Halle planned every detail of the family dinner. She made a seating chart for twelve guests. Two cousins, Delwyn and Corvin, often argued.
哈莉把这顿家庭晚餐的每个细节都计划好了。她为十二位客人画了座位表。两位表亲德尔温和科尔文常常吵架。
She placed their cards at opposite ends of the table. She hurried and swapped two cards by mistake. She did not notice right away.
她把他们的名牌放在桌子的两端。她匆忙中错把两张名牌调换了，却没有马上发现。
Halle stepped back to check her work early. Something looked wrong with the head of the table. She counted the cards twice.
哈莉早早退后一步，检查自己的安排。主位那边看起来有些不对劲。她把名牌数了两遍。
Her stomach dropped. Delwyn's card sat right next to Corvin's card. This one mistake was a big problem.
她的心一沉。德尔温的名牌就紧挨着科尔文的名牌。这一个错误可是个大麻烦。
Halle moved fast. She swapped the two cards back to their correct spots. She checked every other name at the table, too.
哈莉动作飞快。她把两张名牌换回正确的位置。她还把桌上其他每个名字都检查了一遍。
The doorbell rang right then. Guests filled the house one by one. Delwyn and Corvin arrived within minutes of each other.
就在这时，门铃响了。客人一个接一个涌进屋里。德尔温和科尔文前后相隔几分钟到了。
They found their seats at opposite ends of the table. Everything was exactly as planned. Neither cousin noticed a thing. Dinner passed calmly, without a single awkward moment.
他们找到了自己在桌子两端的座位。一切都和计划的一模一样。两位表亲什么也没发觉。晚餐平静地度过，没有出现一刻尴尬。
After dessert, Halle told her sister the whole story quietly. "I almost sat them together," she whispered. Her sister laughed and shook her head.
甜点之后，哈莉悄悄把整件事讲给她姐姐听。“我差点把他们俩安排坐在一起，”她小声说。她姐姐笑着摇了摇头。
"You were smart to check twice," her sister said. Halle nodded and looked at the table. Everyone talked and laughed happily.
“你检查了两遍，真聪明，”她姐姐说。哈莉点点头，看着餐桌。大家都在开心地说笑。
She started clearing the plates with a small, proud smile.
她带着一丝小小的骄傲的微笑，开始收盘子。
The next family dinner, Halle made the chart early. She checked every card three times. She never mixed up a card again.
下一次家庭晚餐，哈莉早早就画好了座位表。每张名牌她都检查了三遍。她再也没有弄混过名牌。
