The Magical Ball 神奇的球

游余

“Strike2 three， you are out，” Billy shouted. “Man， you couldnt hit your way out of a paper bag.”

“三擊，你出局了。”比利喊道，“伙計，你打球太外行了?！?/p>

Mike dropped3 the bat. No matter how hard he tried he just couldnt hit the ball. All his life he had loved the game of baseball， more than anyone had. But every time he got up to hit， he got nervous4. Why did he keep trying to play？ He started walking home.

邁克扔掉了球棒。不管他怎么努力，他都打不中球。他一生都熱愛棒球運動，比任何人都愛得多。但每次他起身擊球，就會緊張起來。他為什么一直堅持打球呢？他開始朝家走去。

He stopped at the Jacksons and picked up their daily paper. He walked into his house quickly and ran up to his room. All these jobs were beginning to pay off. Two， three， five dollars and one dollar and twenty-five cents. Yep， he had enough for a brand new 1999 Sammy Sosa rookie baseball card at last. Six dollars and twenty-five cents were exactly5 what he needed. He wasnt a good player himself but he did appreciate6 true talent7. Slowly but surely Mike was working on a baseball card collection. By the end of summer hed show all the guys his great collection. Tomorrow morning he would ride his bike up to Family Sports Cards to buy the cards. Mike could hardly wait.

他在杰克遜家停下來，拿起他們家的日報。然后他很快走進了自家的房子，跑向自己的房間。他打的所有工都開始有了回報，2美元、3美元、5美元、1美元25美分。是的，他終于有足夠的錢去買一張嶄新的1999年薩米·索薩的新秀棒球卡。6美元25美分正是他所需要的。他自己不是個好球員，但真的很欣賞真正有天分的人。雖然緩慢， 但邁克確實正在收藏棒球卡片。到夏天結束時，他會向所有人展示他那了不起的收藏品。明天早上，他會騎著自行車到家庭體育卡片店購買卡片，他都有點等不及了。

Mike jumped out of bed early， got dressed and made his bed. He laughed because he knew his mom would think hed lost his mind8. The sun was shining and it was a magical day. Mike ate his breakfast and even helped with the dishes. His mother looked at him. “OK， whats up？ Has the real Mike been replaced9 by a clean and tidy monkey？” she asked.

邁克很早就跳下了床，穿好衣服，鋪好了床。他笑了起來，因為他知道媽媽會認為他瘋了。天氣陽光明媚，這是一個神奇的日子。邁克吃了早飯，甚至還幫忙洗了碗。他媽媽看著他，“好吧，怎么了？真的麥克被一只愛干凈整潔的猴子替代了嗎？”她問道。

“No， its me. Can I ride my bike up to Family Sports Cards？ I promise10 to stay on the sidewalk all the way. And I wont go and get any junk food either，” Mike said. His mom said at last， “All right， but brush your teeth before you go.”

“沒有啊，是我。我能騎自行車去家庭體育卡片店嗎？我保證全程都在人行道上騎。我也不會去買垃圾食品?！边~克說。媽媽終于說道：“好吧，不過走之前先刷牙?！?/p>

Mike gave his mom a big hug and raced to the bathroom. After he brushed his teeth， he put his money in his pocket and went out. What a great day！He saw an orange cloud in the sky. It was so beautiful. For some reason he felt like the cloud had eyes and that it was watching him. For no reason at all he said hello to the cloud and sang out loud.

邁克給了媽媽一個大大的擁抱，然后沖向洗手間。他刷完牙后把錢放進口袋里，然后就出門了。多棒的一天！他看到天空中有一朵橙色的云，非常美。不知為什么，他覺得那朵云有眼睛，一直在看著他。他沒來由地向那朵云打了個招呼，高聲歌唱起來。

He parked his bike in front of the store. The nice young couple who owned11 it knew him by name. They might be expecting12 him. But as he walked into the store he was taken by surprise. It was foggy inside. It smelled very different. Mike went back outside and looked at the parking lot. Yep， he was in the right store. He began walking over to the glass counter13. A gleam14 on the shelf almost blinded15 him. He kept walking but looked back. It was just an old used baseball. He didnt see anyone working here. When he stopped at the counter， the sparkle16 of that old ball flashed17 again. Then he heard an old man speaking to him.

他把自行車停在商店門前。那對可愛的年輕店主夫婦知道他的名字，他們好像正在等他。但當他走進商店時，他嚇了一跳，里面云霧繚繞，聞起來很特別。邁克回到外面看了看停車場。沒錯，他來對地方了。他開始向玻璃柜臺走去，架子上一道亮光幾乎把他弄瞎了。他繼續(xù)走，但還是回頭看了看，發(fā)現只是一個舊的用過的棒球。他沒看到任何人在這里工作。他停在柜臺前時，那顆舊球又閃起來了。突然，他聽到一個老人在和他說話。

“Whats your problem， boy？”

“怎么了，小子？”

Mike looked around and saw an old man sitting on a chair. “Oh， nothing， sir. I just wanted to buy a Sammy Sosa card.”

邁克環(huán)顧四周，看見一位老人坐在一張椅子上?！芭叮瑳]什么，先生。我只想買一張薩米·索薩的卡?！?/p>

“Does he play for the White Sox？” the old man asked.

