Two little sticks, that's all — but they are tricky little things.

就两根小棍而已——可它们真是淘气的小家伙。

Hold them like a pencil... no, like tweezers... no, wait — like this!

像拿铅笔一样拿……不对，像镊子……等等——是这样！

My fingers tie themselves into noodle knots.

我的手指头自己打起了面条结。

I aim at a piece of food. It looks at me. It dares me.

我瞄准一块食物。它看着我，还向我挑衅。

Slip! It slides back into the bowl, splash, like nothing happened.

滑啦！它哧溜滑回碗里，扑通一声，好像什么都没发生。

Deep breath. Thumb here, finger there — the sticks stand up straight.

深呼吸。大拇指在这，食指在那——两根筷子站直了。

Slowly... slowly... I pin it down — gotcha!

慢慢地……慢慢地……我夹住它了——抓到你啦！

Up it comes, riding between the two sticks like a little bridge.

它升起来了，骑在两根筷子搭的小桥上。

My hand shakes, my arm shakes, but the food does not fall!

我的手在抖，胳膊在抖，可食物没有掉！

Into my mouth it goes — my very first chopstick bite!

它进嘴啦——我人生第一口用筷子夹到的饭！

I want to stand up and shout it to the whole table.

我真想站起来，向全桌人宣布这件事。

Practice tonight, practice tomorrow — soon I will pick up a pea!

今晚练，明天练——很快我就能夹起一颗豌豆啦！