Matilda is forty years old. Today she has her first swimming lesson. She stands at the door of the pool. Her hands are cold.
玛蒂尔达四十岁了。今天她上第一节游泳课。她站在泳池门口，双手冰凉。
She is afraid of deep water. She never learned to swim as a child.
她害怕深水。她小时候从来没有学过游泳。
Inside, six other people stand by the pool. They are adults too. A young teacher in a blue shirt waves. "Hello! Come in," she says.
里面，另外六个人站在泳池边。他们也都是成年人。一位穿蓝衬衫的年轻教练挥了挥手。“你好！进来吧，”她说。
A man next to Matilda says, "I am nervous too. I am fifty-five."
玛蒂尔达旁边的一位男士说：“我也很紧张。我五十五岁了。”
A woman says, "Last week, I was scared. Now I like it."
一位女士说：“上个星期我很害怕，现在我喜欢上了。”
Matilda smiles a little. They sit and put their feet in the water. It is warm.
玛蒂尔达微微一笑。他们坐下来，把脚放进水里。水是温的。
"Today we only float," the teacher says. "Lie on your back and look at the roof."
“今天我们只练漂浮，”教练说，“仰面躺下，看着天花板。”
Matilda goes into the water. It comes up to her chest. She lies back. The teacher puts a hand under her head. The water covers her ears. Everything is quiet.
玛蒂尔达下了水。水没到她的胸口。她向后躺下。教练用一只手托住她的头。水盖住了她的耳朵。一切都安静了。
"Breathe slowly," the teacher says. "I will take my hand away."
“慢慢呼吸，”教练说，“我要把手拿开了。”
The hand goes. Matilda does not sink. She floats!
手拿开了。玛蒂尔达没有下沉。她浮起来了！
"You float!" the man says. Everyone claps.
“你浮起来了！”那位男士说。大家都鼓起了掌。
Matilda looks at the roof and opens her arms wide.
玛蒂尔达看着天花板，把双臂张得大大的。
