Dictionary Dave

Dictionary Dave. Written by Russ Buyak. Illustrated by Nicholas Jackson.

《字典戴夫》 拉斯·布亚克 撰文 尼古拉斯·杰克逊 绘图

The first day. It was Ben's first day at his new school, and he was worried that he wouldn't make any friends. He was small for his age, and everyone here sounded funny. It's because we're from Mississippi, his dad explained, when Ben asked why. We sound just as funny to them. You should walk up to someone and introduce yourself, his mom said. You'll make friends in no time.

开学第一天 这是本去新学校的第一天，他担心自己交不到朋友 他个头比同龄孩子小，觉得这里的人说话都怪怪的 本问爸爸为什么会这样，爸爸解释道：那是因为我们来自密西西比呀 在他们听来，我们说话也一样怪 妈妈说：你应该主动上前给别人介绍自己呀 你很快就能交到朋友的

Ben did just that on the bus. He shared a seat with Cindy, and they got to talking. What's your favorite subject? Cindy asked him. Language arts. Because I love words more than anything, Ben replied. Then you should talk to Dictionary Dave, she said. He knows all sorts of big words. He uses them all the time.

本在公交车上就照着妈妈说的做了 他和辛迪同坐，俩人聊了起来 你最喜欢什么科目？ 辛迪问他 语言课 本回答说：因为我最爱文字了 辛迪说：那你该去找字典戴夫聊聊 他认识各种各样的生僻大词 还总把这些词挂在嘴边

Meeting Dave. During recess, Ben found Dave with a bunch of other boys. Hi, I'm Ben, he said. What are y 'all doing? The boys looked Ben over. Dave raised an eyebrow and in his proudest voice stated, We're looking at a very pungent comic book.

初见戴夫 课间休息时，本在一群男孩里找到了戴夫 他说：嗨，我是本 你们在干嘛呢？ 男孩们把本从上到下打量了一番 戴夫挑了挑眉毛，得意洋洋地说：我们在看一本味道刺鼻的漫画书

May I see it?" Ben asked. Dave paused, then handed the comic book to Ben. Ben sniffed it and said, I don't smell anything. You said it was pungent. It is, Dave snapped and grabbed back the book. Look at these adamant drawings.

我能看看吗？ 本问道 戴夫顿了顿，把漫画递给了本 本闻了闻说：我什么味儿都没闻到呀 你刚才说它味道刺鼻 就是这个味儿！戴夫气呼呼说完，抢回了漫画书 你看这些坚定不移的画

Ben tilted his head and looked confused. Wait, he said. You know that pungent means it has a strong smell, and adamant means it's unchanging or stubborn, right? Dave looked panicky for a moment. Ben started to laugh. It was a nervous laugh that became more confident as the other boys joined in. Ben felt his face grow hot as he walked away. He knew he had the definitions right. But people talked strangely up here. Maybe words meant different things too. As he did whenever he was unsure of a word's meaning, Ben went to the dictionary. He looked up pungent and adamant. The definitions matched the ones he remembered from his dictionary at home. Something else had to be going on here.

本歪着脑袋，满脸困惑 他说：等等 你知道吧，刺鼻是说气味很重，坚定不移是说不肯改变、很固执，对不对？ 戴夫一下子慌了神 本笑了出来 一开始他笑得很紧张，其他男孩也跟着笑后，他反倒越来越镇定 本红着脸走开了 他知道自己说的词义是对的 但这里的人说话方式不一样 说不定这里的词汇意思也不同呢？ 就像拿不准词义时那样，本去查字典了 他查了刺鼻和坚定不移这两个词 字典的释义和他家旧字典里记的一模一样 那一定是别的地方出问题了