The pearl-white halts of Bellevue Insane Asylum had a polished cleanliness to them. Only the faintest whiff of ammonia and wet mop hinted at underlying dirt and grime. Bellevue Insane Asylum
白如珍珠的精神病收容所給人以潔淨且無瑕的感覺，只有那還殘留一點微弱氨水味的濕拖把暗示著這裡潛藏的灰塵與污垢。
Eyes rolling, the doctor side-stepped the patch of hallway where a patient’s greasy vomit was being wiped down. What are they feeding them now? He wondered. Covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve, he motioned for an orderly to hurry, pointing to a gray blob they’d missed. Erstwhile, a nurse tied back her scarlet hair and pulled out a large spray bottle of air freshener, diligently perfuming the scene with flowers.
眼神翻滾，醫生在跨越走廊那片台階時，瞄到被刻意擦拭的病人油膩的嘔吐物痕跡。不禁懷疑他們到底現在餵他們吃了什麼？他用袖子遮住了口鼻，示意著老者加快腳步，並指著他們可能遺漏的灰色斑點。此前，一名綁著腥紅色馬尾的護士，方才用一個超大的噴霧瓶，有著花香的空氣清新劑，勤奮地為現場添香，企圖掩蓋這氣味。
Looking down at his Rolex, the psychiatrist saw he was running behind later than usual. He quickened his pace, still careful where he walked lest he encounter further unexpected messes. In a place like this, one could never be too sure there weren’t more spills hidden just a step away.
低頭看著他的勞力士，這位心理醫生發現他比往常晚了。 他雖加快了步伐，仍然小心翼翼地走到哪裡，以免遇到難以預料的意外混亂。在這樣的地方，永遠無法確定就在只有一步之遙的地方，突然冒出更多隱藏的事物。
“Ava,” he greeted warmly, smiling broadly with his arms outstretched as he stepped into his office. “So sorry to have kept you waiting.” How many years had passed? Eight? The small-farmed girl barely fit on the seat cushion, yet she looked the same as when she had entered at nine. The doctor shook off déjà vu.
阿娃，”他熱情地打招呼，步入辦公室時，雙臂大笑著。 “很抱歉讓您久等了。” 多少年過去了？ 八？ 這個矮小的農場女孩勉強可以坐在座墊上，但看上去和她九點入時的樣子一樣。 醫生解開了déjàvu。
Hid friendly greeting was met only with prolonged silence and the occasional sniffle.
隱藏的友好問候只有長時間的沉默和偶爾的嗅聞才被滿足。
“Er, are you eating well?” he managed to ask, filling the uneasy space with words. What a terrible question to ask, he realized, gagging slightly as he remembered the aftermath of spilled gruel he had seen. He shuffled paperwork between his hands. Suddenly, his collar felt tight. He loosened it a bit and caught another unpleasant whiff of ammonia and flowers.
“呃，你吃得好嗎？” 他嘗試用一些對話打破不安的局面。 他意識到，這是一個頗難堪的問題，他回想起那令人微微作嘔如稀薄粥的嘔吐物。 把雙手之間的文書工作都打亂了。 突然，他鬆開了一點令他感到緊繃的領子。並聞到另一股不愉快的氨水和鮮花香精味。
“When can I leave?” the girl finally spoke quietly with a tone loud enough to be heard over the rustling of papers.
我什麼時候可以離開？” 那個女孩終於安靜地講話，但聲音大得足以讓紙張沙沙作響。
“My dear child, you cannot,” he said, frowning. Setting aside the papers, he peered down at her sternly. “You can’t ever leave. You need treatment.” The hospital has bills to pay. Your parents want you here.
“我親愛的孩子，你不能，”他皺著眉頭說。 撇開文件，他嚴厲地凝視著她。 “你永遠不會離開。 您需要治療。” 醫院有要支付的賬單。 你父母要你在這裡。
The girl’s eyes glistened with tears, but her lashes kept them trapped in place—just as she was.
