The Occidental Book of the Dead
George Washington Carver Technical High School was dedicated in 1943, the year its namesake died.
乔治·华盛顿·卡弗技术高中于 1943 年落成，同年其同名者去世。
Several administrative offices and a few class-rooms had since been renovated.
此后，一些行政办公室和一些教室被翻修一新。
Anthony was in one such classroom: there was a ceiling fan.
安东尼就在这样一间教室里：有一个吊扇。
It was last period, and he sat near the window watching the shadow of the statue of George Washington Carver that stood in the front yard, a drab olive figure, shoulders mottled eggshell and tan.
这是最后一节课，他坐在窗边，注视着前院里乔治·华盛顿·卡佛雕像的影子，雕像是土褐色的橄榄色，肩膀上有斑驳的蛋壳色和棕褐色。
Carver’s left hand clasped a book to his breast, his outstretched right hand was empty.
卡弗的左手将一本书抱在胸前，伸出的右手空空如也。
According to the engraving on the pedestal, Carver was inviting others to join him on the quest for knowledge.
根据基座上的雕刻，卡佛邀请其他人与他一起探索知识。
Anthony thought it looked like he was reaching out for more and asking, “Is this it?” The statue was Anthony’s sundial.
安东尼觉得他似乎在伸手去拿更多东西，并问道：“是这个吗？”这座雕像是安东尼的日晷。
In the fall, the school day ended just before the shadow of Carver’s right hand reached the base of the flagpole.
秋天，在卡弗右手的影子到达旗杆底部之前，学校的一天就结束了。
All day Anthony had been in a fugue.
安东尼一整天都处于神游状态。
There was nothing he could do except wait.
除了等待，他别无他法。
He didn’t have anything worth pawning and, more importantly, nothing to sell.
他没有任何值得典当的东西，更重要的是，没有什么可卖的。
He couldn’t understand how he had been singled out and robbed.
他不明白自己是如何被挑出来并被抢劫的。
No one at Carver knew what he did.
卡弗没有人知道他做了什么。
He kept to himself, never dealt near school.
他独来独往，从不在学校附近发牌。
Except Uncle Frank, no one could enter the apartment without Knuckles barking like mad.
除了弗兰克叔叔之外，没有人能进入公寓，纳克鲁斯就会疯狂地吠叫。
Anthony kept coming back to the obvious answer, but he didn’t want to believe his mom would steal from him.
安东尼不断地回到显而易见的答案，但他不想相信他的妈妈会偷他的东西。
And he certainly didn’t want to believe that she was using again.
而且他当然不愿意相信她又在使用。
After the bell rang, Mr. Travers, also his homeroom teacher, asked him to stay behind.
铃声响起后，特拉弗斯先生（也是他的班主任）要求他留下来。
Anthony looked down to avoid the smirks of the other students.
安东尼低下头，以避免其他学生的傻笑。
He bore no resemblance to the book-thin Mr. Travers, who had bushy brown hair like Einstein and bushy eyebrows, but Mr. Travers was one of the few white teachers at Carver High, so most of his classmates referred to him as “Anthony’s daddy.” When someone needed a hall pass, they said, “Anthony, go ask your daddy.” As everyone else trooped out, Anthony pretended not to see 2-Cent giving him needle eyes.
他和薄薄的特拉弗斯先生一点都不像，特拉弗斯先生和爱因斯坦一样有着浓密的棕色头发和浓密的眉毛，但特拉弗斯先生是卡弗高中为数不多的白人老师之一，所以他的大多数同学都称他为“安东尼的爸爸”。当有人需要通行证时，他们会说：“安东尼，去问你爸爸吧。”当其他人都成群结队地离开时，安东尼假装没有看到 2-Cent 向他投来的目光。
Until he squared with Pepper, he didn’t officially have protection.
在他与佩珀摆平之前，他并没有得到正式的保护。
Mr. Travers pointed to the seat beside his desk.
