Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 When I was finished, I sat down in the bleachers and watched the rest of the kids try out. The next two kids were very impressive. Ryan Shimozato sunk his first basket. It didn't even touch the rim, just went straight in. When it was Luke Whitman's turn, he managed to make a basket while picking his nose. That's not easy to do. Katie Sperling went next. She demanded that they wash the ball with soap and water before she'd touch it. That must have worked, because she made a basket, too. Samir Patel tried a fancy dribble, but it backfired and hit him in the nose. Kim Paulson tried out in her ballet tutu because she had a dance rehearsal right after tryouts. Every time she dribbled the ball, she did a ballet leap

比赛结束后，我在露天看台上坐下，看着其他的孩子参加比赛。 接下来的两个孩子非常令人印象深刻。 Ryan Shimozato投进了他的第一个篮。 球都没碰到篮筐，直接进了篮筐。 轮到卢克·惠特曼（Luke Whitman）时，他一边挖鼻孔一边投进了一球。 这并不容易做到。凯蒂·斯珀林紧随其后。 她要求他们在她碰球之前先用肥皂和水把球洗干净。 那一定起作用了，因为她也进了一个篮子。 萨米尔·帕特尔尝试了一个花哨的运球，但事与愿违，打在了他的鼻子上。 金·保尔森穿着芭蕾舞短裙参加了试镜，因为她在试镜后马上要进行舞蹈排练。 她每次运球时都像跳芭蕾舞一样

across the floor. We thought she was showing off, but Ms. Adolf lapped it up. Once everyone had his or her turn, Ms. Adolf told us all to line up on the court. As I watched her looking down at her clipboard, I got really nervous. She was taking her time, and every second that went by made me even more jumpy. It's a good thing I was standing in between Frankie and Ashley, or I would have bounced out of my skin.

穿过地板。我们以为她是在炫耀，但是。 阿道夫把它舔了起来。当每个人都轮到他或她的时候。 阿道夫让我们在球场上排队。 当我看着她低头看她的剪贴板时，我真的很紧张。 她从容不迫，每过一秒我就更紧张。 幸好我当时站在弗兰基和阿什莉中间，不然我早就被吓得魂飞肉散了。

I didn't even notice when Principal Love walked into the gym. "Well, what kind of gathering do we have here? Something sports-related, I presume," he said. "It's basketball tryouts," Ashley answered. "Ah, yes! That would explain why Ms. Adolf is wearing shorts." Ms. Adolf gave him a nasty stare.

我都没注意到勒夫校长走进了体育馆。 “那么，我们在这里举行什么样的聚会呢？” 我想是和体育有关的东西。” “这是篮球选拔赛，"艾希礼回答。 “啊,是的!这就解释了为什么希拉里。 阿道夫穿着短裤。”Ms。 阿道夫恶狠狠地瞪了他一眼。

"Excuse me, Principal Love," she said. "I was just about to announce who made the second-grade team that will compete against PS 91." "Go right ahead," he said. "I'd love to meet the team. There is nothing more thrilling than watching a team be a team, participating in teamwork." Don't get upset if you didn't understand that sentence. No one understands Principal Love when he talks. We just watch his lips move until he's done. "Will the following students please step forward," Ms. Adolf said. "Frankie, Ashley, Nick, Heather, and Katie. These are the children who will make up our first-string team." I was glad for them. Well, to be honest, I wasn't that glad for Nick McKelty, but I was truly happy for the others. I knew I wasn't a starter. But I crossed my fingers behind my back, hoping that I could at

“对不起，洛夫校长，”她说。 “我正准备宣布谁进入了与ps91比赛的二年级队伍。” “去吧，”他说。 “我很想见见团队。 没有什么比观看一个团队成为一个团队、参与团队合作更令人兴奋的了。” 如果你听不懂那句话，不要生气。 拉夫校长说话没人听得懂。 我们只要看着他的嘴唇动，直到他说完。 “下面的学生请上前一步。” 阿道夫说。“弗兰基、阿什利、尼克、希瑟和凯蒂。 这些孩子将成为我们的一线队员。” 我为他们感到高兴。说实话，我不是很为尼克·麦凯尔蒂高兴，但我真的为其他人感到高兴。 我知道我不是首发球员。 但我在背后交叉着手指，希望我能看到

least be a substitute. All I wanted was to be a member of the team. "I'd like the following students to step forward now," I heard Ms. Adolf say. "You will be our substitute players, a very important part of the team. Kim Paulson, Ryan Shimozato, and Luke Whitman. Luke, please keep your fingers out of your nose when you're playing." The three kids stepped forward. There was only one place left. I crossed my fingers so hard, I couldn't feel the tips. Please! Let her pick me! "The last person," Ms. Adolf said, "is Samir Patel." Samir stepped forward to join the other three. That left me, only me, standing by myself in the back row. I could feel the tears wanting to shoot down my cheeks. I was barely able to hold them back.

至少做个替代品吧。我只想成为这个团队的一员。 “我希望下面的学生现在站起来。” 阿道夫说。“你们将是我们的替补球员，是球队非常重要的一部分。 金·保尔森，莱恩·下莫托，卢克·惠特曼。 卢克，弹琴的时候不要用手指摸鼻子。” 三个孩子走上前去。 只剩下一个地方了。 我用力交叉手指，都感觉不到指尖了。 拜托!让她选我吧！“最后一个人。” 阿道夫说：“是萨米尔·帕特尔。” 萨米尔走上前去，加入了另外三个人。 这就只剩下我一个人孤零零地站在后排。 我能感觉到眼泪想要顺着脸颊流下来。 我几乎没能阻止他们。

"Excuse me, Ms. Adolf," Principal Love said, walking up right next to her. "You can't leave one child out." "That child is completely unskilled in basketball," she answered, pointing at me. "I'm sure you will find some appropriate role for him on the team," Principal Love said. "Even the smallest ant can carry one hundred times its own body weight." Actually, my sister, Emily, who loves reptiles and insects, says that some ants can carry five thousand times their body weight. I didn't think this was a good time to correct

“对不起，阿道夫女士，”洛夫校长走到她旁边说。 “你不能丢下一个孩子。” “那个孩子完全不会打篮球，”她指着我回答。 “我相信你会为他在团队中找到合适的角色，”洛夫校长说。 “即使是最小的蚂蚁也能搬运自己体重一百倍的东西。” 事实上，我的妹妹艾米丽喜欢爬行动物和昆虫，她说有些蚂蚁可以携带体重5000倍的东西。 我觉得现在不是纠正的好时机