Hector the Superhero 超级英雄赫克托

李明娟选译

Hector dreamed of being a superhero， just like Universe Man. If he were a superhero， he would fly high in the sky and save cats stuck1 in trees. He would stop robbers2 with his superpowers. He would turn villains3 into ants or toads4 or even cabbages. One day， as he practiced flying around his room， his mom knocked on his door. 赫克托梦想着像宇宙人一样成为超级英雄。如果他是一个超级英雄，他会飞到空中拯救困在树上的猫。他会用他的超能力制止强盗，会将坏蛋变成蚂蚁、蟾蜍，甚至卷心菜。一天，当他练习在房间里飞来飞去时，他的妈妈敲了敲门。

“Remember， youre going to the eye doctor today，” she said. “Its time to get ready！”

她说：“还记得吧，你今天要去看眼科医生。现在准备要走了！”

“But Mom，” Hector said， “I can see fine.”

“但是妈妈，”赫克托说，“我可以看清。”

“You might need glasses to see better，” Mom said. “Then you wouldnt have to hold your comic books up to your nose. And you will look cool， like a movie star！”

妈妈说：“你可能需要戴眼镜才能看得更清楚。这样你就不必将漫画书抬到鼻子那了。而且你会看起来像电影明星一样酷！”

“I dont want to be a movie star. I want to be a superhero， like Universe Man，” Hector said. “And he doesnt wear glasses.”

“我不想成为电影明星。我想像宇宙人一样成为超级英雄。”赫克托说，“而且他没戴眼镜。”

“Well， everybody in the Kelly Martinez family does！Its a family thing！”

“好吧，凯利·马丁内斯一家人都这样！这是一个家庭习俗！”

“But the people in his family werent superheroes. ”

“但是他家人不是超级英雄。”

“You didnt need to be a superhero， to be a  teacher like Dad. You didnt need superpowers to be a poet like Mom or cut hair like Auntie Caitlin. ”

“你无需成为超级英雄，不必成为父亲那样的老师。你并不需要超能力成为像妈妈这样的诗人，或像凯蒂琳姨妈那样会理发。”

“Universe Man didnt wear glasses！None of the other kids in his class wore them， either. What would they think？ ”

“宇宙人没有戴眼镜！他班上其他孩子也没有戴。他们会怎么想？”

“Lets go！” Mom said.

“走吧！”妈妈说。

Hector and his mom got off the bus and went into the department store. They passed by superhero T-shirts， action figures， and games. Was that a Universe Man toy on the top shelf？ He squinted5， but he couldnt tell.

赫克托和妈妈下了车，走进百货商店。他们经过了卖超级英雄的T恤衫、人形公仔和游戏的柜台。放在最高架子上的是宇宙人玩具嗎？他斜眼看了一下，但看不清楚。

“Please， Mom！Lets look at the toys！”

“拜托了，妈妈！我们看一下玩具吧！”

“Not now. Its time for your exam.”

“现在不行。检查时间到了。”

The eye doctors office was on the fourth floor. The office had racks6 and racks of eyeglass frames7， and big pictures of smiling people wearing glasses. Those smiles didnt fool8 Hector. They werent superheroes. The doctor wore glasses， too.

眼科医生的办公室在四楼。办公室里有眼镜架和眼镜框架，还有一张大照片，照片上的人戴着眼镜微笑着。那些笑容并没有骗到赫克托，他们不是超级英雄，医生也戴了眼镜。

“Lets check9 your eyes， Hector.” Hector sat in a big chair. The doctor pointed to a chart10.

“我们来检查一下眼睛吧，赫克托。”赫克托坐在大椅子上，医生指着一张表。

“Read the letters. Its OK if you guess.”

“读字母，如果要猜也可以。”

The top line was easy， the second line he could guess， but the next lines were not clear.

第一行很簡单，第二行他可以猜，但下面几行不清楚。

“Now， look through this.”