特拉弗斯先生指着办公桌旁边的座位。
Anthony sank into the chair, slouching.
安东尼瘫坐在椅子上，无精打采。
He shifted to catch some of the air from the fan on Mr. Travers’s desk.
他挪动身子，从特拉弗斯先生办公桌上的风扇中吹出一些空气。
Noises from the varsity squad scrimmage drifted through the barred windows, basketballs against naked rims, bricks and buckets distinguished only by jeers and cheers.
校队比赛的喧闹声从铁栅栏的窗户里飘了进来，篮球撞着裸露的篮筐、砖头和水桶，只有嘲笑和欢呼声。
Anthony hoped a pep talk wasn’t on the way.
安东尼希望不要进行鼓舞士气的演讲。
But he took in the sweat along Mr. Travers’s brow and the dark line on the rim of his shirt collar and knew he would listen.
但他注意到特拉弗斯先生额头上的汗水和衬衫领子边缘的黑线，知道他会听。
Sometimes Anthony felt bad for the teacher.
有时安东尼会为老师感到难过。
The arm-pits of his shirts were thin and yellowed, his black dress sneakers scuffed, and he wore corny ties, even when it was so humid that tape peeled off the wall like snakeskin.
他衬衫的腋窝又薄又泛黄，他的黑色正装运动鞋已经磨损，他还系着老掉牙的领带，即使天气如此潮湿，胶带像蛇皮一样从墙上剥落。
Many mornings Anthony came in to find Mr. Travers making the same joke about atomic weight as he rehung the warped periodic chart.
很多个早晨，安东尼进来时都会发现特拉弗斯先生一边重新挂起扭曲的周期表，一边开着关于原子量的同样的玩笑。
Why would anyone go to college to come here?
为什么有人要来这里上大学？
Anthony would graduate, and Mr. Travers would still be here.
安东尼会毕业，而特拉弗斯先生还会留在这里。
Anthony didn’t understand teachers.
安东尼不懂老师。
Mr. Travers said, “You seem distant today, Anthony, fatigued.” “Everything’s cool, you know how it be, it’s just like—”
特拉弗斯先生说：“安东尼，你今天看起来很冷漠，很疲惫。” “一切都很酷，你知道是怎么回事，就像——”
The caterpillars over Mr. Travers’s eyes jumped.
特拉弗斯先生眼睛上的毛毛虫跳了起来。
He said, “It be just like we have an agreement.”
他说：“就像我们有一个协议一样。”
Mr. Travers grinned, as he did whenever anyone called him ”Mr. T,” even if they were being sarcastic, like he couldn’t tell the difference.
特拉弗斯先生咧嘴一笑，每当有人叫他“T先生”时他都会笑，即使他们是在讽刺，就像他无法区分一样。
Anthony had promised Mr. Travers that he wouldn’t perform.
安东尼向特拉弗斯先生保证他不会表演。
He tried to remember to be “himself” and talk “the right way” for Mr. Travers, though most times he didn’t know when he was being himself and when he wasn’t.
他试图记住做“他自己”，并为特拉弗斯先生以“正确的方式”说话，尽管大多数时候他不知道什么时候他是他自己，什么时候他不是。
“I’m probably just feeling senior-year pressure.” The eternal excuse.
“我可能只是感受到高年级的压力。”永恒的借口。
Anthony had heard it invoked to explain everything from truancy to depression to last fall’s shootout between two seniors vying for the position of starting center.
安东尼曾听人用它来解释一切，从逃学到抑郁，再到去年秋天两名高年级生争夺首发中锋位置的枪战。
Mr. Travers nodded knowingly.
特拉弗斯先生会意地点点头。
“We need to bolster your confidence.
“我们需要增强你的信心。
When you get to college, you’ll ascertain that most people there aren’t half as smart as you.”
当你进入大学时，你会发现那里的大多数人都不如你聪明。”
“Yeah.” Anthony didn’t believe that and didn’t plan on ascertaining the validity of the statement.
