沉默大王

有時候，我沉默并不代表妥協，只是在審時度勢，積蓄力量，等待開口的時機。

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.

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.

There was Kevin， Champion of the Clean Desk; and Lynnie， Champion of Knowing the Answer First; and Caroline， Champion of Tardy1). And so on.

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.

The Champion of Quiet sat on the gym floor， sandwiched2) between the Champion of Daydreaming and the Champion of Goofy3) Jokes. Maggie felt blue. She knew what was coming. She considered changing her title to Champion of Last Pick.

Mr. Murphy， the gym teacher， asked for volunteers to pick the basketball teams.The usual hands shot into the air.

Maggie sighed and glanced to her right. She caught the eye of Jasmine， Champion of Cursive4) J's. Maggie thought she might like to be Jasmine's friend but never felt brave enough to talk to her.

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.

Mr. Murphy asked， \"Anyone else want to volunteer today?\"

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.

\"Maggie?\" Mr. Murphy smiled. \"You want a turn?\"

Do I? Maggie wondered. \"Yes，\" she said.

The class murmured. Maggie leading a team?

\"Yes，\" she answered again， louder this time. Her voice shook just a little.

\"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.

\"Maggie， you get first pick，\" said Mr. Murphy.

\"Jasmine，\" announced the Champion of Quiet.

The class snickered5). Was this a joke? More than once， Jasmine had tried to score on the wrong basket.

Maggie smiled and repeated， \"Jasmine.\"

Eyes wide， Jasmine took her place beside Maggie.

The other three captains called out familiar names—the best players on the basketball court.

It was Maggie's turn again. \"I choose Jamie.\"

Jamie， Champion of the Untied Shoelace， could not dribble6)， throw， or catch. He knew what it felt like to be the last pick. But not today: Jamie jogged7) to stand next to Jasmine. He tripped8) only once. The class sat in shock.

So it went. The names flowed from Maggie's mouth， sounding sure and strong. The stronger she sounded， the stronger she felt.

Three very talented teams took shape. And then there was Maggie's.

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.

Maggie grinned back. I have chosen the worst team in the history of the world， she thought.

The Champion of Quiet walked onto the court with her team close behind， ready to face players who were bigger and better.

Game on!

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.

Clutching9) the ball and out of breath from running and giggling， Maggie heard Jasmine call out， \"Mags! Pass the ball to me!\"

I have a nickname， Maggie thought happily. She threw the ball to Jasmine.

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.

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.

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 chorus10).

Maggie was a new student that year in a class of champions.

那天又是星期二，麥琪很不喜歡星期二。因為星期二意味著一件事：要去上體育課。去上體育課則意味著一件事：要挑選隊友組成球隊。挑選隊友組成球隊又意味著一件事：麥琪又要等到最后才會有人要。通常都是如此。

那一年，麥琪剛來到這個擁有各種“大王”稱號的班上。為了幫自己記住其他同學的名字，她給每位同學都想了一個特別的頭銜。

凱文是“桌面整潔大王”，琳妮是“首個想到答案大王”，卡羅琳是“拖沓大王”，諸如此類。

她努力想了半天，想給自己也取一個特別的頭銜。上了整整五個星期的學之后，麥琪決定了。她是“沉默大王”。

這位“沉默大王”坐在體育館的地板上，被“白日夢大王”和“冷笑話大王”夾在中間。麥琪感到沮喪，因為她知道自己即將面臨的是什么。她考慮要把自己的頭銜改為“總是等到最后才有人要的大王”。

體育老師墨菲先生問誰愿意主動挑選隊友組成籃球隊，一向積極參與的那些學生迅速舉起了手。

麥琪嘆了口氣，朝自己的右邊瞥了一眼。她將目光投向“草書大王J”賈思敏。麥琪覺得自己可能挺想和賈思敏成為朋友的，卻從未鼓起勇氣跟她講過話。

看著賈思敏，麥琪意識到她似乎也有些沮喪。麥琪心想，等到最后才有人要的不止我一個，賈思敏有時也要等到最后才會被選中。想到這兒，這位“沉默大王”萌生了一個想法。

墨菲先生問道：“今天還有誰愿意主動挑選隊友嗎？”

麥琪發現自己的手緩緩地舉了起來。她又看了賈思敏一眼，使勁吸了一口氣。也許該到“沉默大王”開口說話的時候了。

“麥琪？”墨菲先生笑了笑?！澳阆胍囈幌聠?？”

