Every June, Hazel's town held a duck race. Two hundred rubber ducks floated down to the park. You paid two dollars for a duck. The money bought books for the school library. The first duck to reach the park won a bicycle.
每年六月，黑兹尔所在的小镇都会举办赛鸭比赛。两百只橡皮鸭顺着河水漂向公园。一只鸭子两美元，这些钱用来给学校图书馆买书。第一只漂到公园的鸭子，主人能赢得一辆自行车。
Hazel was eleven years old. She wanted that bicycle very much. She saved her money for three weeks. On race morning, she bought duck number forty-seven.
黑兹尔十一岁，她非常想要那辆自行车。她存了三个星期的钱。比赛那天早上，她买下了四十七号鸭子。
"It is a lucky number," the seller said.
“这是个幸运数字，”卖鸭子的人说。
"Why?" Hazel asked.
“为什么？”黑兹尔问。
"I do not know. People just say it." Hazel held the duck in her hands. It was small and shiny, with a tiny orange beak. She kissed it.
“我不知道，大家都这么说。”黑兹尔把鸭子捧在手里。它小小的，亮晶晶的，有一只小小的橙色鸭嘴。她亲了亲它。
"Please win," she whispered.
“请你一定要赢，”她小声说。
At noon, everyone stood on the old bridge. The mayor wore a bright green hat. She counted down from ten. People shouted the numbers. At zero, men tipped a big box over the rail. Two hundred ducks fell into the river. Splash!
中午，大家都站在老桥上。市长戴着一顶鲜绿色的帽子，从十开始倒数。人们跟着喊出数字。数到零时，几个男人把一只大箱子翻过栏杆。两百只鸭子落进河里，扑通！
Hazel ran along the bank with her friends. The ducks floated away in a yellow line. The water moved slowly, and the sun was hot. Hazel looked at the ducks and saw many numbers. Twelve was in front. Then ninety. Then a duck with a green dot.
黑兹尔和朋友们沿着河岸奔跑。鸭子们排成一条黄色的长线漂远了。河水流得很慢，太阳很烈。黑兹尔看着那些鸭子，看到好多数字。十二号领先，然后是九十号，接着是一只带绿点的鸭子。
"Where is forty-seven?" her friend asked. Hazel stopped. She looked at the bridge. Then she saw it. Duck number forty-seven was still near the bridge. It sat in a small circle of water. It turned round and round, like a dancer.
“四十七号在哪儿？”朋友问。黑兹尔停下脚步，回头望向桥边。然后她看见了。四十七号鸭子还在桥边。它待在一小圈水里，一圈又一圈地转，像个舞者。
"No," Hazel said.
“不会吧，”黑兹尔说。
"No, no, no." She ran back. The other ducks went on down the river. Soon the yellow line was far away. People cheered at the park. Duck forty-seven turned slowly, round and round. Hazel stood on the stone path. She called to the duck.
“不，不，不。”她跑了回去。其他鸭子继续顺流而下，黄色的长线很快就远了。公园那边传来欢呼声。四十七号鸭子还在慢慢地转啊转。黑兹尔站在石头小路上，朝它喊道。
"Come on! Go! Please!"
“快走啊！去啊！拜托！”
The duck did not go. It turned again, and again. A tourist took a photo. A dog barked at it. A child asked, "Why is that one not racing?"
鸭子没有走。它转了一圈又一圈。一个游客给它拍了张照片，一条狗对着它叫，一个孩子问：“那只为什么不比赛？”
"It does not want to," a man said.
“它不想比，”一个男人说。
"It likes it there."
“它喜欢待在那儿。”
Hazel's face was red. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. She took a long stick. She put it in the water. She pushed gently. The duck moved a little, and the river took it. For about five seconds, the duck floated well. Then it hit a stone again and stopped.
黑兹尔的脸红了。她想笑，又想哭。她拿来一根长树枝，伸进水里，轻轻地推。鸭子动了一点，河水带着它走了。大约五秒钟，鸭子漂得很好。然后它又撞上一块石头，停住了。
"It is the worst duck in the world," Hazel said.
“它是世界上最差的鸭子，”黑兹尔说。
"Maybe," said her friend.
“也许吧，”她的朋友说。
"But it is your duck." She sat on the bank to watch the duck. It turned and turned, and slowly she started to laugh. She laughed until her stomach hurt.
“但它是你的鸭子。”她坐在河岸上看着那只鸭子。它转啊转，她慢慢地笑了起来，笑得肚子都疼了。
At the park, the first duck arrived. The winner was number one hundred and twelve. A man in a blue shirt jumped up and down. He got the bicycle.
在公园里，第一只鸭子到了。赢家是一百一十二号。一个穿蓝衬衫的男人又蹦又跳，他得到了那辆自行车。
Hazel did not go to the park. She stayed at the bridge with her duck. Later, the mayor walked back along the river. She stopped next to Hazel.
黑兹尔没有去公园，她和她的鸭子留在桥边。后来，市长沿着河走了回来，在黑兹尔身边停下。
"Which one is yours?" she asked.
“哪一只是你的？”她问。
"Forty-seven," said Hazel.
“四十七号，”黑兹尔说。
"It never left." The mayor looked at the duck. She looked at Hazel. Then she took off her green hat and bowed.
“它一直没离开。”市长看看鸭子，又看看黑兹尔。然后她摘下绿帽子，鞠了一躬。
"We have a second prize," she said.
“我们还有一个第二奖，”她说。
"It is for the very last duck. Every year, I say we do not need it. Every year, I am wrong." She gave Hazel a small paper bag. Inside was a lemon cake and a card. The card said, "Last place. First in our hearts."
“是给最后一只鸭子的。每年我都说不需要它，每年都是我错了。”她递给黑兹尔一个小纸袋，里面有一块柠檬蛋糕和一张卡片。卡片上写着：“最后一名，是我们心中的第一名。”
Hazel laughed. She took the duck from the water. She put it on her shoulder. "Next year," she said, "I buy two. And I will teach them to swim."
黑兹尔笑了。她把鸭子从水里捞起来，放在肩膀上。“明年，”她说，“我买两只，还要教它们游泳。”