“是的。”安东尼不相信这一点，也不打算确定该声明的有效性。
He couldn’t wait to get out of high school, let alone commit to another four-year sentence.
他迫不及待地想从高中毕业，更不用说再服刑四年了。
On the other hand, he didn’t want to disappoint Mr. Travers.
另一方面，他又不想让特拉弗斯先生失望。
No matter how much people teased Anthony, he enjoyed attention from teachers.
无论人们如何嘲笑安东尼，他都受到老师的关注。
So, he smiled.
于是，他笑了。
“Are you reading those books I gave you?” asked Mr. Travers.
“你在读我给你的那些书吗？”特拉弗斯先生问道。
“The word one.” The career guide was boring, a dull list of jobs and required skills.
“一字。”职业指南很无聊，是一份乏味的工作和所需技能清单。
The word guide was interesting.
指南这个词很有趣。
Mr. Travers nodded slowly.
特拉弗斯先生缓缓地点点头。
“The word one?”
“一这个词？”
Mr. Travers leaned back in his chair.
特拉弗斯先生靠在椅子上。
“Good.
” “好。
You’ve earned your wings,” he said, smiling broadly as he rooted through his desk, and then his duffle bag, the smile growing wider as he handed over an envelope.
你已经赢得了翅膀。”他一边说，一边在桌子和行李袋中翻找，笑容灿烂，递出一个信封时，笑容变得更灿烂了。
“As promised, your one-way ticket out of town.”
“正如我所承诺的，你的出城单程票。”
Anthony ripped open the short end and slid out the letter.
安东尼撕开短端，将信滑了出来。
It was a registration form for the SAT II preparation course.
这是一份 SAT II 准备课程的注册表。
Mr. Travers had guaranteed Anthony a scholarship slot if he didn’t miss any more classes.
特拉弗斯先生向安东尼保证，如果他不再缺课，他将获得奖学金。
That’s what Anthony appreciated most about Mr. Travers; he didn’t just tell him he could be somebody, he told him how to do it.
这就是安东尼最欣赏特拉弗斯先生的地方。他不仅告诉他他可以成为某个人，还告诉他如何去做。
Anthony felt buoyed by a chord of accomplishment, the pleasure of having reached a goal.
安东尼感到一种成就感和实现目标的喜悦所鼓舞。
For a moment he was happy to have come to school.
有一瞬间他很高兴来到学校。
“Yes, sir.” The course met at Riverview High from 6 to 8 p.m.
“是的，先生。”课程于下午 6 点至 8 点在 Riverview High 举行。
for three days starting that evening: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
从那天晚上开始为期三天：周二、周三和周四。
He could still make the fight, which didn’t start until 10 p.m.
他仍然可以参加战斗，战斗直到晚上 10 点才开始。
or later, although the more he thought about it, the less he wanted to go.
或者后来，虽然他越想越不想去。
Everyone knew what happened to the loser of a dogfight.
每个人都知道混战的失败者会遭遇什么。
He sank deeper into the chair.
他在椅子里陷得更深。
Mr. Travers leaned back and launched into his usual speech.
特拉弗斯先生靠在椅背上，开始了他平常的演讲。
“Anthony, an education is the only hope for you and your mom.
“安东尼，教育是你和你妈妈唯一的希望。
At your income level, the government will pay for all of it.
按照你的收入水平，政府将支付全部费用。
That’s if you don’t get a scholarship.” He snorted and shook his head as if amazed, his bushy hair swaying back and forth.
如果你没有获得奖学金的话。”他哼了一声，摇摇头，仿佛很惊讶，浓密的头发前后摇曳。
Eyes large, he pointed to the ceiling and asked, “What’s the best revenge?”
他睁大眼睛，指着天花板问道：“最好的报复是什么？”
Anthony grinned.
安东尼咧嘴一笑。
Mr. Travers was white but always talked about stick ing it to the man .