“现在，用这个看。”

Hector looked through a large machine， like a thick， heavy mask. It had a clear lens11 for one of his eyes and a black covering for the other. The doctor turned a wheel and changed the lens. This made it easier to read the letters， even the tiny ones. The doctor changed12 the lenses， again and again.

赫克托透过一台巨大的机器看过去，它就像一个厚重的面具。他的一只眼睛上架着透明的镜片，另一只眼睛由黑色的覆盖物挡着。医生转动了轮子并更换了镜片。这让读很小的字母变得更容易。医生一次又一次地更换镜片。

“Tell me if this is better...or if this is better...”

“告诉我这个是不是要好点……或者这个是不是更好……”

Some lenses were almost the same. Sometimes Hector could see much better with one than with another.

有些镜片几乎一样，有时赫克托尔用这个比用另一个看得更清楚。

Then the doctor tested the other eye. “All done！” the doctor said. “You do need glasses， and youre going to see super with them. Wear them every day！”

然后医生检查了另一只眼睛。“结束了！”医生说。“你确实需要眼镜，而且戴了之后你会看得极其清楚。记得每天都要戴！”

“Now for the fun part. Picking frames！Well have your glasses ready next week.”

“现在到了有趣的部分了，来挑选眼镜框吧！下周我们将为你配好眼镜。”

Hector didnt see any frames a superhero would wear.

赫克托没有看到超级英雄会戴的任何一款眼镜框。

“These would look nice on you.” His mom held out a pair of blue frames. Hector put them on and looked in the mirror.

“你戴这副看起来不错。”他妈妈拿出了一副蓝色的镜框。赫克托戴上后朝镜子里看。

“Theyre OK.” But he looked different. Not like Universe Man at all.

“还可以。”但他看上去有点不一样，但根本不像宇宙人。

One week later， “Your glasses are ready！” Mom said. “Lets go！”

一周后，“你的眼镜已经配好了！”妈妈说，“走吧！”

Dad said， “I cant wait to see you in your glasses！” Hector didnt want to hurry. He didnt want glasses. But off they went anyway. At the eye doctors office， the receptionist13 pulled out Hectors glasses.

爸爸说：“我等不及要看你戴上眼镜了！”赫克托尔不急着去，他不想戴眼镜。但是无论如何他们还是去了。在眼科医生的办公室里，接待员拿出了赫克托的眼镜。

“Try them on.”

“试戴一下吧。”

The glasses felt funny on his nose， but not too bad. Wow！His moms eyes were green！

眼镜戴在他的鼻子上感觉很有趣，但还算不错。哇！他妈妈的眼睛是绿色的！

How come he had never noticed that silver14 in Dads hair？ Hector looked around. The carpet15 was brown and there was a lucky penny， lying there for him to pick up！ Everything was sharp16 and clear. No bad guys could get past him now. With his super glasses， he could save the world！

他怎么会从未注意到爸爸头发中的银丝呢？赫克托环顾四周，地毯是棕色的，上面还有一个幸运硬币，躺在那里等着他捡！一切都很清晰。现在没有坏人可以逃过他的眼睛。有了他的超级眼镜，他可以拯救世界！

“I have the power17！” he cried. “Come， Mom！Come， Dad！”

“我有超能力！”他喊道，“快来，妈妈！快来，爸爸！”

He led them out of the office to the toys. Now he could see Universe Man on the top shelf. Mom took Universe Man down and paid the cashier18.

他带着他们离开办公室去看玩具。现在，他可以看清顶部架子上的宇宙人。妈妈拿下宇宙人，付钱给收银员。

“Thanks！” Hector said. “Can I have a pen？”

“谢谢！”赫克托说，“可以给我一只笔吗？”

He drew glasses on Universe Mans face. “Now hes even more powerful—just like me！”

他在宇宙人的脸上画了副眼镜，“现在他变得更强大了——就像我一样！”