Cecile's building had an empty rooftop. Last month, the owner said the people in the building could choose. They could have a vegetable garden or a small gym corner. They had two weeks, and then they had to vote.
塞西尔住的那栋楼有一个空着的屋顶。上个月，房东说楼里的住户可以自己选择。他们可以建一个菜园，也可以建一个小健身角。他们有两个星期的时间，然后就得投票。
Cecile did not know which one she liked. So she knocked on doors. She talked to people on every floor and wrote a list.
塞西尔不知道自己更喜欢哪一个。于是她挨家挨户去敲门。她和每一层的人都聊了聊，还写了一份清单。
The gym needed machines. They cost three times more than the garden boxes. Machines also made noise. The top floor neighbors went to bed early. The garden was cheap and quiet.
健身房需要器械。器械的价格是菜园种植箱的三倍。器械还会发出噪音。顶层的邻居睡得很早。而菜园既便宜又安静。
Then she asked who would really use it every week. Only six people said they would use a gym. Fourteen said they would water the plants. An old man on the second floor said, "I cannot lift weights. But I can water tomatoes."
然后她问大家，到底谁每周真的会去用。只有六个人说他们会用健身房。有十四个人说他们会给植物浇水。二楼的一位老先生说：“我举不动重物。但我可以给番茄浇水。”
At home, Cecile made a table with two columns. In the garden column, she wrote: cheap, quiet, many people, fresh herbs. In the gym column, she wrote: expensive, noisy, few people.
回到家，塞西尔画了一张有两栏的表。在菜园那一栏，她写下：便宜、安静、人多、新鲜香草。在健身房那一栏，她写下：贵、吵、人少。
Cecile loved sport, and she wanted the gym. But she knew the list was clear. A garden was better for the whole building. She could still run in the park.
塞西尔热爱运动，她想要健身房。可她知道这份清单已经很清楚了。对整栋楼来说，菜园更好。她还是可以去公园跑步。
At the meeting, she stood up and read her list. "I like to run," she said. "But I think we will use a garden more."
在会议上，她站起来，读了她的清单。“我喜欢跑步，”她说，“但我觉得我们会更常用到菜园。”
The neighbors voted. Nineteen hands went up for the garden. Only four went up for the gym.
邻居们投了票。十九只手举起来，选了菜园。只有四只手举起来，选了健身房。
On Saturday, Cecile carried the first bag of soil up the stairs.
星期六，塞西尔把第一袋土扛上了楼梯。
