Christine+Venzon

那些你不喜歡的，或許并不是因為自己真的討厭，而是沒有試著去了解。

"Hi， Shelly！ Hi， Keith！" Adrian greeted the Salazars as he climbed into their minivan.

"Ready to take in1） some baseball？" Mr. Salazar asked from the driver&apos；s seat.

"I sure am，" Adrian replied. To himself he added： I&apos；d rather have dinner with brain-sucking aliens.

Adrian liked the Salazars， but he was allergic to sports. Even seeing games on TV made him queasy2）.

"You have a quick mind， Adrian，" his dad liked to say， when Adrian showed him his designs for a merry-go-round3） and a probe4） that could detect the center of chocolate-covered candies.

Other kids snickered5） at his inventions， but Keith and Shelly thought they were cool. Although the Salazars had moved next door just a month before， Adrian hoped they might become friends.

Keith and Shelly were big baseball fans. Their older brother Rey was a star on his high school team. So when they invited Adrian to one of Rey&apos；s games， he said yes. But now the queasiness was hitting him—hard.

Shelly showed Adrian a picture from the newspaper. "That&apos；s Rey，" she said proudly， "smashing a tater6） in his last game."

"He smashed a potato？" Adrian blurted.

Keith and Shelly laughed. "Tater，" explained Mr. Salazar， "is baseball slang for a home run."

"Dad！" Shelly sighed. "Adrian knows that. He&apos；s joking."

"Uh—yeah." Adrian laughed， a little too loudly. That was close.

The players were still warming up when they arrived at the stadium. Keith pointed to the field. "There&apos；s Rey. He&apos；s catching fungoes7）."

Adrian&apos；s eyes searched the wide， grassy playing field. Did Keith mean "catching fungi8）"？ Adrian didn&apos；t see any mushrooms—just a coach batting a baseball to some players. Wait， Adrian thought ... maybe fungoes were balls！ A promising theory， but how could he test it without showing that he was a hopeless baseball failure？ Adrian chose his words carefully. "Catching fungoes ... is really important."

"I&apos；ll say，" agreed Shelly. "Catching a ball and throwing it on the run is really hard. That&apos；s why they practice. Right， Dad？"

"That&apos；s right." Mr. Salazar nodded. Yes！ Adrian cheered silently.

"Rey missed a ground ball9） like that once，" Mr. Salazar continued. "Coach made him ride the pine for a few games."

Adrian groaned inwardly10）. "Ride the pine"？ Didn&apos；t baseball fans ever speak normally？ He tried to play it cool11）. "So， what did Rey think about riding the pine？"

"He hated it！" Keith exclaimed. "He&apos；s too good to be on the bench."

Adrian knew all about sitting on the bench. One time he got a splinter12） sliding down to the far end， hoping to stay out of his gym teacher&apos；s sight. H&apos；m ... a wooden bench. Sometimes wood came from pine trees. Aha！

He tested his conclusion. "Maybe Coach figured that riding the pine would make Rey practice harder and play better."

"Good point，" Keith agreed. "Hey， you really understand coaching！"

Adrian shrugged modestly. As the innings13） passed slowly， Adrian&apos；s confidence grew.

"Check out that shoestring catch14）！" Keith shouted as a player dove for a ball.

Shoestring？ Adrian recalled how the player&apos；s glove nearly touched his shoes. "Yep， right off the top of his laces."

"Whoa！ That&apos；s a moon shot15）！" Shelly exclaimed as a batter sent a ball sailing high into the stands.

"Yeah， that ball&apos；s headed straight for the stars！" Adrian agreed.

Then Rey came to the plate16）. He slugged17） the ball down the center of the field and sprinted18） to second base.

"Woo-hoo！" Shelly cheered. "Ducks on the pond！"

Adrian paused， feeling uncertain. "Nothing&apos；s more exciting than ducks on the pond，" he said slowly.

"Especially when Rey is one of the ducks！" Shelly added.

Rey was a duck？

"And one good hit will bring them both home，" Keith chimed in19）.

