高齊云
Petey, my next-door neighbor, called to me from his front porch1. I sat on the steps next to him and watched him play his new guitar.
我隔壁的鄰居皮蒂在他的前門給我打了個電話。我坐在他旁邊的臺階上,看著他彈新吉他。
“My dad found this guitar at the thrift store2,” said Petey.“Its the best guitar ever!” His left hand worked the strings3 while his right hand plucked4 and strummed5.
“我父親在舊貨店里找到了這把吉他,”皮蒂說,“這是有史以來最好的吉他!”他的左手按弦時,右手撥弦彈奏。
“Just in time for the school talent show next week,” I said.
我說:“正好趕得上下周學(xué)校的才藝表演?!?/p>
“Are you doing anything for the talent show, Jeremy?” Petey asked.
“杰里米,你為才藝表演做準(zhǔn)備了嗎?”皮蒂問。
“Its not hard,” he said. “My song is called ‘Two for One. I got the idea when I was shopping with my mom last Saturday. There was a two-for-one sale at the store.”
“這并不難?!彼f,“我的歌叫‘買一送一。上周六和媽媽一起購物時,我有了靈感。那家商店在搞買一送一的促銷活動?!?/p>
“Your song is about a sale at the store?”
“你的歌是關(guān)于這家商店銷售活動的嗎?”
“No, but I liked the sound of‘Two for One. My song goes like this: ‘Two for one, two for one, thats the way to have some fun. I havent written all the words yet.”
“不是,但是我喜歡‘買一送一的讀音。我的歌是這樣的:‘買一送一,買一送一,這就是玩得開心的方式。歌詞我還沒有寫完。”
I kicked another stone into the grass.
我又踢了一塊石頭到草地里。
“I wish I could play the guitar. How can your fingers on your left hand get so far?”
“我希望我能彈吉他。你怎么能把左手的手指伸那么長?”
“By practicing,” said Petey. “At first it was hard. Now its easy. And fun.”
“多練習(xí),”皮蒂說?!捌鸪鹾茈y。現(xiàn)在很簡單,也充滿樂趣。”
The next morning, I saw Petey on the porch. “Hi, Jeremy,” he said. Peteys voice was as gloomy9 as the worst note10 from a broken guitar.
第二天早上,我在走廊上看到了皮蒂?!班?,杰里米,”他說道。皮蒂的聲音像斷了弦的吉他彈出的最難聽的音符。
Then I saw why Petey was so sad. His right arm was in a cast11.
然后我明白了為什么皮蒂這么難過,他的右臂打上了石膏。
“I got hurt playing baseball yesterday,” he said. “Now I cant be in the talent show.”
“昨天我打棒球受傷了,”他說,“現(xiàn)在我不能參加才藝表演了?!?/p>
His guitar was leaning12 against the porch. Petey and I frowned13 at each other. Then I had an idea.
他的吉他靠在門廊的欄桿上,皮蒂和我皺著眉頭對視了一眼,然后我想出一個主意。
“We could sit next to each other on the stage,” I said. “You could play the left-hand parts, and Ill strum with my right hand.”
“我們可以在舞臺上并排坐著,”我說,“你可以彈奏左手的部分,我用右手來彈?!?/p>
Peteys eyes sparkled14. “It might work,” he said.
皮蒂的眼睛閃閃發(fā)光,他說:“這可能行得通?!?/p>
He jumped up and got the guitar with his left hand. I sat next to him on the top step.
他跳起來,左手抓住吉他,我坐在他旁邊最上面的臺階上。
“This big old cast is in the way,” he said. “Where can I put my right hand while we play?”
“這個大石膏擋著我了,”他說,“彈奏時我把右手放在哪里呢?”
“Put it on my shoulder,” I told him. “Were friends, arent we?”
“放在我的肩膀上,”我告訴他,“我們是朋友,不是嗎?”
Our song answered that question. We finished writing the words together.
我們的歌聲回答了這個問題。我們一起寫完了歌詞。
“Two for one, one for two, see what two good friends can do!”
“買一送一,買一贈二,看看兩個好朋友能做點什么!”