Mira moved into apartment 4B last month. Her new neighbor was a quiet man named Osric. Every morning, she waved at him in the hallway. He never waved back.
米拉上个月搬进了4B公寓。她的新邻居是一位名叫奥斯里克的安静男人。每天早上，她都在走廊里向他挥手。他从来不挥手回应。
Mira felt sure he did not like her. She stopped saying hello. She just walked past his door in silence.
米拉很肯定他不喜欢自己。她不再打招呼了。她只是默默地从他门前走过。
One Saturday, the building held a small courtyard breakfast. Mira went with a plate of muffins. Osric sat alone at a table.
一个星期六，这栋楼在庭院里办了一场小型早餐会。米拉端着一盘松饼去了。奥斯里克一个人坐在一张桌子旁。
She almost turned around. Instead, she sat down next to him. "Good morning," she said, a little loud.
她差点转身离开。可她还是在他身边坐了下来。“早上好，”她说，声音有点大。
Osric smiled and pointed to his ear. "I have trouble hearing," he said. "I never saw you wave. I am sorry."
奥斯里克笑了笑，指了指自己的耳朵。“我听力不好，”他说，“我从来没看见你挥手。对不起。”
Mira understood everything now. She was wrong about him. She was not angry. She was glad to know the truth.
米拉现在全明白了。她之前误会了他。她并不生气。她很高兴知道了真相。
"Do you want a muffin?" she asked. Osric nodded and took one. They talked about the building and the noisy elevator. They both liked the same morning coffee.
“你想吃松饼吗？”她问。奥斯里克点点头，拿了一个。他们聊起了这栋楼和吵闹的电梯。他们都喜欢同一种早晨的咖啡。
After breakfast, Mira waved at Osric again. This time, she stood right in front of him. He waved back with a big smile.
早餐会结束后，米拉又向奥斯里克挥了挥手。这一次，她直接站在他面前。他笑得很灿烂，也挥手回应了她。
After that day, they waved at the mailboxes every day. Osric even left his door open. He listened for her steps. Mira tapped twice before she knocked.
从那天起，他们每天都在信箱旁互相挥手。奥斯里克甚至把门开着。他留心听她的脚步声。米拉敲门之前会先轻点两下。
A month later, Osric taught Mira a few signs. She learned the sign for "hello" and for "friend." She used them every morning in the hallway.
一个月后，奥斯里克教了米拉几个手语。她学会了“你好”和“朋友”的手语。她每天早上在走廊里都会用到。
Other neighbors noticed the change. They started to wave at each other too. The whole floor felt friendly now.
其他邻居也注意到了这个变化。他们也开始互相挥手打招呼。现在，整层楼都变得友善起来。