Adrian scanned the field again. There was another runner on third base. If the next batter got a hit， they could both score. Suddenly Adrian felt a surge of excitement. He jumped up on the bleachers20）， pumped his fist and crowed21）， "Let&apos；s bring those ducks flying home！"

Adrian was sorry when the game ended. "That was the best finish22） I&apos；ve ever seen！" he said. Rey&apos；s team had won 4 to 2.

"I&apos；m glad，" Mr. Salazar replied， smiling. "Now I don&apos；t know about you kids， but I feel like a hamburger." Keith and Shelly nodded. "What about you， Adrian？" Keith asked.

"Uh ..." Adrian stammered. A hamburger？ What could that possibly mean？ And why were they still talking in baseball code？

"A hamburger， a hot dog， anything you want，" Mr. Salazar said. "We always stop at Mac&apos；s Diner after Rey&apos；s games."

"Oh！" Adrian sighed in relief. "A hamburger sounds great to me！"

“嗨，謝莉！嗨，基斯！”阿德里安一邊和薩拉薩爾一家打招呼，一邊爬上他們家的小貨車。

“準備好去看棒球比賽了嗎？”坐在駕駛座上的薩拉薩爾先生問。

“當然啦?！卑⒌吕锇泊鸬?，心里卻默默又說了一句：我寧愿和吸食人類大腦的外星人吃飯，也不愿意去看棒球。

阿德里安喜歡薩拉薩爾一家人，但是他討厭運動，就連在電視上看比賽都讓他覺得惡心。

當他向爸爸展示自己給旋轉(zhuǎn)木馬以及能探測裹著巧克力的糖果內(nèi)部的探測器所做的一些設(shè)計時，他爸爸喜歡這么說：“你腦子轉(zhuǎn)得很快，阿德里安?！?/p>

其他孩子嘲笑他的那些發(fā)明，但是基斯和謝莉卻覺得這些發(fā)明很酷。雖然薩拉薩爾一家一個月前才搬到隔壁，但阿德里安希望他們能成為朋友。

基斯和謝莉都是超級棒球迷。他們的哥哥雷伊是高中校隊的明星。所以當他們邀請阿德里安去看雷伊的一場比賽時，他答應(yīng)了。但是現(xiàn)在他感到了一陣強烈的惡心。

謝莉給阿德里安看了看報紙上的一張照片?！斑@是雷伊，”她驕傲地說，“在上一場比賽中打出了一個tater?！?/p>

“他砸爛了一個土豆？”阿德里安脫口而出。

基斯和謝莉哈哈大笑起來?！癟ater，”薩拉薩爾先生解釋說，“是棒球俚語，意思是本壘打?！?/p>

“爸爸！”謝莉嘆了口氣，“阿德里安知道的，他是在開玩笑?！?/p>

“嗯——沒錯?！卑⒌吕锇残Φ?，笑得有點大聲了。好險啊。

當他們到達體育館時，運動員們還在熱身?；怪噶酥盖驁?。“雷伊在那里，他在catch fungoes呢?！?/p>

阿德里安掃視那寬廣的綠茵場，基斯的意思是“采蘑菇（catch fungi）”嗎？阿德里安并沒有看到一顆蘑菇啊，只有一個教練將一顆棒球擊向幾個球手呀。等一等，阿德里安思索著……或許fungoes的意思是球！這個推測好像說得過去，但作為一個無可救藥、對棒球一竅不通的菜鳥，他怎樣才能在不暴露自己的情況下驗證這個猜想呢？阿德里安言辭謹慎地說：“Catch fungoes……真的很重要?！?/p>

“是的，”謝莉表示贊同，“接住球并且在奔跑的過程中投球真的很難。這就是他們要訓練的原因。對吧，爸爸？”

“沒錯。”薩拉薩爾先生點點頭。耶！阿德里安在心里歡呼。

“有一次雷伊錯失了一個像那樣的地滾球，”薩拉薩爾先生繼續(xù)說，“結(jié)果教練讓他好幾場都ride the pine?！?/p>

阿德里安暗自叫苦抱怨。“騎松樹”？棒球迷們就不能正常說話嗎？他盡量裝得沉著冷靜。“那么，雷伊對這件事怎么看呢？”

“他恨透了！”基斯叫道，“讓他做替補真是屈才了。”

