Casey Happleton said, “If you kiss yourself on the elbow, you’ll turn into a girl.”
凯西·哈普尔顿说：「如果你亲到自己的手肘，你就会变成女孩。」
Marvin Redpost looked at her.
马文·雷德波斯特看着她。
They sat next to each other in Mrs. North’s class.
在诺斯太太的班上，他们俩坐同桌。
Casey had a ponytail that stuck out of the side of her head, instead of the back.
凯西扎着马尾辫，辫子从脑袋侧面翘出来，而不是从后面。
“It’s true,” said Casey. “If a boy kisses his elbow, he’ll turn into a girl. And if a girl kisses her elbow, she’ll turn into a boy.”
「这是真的，」凯西说，「男孩亲了自己的手肘，就会变成女孩；女孩亲了自己的手肘，就会变成男孩。」
“Can you change back?” asked Marvin.
「那能变回来吗？」马文问。
“Sure,” said Casey. “You just have to kiss your elbow again.”
「当然能，」凯西说，「你只要再亲一次手肘就行。」
Marvin thought about it. But he wasn’t about to try.
马文想了想。但他可没打算试。
At least not in front of Casey.
至少不在凯西面前试。
“Does it matter which elbow you kiss?” he asked.
「亲哪只手肘有关系吗？」他问。
“Either one,” said Casey. “But it has to be on the outside, where it’s hard. Not the soft part on the inside.”
「哪只都行，」凯西说，「但必须是外侧硬的那块，不是内侧软的地方。」
“Have you ever kissed your elbow?” Marvin asked her.
「你亲手肘过吗？」马文问她。
“No!” she exclaimed. “What do you think I am—some kind of weirdo?”
「没有！」她叫起来，「你当我是什么——怪胎吗？」
Marvin shrugged. He did think Casey Happleton was weird.
马文耸耸肩。他确实觉得凯西·哈普尔顿很怪。
“Who’s jabbering?” asked Mrs. North. “Marvin and Casey?”
「谁在叽叽喳喳？」诺斯太太问，「马文和凯西？」
Marvin turned red. Everyone was looking at him and Casey. He hoped no one thought he liked her.
马文脸红了。大家都在看着他俩。他希望大家别以为他喜欢凯西。
He folded his arms on his desk, and lay his head on top of them.
他把胳膊交叠放在课桌上，把头枕在上面。
He looked at his elbow.
他看着自己的手肘。
First of all, he didn’t believe he’d really turn into a girl.
首先，他不信自己真会变成女孩。
Second of all, he didn’t know if his mouth could even reach his elbow.
其次，他不知道自己的嘴能不能碰到手肘。
He slowly moved his mouth toward his elbow. He wasn’t going to kiss it. He just wanted to see if his mouth would reach.
他慢慢把嘴凑向手肘。他不是要亲，只是想看看嘴能不能碰到。
It didn’t.
碰不到。
He tried a different way. He sat up straight. Then he reached behind himself, as if to scratch his back.
他换了个法子。他坐直身子，然后把手往身后伸，装成在挠背。
He stretched out his lips.
他把嘴唇撅起来。
“Oh my gosh!” said Casey. She bit her finger.
「我的天！」凯西说。她咬着手指。
“What?” Marvin demanded.
「干嘛？」马文质问。
“I saw you!” said Casey. “You were trying to kiss your elbow.”
「我看见你了！」凯西说，「你在试着亲手肘。」
“I was not,” said Marvin. “I was scratching my back.”
「我没有，」马文说，「我在挠背。」
“You want to be a girl!” said Casey.
「你想变成女孩！」凯西说。
“I had an itch,” said Marvin.
「我痒，」马文说。
“You’re so weird,” said Casey.
「你真怪，」凯西说。
“You’re the one who’s weird,” said Marvin. “You think everyone who scratches his back is really trying to kiss his elbow.”
「怪的是你，」马文说，「你以为每个挠背的人其实都在亲手肘。」
“Not everyone,” said Casey. “Just you.”
「不是每个人，」凯西说，「就你。」
“Marvin! Casey!” said Mrs. North. “Do I have to separate you two?”
「马文！凯西！」诺斯太太说，「我非得把你们俩分开吗？」
“Oooh, Marvin and Casey!” said Judy.
「哟——马文和凯西！」朱迪起哄。
The other kids laughed.
别的孩子都笑了。
Marvin buried his head under his arms.
马文把头埋进胳膊里。
She’s the one who’s weird, he thought. I would never try to turn into a girl right in the middle of class! I wouldn’t change into a girl anyway. But if I did, I wouldn’t do it in school!
怪的是她，他想。我才不会在课堂中间试着变成女孩！反正在哪儿我都不想变。就算真变了，我也不会在学校变！
“Casey,” Melanie said, loud enough for Marvin to hear. “I think Marvin likes you.”
「凯西，」梅兰妮说得很大声，故意让马文听见，「我觉得马文喜欢你。」
Casey looked at Marvin. “Oh my gosh,” she said. She bit her finger.
凯西看着马文。「我的天，」她说。她咬着手指。
That was another reason Marvin thought Casey was weird. She always said “Oh my gosh” and bit her finger. And her sideways ponytail was weird, too!
这也是马文觉得凯西怪的一个原因。她总说「我的天」，总咬手指。还有她那歪扎的马尾辫，也怪！
The bell rang. He went outside to recess.
铃响了。他到外面去课间休息。
“What were you and Casey talking about?” asked Stuart. Stuart Albright was Marvin’s best friend.
「你和凯西在说什么？」斯图尔特问。斯图尔特·奥尔布赖特是马文最好的朋友。
“Nothing,” said Marvin. “She’s so weird.”
「没什么，」马文说，「她太怪了。」
“You don’t like her, do you?” asked Nick. Nick Tuffle was also Marvin’s best friend.
「你不喜欢她吧？」尼克问。尼克·塔弗也是马文最好的朋友。
“No way!” said Marvin. “You want to hear what she said?”
「当然不！」马文说，「你想听她说了什么吗？」
“What?” asked his two best friends.
「什么？」他的两个好朋友问。
“It’s so weird,” said Marvin. “She said—” He stopped. “She said she talks to dogs and cats!”
「太怪了，」马文说，「她说——」他停住了。「她说她会跟猫狗说话！」
Nick and Stuart laughed.
尼克和斯图尔特笑了。
“How weird!” said Stuart.
「真怪！」斯图尔特说。
“She’s so weird,” said Nick.
「她太怪了，」尼克说。
They got in line to play wall-ball.
他们排队去玩墙球。
Marvin didn’t know why he had lied to his two best friends.
马文不知道自己为什么要对两个最好的朋友撒谎。