I'm Oprah Winfrey, and today I'm going to be reading "The Hula-Hoopin' Queen"

我是 Oprah Winfrey，今天我要讀的故事是「呼拉圈女王」，

written by Thelma Lynne Godin and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton.

這本書的作者是 Thelma Lynne Godin繪者是 Vanessa Brantley-Newton。

Today is the day I'm gonna beat Jamara Johnson at hooping.

今天我要打敗 Jamara Johnson。

Then I'll be the Hula-Hoopin' queen of 139th street!

然後我將成為第 139 號街的呼拉圈女王！

Jamara says she's gonna be the queen forever, but last week I almost beat her.

Jamara 說她永遠是女王，但我上周幾乎快打敗她了。

I sort through my hoops and pick out my favorite. And then I feel it comin' on. The itch. The Hula-Hoopin' itch.

我整理了我的呼拉圈，然後拿了我最愛的一個，我等不及了！

My fingers start snappin', and my feet start tappin'. My hips start swingin',

我開始彈指、我的腳開始踏步、我的屁股開始搖擺，

and I'm just reachin' for a hoop when Mama says...

當媽媽說：「女兒，妳還記得今天是 Miz Adeline 的生日嗎！」

"Girl, don't you even think about it. You know today is Miz Adeline's birthday."

我一心一意只想著呼拉圈。

Heat washes up over me, and I stamp my foot. Don't get me wrong. I love Miz Adeline.

我很熱血地站穩腳步，別誤會，我愛 Miz Adeline。

She lives right next door. Miz Adeline took care of Mama when she was little, and she took care of me too.

她住在我家隔壁，在我媽媽小時候，Miz Adeline 很照顧她，現在也很照顧我。

She's like my very own grandmama.

她就像是我的外婆。

"But, Mama," I burst out. "I can't help with Miz Adeline's party. I'm supposed to meet Jamara. Today's the day..."

我說：「但是媽媽我無法幫忙籌備 Miz Adeline 的派對，我和 Jamara 約好了，今天是重要的日子 ...」

Mama stands as still as water in a puddle. She gives me her look. Then she hands me a broom.

媽媽像是水坑裡的水靜止不動，她的眼神告訴我不可以去，然後給我一把掃帚。

I sigh loudly and start sweeping.

我大聲嘆氣，然後開始打掃。

But when Mama's not watching, I push my favorite hoop a little closer to the door with my toe.

但是當媽媽沒注意時，我用腳將我最愛的呼拉圈推到門口。

Mama and I dust every room and scrub down the floors.

媽媽和我打掃每間房間和擦地。

We polish each window 'til we can see clear to New Jersey.

我們把窗戶擦得很乾淨，乾淨到可以清楚看見紐澤西州。

After that I peel potatoes while Mama starts mixing up her special double-fudge chocolate cake.

然後我在削馬鈴薯時，媽媽開始做她特製的軟糖巧克力蛋糕。

"Kameeka, set the oven to 350 degrees," Mama says as she empties the last of the sugar into the mixing bowl.

媽媽倒入最後剩下的糖到碗裡時，便說：「Kameeka，幫我設定烤箱到 350 度。」

"And add sugar to the grocery list."

「然後在購物清單中備註糖。」

I push the button on the oven and look out the window. It's already getting late.

我按了烤箱的按鈕，然後看著窗外，約定時間就快到了。

I bet Jamara's telling everybody I'm too scared to hoop her.

我敢打賭 Jamara 一定告訴所有人我害怕和她比賽，所以沒去。

While the cake bakes, we make up plates of fancy sandwiches.

當蛋糕在烘烤食，我們在做好吃的三明治。

Then Mama slices strawberries and shows me how to make whipped cream.

然後媽媽將草莓切片，並告訴我如何製作鮮奶油。

When the timer rings, Mama opens the oven.

當計時器響時，嬤嬤打開烤箱。

"Kameeka!" Mama yells as she checks the oven temperature. "You only set it to 250 degrees!"

當媽媽確認烤箱溫度時，大叫：「Kameeka！妳只設定 250 度！」

Miz Adeline's birthday cake looks like someone sat on it. Mama says we'll have to start over.

Miz Adeline 的生日蛋糕像是被某人坐塌了一樣，媽媽說我們必須重做一次。

Mama sends me to the store to buy more sugar.

媽媽要我去商店買糖。

On my way out the door, I grab a hoop like I usually do, but when I get outside, I remember that I'm on a mission.

當我走到門口時，我像平常一樣抓起呼拉圈，但當我到外面時，我記得我還有任務在身。

Miz Adeline's party will be starting in a couple of hours.