女孩的眼睛閃著淚水，但是她一如既往不讓淚水從她的睫毛落下。
“Well, I do suppose there is one thing.” The doctor’s voice softened at the moisture dewing around the girl’s face as he handed her a tissue. “Before your grandfather passed, he left you an item.” Rummaging through his pocket, he pulled out a small, silver compact. “There, there, I thought this might cheer you up…
”好吧，我確實認為有一件事。” 當女孩遞給她一張紙巾時，醫生的聲音因女孩臉上掛著的淚水而變得柔和。 “在妳祖父過世之前，他有託我將一件物品交給妳。” 他在口袋裡摸索著，掏出一個銀色的小巧的包包。 “在這兒呢，我想這會讓你振奮起來吧……”
After placing it gently in the girl’s palms, he left with discretion. He motioned the passing nurses away to give her a moment.
將它輕輕放在女孩的手掌中後，他謹慎地離開了。 他示意一旁的護士離開，讓她一個人獨自片刻。
The girl hung her head while grasping the only thing tethering her to the outside world. Tears finally fell like raindrops on her arms. She wiped them back to protect the gift, a last token from the only person she was sure had ever truly loved her.
女孩低下頭，握住了唯一將她與外面的世界聯繫在一起的東西， 眼淚終於像雨滴般落在她的手臂上，她擦掉淚水以免弄濕禮物，因為這是她唯一確定曾經真正愛過她的人所給的最後禮物。
For a moment, she sat motionless, lost in thought. While turning over the compact in her hands, she noticed it was emblazoned with the words: For my darling, whom I wish the world to see. As she traced her fingertips over the edges of the lettering, the mirror began to glow with a faint light.
一會兒，她一動不動地坐著，陷入了沉思。 當她把手提包翻過來的時候，她注意到它上面印著這樣的字眼：親愛的，我希望世界看到它。 當她的指尖劃過文字的邊緣時，鏡子開始閃著微弱的光。
Eye widening, she gently snapped open the latch. Her grandfather, the famous inventor, had given her a magical portal to the world. Lettering scrolled across the screen, welcoming her to look through the mirror’s portal via her voice-activated command.
睜大眼睛，她輕輕地打開了閂鎖。 她的祖父，著名的發明家，給了她通往世界的神奇門戶，她通過語音開啟了屏幕，瀏覽在屏幕上滾動的文字。
“Sky”, she whispered. Birds fluttered across the sky.
“天空”, 她低聲說。 鳥兒在天上飛舞。
“Earth,” she whispered. Large stretches of lush green hillside with broccoli-like treetops displayed.
“地球，”她小聲說。 大片茂密的綠色山坡上擺放著西蘭花般的樹梢。 “Sea,” she whispered. A blue-green ocean brimming with foam and sea life appeared.
“海，”她小聲說。 出現了充滿泡沫和海洋生物的藍綠色海洋。
“School,” she whispered, and a list of universities appeared.
“學校。”她小聲說，然後出現了大學列表。
“High school,” she clarified.
“高中,”她強調
Hesitating for a moment, the local school finally displayed. Zooming in, she watched the students exit classes. It was a live feed. Some went to the field. A few played soccer. One made a goal. Placing her hand on the screen, the mirror zoomed in.
畫面停頓了一下，最終展示了當地學校的影像。 她放大了影像，看著學生們走出課堂。 就像是現場直播。 一群人跑向操場。 玩起了足球。 得分。 她把手放在屏幕上，再次放大了影像。
A detailed profile appeared.
一個詳細的介紹顯示了 Name: Alec Albright 姓名: Alec Albright Age:17 年齡:17 Gender:Male 性別:男
She blushed. He was cute. A history of all his online records appeared: Facebook streams, Instagram feeds…and what was this? There was a link to a website, a dating service with his name right on it. A thought occurred to her that made her blush even deeper. Even if she couldn’t be on the outside, that didn’t mean she couldn’t be a part of it from the inside.
