Chapter 8

Chapter eight, Unfortunately for me, none of the things on my list happened. What did happen was that McKelty got the part of Aqua Fly. If you ask me, it wasn't because he was so great. It was because, unlike me, he could read the words on the page. Ms. Flowers tried to be nice about it. When everyone was going to lunch, she called me up to her desk. "I know you tried really hard, Hank," she said. "And for your effort, I have created a special part just for you. One that matches your talents." That made me feel much better. But what part could that be? Maybe there was going to

第八章，不幸的是，我所列出的事情没有一件发生。 真正发生的是，麦凯尔蒂得到了水蝇的角色。 要我说，不是因为他太棒了。 因为他不像我，他能读懂纸上的字。 弗劳尔斯女士尽量表现得友善些。 当大家都去吃午饭的时候，她把我叫到她的办公桌前。 “我知道你真的很努力，汉克，”她说。 “为了感谢你的努力，我为你创造了一个特别的角色。 一份与你的才能相匹配的工作。” 这让我感觉好多了。 但那是哪一部分呢？ 也许会有

be a big clock on the library wall, and I would be the bird that popped out every hour and went cuckoo. Everyone knows I'm good at sounds. Or maybe I could be the library cart that gets to roll up and down the aisles. I could attach my bicycle horn and toot it to warn everyone to clear the way for me. That sounded like a lot of fun. "What is my part, Ms. Flowers?" "Well, Hank, you are going to be a bookmark." "I am? What does a bookmark get to do?" "First of all, you have to be very quiet. And

成为图书馆墙上的一个大钟，我将成为每小时跳出来发出布谷鸟叫声的那只鸟。 每个人都知道我擅长声音。 或者我可以做图书馆的推车在走道上来回滚动。 我可以装上我的自行车喇叭，然后鸣笛提醒大家给我让路。 听起来很有趣。 “我的角色是什么，弗劳尔斯女士？”“好吧，汉克，你将成为一个书签。” “我是谁?书签能做什么？”“首先，你必须非常安静。 和

of course, your most important job will be to hold everyone's places in their books." "That doesn't sound fun." "But here's the best part. You'll get to wear the tallest costume of anyone, with two little holes cut out for your eyes. And a red fringe on the bottom to cover your shoes." Okay, I could deal with that. The costume part sounded good. I left the classroom feeling pretty happy about my new role... until I walked into the lunch room. The first person I saw was McKelty, who was busy shoving tuna casserole into his face right off his tray. He wasn't even using a fork. "Hey, loser," he said, spraying little bits of fish into the air. "Too bad I beat you out for the good part."

当然，你最重要的工作是在每个人的书中占据一席之地。” “这听起来可不好玩。”“但这是最好的部分。 你会穿上最高的服装，还会为你的眼睛挖出两个小洞。 底部有红色的流苏，盖住你的鞋子。” 好吧，我能应付。 服装部分听起来不错。 离开教室时，我对自己的新角色感到非常高兴。 直到我走进午餐室。 我看到的第一个人是麦凯尔蒂，他正忙着把金枪鱼砂锅菜从盘子里塞到自己脸上。 他甚至不用叉子。 “嘿，窝囊废，”他一边说，一边向空中喷射小块的鱼。 “可惜我抢了你的风头。”

"That's okay," I said to him. "I'm going to be a bookmark." "Ha-ha-ha." He snorted. "Don't you get it? A bookmark doesn't do anything. It just stands there being all bookmark-y." "Oh yeah?" I answered back. "Ms. Flowers said it was a really special part." "You'll believe anything, Zipperbrain!" Then he added, "See you after lunch in rehearsal. Oh wait, you don't have to be there. You don't have any lines." "I'll be there," I snapped. "I'm part of the play, too."

“没关系，”我对他说。 “我要成为一个书签。” “哈哈哈。”他哼了一声。“你还不明白吗？” 书签没有任何作用。 它就站在那里，像书签一样。” “哦?”我回嘴。 “弗劳尔斯说这是一个非常特别的角色。” “你什么都信，拉链脑！”然后他又说：“午饭后排练见。 等等，你不用去的。 你没有台词。” “我会去的。”我厉声说。 “我也是这部戏的一部分。”

"Oh, really. Then how come your part isn't even in the script?" That was a good question. I hadn't thought of that before. Then I realized what had happened. Ms. Flowers had made up that part just for me because I can't read very well. Suddenly, the smell of tuna casserole coming out of McKelty's mouth made me feel sick to my stomach. I ran out into the hall and leaned against the wall, trying so hard not to cry. Before I knew it, Frankie and Ashley had left the cafeteria and were by my side. "Don't listen to that big bully," Ashley said. "Bookmarks are very important. I use one every day." "But it's just a tiny part," I protested. "Listen, Hankster," Frankie said. "No matter what the part is, you're going to be great." "Yeah," Ashley chimed in. "Just wait until rehearsal. You never know what magic is going to come spilling out of that funny head of yours."

“哦,真的。那为什么剧本里都没有你的角色？”这是个好问题。 我以前从没想过这个。 然后我意识到发生了什么。 弗劳尔斯女士专门为我编的那个角色，因为我不太会读书。 突然，金枪鱼砂锅的味道从麦凯尔蒂嘴里冒出来，让我感到恶心。 我跑到大厅里，靠在墙上，竭力忍住不哭出来。 我还没反应过来，弗兰基和艾希礼就已经离开了自助餐厅，来到了我身边。 “别听那个大恶霸的话，"艾希礼说。 “书签非常重要。 我每天都用。”“但这只是很小的一部分。”我抗议道。 “听着，汉克斯特，”弗兰基说。 “不管演什么角色，你都会演得很棒。” “是啊，"艾希礼插嘴说。“等到排练的时候再说。 你永远不知道从你那可笑的脑袋里会冒出什么魔法来。”

Suddenly I was starving, which was a sure sign that I was feeling better. Friends can do that for you. "Okay," I said, heading back into the cafeteria with Frankie and Ashley by my side. "I'm going to be the best bookmark that ever held a place in a book. Look out, world, here comes Hank."

突然我觉得饿了，这是我感觉好多了的明显迹象。 朋友可以帮你。 “好吧，”我说着，带着弗兰基和阿什利回到了自助餐厅。 “我要成为在书中占有一席之地的最好的书签。 小心，世界，汉克来了。”