Miz Adeline 的派對將在幾個小時後開始。

Mama has to finish the potato salad, and we still have to make another cake.

媽媽必須先完成馬鈴薯沙拉，然後我們還要再做一次蛋糕。

I don't even twirl my hoop as I hurry down the street.

我很快地走到街上，沒有轉動我的呼拉圈。

I don't stop to blow kisses to Miss Evelyn or wave to Mr. John in the bakery.

我沒有停下來給 Evelyn 小姐飛吻，也沒有和麵包店裡的 John 先生打招呼。

I'm coming out of the store when I see Jamara and Portia hoopin' on the corner of 139th and Broadway.

當我走出商店時，我看到 Jamara 和 Portia 正在 139 號的百老匯街角搖呼拉圈。

"We thought you weren't coming, Kameeka," says Jamara with a smirk.

Jamara 笑著說：「我們以為妳不會來了，Kameeka。」

I need to get the sugar back to Mama, but Jamara sounds so smug I can't stand it.

我必須趕快把糖拿回去給媽媽，但 Jamara 驕傲的說話方式讓我無法忍受。

"Well, you thought wrong," I tell her. "You ready?" she asks.

我告訴她：「妳錯了。」，她問：「那妳準備好了？」

"I was born ready."

「早就準備好了。」

And then I feel it comin' on. The itch. The Hula-Hoopin' itch.

然後我覺得我全身開始發熱，呼拉圈之癮又開始了。

"Whoever hoops the longest is the winner," Portia says.

Portia 說：「誰搖得最久誰就是贏家。」

As soon as she shouts "Go!" my fingers start snappin' and my feet start tappin'.

她一大叫：「開始！」，我就開始彈指，我的腳也開始踏步。

My hips start swingin', and I just know I'm gonna beat Jamara today.

我的屁股開始搖擺，而且我只知道我今天一定會打敗 Jamara。

Neighborhood kids crowd around as Jamara and I hoop. Cars honk and slow down.

鄰居小孩都圍繞著我和 Jamara，車子也按喇叭慢了下來。

Trucks roar past, throwing up heat and dust from the pavement. Swish, swiggle, swish.

卡車咆嘯而去，人行道上的熱和灰塵都被掀起，搖擺、搖擺。

Jamara frowns. "You've been practicing some," she says.

Jamara 皺眉說：「妳一直在練習吧。」

"That's right, girl." A grin greater than the Brooklyn Bridge stretches across my face.

比布魯克林大橋還要大的笑容在我的臉上：「沒錯！」

The sun moves between the buildings, and the sidewalk starts cooling down, but Jamara and me keep on hoopin'.

太陽已經移動到兩個大樓的中間了，人行道也開始冷卻了，但 Jamara 和我還在搖呼拉圈。

"I've got doughnuts for Miz Adeline's party," Mr. John calls out as he closes up the bakery.

John 先生邊關麵包店邊說：「我為 Miz Adeline 準備了甜甜圈。」

Swish, swiggle, swish, swiggle.

搖擺、搖擺。

"Miz Adeline's cake!" I shout.

「Miz Adeline 的蛋糕！」我大叫。

My hoop clatters to the sidewalk. I grab it and the sugar, and race up the block.

我的呼拉圈掉落在人行道上，我撿起它和糖，衝回街區。

I can hear Jamara laughing behind me.

我可以在背後聽到 Jamara 的笑聲。

By the time I reach our apartment, Mama is madder than a hornet. "Kameeka Hayes!" she scolds.

當我到家時，媽媽非常生氣地大罵：「Kameeka Hayes!」

"I'm sorry, Mama. I saw Jamara and--"

「我很抱歉，媽媽，我看到 Jamara，然後就 --」

"Girl, I don't want to hear that Hula-Hoopin' nonsense. It's too late now. Miz Adeline's already here.

「我不想聽到呼拉圈的事情，現在已經太遲了，Miz Adeline 已經來了。

You take yourself on into the living room and explain to Miz Adeline why she won't have cake for her birthday."

妳自己去客廳跟她解釋為什麼她沒有生日蛋糕。」

Miz Adeline brought her own music, and she's got it turned up loud.

Miz Adeline 帶了自己的音樂，然後她的音樂很大聲。

She's sitting and listening to a jazzy blues tune, noddin' her head like a spring robin looking for a worm.

她坐著聆聽爵士藍調的音樂，點著頭就像是春天的知更鳥在尋找幼蟲。

"Hi, Miz Adeline," I say. "Happy Birthday." "Kameeka, come here, baby. Give me a kiss."

