Mr. Garrick gave the class a project. Each pair had to build a bridge. The bridge had to hold a heavy bag.
加里克先生给全班布置了一个项目：每两人一组，搭一座桥。这座桥必须能承受一个沉重的袋子。
Evander looked at the list on the board. His partner was Halima. He frowned a little.
埃万德看着黑板上的名单。他的搭档是哈利玛。他微微皱起了眉。
Halima was the best student in science. She won every contest. Evander won the art prize each year.
哈利玛是科学课上最优秀的学生，每场比赛都得奖。而埃万德每年都拿美术奖。
"I have a plan," Halima said. She opened her notebook. "We use flat beams and short sticks."
“我有个计划，”哈利玛说。她打开笔记本，“我们用平直的横梁和短短的支撑条。”
"That looks plain," Evander said. "I want a tall arch. It looks strong and pretty."
“那看起来太普通了，”埃万德说，“我想要一个高高的拱。看起来结实又漂亮。”
"Pretty bridges fall down," she said.
“漂亮的桥会塌的，”她说。
"Plain bridges are boring," he said.
“普通的桥太无聊了，”他说。
They sat in silence. Then Halima smiled a little. "Let us build two bridges. We test both."
他们沉默地坐着。然后哈利玛微微一笑。“那我们就搭两座桥吧，两座都测试。”
"Good idea," Evander said. "My bridge will win."
“好主意，”埃万德说，“我的桥会赢。”
"No, mine will win," she said. She wrote the date in her notebook, like a bet.
“不，我的会赢，”她说。她在笔记本上写下日期，像打赌一样。
They worked for three days after school. The room was quiet and warm. Evander cut paper straws with small scissors. Halima made beams from thick card.
放学后，他们干了三天。教室里安静而温暖。埃万德用小剪刀剪纸吸管，哈利玛用厚卡纸做横梁。
Sometimes Evander looked at her notes. Her drawings were neat. Her numbers were small and clear.
有时埃万德会看看她的笔记。她的图画很整齐，数字又小又清楚。
Sometimes Halima looked at his arch. His line was smooth. It was like a long, perfect road in the air.
有时哈利玛会看看他的拱。他的线条十分流畅，像空中一条长长的、完美的路。
"How do you draw so well?" she asked.
“你怎么画得这么好？”她问。
"I draw every night," he said. "How do you count so fast?"
“我每天晚上都画，”他说，“你怎么算得这么快？”
"I count my steps to school," she said. They both laughed.
“我数去学校的步数，”她说。两个人都笑了。
On the second day, Evander forgot his lunch. Halima gave him half of her sandwich. She did not say a word about it. He did not say thank you until the next day.
第二天，埃万德忘了带午饭。哈利玛把自己的三明治分了一半给他。她一句话也没提这件事。他直到第二天才说谢谢。
On the third day, Halima lost her pencil. Evander found it on the floor. He kept it for a minute. Then he gave it back. On the end was a tiny drawing of a bridge.
第三天，哈利玛丢了铅笔。埃万德在地上找到了它。他拿着它多留了一会儿，然后还给了她。铅笔的末端有一幅小小的桥的画。
On Thursday, the test began. Mr. Garrick put the heavy bag on Halima's bridge. It held for a minute. Then it bent in the middle and fell.
星期四，测试开始了。加里克先生把沉重的袋子放到哈利玛的桥上。桥撑了一分钟，然后中间弯了下去，塌了。
"Oh no," Halima said. She looked at the floor.
“哦不，”哈利玛说。她看着地板。
Then Mr. Garrick put the bag on Evander's arch. The arch held longer. But the two sides moved apart. The bridge fell too.
接着加里克先生把袋子放到埃万德的拱桥上。拱撑得更久一些，但是两侧向外分开，桥也塌了。
"Mine lost too," Evander said. "I did not make the ends strong."
“我的也输了，”埃万德说，“我没有把两端做结实。”
"And my middle was weak," Halima said.
“而我的中间太弱了，”哈利玛说。
They looked at the two broken bridges. Evander picked up a flat beam. Halima picked up a curved straw.
他们看着两座坏掉的桥。埃万德拿起一根平直的横梁，哈利玛拿起一根弯曲的吸管。
"Your arch and my beams," he said slowly.
“你的拱和我的横梁，”他慢慢地说。
"Together," she said.
“合在一起，”她说。
They stayed late that evening. Evander made the arch. Halima put a beam under each end. She cut the card. He held the pieces still. The glue made their fingers sticky.
那天傍晚他们留得很晚。埃万德做拱，哈利玛在每一端下面放一根横梁。她裁卡纸，他扶住零件不动。胶水弄得他们的手指黏黏的。
"Hold it here," she said. She put her hand on his hand.
“扶在这里，”她说。她把手放在他的手上。
"Okay," he said. He did not move for a long time.
“好，”他说。他很久都没有动。
When the sun went down, the room was empty. They looked at the new bridge. It was tall and it was strong. It was also very pretty.
太阳落山时，教室里空无一人。他们看着新搭的桥。它又高又结实，还非常漂亮。
"I think we both lost," Halima said.
“我想我们两个都输了，”哈利玛说。
"I think we both won," Evander said.
“我想我们两个都赢了，”埃万德说。
On Friday, the class watched. Mr. Garrick put the bag on the new bridge. Nobody spoke. The bridge did not bend. It did not fall.
星期五，全班都来观看。加里克先生把袋子放到新桥上。没有人说话。桥没有弯，也没有塌。
Mr. Garrick added a book. Then he added two more. The bridge stood strong.
加里克先生又加了一本书，然后又加了两本。桥稳稳地立着。
"This is the best bridge in the class," Mr. Garrick said.
“这是全班最好的桥，”加里克先生说。
Halima looked at Evander. He looked at her. They were both smiling.
哈利玛看着埃万德，他也看着她。两个人都笑了。
"We have a problem," Evander said. "Whose bridge is it?"
“我们有个问题，”埃万德说，“这是谁的桥？”
Halima took a pen. She wrote two names on the card by the arch. Then she gave him the pen.
哈利玛拿起一支笔，在拱旁边的卡纸上写下两个名字。然后她把笔递给他。
"Your turn," she said.
“轮到你了，”她说。
