1 A Step the Word for Me

CHAPTER 1 A Step the Word for Me I decided that this book can't be ALL about Marco, since he's just a baby and he doesn't do anything. So I'll tell you about what happened after school. The bell rang and I headed to the flagpole outside. That's our carpool meeting place. The kids in my school always walk through the hall calmly, but as soon as we get through the door at the end, we all start to run. The teachers can't yell at you to slow down once you're out the door.

第一章 我打定主意，这本书不能全写马可，他不过是个小婴儿，什么事都不会做，所以这本书就叫《我的错词一步》 那我就给你讲讲放学后发生的事吧 放学铃一响，我就朝着外面的旗杆走去 那是我们拼车队伍的集合点 我们学校的孩子在走廊里都走得安安稳稳，可一旦走出尽头的校门，我们全都跑起来了 一旦出了门，老师就没法冲你喊着让你慢下来了

Usually I get to the flagpole faster than my friend Evie, who rides with us, because she's always in fancy shoes instead of sneakers. But that day it was warm out so I had on flip-flops. They made a thwack thwack sound every time my feet hit the ground. "I can't run because I don't want my shoes to fall off," I told Evie. She looked down. "I like them," she said. "They're just like a pair that Tesa has." Tesa is one of Evie's friends from England. That's where Evie used to live. "Hi, girls," Grandma called. She was standing with Penny. The kindergarteners get out a few minutes earlier than the rest of the school. "Hi," I called back. It was Grandma's first time driving the carpool, so I had to do some introductions. "This is Evie. She's my best friend in Somers," I said.

往常我都比跟我一起拼车的朋友伊维先到旗杆那儿，因为她总穿精致的小鞋子，不穿运动鞋 可那天外面很暖和，所以我穿了人字拖 我的脚每次落地，人字拖都会发出啪嗒啪嗒的声响 “我不能跑，我不想我的鞋子掉下去，”我对伊维说 她低下头看了看 “我很喜欢这双鞋，”她说 “它和泰莎的那双一模一样。” 泰莎是伊维在英格兰的朋友 伊维以前就住在那儿 “嗨，姑娘们，”奶奶喊道 她和佩妮站在一起 幼儿园的小朋友比学校其他年级早放几分钟学 “嗨，”我应声答道 这是奶奶第一次开拼车来接我们，所以我得给大家做介绍 “这是伊维。 她是我在萨默斯最好的朋友，”我说

Evie is my second-best friend in life. My first-best friend, Willa, moved to Pennsylvania a couple of months ago. I'm really lucky Evie moved here right after that. "And Evie, this is my grandmother." "How do you do?" Evie said. Sometimes she talks as fancy as she dresses. Penny's friend Zoey usually carpools with us, but she had a doctor's appointment, so it was just us three kids, and we all got to sit in back. "You're like a chauffeur," I told Grandma. "Tesa and Sara have a chauffeur," Evie said. "Their family is quite rich." "Are you going to see them in England this weekend?" "Definitely." Evie's mom is a flight attendant. Usually Evie and her dad stay home when Mrs. King has trips. But they're going

伊维是我人生中第二要好的朋友 我第一要好的朋友薇拉，几个月前搬到宾夕法尼亚去了 我真的很幸运 伊维刚好在那之后搬到了这里 “伊维，这是我的奶奶。” “你好。” 伊维说 有时候她说话就跟她穿衣打扮一样斯文讲究 佩妮的朋友佐伊通常跟我们一起拼车，但她今天约了看医生，所以就我们三个小孩，我们全都可以坐在后排 “你就像个专职司机，”我对奶奶说 “泰莎和萨拉就有专职司机，”伊维说 “她们家特别有钱。” “你这周末要去英格兰看她们吗？” “当然啦。” 伊维的妈妈是一名空姐 金太太出差的时候，通常都是伊维和爸爸待在家里 不过这次他们要去

to England for the weekend and a couple of extra days. Evie's going to miss Monday and Tuesday of school. "What do you call their chauffeur?" I asked. "They call him Sir, so that's what I call him." I couldn't exactly call Grandma "Sir," since that's for boys only. "Ma'am," I said. "Can you please put on the Barbra Streisand CD?" Barbra Streisand is a singer that grown- ups listen to, but I like her, too. "Oh yeah, Gram—I mean, Ma-am Chauffeur," said Penny. "Can you put on "Step in the Right Direction," the song Stella was singing yesterday?" "That's my favorite song," I said. "Mine too," Penny said. "Penny, you ALWAYS copy me."

英格兰，过完周末还要再多待几天 伊维要缺周一和周二的课 “你们怎么称呼她们的司机呀？” 我问 “他们叫他先生，所以我也这么叫他。” 我总不能叫奶奶“先生”呀，这可是男人才用的称呼 “那我叫您女士，”我说 “能麻烦您放芭芭拉·史翠珊的CD吗？” 芭芭拉·史翠珊是大人听的歌手，但我也喜欢她 “对哦，奶奶——我是说，司机女士，”佩妮说 “能放斯特拉昨天唱的那首《走对方向》吗？” “这是我最喜欢的歌，”我说 “我也喜欢，”佩妮说 “佩妮，你总是学我！”

"Do not," she said. "Do too." "Come on now, Stella," Grandma said. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Mom always tells me the exact same thing. She means it's fine that Penny copies me, that it's actually a good thing. But I know she's just saying it so we won't get into a fight. I bet Grandma said the same thing to Mom when Mom was a kid and her little sister, my Aunt Laura, was the one doing all the copying. My song was about to start. "You're going to love it," I told Evie. I wouldn't mind if she picked it for her favorite song, too. It's different than Penny picking the same favorite. I can't explain why. It just is. "You are a step the word for me," Penny sang. "Your voice sounds professional," Evie

“我才没有，”她说 “你就有！” “好啦别闹啦，斯特拉，”奶奶说 “模仿就是最真诚的赞美呀。” 妈妈也总跟我说一模一样的话 她的意思是佩妮学我没关系，这其实是件好事 可我知道她这么说只是为了不让我们吵架 我敢说妈妈小时候，奶奶也跟她说过一样的话，那时候妈妈的妹妹、我的劳拉阿姨，就总学妈妈的样子 我喜欢的歌马上就要开始了 “你肯定会喜欢这首歌的，”我对伊维说 就算她也把这首歌当成自己的最爱，我也不会介意 这和佩妮跟我选同一个最爱不一样 我没法解释为什么 就是不一样 “你是我的错词一步，”佩妮唱道 “你的歌声听起来好专业，”伊维