我說：「嗨，Miz Adeline，生日快樂！」「Kameeka，我的寶貝過來，給我一個親親。」

I come in close and kiss Miz Adeline's soft cheek.

我走向 Miz Adeline，親了她的臉頰。

Then I whisper in her ear, "You don't really like cake much, do you?"

然後我在她耳邊輕聲地說：「妳不太喜歡蛋糕對嗎？」

"Baby girl, you know I sure do love cake. Chocolate cake with strawberries and real whipped cream on top."

「寶貝，妳知道我很愛蛋糕，草莓巧克力蛋糕再加鮮奶油在上面。

She pats my arm. "Oh yes, that is my favorite cake." Miz Adeline smiles at me.

她拍打我的手臂，Miz Adeline 微笑著對我說：「沒錯，這就是我最愛的蛋糕。」

I try to smile back, but my heart is racing as fast as the roller coaster at Coney Island.

我試著微笑，但我的心跳的就跟柯尼島的過山車一樣快。

I can't tell her about the cake just yet.

我不敢告訴她蛋糕還沒做好。

Pretty soon the neighbors start arriving.

很快地，鄰居都到了。

Miss Evelyn's wearing her Sunday church hat, and Mr. John's all spruced up in a pin-striped suit.

Evelyn 小姐戴著星期天教堂的帽子，John 先生穿著條紋西裝。

Jamara and Portia sashay in with their parents. They're still carrying their hoops from earlier today.

Jamara 和 Portia 和他們的父母一起來，他們仍拿著剛剛的呼拉圈。

"Girls, I don't want to see any hoops," says Mama firmly to Jamara and Portia. "Okay, Mrs. Hayes," says Jamara.

媽媽堅定地向 Jamara 和 Portia 說：「女孩們，我不想看到任何呼拉圈。」，Jamara 說：「好的，Hayes 阿姨。」

She flashes her big, smirking smile at me. "Kameeka, you're about done with hoopin' after today, aren't you?"

她對我閃過一絲笑容說：「今天之後妳就不玩呼拉圈了對吧？」

I smile right back at her. "Don't you bet on it, Jamara."

我微笑回應：「不可能，Jamara。」

Most of the presents are still unopened when Miz Adeline says, "Well, I do believe it's time for birthday cake."

大多數的禮物仍未開封時，Miz Adeline 說：「是時候吃生日蛋糕了。」

I swallow hard.

我難以吞嚥。

"Miz Adeline," I say slowly. "We made a cake, but it didn't turn out right.

我緩慢地說：「Miz Adeline，我們有做蛋糕，但沒有做好。

Then we needed more sugar to make another one, but I didn't get the sugar back to Mama in time 'cause I was hoopin'.

然後我們需要糖再做一個，可是我沒有及時買糖回家給媽媽，因為我在呼拉圈比賽。

I was trying to beat Jamara so I could be the Hula-Hoopin' Queen of 139th Street.

我想打敗 Jamara，這樣我就可以成為 139 號街的呼拉圈女王。

It's my fault there isn't any cake.

沒有蛋糕全是我的錯。

"No cake?" says Miz Adeline, raising her eyebrows.

Miz Adeline 挑眉說：「沒有蛋糕？」

I look over at Jamara. She's spinning one of Mr. John's doughnuts round and round on her finger like it's a Hula-Hoop.

我看著 Jamara，她把 John 先生的甜甜圈套在她的手指轉圈，就像在搖呼拉圈。

Suddenly that gives me an idea.

突然靈光一現。

"I'll be right back," I yell as I race from the room.

我從房間裡跑出來時喊道：「我馬上回來。」

In the kitchen I set a chocolate doughnut on a pretty plate. I add whipped cream and strawberries.

在廚房裡，我把一個巧克力甜甜圈放在一個漂亮的盤子上。我加了鮮奶油和草莓在上面。

Mama comes in to help. I put a candle on top, and she lights it.

媽媽也過來幫忙，我在上面插上一隻蠟燭，她點燃蠟燭。

As I carry the doughnut cake to Miz Adeline, Mama starts singing "Happy Birthday," and everyone joins in.

當我將甜甜圈蛋糕端到 Miz Adeline 的面前時，媽媽開始唱生日快樂歌，然後大家也跟著唱。

The candle glows as bright as the smile on Miz Adeline's face.

蠟燭就像 Miz Adeline 臉上的微笑一樣明亮。

"Wow, this is just about perfect," Miz Adeline says, taking a bite of her doughnut birthday cake.