特拉弗斯先生是白人，但总是说要把它贴在男人身上。
“The best revenge is an education on Uncle Sam’s dime.”
“最好的报复就是用山姆大叔的钱进行教育。”
“Correct!
“正确！
Remember, Anthony, in a year there will be no more here .” Anthony ran his fingers over the names carved into the edge of Mr.
记住，安东尼，一年后这里就不再存在了。”安东尼用手指抚摸着刻在先生边缘的名字。
T’s desk.
T的办公桌。
One read, “George Washington Jonson 1988.” Another, “Mustafa Kennedy 1996.”
其中一张写着：“乔治·华盛顿·琼森，1988 年。”另一个是“穆斯塔法·肯尼迪 1996”。
Mr. Travers mouthed the words, “There will be no more Pepper.” Anthony looked down in shame.
特拉弗斯先生用口型说出了这句话：“不会再有佩珀了。”安东尼羞愧地低下头。
Mr. Travers patted his shoulder.
特拉弗斯先生拍拍他的肩膀。
“You don’t have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life.
“你不必知道你的余生想做什么。
That will come.
那将会到来。
Today, we dream about your perfect SAT score.” Pressing his hair into a mohawk, he leaned close and added in a deep voice, “I pity the fool who doesn’t go to college.”
今天，我们梦想着你 SAT 成绩完美。”他把头发扎成莫霍克发型，倾身靠近，低沉地补充道：“我可怜那些没有上大学的傻瓜。”
“Loud and clear, Mr. T.” Mr. Travers always told him to hold on to this college dream, hold it tight, hold it ’til it hurt .
“声音响亮、清晰，T 先生。”特拉弗斯先生总是告诉他要坚持这个大学梦想，紧紧抓住它，坚持到受伤为止。
Anthony liked turning that on his tongue, loved the alliteration, even though it didn’t seem true.
安东尼喜欢把这句话挂在嘴边，喜欢这个头韵，尽管这看起来并不真实。
Someone was rolling bones near the window.
有人在窗边滚骨头。
He heard the dice chattering and felt himself slouching even lower.
他听到骰子的颤抖声，感觉自己的身子跌得更低了。
He glanced toward the door, but his teacher was rubbing his jaw in a way that meant he had more to say.
他朝门口看了一眼，但他的老师正在揉着他的下巴，这意味着他还有更多话要说。
Mr. Travers leaned forward, the corners of his mouth turning down, and said, “You have youth’s greatest blessing.”
特拉弗斯先生身体前倾，嘴角向下，说道：“你拥有青春最大的祝福。”
“Being good at things you don’t care about.”
“擅长做你不关心的事情。”
“Yeah,” said Anthony, but he didn’t understand.
“是啊，”安东尼说，但他不明白。
He leaned toward the door and when Mr. Travers nodded, he rose, opened it, and merged into the stream of traffic in the dim hall, losing himself in the sounds, cream in the coffee.
他向门口倾身，当特拉弗斯先生点点头时，他起身，打开门，融入昏暗大厅里的人流中，迷失在声音中，迷失在咖啡中的奶油中。
Riverview High was in Dawnswood, a suburb three buses away.
河景高中位于道恩斯伍德 (Dawnswood)，距离郊区只有三趟公交车路程。
The #5 took him away from the Korean corner stores to the northern edge of downtown.
5 号车把他从韩国街角商店带到了市中心的北边。
The #142 traveled MidCity, where package stores gave way to wine shops, and pebbled glass replaced Plexiglas.
#142 行驶于市中心，那里的包装店被葡萄酒商店取代，卵石玻璃取代了有机玻璃。
The #12 cruised wide and smooth streets, and, as the houses came farther apart, yards grew into lawns.
12 号车在宽阔、平坦的街道上行驶，随着房屋间距越来越远，院子变成了草坪。
He had arrived.
他已经到了。
The bus stop closest to the school was on Peachtree Street, one half mile away.
