2

Because as far as I know, the boat didn't come with any life preservers. Saturday. Even with the added space we got from the boat, the minivan was still pretty full. I snuck my pillow on board at the last second, because I decided I was entitled to at least ONE luxury item. I figured Rodrick would want to sit in the back of the van, because whenever we go anywhere as a family, he likes to stretch out and take a nap. Every once in a while we'll forget Rodrick is even back there.

因为据我所知，这艘船没有任何救生圈。 星期六。即使加上我们从船上得到的额外空间，小货车还是很满的。 我在最后一刻把枕头偷偷带上了飞机，因为我觉得我至少有资格得到一件奢侈品。 我觉得罗德里克会想坐在车后座，因为无论我们全家去哪里，他都喜欢伸伸懒腰，打个盹。 偶尔我们会忘记罗德里克也在那里。

This Easter, we made it halfway through church before Mom realized Rodrick never made it out of the van. Back when we had a station wagon, me and Rodrick used to sit in the way back TOGETHER, in a seat that faced the rear window. But we got in big trouble when we played a practical joke on Mom and Dad that ended up getting us pulled over by the police. When we got in the van today, Rodrick offered me the backseat.

今年复活节，我们去了一半教堂妈妈才发现罗德里克根本没从车里出来。 当我们有一辆旅行车的时候，我和罗德里克常常坐在一起，坐在一个面向后窗的座位上。 但是，当我们对爸爸妈妈开了个恶作剧，结果被警察拦下时，我们惹上了大麻烦。 我们今天上车的时候，罗德里克把后座让给了我。

I accepted before he could change his mind, but I should've known his offer was too good to be true. Before we pulled out of the driveway, Mom said we were taking a "special guest" along for the ride. For a second I was worried we were picking someone ELSE up, because with all our stuff in the van they'd have to sit on the ROOF. But Mom opened her purse and pulled out a piece of paper with a drawing on it.

我在他改变主意之前就接受了，但我早该知道他的提议好得不像真的。 在我们驶出车道之前，妈妈说我们要带一位“特殊客人”一起去。 有那么一会儿，我还担心我们要去接别人，因为我们的东西都在车上，他们得坐在车顶上。 但是妈妈打开钱包，拿出一张画着一幅画的纸。

The drawing was Flat Stanley, a character from a book I read in second grade. Flat Stanley is a boy who gets squashed by a bulletin board that falls off his bedroom wall in the middle of the night. And when they pull the bulletin board off him, he's as thin as a piece of paper.

这幅画是Flat Stanley，是我二年级时读过的一本书中的一个人物。 Flat Stanley是一个男孩，他在半夜被从卧室墙上掉下来的公告板压扁了。 当他们把布告栏从他身上扯下来时，他就像一张纸一样瘦。

I thought it was pretty cool that Flat Stanley could fold himself up and get mailed to his grandma's, or have his brother fly him like a kite. But I'll tell you this: If Flat Stanley had a brother like RODRICK, I guarantee he wouldn't survive a whole day.

我觉得Flat Stanley可以把自己折叠起来寄到他奶奶家，或者让他哥哥像放风筝一样放他出去，这很酷。 但我要告诉你：如果Flat Stanley有一个像RODRICK这样的兄弟，我保证他活不过一天。

I really liked the book, but it kind of freaked me out, too. One thing it did was give me a deathly fear of bulletin boards. In second grade, everyone in my class had to color in a cutout of Flat Stanley and mail him to a friend or relative who lived far away. Then that person was supposed to take a picture of Flat Stanley in front of something interesting and mail him back with the photo.

我真的很喜欢这本书，但它也把我吓坏了。 其中一件事就是让我对公告栏产生了致命的恐惧。 二年级的时候，我们班的每个人都要在一张斯坦利的剪纸上涂上颜色，然后把他寄给住得很远的朋友或亲戚。 然后那个人应该在有趣的东西前给Flat Stanley拍张照片，然后把照片寄给他。