這個(gè)座位有人嗎？(Is This Seat Taken?)
我觀察蜘蛛和蝴蝶，還研究毛毛蟲(chóng)和飛蛾。有時(shí)，我想我是唯一注意這些事物的人了。要不是這里有一家擁擠的自助餐廳，我將永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)注意到瓦萊麗。畢竟，我一直都沒(méi)有找新朋友。
瓦萊麗是新來(lái)的學(xué)生。她總是將書(shū)抱在胸前，低著頭走進(jìn)教室。只有在老師提問(wèn)她時(shí)，她才說(shuō)話(huà)。在她來(lái)我們學(xué)校的一個(gè)月里，她沒(méi)交到一個(gè)朋友。在課間的時(shí)候，她就坐在長(zhǎng)椅上看書(shū)。如果你問(wèn)她是誰(shuí)，那你將得到這樣的答復(fù)：“我和她在一起上體育課，但我不記得她叫什么。”
在一天吃午飯的時(shí)候，餐桌差不多都坐滿(mǎn)了，我沒(méi)地方坐了而我的朋友們都分散開(kāi)了。但瓦萊麗拿著書(shū)一個(gè)人坐在那兒。于是，我朝她走了過(guò)去。
“我可以坐在這兒?jiǎn)幔?rdquo;我問(wèn)。
“當(dāng)然可以。”她說(shuō)。
餐廳里喧鬧不已，但我們身邊的空氣卻十分沉靜。瓦萊麗好像并不在意，但這讓我感到快要發(fā)瘋了。我絞盡腦汁，想找點(diǎn)話(huà)說(shuō)。
“呃，那本書(shū)很好看吧？”瓦萊麗輕輕的點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，又繼續(xù)看書(shū)。“這本書(shū)是關(guān)于什么的？”我問(wèn)道。一陣令人惱火的沉默之后，她終于看著我，眼中閃出異樣的光芒。
“唔，它叫《龍騎士》，講的是關(guān)于一條龍的故事！一天，一個(gè)名叫鄂爾根的男孩打獵時(shí)，發(fā)現(xiàn)了一枚龍蛋。他以為那是一塊石頭，但那枚龍蛋孵化出龍來(lái)，鄂爾根怕他的叔叔和堂兄發(fā)現(xiàn)，便把那條龍藏了起來(lái)，直到它長(zhǎng)大。”
“聽(tīng)來(lái)真不錯(cuò)。”我說(shuō)。我還想再問(wèn)個(gè)問(wèn)題，可上課鈴響了。
我一邊往餐廳外沖，一邊對(duì)她大叫：“再見(jiàn)。”
“好的，”她說(shuō)，“再見(jiàn)。”她的聲音若有若無(wú)。
幾天以后，我發(fā)現(xiàn)瓦萊麗正在找地方坐下來(lái)吃飯。
“瓦萊麗，來(lái)這里。”我指著一個(gè)空座位說(shuō)。
她坐了下來(lái)，拿出書(shū)。當(dāng)時(shí)，大家都在談?wù)撓聜€(gè)星期的才藝展示會(huì)。“你打算表演什么？”我的朋友埃林問(wèn)凱利。
“噢，我不知道，也許什么都不表演，”凱利嘆著氣，“你呢？”她問(wèn)瓦萊麗。
噢，”瓦萊麗放下書(shū)，“我不知道，也許什么也不演。”
在我知道這件事之前，這周過(guò)得十分快。我坐在會(huì)堂里，聽(tīng)一群女孩子唱當(dāng)下最流行的歌曲，感覺(jué)卻枯燥極了，真希望演唱快點(diǎn)結(jié)束，那樣我就可以看《龍騎士》了，我在圖書(shū)館找到了這本書(shū)。這時(shí)，一個(gè)靦腆的女孩走上了舞臺(tái)，我立刻認(rèn)出了她------瓦萊麗。她一手抓著小提琴，一手拿著琴弓。
她開(kāi)始拉提琴了。一個(gè)個(gè)音符變成了柔和,優(yōu)美的旋律，韻律逐漸加快，她越拉越急，音樂(lè)聲戛然而止。樂(lè)曲在瓦萊麗拉出一串強(qiáng)硬，急速，洪亮的音符后歸于沉寂。會(huì)堂里出奇的安靜，過(guò)了一會(huì)兒，我們才意識(shí)到她已經(jīng)演奏完了。仍陶醉于美妙中的我們對(duì)她報(bào)以雷鳴般的掌聲。瓦萊麗快速地鞠了一躬，走下了舞臺(tái)。
我暗自微笑，原來(lái)瓦萊麗不僅僅是一個(gè)“安靜的女孩”，她博覽奇妙的好書(shū)，能拉出我聞所未聞的小提琴曲。她就像那毛毛蟲(chóng)或蝴蝶，當(dāng)你靠近她，仔細(xì)的觀察，你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)，她有著驚人的美。
IS This Seat Taken ?
