A Zhe joined Class Five in September, and by October everyone knew the sound of his wheelchair on the corridor tiles. He was funny and quick, and he could solve a math problem before the teacher finished writing it. But the library had three steps at its entrance, and every visit meant two boys lifting him up while he pretended it was fine.
阿哲九月加入了五班，到了十月，大家都熟悉了他轮椅碾过走廊地砖的声音。他风趣又机灵，老师题还没写完，他就能解出来。可图书馆门口有三级台阶，每次去，都得两个男生把他抬上去，而他还得装作没事。
One rainy afternoon, Mei Ling watched them struggle and said what everyone had been thinking: 'He should be able to go in by himself.' The others looked at the steps as if seeing them for the first time. They were not very tall, but they were tall enough. 'We could ask the principal,' someone said. Mei Ling shook her head.
一个下雨的午后，美玲看着他们吃力地抬，说出了大家心里的话：“他应该能自己进去。”其他人看着那几级台阶，好像第一次看见它们。台阶不算高，却已经够高了。“我们可以去问校长，”有人说。美玲摇了摇头。
A Zhe was surprised when they asked, then pleased, then practical. He showed them how wide his chair was and how much room he needed to turn. The children borrowed a tape measure from the science room and drew the entrance on graph paper, marking the steps, the door, and the drainpipe that could not be moved.
他们来问的时候，阿哲先是意外，然后高兴，接着就变得很实际。他告诉他们轮椅有多宽，转弯需要多少空间。孩子们从科学教室借来卷尺，在方格纸上画出入口，标出台阶、门和那根不能挪动的排水管。
Their first design was too steep, and the second one blocked the fire exit. They brought the third drawing to the principal, with a letter signed by twenty-eight students. The principal studied it for a long time. 'This costs money,' she said. 'And it takes time.' Mei Ling showed her the prices they had collected and the parents who had offered to help.
他们的第一版设计太陡，第二版又堵住了消防通道。他们带着第三版图纸去找校长，还附上一封二十八个学生签名的信。校长看了很久。“这要花钱，”她说，“也要花时间。”美玲给她看他们打听来的价格，还有那些愿意帮忙的家长。
The ramp was built in the spring, and it was not beautiful. It was grey, with a railing on one side and a rough edge where the concrete had dried unevenly. But on the first morning, A Zhe rolled up it without stopping, pushed the door open with one hand, and disappeared into the library. The children outside heard him laugh.
坡道在春天建好了，说不上好看。它是灰色的，一边有栏杆，水泥干得不均匀的地方还留着粗糙的边。可第一天早上，阿哲没有停一下就摇上去，单手推开门，消失在图书馆里。等在外面的孩子们听见了他的笑声。
Later, Mei Ling found him at the far table with a stack of books about bridges. 'You started something,' he said. 'The art room has stairs too.' She sat down across from him. Outside, the rain had stopped, and the grey ramp was shining. It looked, she thought, like a sentence that had finally been given room to finish.
后来，美玲在靠里的桌子旁找到他，他面前堆着一摞关于桥的书。“你们开了个头，”他说，“美术教室也有台阶。”她在对面坐下。外面雨停了，灰色的坡道泛着光。她觉得它像一句话，终于有了写完的余地。