阿德里安很清楚“坐板凳”的意思。有一次，他希望躲到體育老師的視線之外，就往板凳的遠端出溜，結(jié)果被木刺扎到了。 嗯……一個木板凳。有時候木材來自松樹。啊哈！

他驗證了自己的結(jié)論?！盎蛟S教練認為做替補會讓雷伊更努力地訓練，這樣就能打得更好?！?/p>

“說得好，”基斯贊同道，“嘿，你很懂訓練嘛！”

阿德里安謙虛地聳聳肩。隨著比賽一局一局地慢慢進行，阿德里安越來越有信心。

“注意那個shoestring catch！”當一個球員魚躍救球時基斯喊道。

鞋帶？阿德里安回想著那名球員的手套如何差點碰到鞋的情景?！皼]錯，就在他鞋帶的上方。”

“哇！好一個全壘打，又高又遠！”當一個擊球手把球高高地擊到看臺時謝莉喊道。

“是啊，這個球直沖云霄！”阿德里安附和道。

接著，雷伊走到了本壘板。他將球猛擊到球場中心，然后沖到了二壘。

“哇哦！”謝莉大聲歡呼，“Ducks on the pond （跑壘手入壘）！”

阿德里安停頓了一下，有些遲疑?！皼]有什么比這更興奮的了?！彼卣f。

“尤其是在雷伊是其中一員的時候！”謝莉補充說。

雷伊是一只鴨子？

“漂亮的一擊會讓他們都得分。”基斯插嘴道。

阿德里安又一次掃視運動場。在三壘上還有一個跑壘手，如果下一個擊球員擊到球，他們就都能得分。突然間，阿德里安感到一陣激動襲來。他跳到座位上，揮舞著拳頭，大聲歡呼：“讓那些跑壘手都跑到壘位上去吧！”

比賽結(jié)束的時候，阿德里安感到意猶未盡?！斑@是我見過的最好的比賽結(jié)果！”他說。雷伊的球隊以4：2取勝。

“我很高興，”薩拉薩爾先生笑著回答，“現(xiàn)在我不知道你們這些小家伙怎么想，不過我想要一個hamburger?！被购椭x莉點點頭?！澳隳?，阿德里安？”基斯問道。

“呃……”阿德里安結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地說。一個漢堡？這又會是什么意思？為什么他們還在用棒球術(shù)語說話？

“漢堡，熱狗，你想吃什么都行，”薩拉薩爾先生說，“我們總是在雷伊比賽之后去馬克餐廳吃東西?！?/p>

“哦！”阿德里安如釋重負，“我覺得漢堡聽起來不錯！”

1. take in： 去觀看；去參觀

2. queasy [?kwi?zi] adj. 要嘔吐的，惡心的

3. merry-go-round： 旋轉(zhuǎn)木馬

4. probe [pr??b] n. 探測器

5. snicker [?sn?k?（r）] vi. 暗笑，竊笑

6. tater [?te?t?（r）] n. 馬鈴薯

7. fungo [?f??ɡ??] n. 棒球

8. fungus [ ?f??ɡ?s] n. （fungi是其復(fù)數(shù)形式）真菌；真菌類植物

9. ground ball： （棒球的）地滾球，地面球

10. inwardly [??nw?dli] adv. 在內(nèi)心，暗自地

11. play it cool： 故意裝作無所謂，故作灑脫

12. splinter [?spl?nt?（r）] n. （木頭、玻璃等的）尖細條，尖碎片

13. inning [??n??] n. （棒球中的）局，回合

14. shoestring catch： 在奔跑中接住將要落地之球。shoestring [??u?str??] n. 鞋帶

15. moon shot： 又高又遠的全壘打

16. plate [ple?t] n. （棒球運動中的）本壘板

17. slug [sl?ɡ] vt. 猛擊（棒球）

18. sprint [spr?nt] vi. 短距離快速奔跑，沖刺

19. chime in： 插話，插嘴

20. bleachers [?bli?t??z] n. [復(fù)] （運動場的）露天座位，廉價座位

21. crow [kr??] vt. 歡叫

22. finish [?f?n??] n. （比賽的）結(jié)果；（某事的）最后階段（或部分）