“他為白襪隊效力嗎？”老人問。

“No， sir. He plays for the Cubs，” Mike answered. Everyone knew that， he thought.

“不是，先生。他在小熊隊打球?！边~克回答。這個大家都知道，他想。

The old man slowly stood up. “My aching back，” he said. “The White Sox are the greatest team， you know？” He walked to Mike. He wore a very old hat with a large C on it. “You play ball？” he asked.

老人慢慢站起來?！拔业谋痴嫣郏　彼f，“白襪隊是最偉大的球隊，你知道嗎？”他朝邁克走過去。他戴著一頂很舊的帽子，帽子上有一個大大的字母C。“你打球嗎？”他問。

Mike said， “Yea， but not very good.”

邁克說：“打，但打得不是很好。”

“I was 0 for 28 one time and played bad at first years. But I was doing better and better. Yep， I played hard for twenty years. Cant give up in baseball，” he said. “You came here to buy something special？” he asked.

“我有一次0比28，而且開始幾年都打得很差，但后來我打得越來越好了。是的，我努力打了二十年，打棒球不能放棄?！彼f?！澳銇磉@兒是想買些特別的東西吧？”他問道。

“Yes， sir. Id like to buy that Sammy Sosa rookie card. Its right there on the first shelf，” Mike showed him the cards.

“是的，先生。我想買薩米·索薩的新人卡，就在第一個架子上?！边~克讓他看那幾張卡片。

The old man came over close to Mike and gave him the ball that had caught Mikes eye earlier. “How about a magic ball， instead18？” he said. “Six dollars and twenty four cents， just for you.”

老人走近邁克，把剛才吸引邁克目光的那個球遞給他。“不如換成魔術球吧？”他說，“六美元二十四美分，只賣給你?！?/p>

“No， thank you. I must have Sammy，” Mike said， kindly.

“不用了，謝謝。我只想買薩米的卡?！边~克溫和地說。

“Have it your way，” the old man said as he took out the card. “Thatll be six dollars and twenty five cents.”

“那隨你便吧！”老人邊說邊拿出卡片，“六美元二十五美分?！?/p>

Mike took all the money out of his pocket. He started counting19. Oh no， he thought he was missing a penny. “All I have is six dollars and twenty four cents，” Mike said.

邁克從口袋里掏出所有的錢，開始數。哦，不，他想他差一分錢?！拔抑挥?美元24美分?！边~克說道。

The old man put the card back in the bag. “I guess its the magic ball，” he smiled. He handed it to Mike. “You see this ball here， youll hit it and youll hit it good. Believe20 me， boy.”

老人把卡片放回袋子里?！拔蚁肽阒荒苜I魔術球了?！彼χf，把球遞給邁克，“你看到這個球，就一定可以擊中它，還能打個好球。相信我，孩子?！?/p>

Mike gave him the money and took the ball. Mike examined21 it and it sparkled again. But it was old and it was dirty. He opened his mouth to ask for a new ball but the old man put up a hand.

邁克把錢給他，然后拿過球。邁克檢查了一下，它又亮了起來，但還是又舊又臟。他張嘴想要一個新球，老人舉起了一只手打斷了他。

“Youll see，” he said as he turned and headed back to his chair. “I hit a homer22 when I was 75 years old. Everyone should believe in magic. Now， get out of here and go play some ball.”

“你會看到的?！彼D過身回到他的椅子上說，“75歲時我打了一個本壘打。每個人都要相信魔法?，F在，離開這里去打會兒球吧?！?/p>

Mike watched him sit down but the fog grew dense23 and he could hardly make out the old man. “Thanks for the ball. See you，” Mike said.

邁克看著他坐下，但霧越來越濃，他幾乎看不清老人?！爸x謝你的球，再見?！边~克說。

When no answer came， Mike left the store. Clean air took him by surprise and when he looked back into the store， it was so foggy that he couldnt see anything inside. He quickly began riding his bike home. He saw the orange cloud and it got smaller and smaller as he watched it. Then it went away. Mike thought this was the most special day of his life， for sure！

沒有人答復，于是邁克離開了商店。清新的空氣讓他清醒了一下，當他回頭看那家商店時，霧太大了，他看不到里面的一切。他很快就騎上自行車回家了。他看到了橘黃色的云朵，當他看著它時，它變得越來越小，后來就完全消失了。邁克想，這是他一生中最特別的一天，絕對是！

（英語原文選自：bedtime.com）

【Notes】

1. magical adj. 魔術的;有魔力的

2. strike? v. 撞擊;打;踢（球等）n. （體育中得分的）擊球;（投球）未擊中;（投出的）好球

3. drop? adj. 神經的;緊張不安的

5. exactly? ?vt. 欣賞

7. talent? n. 理智，精神;智力

9. replace? ?vt. 允諾，許諾

11. own? vt. 期望vi. 期待;預期

13. counter? n. 微光;閃光

15. blind n. 閃耀;火花

17. flash adv. 代替;反而;相反

19. count? vt. 相信;認為;信任

21. examine n.? 本壘打

23. dense adj. 稠密的;濃厚的