherheadandsay,“Don'tyoueverclimbthattreelikethat,doyouhearme,BryceIneverwanttoseeyoudoingthat!Youeither,Lynetta.Thatismuchtoodangerous.”三年级和四年级的时候，她经常和哥哥们一起坐在树杈上，或者剥下大块的树皮以便沿着树干滑到杈弯。无论什么时候妈妈开车带我们出门去，总能看见他们在那里玩。我们等红灯的时候，朱莉就在树杈间荡来荡去，总是快要摔下来跌断每一根骨头的样子，于是妈妈就会摇着头说：“你永远也不许像这个样子爬树，听见没有，布莱斯？我永远也不想看到你这样！你也是，利奈特。实在太危险了！”Mysisterwouldrollhereyesandsay,“Asif,”whileI'dslumpbeneaththewindowandprayforthelighttochangebeforeJulisquealedmynamefortheworldtohear.姐姐一般会翻个白眼，说“废话”。而我则把头躲到车窗下面，祈祷在朱莉还没把我的名字喊得震天响之前赶紧变灯。Ididtrytoclimbitonceinthefifthgrade.ItwasthedayafterJulihadrescuedmykitefromitsmutanttoy-eating