Marvin and his friends were hanging out in his backyard.
马文和朋友们在他家后院闲晃。
“What do you want to do?” asked Stuart.
「你们想干什么？」斯图尔特问。
“I dunno,” said Marvin.
「不知道，」马文说。
“It’s no fair that your mom won’t let us watch TV,” griped Nick. “What’s so special about fresh air?”
「你妈不让我们看电视，太不公平了，」尼克抱怨，「新鲜空气有什么好的？」
“Let’s play unicorns,” said Linzy. Linzy was Marvin’s five-year-old sister.
「我们玩独角兽吧，」琳琪说。琳琪是马文五岁的妹妹。
“We’re not playing unicorns,” Marvin grumbled.
「我们不玩独角兽，」马文嘟囔。
“So what do you want to do?” asked Stuart.
「那你想干什么？」斯图尔特问。
“I dunno,” said Marvin.
「不知道，」马文说。
“What about a video game?” asked Nick. “Does that count as TV?”
「玩电子游戏怎么样？」尼克问，「那个算电视吗？」
“I’m the gold unicorn,” said Linzy. “Marvin’s the rainbow unicorn. Nick, you can be the blue unicorn. Stuart will be the pink unicorn.”
「我是金色独角兽，」琳琪说，「马文是彩虹独角兽。尼克，你可以当蓝色独角兽。斯图尔特当粉色独角兽。」
“I don’t want to be pink,” said Stuart. “Why can’t I be the gold unicorn?”
「我不想当粉色，」斯图尔特说，「我为什么不能当金色独角兽？」
“You can’t start out being gold,” Linzy explained. “First you have to do some good magic. Then the unicorn fairy will turn you into gold.”
「你不能一开始就是金色，」琳琪解释，「你得先做点好的魔法。然后独角兽仙女会把你变成金色。」
“We’re not playing unicorns,” said Marvin.
「我们不玩独角兽，」马文说。
“How did you get to be gold?” asked Stuart.
「那你怎么变成金色的？」斯图尔特问。
“The unicorn fairy made me gold,” said Linzy, “because I used my magic to save the princess.”
「独角兽仙女把我变成金色的，」琳琪说，「因为我用魔法救了公主。」
“We’re not playing unicorns,” said Marvin.
「我们不玩独角兽，」马文说。
“How do you play?” asked Nick.
「怎么玩？」尼克问。
Linzy stared at Nick. She had never heard such a dumb question in all her life. “You just pretend you’re a unicorn,” she said.
琳琪瞪着尼克。她这辈子从没听过这么蠢的问题。「你就假装自己是独角兽，」她说。
“How?” asked Stuart.
「怎么假装？」斯图尔特问。
Linzy sighed. She couldn’t believe Marvin had such stupid friends.
琳琪叹了口气。她不敢相信马文有这么蠢的朋友。
“Just pretend you’re a magical horse with a horn in your head, like this.”
「就假装你是一匹头上长着角的神奇马，像这样。」
She pranced around the yard, flapping her arms, and sang, “I’m a unicorn. Yes, I am. I’m a gold unicorn. Yes, I am. Oh, I’m a gold unicorn. Yes, I am.”
她在院子里蹦跳着，拍打着胳膊，唱道：「我是独角兽。对，我是。我是金色独角兽。对，我是。哦，我是金色独角兽。对，我是。」
Linzy stopped prancing and flapping. “Your turn, Marvin,” she said.
琳琪停下蹦跳和拍打。「轮到你了，马文，」她说。
“I don’t want to,” said Marvin.
「我不想，」马文说。
“You have to. It’s the rules,” said Linzy. “Except when I did it, I was gold. You have to be rainbow.”
「你必须。这是规矩，」琳琪说，「只不过我做的时候我是金色。你得是彩虹色。」
“Just get out of here, Linzy!” snapped Marvin. “Can’t you see we’re busy! You’re such a stupid pest.”
「你走开，琳琪！」马文厉声说，「你没看见我们正忙着吗！你真是个讨厌鬼。」
Linzy stared hard at Marvin. He was afraid she was going to cry.
琳琪死死盯着马文。他怕她要哭了。
“I’m telling the unicorn fairy on you!” she shouted, then stormed into the house. She slammed the door behind her.
「我要向独角兽仙女告你的状！」她喊，然后气冲冲地进了屋，把门砰地关上。
Marvin sighed.
马文叹了口气。
“So what do you want to do?” asked Stuart.
「那你想干什么？」斯图尔特问。
“I dunno,” said Marvin.
「不知道，」马文说。
“It’s unfair your mom won’t let us watch TV,” said Nick. “What’s wrong with her?”
「你妈不让我们看电视，太不公平了，」尼克说，「她怎么回事？」
Marvin shrugged.
马文耸耸肩。
“We could ride bikes,” suggested Stuart.
「我们可以骑车，」斯图尔特建议。
Marvin got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. “There’s nowhere to go,” he said.
马文胃里一阵不安。「没地方可去，」他说。
“Hey, didn’t you get a new mountain bike?” asked Nick.
「嘿，你不是买了辆新山地车吗？」尼克问。
Marvin felt sick.
马文觉得恶心。
“That’s right!” said Stuart. “How come you haven’t shown it to us?”
「对了！」斯图尔特说，「你怎么一直没给我们看？」
Marvin shrugged. “It’s just a bike.”
马文耸耸肩。「就是辆自行车。」
“I know!” said Nick. “Let’s ride our bikes down Suicide Hill!”