离学校最近的公交车站位于桃树街，距学校半英里。
The road to Riverview High was a slick blacktop ribbon speckled by sunlight sneaking through a canopy of red oak trees.
通往河景高中的路是一条光滑的柏油路，阳光透过红橡树的树冠洒在路上。
The street ran through a quiet residential area, then along a high-walled golf course.
街道穿过一片安静的住宅区，然后沿着一座高墙高尔夫球场延伸。
Other than the black nannies waiting at the school-bus stops, Anthony had the thin strip of grass that passed for a sidewalk to himself.
除了在校车车站等候的黑人保姆之外，安东尼独享了那片被认为是人行道的细草。
No one else traveled by foot, except Mexican laborers and joggers, both of whom used the street.
除了使用这条街道的墨西哥劳工和慢跑者外，没有其他人步行出行。
A deeply tanned blonde with a ponytail jogged toward him, flicking her stray hair behind her ears.
一个晒得黝黑、扎着马尾辫的金发女郎小跑着向他走来，把散乱的头发拂到耳后。
He caught a breath of perfume as she passed and turned to see her run through a column of sunlight, the sweat on her back momentarily golden.
当她走过时，他闻到了一股香水味，转身看到她跑过一道阳光，背上的汗水瞬间变成了金色。
His eyes bounced in concert to her footfalls, following the contoured spandex shorts and matching athletic bra.
他的目光随着她的脚步而跳动，追随着轮廓分明的氨纶短裤和相配的运动胸罩。
Habit took over, and he snapped his head back around.
习惯占据了上风，他猛地转过头。
He usually paid more attention to where people were running from.
他通常更关注人们逃离的地方。
No one ran without a reason in The Bricks.
在砖块区，没有人会无缘无故地逃跑。
Riverview High was a low sparkling building tucked into a shallow vale crowned by evergreens.
河景高中是一座低矮的、闪闪发光的建筑，隐藏在一个长满常青树的浅谷中。
A curved drive bordered a neat bib of fescue, in the center of which stood the flagpole, boxed in by azaleas and, in front of those, a flowerbed that spelled RIVERVIEW in marigolds and carnations.
一条弯曲的车道毗邻整齐的羊茅围兜，围兜中央立着旗杆，周围种满了杜鹃花，旗杆前面有一个花坛，开满了万寿菊和康乃馨，拼出“河景”。
With its large expanses of glass, it looked more like a fancy office building than a school.
由于有大面积的玻璃，它看起来更像是一座豪华的办公楼，而不是一所学校。
The parking lot added to the impression of wealth, crowded with cars whose names were numbers.
停车场里挤满了名字都是数字的汽车，增添了财富的印象。
From the front steps, he could see a few skyscrapers above the tops of distant trees.
从前面的台阶上，他可以看到远处树顶上有几座摩天大楼。
It felt like downtown was an isolated outpost, and Riverview the center of civilization.
感觉市中心是一个孤立的前哨站，而河景则是文明的中心。
He transferred keys and coins to his book bag, but saw no guards or metal detectors, so he hooked the bag over his shoulder to cover the wet spot on his back.
他把钥匙和硬币放进书包里，但没有看到警卫或金属探测器，于是他把书包挂在肩上，遮住背上的湿点。
When he opened the door, a wall of refrigerated air stung his skin.
当他打开门时，一股冰冷的空气刺痛了他的皮肤。
Where he had been sweating, goose bumps grew.
他出汗的地方，起了鸡皮疙瘩。
Students milled around unchecked in the sunny two-story lobby.
学生们在阳光明媚的两层楼大厅里不受限制地走来走去。
On the floor under the skylight was a red-and-white tile mosaic of the school mascot, Max E.
天窗下的地板上是学校吉祥物 Max E 的红白马赛克瓷砖。
Muss , a centaur with an unruly mane and a thick red beard erupting from a football helmet, charging full stride with a basketball in one hand and a lacrosse stick in the other.
