“You’re so brave,” said Casey Happleton. She sat next to Marvin in Mrs. North’s class. She had a ponytail that stuck out the side of her head, instead of the back.
「你真勇敢，」凯西·哈普尔顿说。她在诺斯太太的班里坐在马文旁边。她扎着马尾辫，从脑袋侧面翘出来，而不是从后面。
Marvin shrugged and smiled. He didn’t know why Casey thought he was brave, but he was glad she did.
马文耸耸肩，笑了笑。他不知道凯西为什么觉得他勇敢，但他高兴她这么想。
“Judy and I are going to come watch you,” said Casey.
「我和朱迪要来看你，」凯西说。
“Watch me what? When?”
「看我什么？什么时候？」
“Saturday,” said Casey. “When you ride your new mountain bike down Suicide Hill.”
「周六，」凯西说，「你骑新山地车冲自杀坡的时候。」
Marvin felt as if he’d been kicked in the stomach. He tried not to show it. He didn’t want Casey Happleton to think he was scared. “Who told you that?” he asked.
马文觉得自己像是被踢了一脚肚子。他尽量不表现出来。他不想让凯西·哈普尔顿觉得他害怕。「谁告诉你的？」他问。
“Judy,” said Casey. “She said you would have ridden down last Saturday, but you got in trouble for calling your sister a stupid pest. Now you can’t ride your bike for a week.”
「朱迪，」凯西说，「她说你上个周六本来就要骑下去的，但你因为叫妹妹讨厌鬼而挨罚了。现在你一个星期不能骑车。」
Marvin didn’t know how Judy Jasper knew so much about his life.
马文不知道朱迪·贾斯珀怎么会这么了解他的生活。
“Stuart told her,” said Casey.
「斯图尔特告诉她的，」凯西说。
Marvin never told Stuart he’d ride down Suicide Hill on Saturday. He just told him that he couldn’t ride his bike for a week.
马文从没告诉斯图尔特他周六要冲自杀坡。他只跟他说自己一个星期不能骑车。
“Marvin,” said Mrs. North. “Have you been listening to anything I said?”
「马文，」诺斯太太说，「我刚才说的话你听进去一点了吗？」
He looked at his teacher. “Um, I’m not sure. What did you say?”
他看着老师。「呃，我不确定。您说什么了？」
Mrs. North gave Marvin the Look.
诺斯太太给了马文一个「眼神」。
At recess, Marvin asked Stuart why he told Judy that he had called his sister a stupid pest.
课间，马文问斯图尔特，为什么把「叫妹妹讨厌鬼」的事告诉朱迪。
“She asked me,” said Stuart.
「她问我的，」斯图尔特说。
They were playing wizzle-fish tag.
他们在玩威索鱼抓人。
“Let me get this straight,” said Marvin. “Judy Jasper just came up to you and said, ‘Did Marvin call his sister a stupid pest?’ ”
「让我理清楚，」马文说，「朱迪·贾斯珀走过来问你：『马文是不是叫他妹妹讨厌鬼了？』」
“Something like that,” said Stuart.
「差不多吧，」斯图尔特说。
“And you told her we’re going to ride our bikes down Suicide Hill on Saturday?” Marvin asked.
「然后你就告诉她我们周六要骑车冲自杀坡？」马文问。
“No,” said Stuart.
「没有，」斯图尔特说。
Marvin was glad about that.
马文为此高兴。
“I told her you were going to ride your bike down Suicide Hill. My mom won’t let me.”
「我告诉她你要骑车冲自杀坡。我妈不让我去。」
“My mom won’t let me, either,” complained Nick. “Just because it’s dangerous or something.”
「我妈也不让我去，」尼克抱怨，「就因为危险什么的。」
“But we’ll come watch you,” said Stuart.
「但我们会来看你，」斯图尔特说。
“You might need someone to call 911,” said Nick.
「你可能需要有人打 911，」尼克说。
Marvin couldn’t believe it. They were the ones who had wanted to ride down Suicide Hill, not him. He thought he remembered Nick bragging about how he’d ridden down Suicide Hill lots of times, full speed all the way.
马文不敢相信。想冲自杀坡的是他们，不是他。他记得尼克曾吹牛说自己冲过自杀坡很多次，全程全速。
“I thought you said you’ve ridden down Suicide Hill,” he said.
「我以为你说过你冲过自杀坡，」他说。
“No, I never said that,” said Nick.
「没有，我从没说过，」尼克说。
Marvin knew he was lying.
马文知道他在撒谎。
He tossed a paper plate on the ground and stepped on it. Everyone had two paper plates. The paper plates were the wizzle fish.
他把一个纸盘扔到地上，踩上去。每人有两个纸盘。纸盘就是威索鱼。
Clarence and Travis wizzled beside him.
克拉伦斯和特拉维斯在他旁边踩着威索走。
“Hey, Marvin,” said Clarence. “Are you really going to ride down Suicide Hill?”
「嘿，马文，」克拉伦斯说，「你真的要冲自杀坡吗？」
“Uh, I’m not sure.”
「呃，我不确定。」
“See, I told you he was chicken!” Clarence told Travis.
「看，我说过他是胆小鬼！」克拉伦斯对特拉维斯说。
“We’re not scared,” said Nick.
「我们不怕，」尼克说。
We? thought Marvin.
我们？马文想。
“If Marvin says he’ll ride down Suicide Hill, then he’ll ride down Suicide Hill,” said Stuart. He patted Marvin on the back.
「如果马文说他要冲自杀坡，那他就一定会冲，」斯图尔特说。他拍了拍马文的背。
But Marvin never said he’d ride down Suicide Hill, thought Marvin.
但马文从没说过要冲自杀坡，马文想。
“When?” demanded Clarence.
「什么时候？」克拉伦斯追问。
“Saturday,” said Nick. “At twelve o’clock.”
「周六，」尼克说，「十二点。」
“High noon,” said Stuart.
「正午，」斯图尔特说。
“This I’ve got to see,” said Clarence.
「这我可一定要看，」克拉伦斯说。
“I’m going to get a front-row seat,” said Travis.
「我要占个头排座位，」特拉维斯说。
“It’s going to be the biggest wipe-out in history,” said Clarence. He and Travis laughed.
「那将是史上最惨的一摔，」克拉伦斯说。他和特拉维斯笑了。
Marvin didn’t know what to do. Everything was happening too fast. He felt like he was speeding downhill, out of control, unable to stop. He wanted to scream.
马文不知道该怎么做。一切都发生得太快。他觉得自己正在下坡疾驰，失去控制，停不下来。他想尖叫。