要不要呢？麥琪猶豫了一下。“是的?！彼卮鸬?。

全班同學都小聲嘀咕起來。麥琪要領隊？

“是的?！彼只卮鹆艘槐?。這次聲音更加洪亮，只是稍微顫抖了一下。

“那你還在等什么呢？”墨菲先生揮手示意麥琪站到體育館的前面去。其他三位隊長——“單腳跳繩大王”“大滿貫大王”和“不知失敗為何物大王”——都已經在前面站好，準備挑選隊員組成自己的球隊。

“麥琪，你先選吧?！蹦葡壬f。

“賈思敏。”這位“沉默大王”宣布道。

全班開始竊笑。這不是在開玩笑吧？賈思敏曾不止一次試圖將球投入自己隊的籃筐中。

麥琪笑了笑，又重復了一遍，“賈思敏。”

賈思敏眼睛睜得溜圓，站在了麥琪的旁邊。

其他三位隊長叫出的依然是那些常被點到的名字——那些籃球場上最出色的運動員。

又輪到麥琪挑選隊員了?！拔疫x擇杰米。”

這位“不系鞋帶大王”既不會運球、投球，也不會接球。他對那種最后才有人要的感覺深有體會。但今天卻是個意外：杰米慢吞吞地走到賈思敏的旁邊站定，其間只被鞋帶絆了一次。座位上的同學都驚呆了。

挑選隊員就這樣進行著。一個個名字接二連三地從麥琪的口中冒出，聽起來堅定而有力。麥琪喊名字喊得越有力，就感覺自己越勇氣十足。

三支球技高超的球隊組成了，接著麥琪的球隊也組好了。

麥琪看了看她的隊友。站在身旁的有賈思敏和杰米，還有吉莉安(“擁抱大王”)和喬治(“擁有特大號樂器大王”)，他們都咧著嘴沖麥琪笑。

麥琪也朝他們笑了笑。我已經組建了一支世界歷史上最差勁的球隊，她心想。

這位“沉默大王”走上球場，她的球隊緊隨其后，準備好去面對比他們更為強大、更為出色的球員。

比賽開始了！

籃球從杰米的指間快速滑過，又掠過賈思敏，彈跳著經過喬治和吉莉安，最終從麥琪的頭上彈開了。有兩次都是這種情形。他們的笑聲回蕩在整個體育館內。

麥琪緊緊抓著球，因為奔跑和傻笑而氣喘吁吁。她聽到賈思敏大喊一聲：“小麥！把球傳給我！”

“我有綽號了。”麥琪心花怒放，將球傳給了賈思敏。

果然，賈思敏沒能接住球。他們的確是“世界歷史上最差勁的球隊”，也發揮出了任何“最差勁的球隊”應有的水平。他們輸了比賽，輸得一敗涂地。

不過，輸掉一場籃球比賽并不意味著你就是失敗者，麥琪深知這一點。她朝隊友們笑了笑。我們正式成為“‘一分未得’冠軍”，她心想。太棒了。

這位“沉默大王”和她的新朋友們走下了球場。自從這群伙伴打算坐在一起吃午飯以后，喧鬧的討論聲中就加入了麥琪的聲音。對此，麥琪再也不會感覺不可思議。

那一年，麥琪以全新的面貌出現在了這個擁有各種“大王”稱號的班上。

1.tardy [#712;tɑ#720;di] adj. 遲的；<美> (上學、約會等)遲到的，不準時的

2.sandwich [#712;saelig;nw#618;t#643;] vt. 插入，夾入；擠入(in， between)

3.goofy [#712;ɡu#720;fi] adj. <美口> 愚蠢的，傻的；可笑的

4.cursive [#712;k#604;#720;s#618;v] adj. 草書的，草寫體的

5.snicker [#712;sn#618;k#601;(r)] vi. 竊笑，暗笑

6.dribble [#712;dr#618;bl] vi. (用手、腳或球棍等)運球

7.jog [d#658;#594;ɡ] vi. 慢吞吞地走，拖著腳步行走

8.trip [tr#618;p] vi. 絆；絆倒

9.clutch [kl#652;t#643;] vt. 緊抓，緊握

10.chorus [#712;k#596;#720;r#601;s] n. (許多人同時說話時發出的)聲音