A Small Plan

Tuesday night Lin Hao makes a small plan, not a huge one. First, he packs his bag: books, pencil case, water bottle. Then he reads English for ten minutes, the same paragraph twice. After that he can look at a short cartoon, but not before.

星期二晚上，林浩定了一个小计划，不是很大的那种。 先收拾书包：书、笔袋、水瓶。 再读十分钟英语，同一段读两遍。 然后可以看一小段卡通，但不能提前看。

Dad asks, "That's the plan?" "Yes," Lin Hao says. "First the bag, then the reading." A small plan makes tomorrow easier, because morning Lin Hao is often sleepy. If the bag is ready, he will not run around the room at seven o'clock.

爸爸问：“就这么安排？” 林浩说：“对。先书包，再朗读。” 小计划会让明天轻松一点，因为早上的林浩常常困。 书包准备好了，七点就不会在房间里乱跑。

He sets the book on the desk like a quiet friend. Ten minutes is not a whole evening, but it is real. He reads about a boy who wakes up at five to help on a farm, and he smiles. Lin Hao does not need to wake at five. He only needs ten honest minutes.

他把书放在桌上，像一位安静的朋友。 十分钟不是整个晚上，可它是真的。 他读到一个五点起床在农场帮忙的男孩，自己笑了。 林浩不必五点起。他只需要诚实的十分钟。

Mum turns off the kitchen light. "Plan done?" she asks. "Plan done," he says, and he means it. Tomorrow can still be messy, but it will start with a packed bag.

妈妈关掉厨房的灯。 她问：“计划做完了？” 他说：“做完了。”而且是真的。 明天仍可能手忙脚乱，可它会从一个收拾好的书包开始。