Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...
First and second paragraph, Chapter 1
The longest day of my life began tardily. I woke up late, took too long in the shower, and ended up having to enjoy my breakfast in the passenger seat of my mom’s minivan at 7:17 that Wednesday morning.
I usually got a ride to school with my best friend, Ben Starling, but Ben had gone to school on time, making him useless to me. “On time” for us was thirty minutes before school actually started, because the half hour before the first bell was the highlight of our social calendars: standing outside the side door that led into the band room and just talking. Most of my friends were in band, and most of my free time during school was spent within twenty feet of the band room. But I was not in the band, because I suffer from the kind of tone deafness that is generally associated with actual deafness. I was going to be twenty minutes late, which technically meant that I’d still be ten minutes early for school itself.
Primer y segundo párrafo, Capítulo 1
El día más largo de mi vida empezó tarde. Me desperté tarde, tardé demasiado en ducharme y acabé teniendo que disfrutar de mi desayuno en el asiento del copiloto del minivan de mi madre a las 7:17 de la mañana de aquel Miércoles.
Normalmente me llevaba a clase mi mejor amigo, Ben Starling, pero Ben había llegado a tiempo a clase, lo que le hacía inútil para mí. Para nosotros, "A tiempo" era llegar treinta minutos antes de que empezaran las clases, porque la media hora antes de que sonara el primer timbre era lo más destacado de nuestro calendario social: quedarnos a charlar delante de la puerta lateral que daba a la sala de la banda. La mayoría de mis amigos estaban en la banda, y la mayor parte de mi tiempo libre durante las clases lo pasaba a menos de veinte pies de la sala de la banda. Pero yo no estaba en la banda, porque padezco el tipo de sordera tonal que suele asociarse a la sordera real. Iba a llegar veinte minutos tarde, lo que técnicamente significaba que llegaría diez minutos antes a clase.
Translation techniques
Transposition: longest day - día más largo
“On time” for us - Para nosotros, "A tiempo"
Literal Translation: of my life began tardily - de mi vida empezó tarde
Most of my friends - La mayoría de mis amigos
twenty feet - veinte pies
on time - a tiempo
useless - inútil
twenty minutes late - veinte minutos tarde
Closing paragraph, Chapter 1
“You don’t have to,” I answered aloud. I tried to hide my disappointment. “If you don’t like them anymore,” I said, “just hang out with me. My friends are actually, like, nice.” Her lips were so close to me that I could feel her smile. “I’m afraid it’s not possible”, she whispered. She let go then, but kept looking at me, taking step after step backward. She raised her eyebrows finally, and smiled, and I believed the smile. I watched her climb up a tree and then lift herself onto the roof outside of her second-floor bedroom window. She jimmied her window open and crawled inside. I walked through my unlocked front door, tiptoed through the kitchen to my bedroom, peeled off my jeans, threw them into a corner of the closet back near the window screen, downloaded the picture of Jase, and got in to bed , my mind booming with the things I would say to her at school.
Último párrafo, Capítulo 1
"No tienes por qué", respondí en voz alta. Intenté ocultar mi decepción. "Si ya no te gustan", dije, "sal conmigo. Mis amigos son realmente, agradables". Sus labios estaban tan cerca de mí que pude sentir su sonrisa. "Tengo miedo no es posible", susurró. Entonces me soltó, pero siguió mirándome, dando un paso atrás tras otro. Finalmente levantó las cejas y sonrió, y yo me creí la sonrisa. La vi trepar a un árbol y subirse al tejado por la ventana de su habitación en el segundo piso. Abrió la ventana y se metió dentro. Atravesé mi puerta principal, caminé de puntillas por la cocina hasta mi dormitorio, me quité los pantalones, los tiré en un rincón del armario cerca de la mosquitera de la ventana, descargué la foto de Jase y me metí en la cama, con la mente en ebullición por las cosas que le diría en el colegio.
Translation techniques
Modulation: She let go then - Entonces me soltó
but kept looking at me - pero siguió mirándome
my mind booming - mente en ebullición
Reduction: just hang out with me - sal conmigo
She jimmied her window open and crawled inside - Abrió la ventana y se metió dentro
Literal Translation: Her lips were so close to me that I could feel her smile. “I’m afraid it’s not possible,” - Sus labios estaban tan cerca de mí que pude sentir su sonrisa. "Me temo que no es posible"
my disappointment - mi decepción
Addition: I believed the smile - yo me creí la sonrisa
Expansion: of the closet back near the window screen - del armario cerca de la mosquitera de la ventana