I look at spiders and butterflies.I watch caterpillars and moths.Sometimes I think I’m the only one who notices these things.But it hadn’t been for a crowded cafeteria,I wouldn’t have ever noticed Valeri.After all,I wasn’t looking for new friends.
Valeri was a new student.She walked to class with her books huddled against her chest and her head down.She talked only when the teacher asked her a question.After a month at our school,she hadn’t made any friends.At recess ,she sat on a bench and read.If you asked who she was,you’d get a response like this,”She’s in my PE class.I can’t remember her name.”
One day at lunch,I had nowhere to sit.Most tables were full,my friends scattered among them.But Valeri sat alone,book in hand.I walked over to her.
“May I sit here?”I asked.
“Sure,”she said.
The cafeteria was noisy,but silence hung between us.Valeri didn’t seem to mind,but it drove me crazy.I searched my mind for things to say.
“So,”I said,”is that a good book?”Valeri gave a small nod and went back to reading.”What’s it about?”I asked,after several more agonizing seconds of silence.She looked at me,her eyes sparking.
“Well,it’s called Eragon,and it’s about a dragon!This boy ,Eragon,finds this dragon eggg when he goes hunting one day.He thinks that it’s a rock!The egg hatches and Eragon hides the dragon from his cousin and uncle until it gets too big.”
“That sounds cool,”I said.I was about to ask another question,but the bell rang.
As I rushed out of the cafeteria,I called to Valeri,”See you later.”
“Yeah,”she said,”see you later.”She sounded doubtful.
A couple days later,I spotted Valeri looking for a place to sit at lunch.
“Valeri,over here.”I pointed to an empty chair.
She sat down and pulled out her book.Everyone was talking about next week’s talent show.“So,what are you doing for the show?”My friend Erin asked my friend Kelly.
“Oh,I don’t know,probably nothing,”Kelly sighed.“What are you doing?”She pointed to Valeri.
“Oh,”Valeri put her book down.“I don’t know.Maybe nothing.”
The week flew by.Before I knew it,I was sitting in the auditorium,listening to a group of girls sing the latest pop songs at the talent show.I was bored out of my life,and I wanted it to end so I could read Eragon.I’d checked it out at the library.Then a shy girl walked on stage,I recognized her immediately.Valeri clutched a violin in one hand and a bow in the other.
She started to play.The notes formed a soft, sweet tune.Then it turned fast,then faster.The music stopped altogether before the soft tune returned.Valeri ended the song with one hard,fast,loud note.The auditorium fell completely silent until we realized the music was finished .Still in a half-trance,we burst into applause.Valeri took a swift bow and walked off stage.
I smiled to myself.Valeri wasn’t just a “quiet girl”.She knew about wonderful books and could play the violin like nothing I’d ever heard.Like a caterpillar or butterfly,she was beautiful and amazing when you looked closely.