三个西红柿

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妮玛八岁。她和爸爸妈妈住在基苏木。基苏木是肯尼亚的一个城市，在一个大湖边。

Neema is eight years old. She lives with Mum and Dad in Kisumu. Kisumu is a town in Kenya, on a big lake.

妮玛喜欢足球。每天放学以后，她和朱马、蒂托在街上踢球。球门是两块石头。球是用旧袋子和绳子做的。它不圆。它只有啪嗒、啪嗒的声音。

Neema loves football. Every day after school she plays with Juma and Tito in the street. The goal is two stones. The ball is made of old bags and string. It isn’t round. It only goes pock, pock.

妮玛想要一个真正的球。一个真正的球要很多钱。一年来，她每个星期六在市场上帮妈妈。她的钱放在一个盒子里。

Neema wants a real ball. A real ball costs a lot of money. For a year she has been helping Mum at the market every Saturday. Her money goes into a tin.

今天是星期六，盒子满了。妮玛去市场买球。球是白色和红色的，它是圆的。非常圆！她像抱小宝宝一样抱它回家。

Today is Saturday, and the tin is full. Neema goes to the market and buys the ball. It is white and red, and it is round. Very round! She carries it home like a baby.

“一个真正的球！”朱马大喊。“射门！”蒂托大喊。妮玛把球放在街上。她跑。她射门。她用力射门。

“A real ball!” shouts Juma. “Shoot!” shouts Tito. Neema puts the ball on the street. She runs. She shoots. She shoots very hard.

球飞得很高。它飞过街道。它飞过墙。然后他们听到了声音：啪嚓。

The ball flies high. It flies over the street. It flies over the wall. Then they hear it: splat.

墙后面是奥蒂诺先生的花园。奥蒂诺先生很老，有一根拐杖。他从来不和孩子们说话。所有的孩子都有一点怕他。

Behind the wall is Mr Otieno’s garden. Mr Otieno is old and has a walking stick. He never talks to the children. All the children are a little afraid of him.

墙不高。孩子们从墙上看过去。奥蒂诺先生站在他的西红柿旁边。三个大西红柿被压烂了。他拿了球，走进房子。门关上了。

The wall isn’t high. The children look over the wall. Mr Otieno is standing by his tomatoes. Three big tomatoes are squashed. He takes the ball and goes into the house. The door closes.

妮玛坐在街上。她的球才买了一个小时，现在它不见了。

Neema sits in the street. Her ball is only one hour old, and now it is gone.

“没问题，”朱马说。“今天晚上奥蒂诺先生睡觉。我们爬过墙去拿球。没有人看见我们。”

“No problem,” says Juma. “Tonight Mr Otieno is asleep. We climb over the wall and get the ball. Nobody sees us.”

这个办法很好。妮玛看着墙。她想到了那三个西红柿。“不，”她说。“我去奥蒂诺先生家。现在就去。”

The plan is good. Neema looks at the wall. She thinks about the three tomatoes. “No,” she says. “I’m going to Mr Otieno. Now.”

“你疯了吗？”蒂托问。

“Are you crazy?” asks Tito.