The Champion of Quiet
沉默大王
It was a Tuesday, and Maggie hated Tuesdays. Tuesdays meant one thing: gym class. Gym class meant one thing: picking teams. Picking teams meant one thing: Maggie would be picked last. As always.
那天是星期二，麦琪很不喜欢星期二。因为星期二意味着一件事：要去上体育课。去上体育课则意味着一件事：要挑选队友组成球队。挑选队友组成球队又意味着一件事：麦琪又要等到最后才会有人要。通常都是如此。
Maggie was a new student that year in a class of champions. To help herself remember the other kids, she'd come up with a special title for each one.
那一年，麦琪刚刚来到这个拥有各种“大王”称号的班上。为了帮自己记住其他同学的名字，她给每位同学都想了一个特别的称号。
There was Kevin, Champion of the Clean Desk; and Lynnie, Champion of Knowing the Answer First; and Caroline, Champion of Tardy . And so on.
凯文是“桌面整洁大王”，琳妮是“首个想到答案大王”，卡罗琳是“拖沓大王”，诸如此类。
She'd had to think long and hard to figure out her own special title. After five whole weeks of school, Maggie had decided. She was the Champion of Quiet.
她努力想了半天，想给自己也取一个特别的称号。上了整整五个星期的学之后，麦琪决定了，她是“沉默大王”。
The Champion of Quiet sat on the gym floor, sandwiched between the Champion of Daydreaming and the Champion of Goofy Jokes. Maggie felt blue. She knew what was coming. She considered changing her title to Champion of Last Pick.
这位“沉默大王”坐在体育馆的地板上，被“白日梦大王”和“冷笑话大王”夹在中间。麦琪感到沮丧，因为她知道自己即将面临的是什么。她考虑要把自己的称号改为“最后才有人要的大王”。
Mr. Murphy, the gym teacher, asked for volunteers to pick the basketball teams. The usual hands shot into the air.
体育老师墨菲先生问谁愿意主动挑选队友组成篮球队，一向积极参与的那些学生迅速举起了手。
Maggie sighed and glanced to her right. She caught the eye of Jasmine,Champion of Cursive J's. Maggie thought she might like to be Jasmine's friend but never felt brave enough to talk to her.
麦琪叹了口气，朝自己的右边瞥了一眼。她将目光投向“草书大王J”贾思敏。麦琪觉得自己可能挺想和贾思敏成为朋友的，却从未鼓起勇气跟她讲过话。
Looking at Jasmine, Maggie realized that Jasmine seemed a little blue, too. Maggie thought, I'm not the only one picked last. Sometimes Jasmine is picked last, too. With that, the Champion of Quiet had an idea.
看着贾思敏，麦琪意识到她似乎也有些沮丧。麦琪心想，等到最后才有人要的人不止我一个，贾思敏有时也要等到最后才会被选中。一想到这儿，这位“沉默大王”萌生了一个想法。
Mr. Murphy asked, "Anyone else want to volunteer today?"
墨菲先生问道：“今天还有谁愿意主动挑选队友吗？”
Maggie felt her hand slowly rise. She looked again at Jasmine and took a big breath. Maybe it was time for the Champion of Quiet to use her voice.
麦琪发现自己的手缓缓地举了起来。她又看了贾思敏一眼，使劲吸了一口气。也许该到“沉默大王”开口说话的时候了。
Maggie? Mr. Murphy smiled. "You want a turn?"
“麦琪？”墨菲先生笑了笑。“你想要试一下吗？”
Do I? Maggie wondered. "Yes," she said.
要不要呢？麦琪犹豫了一下。“是的。”她回答道。
The class murmured, "Maggie leading a team?"
全班同学都小声嘀咕起来。麦琪要领队？
Yes, she answered again, louder this time. Her voice shook just a little.
“是的。”她又回答了一遍。这次声音更加洪亮，只是稍微抖了一下。
What's stopping you, then? Mr. Murphy waved Maggie to the front of the gym, where the other three captains - Champion of Jumping Rope on One Foot, Champion of Never Misses a Shot, and Champion of Doesn't Know How to Lose - stood, ready to choose their teams.
“那你还在等什么呢？”墨菲先生挥手示意麦琪站到体育馆的前面去。其他三位队长——“单脚跳绳大王”“大满贯大王”和“不知失败为何物大王”——都已经在前面站好，准备挑选队员组成自己的球队。
Maggie, you get first pick, said Mr. Murphy.
“麦琪，你先选吧。”墨菲先生说。
Jasmine, announced the Champion of Quiet.
