11 The Clever Class

11 聪明的班级

IT WAS SCHOOL that kept me going in those dark days.

在那些失去光明的日子里，上学是让我坚持下去的动力。

When I was in the street it felt as though every man I passed might be a talib.

走在大街上，我有一种任何一个从我身旁经过的人都可能是一名塔利班的感觉。

We hid our school bags and our books in our shawls.

我们把书包和课本藏在围巾里。

My father always said that the most beautiful thing in a village in the morning is the sight of a child in a school uniform, but now we were afraid to wear them.

父亲常说，在小村晨光中，最美丽的事物就是孩童穿着学校制服的身影，但现在我们都很害怕穿上它。

We had moved up to high school.

我们升入高中。

Madam Maryam said no one wanted to teach our class as we asked so many questions.

玛丽安女士说没有老师想在我们这班授课，因为我们太喜欢问问题了。

We liked to be known as the clever girls.

我们希望别人觉得我们是聪明的女孩。

When we decorated our hands with henna for holidays and weddings, we drew calculus and chemical formulae instead of flowers and butterflies.

假日或婚礼彩绘双手时，我们画的是微积分算式和化学方程式，而非花花蝶蝶。

My rivalry with Malka-e-Noor continued.

我和玛丽克•努尔之间的竞争犹在。

But after the shock of being beaten by her when she first joined our school, I worked hard and had managed to regain my position on the school honours board for first in class.

自从那次她刚转学到我们学校便打败我之后，我变得加倍努力，并成功再拔头筹，成为班级荣誉榜上的第一名。

She usually came second and Moniba third.

她则通常是第二名，莫妮巴是第三名。