穆斯是一头半人马，鬃毛不规则，浓密的红色胡须从橄榄球头盔中长出来，一手拿着篮球，另一只手拿着长曲棍球棒，大步向前冲去。
Smiling greeters sat behind folding tables skirted with red-and-white fabric and piled high with manila folders.
微笑的迎宾员坐在折叠桌后面，桌边铺着红白相间的布料，桌上堆满了马尼拉文件夹。
The J–M queue was empty.
J-M队列是空的。
Still, when asked his name, Anthony whispered as he handed over his letter.
尽管如此，当被问及他的名字时，安东尼在递出信时小声说道。
The grey-haired man’s eyes went from Anthony to the roster, and back again a few times before speaking.
灰发男子的目光从安东尼身上移到了名单上，又转了几次才开口。
Anthony flinched at the stab of sympathy in the man’s voice.
安东尼因这个男人声音中的同情而退缩了。
He pocketed his name tag and headed down the hall, stopping at a bulletin board with a picture of the volleyball team: perky blondes and brunettes in long sleeves and tight shorts.
他把名牌装进口袋，沿着大厅走去，在一块贴着排球队照片的布告栏前停下来：穿着长袖和紧身短裤的活泼的金发女郎和黑发女郎。
Beneath it, a news rack held the latest issue of the Riverview Rag .
在它下面，一个报刊架上放着最新一期的《Riverview Rag》。
The glossy magazine was flush with color photographs and schedules for groups like the Japanese Club and the Greek Club and the Ski Club .
这本光面杂志上充斥着日本俱乐部、希腊俱乐部和滑雪俱乐部等团体的彩色照片和日程安排。
At Carver, physical education was canceled due to budget cuts.
在卡弗，由于预算削减，体育课被取消。
He flooded with resentment.
他充满了怨恨。
For the first time, Anthony wanted to do well on the SAT, to do George Washington Carver proud.
安东尼第一次想在 SAT 考试中取得好成绩，让乔治·华盛顿·卡佛感到自豪。
His assigned classroom had computer stations instead of desks, one for each student .
他指定的教室有电脑站，而不是桌子，每个学生一个。
There were three black students.
其中有三名黑人学生。
Anthony was glad to see Leon Williams, a classmate who looked as out of place as Anthony felt.
安东尼很高兴见到莱昂·威廉姆斯，这位同学看起来和安东尼感觉的格格不入。
While they weren’t friends, over the years they’d shared the same sparsely populated honors classes: always English, the only gifted courses their school offered.
虽然他们不是朋友，但多年来他们都在同一个人烟稀少的荣誉课程：总是英语，这是他们学校提供的唯一的天才课程。
Some students at Carver accused Leon of acting white because he always sat in the front row and carried paper clips plus a mini-stapler.
卡弗大学的一些学生指责莱昂表现得白人，因为他总是坐在前排，手里拿着回形针和迷你订书机。
Anthony always sat in the back, but he respected Leon for trying so hard, for being so serious, and for openly disparaging dealers as traitors to their race.
安东尼总是坐在后面，但他尊重莱昂如此努力，如此认真，并公开贬低经销商作为他们种族的叛徒。
Leon saw him and tipped his head in the direction of the computer on his desk as if to say, Check this out!
Leon看到了他，将头转向桌上电脑的方向，仿佛在说，看看这个！
and pointed to the empty workstation beside him.
并指了指旁边空荡荡的工作站。
Anthony started in that direction, but when he saw Lawrence Berg at the end of Leon’s row, Anthony turned away.
安东尼开始朝那个方向走，但当他看到劳伦斯·伯格站在莱昂这一排的末尾时，安东尼转过身去。
He eyed the back door.
他看了看后门。
If he left, he’d never be able to face Mr. Travers, so he chose a spot in the rear of the classroom, far beyond Lawrence’s line of sight.
如果他离开了，他就永远无法面对特拉弗斯先生，所以他选择了教室后面的一个位置，远离劳伦斯的视线。
Leon gave Anthony a quizzical look that melted into a blank stare when Anthony shrugged.