她臉紅了。 他很可愛。 他所有在線記錄的歷史出現了：Facebook紀錄，Instagram提要……這是什麼？ 有一個網站鏈接，一個約會服務，上面有他的名字。 她想到一個念頭，使她的臉紅得更深。 即使她不能在外面，也並不意味著她不能從內部參與其中。
Hands fumbling, she created an account for herself, wondering if this would get her in trouble.
她雙手觸動為自己創建了一個帳戶，只是不知道這是否會給她帶來麻煩。
Alec looked at his worn leather wallet. It was empty again except for a small handwritten receipt.
亞歷克看著他破舊的皮革錢包。 除了一張小的手寫收據，再一次是空的。
I.O.U. Dylan The memory there this morning had disappeared.
今天早上在那裡的記憶消失了。
Great. Thanks a lot, Dylan, he thought as his stomach growled.
好。 非常感謝，迪倫，他想他的肚子正餓的在咆嘯。
“Don’t worry about it, bro.” Jackson, his soccer pal, tapped him on the shoulder and handed him a credit card. “I got you.”
“別擔心，兄弟。” 傑克遜是他的足球好朋友，輕拍了他的肩膀，並遞給他一張信用卡。 “我罩著你。”
“Thanks, man, I’ll pay you back …”
“謝啦，兄弟，我會還您錢的……” Jackson nodded with a sigh and gritted teeth as he looked away. “Nah.”
當傑克遜移開視線時，他嘆了口氣，咬了咬牙。 “不。”
Meanwhile at home, Alec’s brother typed speedily on the keyboard. A few more keystrokes and Hire a Friend would be up and running for business. The dating service was a solid idea and only required twenty dollars to get starred.
同時，在家裡，阿萊克（Alec）的兄弟在鍵盤上快速打字。 輸入“僱用朋友”這些關鍵字後就將開始營業。 約會服務是一個好主意，只需要二十美元就可以上工。
Thumbing through photos on the computer drive, he found one taken last year of his brother and him standing side by side, each with an arm around the other’s neck. Although they’d grown to be almost the same height, he still looked up to his brother in this photo. His brother’s lean, tan arm held a soccer ball while his own pale arm carried – of all things – a cracked T1-83 graphing calculator.
他翻閱計算機驅動器上的照片，發現去年拍攝的一張是他哥哥和他並肩站立的照片，每個人的胳膊都纏在對方的脖子上。 儘管他們長到了幾乎相同的高度，但他仍然在這張照片中仰望他的兄弟。 他哥哥的瘦棕褐色手臂握著一個足球，而他自己的蒼白手臂則攜帶著破裂的T1-83圖形計算器。
Hesitating for only a moment, he began to crop himself out until just an arm around his brother’s neck was visible. 猶豫了片刻，他開始自我修圖，直到只看到一條繞在哥哥脖子上的手臂。
The computer blinked with a message: Upload complete. 計算機閃爍並顯示一條消息：上傳完成。
Unexpectedly, the door to the house opened and slammed shut, and his brother called his name. Dylan had just enough time to close his laptop, whip out an old math textbook, and slide on some headphones.
沒想到，房子的門打開後又猛地關上了，他的兄弟叫了他的名字。 迪倫有足夠的時間來關閉他的筆記本電腦 ，掏出一本舊的數學教科書，並戴上耳機。
“What happened to my lunch money?” Alec yelled. “我的午餐錢怎麼了？” 亞歷克大喊。
Dylan shrugged and smiled. Alec stormed off. Meanwhile, the first registrant had appeared. Dylan quickly opened the laptop and began to type.
迪倫聳聳肩微笑。 亞歷克猛衝了一下。 同時，第一位註冊者出現了。 迪倫迅速打開筆記本電腦並開始打字回復。