The sky turned gray just as the football match began. Ella, the team captain, watched the first raindrops hit the field. The ball would slide faster now.
足球赛刚开始，天空就变灰了。队长艾拉看着第一滴雨落在球场上。现在球会滑得更快了。
Her best friend, Noah, tied his shoes tighter. 'We can still win,' he said. Ella nodded, but her stomach felt like a muddy puddle. The other team was already cheering.
她最好的朋友诺亚把鞋带系得更紧。“我们还能赢。”他说。艾拉点点头，但她的肚子像一摊泥水一样翻腾。对方球队已经在欢呼了。
The referee blew the whistle. Ella ran forward, but her feet slipped on the wet grass. She fell, and the ball rolled away. For a moment, she wanted to stay down.
裁判吹响了口哨。艾拉向前跑，但她的脚在湿草地上滑了一下。她摔倒了，球滚开了。有那么一瞬间，她想就这么躺着不起来。
At halftime, the score was zero to zero. Coach Lin knelt beside Ella. 'The ground is slippery for everyone,' she said. 'Try short passes. Keep the ball low.'
中场休息时，比分是零比零。林教练蹲在艾拉身边。“对每个人来说，地面都很滑，”她说，“试试短传。把球压低。”
In the second half, Ella stopped running long distances. She passed the ball quickly to Noah. Their feet splashed, but the ball stayed close. The crowd began to clap in rhythm.
下半场，艾拉不再长距离奔跑。她把球快速传给诺亚。他们的脚踩得水花四溅，但球一直贴着地面。观众开始有节奏地鼓掌。
With five minutes left, Noah sent a low pass across the goal. Ella tapped it in. The net shook with rain. Her teammates rushed over, slipping and laughing in the mud.
还剩五分钟时，诺亚从球门前送出一记低传。艾拉轻轻一碰，把球送进了门。球网在雨中晃动。队友们冲了过来，在泥里滑着、笑着。
The other team scored in the last minute. The match ended one to one. Ella's shoulders dropped, but she saw a player from the other team sitting on the wet ground, holding her ankle.
对方在最后一分钟进了一球。比赛以一比一结束。艾拉的肩膀垮了下来，但她看见对方的一名球员坐在湿地上，抱着脚踝。
Ella and Noah helped her up. 'Good game,' Ella said. The girl smiled through the rain. Both teams formed a line and clapped for each other, muddy hands and all.
艾拉和诺亚把她扶了起来。“踢得好。”艾拉说。那个女孩在雨中笑了。两支球队排成一列，互相鼓掌，满是泥巴的手也不例外。
Later, the coach brought hot cocoa. Ella held the warm cup and watched the rain slow. A tie did not feel like a loss anymore.
后来，教练带来了热可可。艾拉捧着温暖的杯子，看着雨渐渐变小。一场平局不再像是失败了。