莱昂疑惑地看了安东尼一眼，当安东尼耸耸肩时，他的眼神变成了茫然的眼神。
Leon turned to face the front of the room, tapping the heels of his oversized grey sneakers.
Leon转身面对房间的前面，敲着他超大的灰色运动鞋的后跟。
Anthony again counted the black faces; one-fifteenth or less than seven percent.
安东尼又数了数黑人的脸；十五分之一或少于百分之七。
He told himself that Leon, with his button-down shirts and staples, fit in more than he did anyway.
他告诉自己，莱昂穿着系扣衬衫和订书钉，无论如何都比他更合身。
When the student next to him asked, “Where are you from?” Anthony said, “Grady,” without hesitation.
当旁边的学生问：“你是哪里人？”安东尼毫不犹豫地说：“格雷迪。”
Grady was the best public school downtown.
格雷迪是市中心最好的公立学校。
It had an IB program and Anthony had heard people brag about its media center and Ivy League alumni.
它有一个 IB 项目，安东尼曾听人们吹嘘它的媒体中心和常春藤盟校校友。
To avoid further conversation, he put his head on the desk like he was tired and stayed that way until roll was called.
为了避免进一步交谈，他把头靠在桌子上，就像很累一样，直到点名。
Lawrence Berg’s real last name was Lawman, which drew a few giggles, and there was a student named Phat Lai, but Anthony’s name drew the most snickers, especially after the instructor murmured it a few times as if trying to recall why it was familiar.
劳伦斯·伯格的真实姓氏是“劳曼”，引起了一些咯咯的笑声，还有一个叫法特·莱的学生，但安东尼的名字引起了最多的笑声，尤其是在老师低声说了几遍，好像在试图回忆为什么这个名字很熟悉之后。
Even students who had not seen Scarface knew the film from the many rap songs that sang its praises.
即使是没有看过《疤面煞星》的学生也从许多歌颂该片的说唱歌曲中了解了这部电影。
Did he want to be called Tony?
他想被称为托尼吗？
Or T?
还是T？
Anthony, forehead in hand to block his face, said, “Anthony is fine.
安东尼用手捂住脸，说道：“安东尼很好。
“Whatever you say,” said the instructor with a wink.
“随便你吧。”教练眨了眨眼睛说道。
“We wouldn’t want to upset you.”
“我们不想让你不高兴。”
After the giggling subsided, the instructor explained that the first test was a diagnostic with a ninety-minute time limit.
笑声平息后，教练解释说，第一个测试是诊断，时间限制为九十分钟。
They would be placed in a study group according to their scores, which would be available online by midnight.
他们将根据分数被分入一个学习小组，分数将在午夜之前在网上公布。
The sound of everyone around him scribbling down the internet address jolted Anthony into action.
周围每个人都在抄写互联网地址的声音让安东尼猛然采取了行动。
He noted the “URL.” After the test began, the only sound was keyboards clicking.
他记下了“网址”。测试开始后，唯一的声音就是键盘的敲击声。
Once he adjusted to the computer, Anthony eased through the test in only fifty minutes.
一旦适应了电脑，安东尼只用了五十分钟就轻松通过了测试。
He was the first person finished, and sidestepped out, keeping his back to the side of the classroom where Lawrence and Leon were seated.
他是第一个完成任务的人，然后侧身走了出去，背对着劳伦斯和莱昂所坐的教室一侧。
From The Occidental Book of the Dead by T.
摘自 T. 的《西方亡灵书》
Geronimo Johnson .
杰罗尼莫·约翰逊。
Copyright © 2026 by T.
版权所有 © 2026 T.
Geronimo Johnson.
杰罗尼莫·约翰逊。
Excerpted by permission from William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
经哈珀柯林斯出版社 (HarperCollins Publishers) 旗下威廉·莫罗 (William Morrow) 许可摘录。