「我知道了！」尼克说，「我们骑车冲自杀坡吧！」
Just hearing those words made Marvin feel like he was falling down a very steep cliff.
光是听到这几个字，马文就觉得自己正在从一道很陡的悬崖上往下掉。
“I’ll go home and get my bike,” said Stuart. Marvin couldn’t believe it. Nick was a daredevil, but he thought Stuart was smarter than that.
「我回家拿车，」斯图尔特说。马文不敢相信。尼克是个胆大妄为的家伙，但他以为斯图尔特比他聪明点。
“I’ll bring my stopwatch,” said Nick. “Maybe we can break the record.”
「我带我那块秒表，」尼克说，「也许我们能破纪录。」
“Cool,” said Stuart.
「酷，」斯图尔特说。
Marvin didn’t care about breaking records. He was more worried about breaking bones.
马文不在乎破纪录。他更担心摔断骨头。
Linzy returned to the back door. Marvin was glad to see her. He thought it might be fun to play unicorns after all.
琳琪又回到后门口。马文见到她很开心。他觉得玩独角兽其实也许挺好玩的。
“Mom wants to see you,” Linzy said.
「妈妈要见你，」琳琪说。
As Marvin walked into the house, Linzy said, “You’re in big trouble now, mister.”
马文往屋里走时，琳琪说：「你现在麻烦大了，先生。」
They walked to their mother’s office.
他们走到妈妈的办公室。
Marvin’s mother was sitting at her desk, in front of the computer. She worked as an accountant. She helped people figure their taxes. She normally didn’t work on Saturdays, but it was getting close to April 15, so she had been very busy lately.
马文的妈妈坐在桌前，对着电脑。她的工作是会计。她帮人算税。她通常周六不工作，但快到四月十五号了，所以最近她一直很忙。
“Did you yell at your sister?” she asked Marvin.
「你冲你妹妹嚷嚷了吗？」她问马文。
“Kind of,” he admitted.
「算是吧，」他承认。
“You need to tell her you’re sorry,” said his mother.
「你得跟她道歉，」妈妈说。
Marvin turned to Linzy. She was wearing her sad and pitiful face.
马文转向琳琪。她正摆着一副可怜相。
He got an idea. “Why should I?” he asked boldly.
他想到了个办法。「我为什么要道歉？」他大胆地问。
“I beg your pardon?” said his mother.
「你说什么？」妈妈说。
“Linzy is a pest,” Marvin said.
「琳琪就是个讨厌鬼，」马文说。
“Marvin!” exclaimed his mother.
「马文！」妈妈叫起来。
“Now he owes me two sorry’s!” said Linzy.
「现在他欠我两次道歉了！」琳琪说。
“You’re the one who should be sorry,” said Marvin. “For being so stupid!”
「该道歉的是你，」马文说，「因为你这么蠢！」
Marvin’s mother looked at him for a long moment. She didn’t yell at him. She simply said, “You need to tell Nick and Stuart it’s time for them to go home. Then you will spend the rest of the afternoon in your room.”
马文的妈妈盯了他很久。她没有冲他喊。她只是说：「你去告诉尼克和斯图尔特，他们该回家了。然后你下午剩下的时间待在房间里。」
Marvin pushed his luck. “That’s not fair!” he exclaimed. “We were going to ride our bikes down Suicide Hill!”
马文得寸进尺。「这不公平！」他叫起来，「我们本来要骑车冲自杀坡的！」
“You won’t be riding your bike for a week,” said his mother.
「你一个星期不许骑车，」妈妈说。
Marvin went back outside and told his friends the bad news.
马文回到外面，把这个坏消息告诉朋友们。
“Why? What did you do?” asked Stuart.
「为什么？你干什么了？」斯图尔特问。
“Nothing,” said Marvin. “My mom’s just in a bad mood.”
「没什么，」马文说，「我妈心情不好而已。」
He told them good-bye, then went up to his room. He felt awful. He was glad he wouldn’t have to ride down Suicide Hill, but he felt bad for calling Linzy a stupid pest. More than that, he felt terrible for being so afraid.
他跟他们道别，然后上楼回房间。他觉得糟透了。他很高兴自己不用去冲自杀坡了，但他为叫琳琪讨厌鬼而难过。更重要的是，他为自己的胆怯感到难受。
He wasn’t just afraid of Suicide Hill. He was afraid to ride his new bike.
他不只是怕自杀坡。他怕骑他那辆新车。
It seemed so big. And it had hand brakes. He had never used hand brakes before. He also didn’t know how to use all the different gears.
那车看起来那么大。而且它用的是手刹。他从没用过手刹。他也不知道怎么用那些不同的变速。
What made it worse, he was the one who had asked for a new bike. He’d begged for a new bike. His parents had said it was very expensive. They said he already had a bicycle, but he’d called that a “baby bike.” He wanted a mountain bike. He said Linzy could have his old bike.
更糟的是，是他自己要求买新车的。他求着要一辆新自行车。他爸妈说那很贵。他们说他已经有辆自行车了，但他把那辆叫「宝宝车」。他想要山地车。他说琳琪可以要他那辆旧车。
And in the end, they bought it for him.
最后，他们还是给他买了。
That was ten days ago, and he still hadn’t ridden it. Just thinking about it made him sick to his stomach.
那是十天前的事了，他到现在还没骑过。光是想到这个就让他胃里难受。
At least he wouldn’t have to ride it for a week. He wished he still had his baby bike.
至少他一个星期不用骑它了。他希望自己还有那辆宝宝车。