Miz Adeline 說：「哇，這個好棒！」，她咬了一口甜甜圈蛋糕。

"Now, Kameeka, did you say you were hoopin'? When I was a girl, I was the best Hula-Hooper on this block."

「Kameeka，妳剛剛說妳在玩呼拉圈嗎？當我是個小女孩時，我可是這個街上的呼拉圈女王。」

"Adeline, don't you start that nonsense," Miss Evelyn says as she marches on over to us. "You know very well I was the best."

Evelyn 小姐向我們說：「Adeline，別胡說八道，我才是最棒的呼拉圈女王。」

Miz Adeline looks at me. "Baby girl, why don't you bring some hoops on in here and let me show this old girl what she forgot."

Miz Adeline 看著我說：「寶貝，拿出妳的呼拉圈，讓我秀一下，喚起這個老女人的記憶。」

My eyes find Mama's. She shakes her head.

我的眼睛看像媽媽，她搖搖頭。

But Miz Adeline's already pushing back chairs to make room. Then she slips a hoop over her head.

但是 Miz Adeline 已經將椅子退後，空出空間，然後她將呼拉圈從頭上套下。

And right then I know.

然後我才知道。

Miz Adeline's just like me. She's got the itch. The Hula-Hoopin' itch.

Miz Adeline 就跟我一樣，她也有呼拉圈之癮。

Her fingers start snappin', and her feet start tappin.'

她開始彈指，腳開始踏步。

Her hips start swingin', and before we know it that hoop is swishin' right around Miz Adeline's waist.

她的屁股開始搖擺，呼拉圈開始在 Miz Adeline 的腰部轉圈圈。

Then she's got it swingin' around her neck.

然後又在她的脖子轉圈。

I glance over at Mama and see a smile pulling at her lips in spite of herself.

我瞥了媽媽一眼，看到她的嘴唇不禁上揚微笑了。

Miz Adeline shimmies the hoop down past her knees.

Miz Adeline 從膝蓋轉呼拉圈。

She spins it around her ankle as she hops on one foot, then the other.

她在腳踝轉呼拉圈，從一隻腳轉到另一隻腳。

With the hoop still swishin' round and round, Miz Adeline heads for the door.

呼拉圈持續地轉啊轉，Miz Adeline 走向門口。

Miss Evelyn grabs one of my hoops, and Mr. John grabs another.

Evelyn 拿了一個我的呼拉圈，John 先生拿起另一個。

Even Mama's hips are swingin' as the whole party spills out on to the street.

甚至媽媽也搖擺著臀部，整個派對移動到街上了。

Everybody's got the itch. The Hula-Hoopin' itch.

大家都上癮了，呼拉圈之癮。

Pretty soon hoops are swishin' and swingin' all the way down the block.

很快的整條街都在旋轉呼拉圈。

"Kameeka, this is the best birthday party I've ever had!" Miz Adeline hollers.

Miz Adeline 喊叫：「Kameeka，這是我過過最棒的生日派對了。」

Jamara hoops on over to me. "Kameeka," she says. "I know who the real Hula-Hoopin' Queen of 139th Street is."

Jamara 向我說：「Kameeka，我知道誰才是真的呼拉圈女王了。」

"I do too," I say.

我說：「我也知道了。」

Jamara settles her hoop around her waist. "You ready, Kameeka?"

Jamara 把呼拉圈環繞在她的腰上說：「Kameeka，妳準備好了嗎？」

"I was born ready," I say.

我說：「早就好了。」

The sidewalk is cooler than a spring rain, and the streetlights shine like stars.

人行道比春雨更加涼爽，街道的燈比星星更加閃耀。

Swish, swiggle, swish...

搖擺、搖擺 ...

The end.

故事結束。

Well, the reason I wanted to read this story to you all is because I love Hula Hoops so much,

我會讀這個故事給你們聽是因為我也非常喜歡呼拉圈，

and it was one of my favorite things to play with when I was a girl. And even now, as a full-grown adult,

當我還是小女孩時，這是我最喜歡玩的東西。甚至是現在，身為成熟的大人，

I have my own Hula Hoop, I have actually several Hula Hoops,

我有自己的呼拉圈，事實上我有好幾個，

and I have an emoji that is an avatar of myself with a Hula Hoop.

而且我還有一個表情符號是我和呼拉圈的化身。

And whenever anything fun, or special, or really fantastic happens in my life,

無論何時在我的生活中發生有趣、特別或奇妙的事情，

I go out and I get my Hula Hoops and I swish, swiggle, swish.

我都會拿起我的呼拉圈盡情搖擺。

Thanks for watching Storyline Online.

謝謝收看我的線上故事。