“贾思敏。”这位“沉默大王”宣布道。
The class snickered . Was this a joke? More than once, Jasmine had tried to score on the wrong basket.
全班开始窃笑。这不是在开玩笑吧？贾思敏曾不止一次试图将球投入自己队的篮筐中。
Maggie smiled and repeated, "Jasmine."
麦琪笑了笑，又重复了一遍：“贾思敏。”
Eyes wide, Jasmine took her place beside Maggie.
贾思敏眼睛睁得溜圆，站在了麦琪旁边。
The other three captains called out familiar names - the best players on the basketball court.
其他三位队长叫出的依然是那些常被点到的名字——那些篮球场上最出色的运动员。
It was Maggie's turn again. "I choose Jamie."
又轮到麦琪挑选队员了。“我选择杰米。”
Jamie, Champion of the Untied Shoelace, could not dribble , throw, or catch. He knew what it felt like to be the last pick. But not today: Jamie jogged to stand next to Jasmine. He tripped only once. The class sat in shock.
杰米这位“不系鞋带大王”既不会运球、投球，也不会接球。他了解那种最后才被选中的感觉。但今天却是个意外。杰米慢吞吞地走到贾思敏旁边站定，其间只被鞋带绊了一次。座位上的同学都惊呆了。
So it went. The names flowed from Maggie's mouth, sounding sure and strong. The stronger she sounded, the stronger she felt.
挑选队员就这样进行着。一个个名字接二连三地从麦琪的口中冒出，听起来坚定而有力。麦琪喊名字喊得越有力，就感觉自己越勇气十足。
Three very talented teams took shape. And then there was Maggie's.
三支球技高超的球队组成了，接着麦琪的球队也组好了。
Maggie looked at her teammates. There stood Jasmine and Jamie, plus Gillian (Champion of Hugs) and George (Champion of Very Big Musical Instrument). They were grinning at Maggie.
麦琪看了看她的队友。站在身旁的有贾思敏和杰米，还有吉莉安(“拥抱大王”)和乔治(“拥有特大号乐器大王”)，他们都咧着嘴冲麦琪笑。
Maggie grinned back. I have chosen the worst team in the history of the world, she thought.
麦琪也朝他们笑了笑。我已经组建了一支世界历史上最差劲的球队，她心想。
The Champion of Quiet walked onto the court with her team close behind, ready to face players who were bigger and better.
这位“沉默大王”走上球场，她的球队紧随其后，准备好去面对比他们更强大、更出色的球员。
Game on!
比赛开始了！
The basketball slipped through Jamie's fingers, skated around Jasmine, dribbled itself away from George and Gillian, and bounced off Maggie's head - twice. Their laughter echoed throughout the gym.
篮球从杰米的指间快速滑过，又掠过贾思敏，弹跳着经过乔治和吉莉安，最终从麦琪的头上弹开了。这种情形出现了两次。他们的笑声回荡在整个体育馆内。
Clutching the ball and out of breath from running and giggling, Maggie heard Jasmine call out, "Mags! Pass the ball to me!"
麦琪紧紧抓着球，因为奔跑和傻笑而气喘吁吁。她听到贾思敏大喊一声：“小麦！把球传给我！”
I have a nickname, Maggie thought happily. She threw the ball to Jasmine.
“我有昵称了。”麦琪开心地想，将球传给了贾思敏。
Of course, Jasmine missed. They were indeed the Worst Team in the History of the World. And they did what any Worst Team would do. They lost. They lost big.
果然，贾思敏没能接住球。他们的确是“世界历史上最差劲的球队”，也发挥出了“最差劲球队”应有的水平。他们输了比赛，输得很惨。
But losing a basketball game doesn't make you a loser; Maggie knew that much. Maggie grinned at her team. We are, officially, the Champions of No Score, she thought. Awesome.
不过，输掉一场篮球比赛并不意味着就是失败者，麦琪深知这一点。她朝队友们笑了笑。我们正式成为“一分未得大王”，她心想。太棒了。
The Champion of Quiet walked off the court with her new friends. And as the group made plans to sit together at lunch, Maggie was no longer surprised to hear her own voice joining the noisy chorus .
这位“沉默大王”和她的新朋友们走下了球场。自从这群伙伴打算坐在一起吃午饭以后，喧闹的讨论声中就加入了麦琪的声音。对此， 麦琪再也不会感觉不可思议。
Maggie was a new student that year in a class of champions.
那一年，麦琪以全新的面貌出现在了这个拥有各种“大王”称号的班上。
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