广西学位英语课文翻译UnitThree永不放弃.doc

广西学位英语课文翻译Unit Three 永不放弃Theytoldhimtoquit,thathewasntgoodenough,butfigureskaterPaulWylierefusedtolisten.WhenhesteppedofftheplaneinWashington, D.C.,followingthe1992WinterGames,and everyoneintheterminalstartedclapping,PaulWylie almoststoppedinhistracks.Whosbehindme?He wondered.Despitethesilvermedalinhispocket,he couldntbelievethattheapplausewasforhim.From thatmomenton,Paulrecognizedthathislifewould neverbethesame. ThesilvermedalheearnedinAlbertville,France,usheredthe27-year-oldfigureskaterintoa new existence.Hewasnolongerano bodywhochokedatbigevents,likethe1988 Calgary Olympics,wherehefinishedanunimpressive10th.Nolongertherecipientofadvicefrom judgeswho,afterPaulsperformanceinthe91WorldChampionships,suggestedthathe quit: Makeroomfortheyoungerskaters. Nolongerthetargetofloadedquestionsfromreporterscoveringthe91OlympicTrials(Whatareyoudoinghere?).NolongertheskaterincapableoffinishingaheadofU.S. NationalChampionToddEldredgeorthree-timedefendingWorldChampion Kurt Browningof Canada.NowPaulWyliewasanOlympichero.Hewasan athletewhokeptgoingwhendoubters suggestedhequit.HewasarecentHarvardUniversitygraduatewhohadfrequentlyfantasized aboutlifewithoutgruelinghoursontheice,butwhoperseveredanyway.Hewasayoungman whohaddiscoveredanddemonstratedthatgoalscanbereachednomatterhowmany obstaclesandbotchedattemptslieintheway.AreporterwhointerviewedmeattheClosing Ceremoniestoldme,Youcameherean unknownandnowyougohomeahero,Paulsays. Ithoughtthatwasinteresting,becauseI wasinFranceandunawareofhowmyjourneywasunfoldingonU.S.television.Itwasntuntil IsteppedofftheplanethatIrealizedpeopleconsideredmeahero.Theywerechangedbymy story.TheywerechangedbythefactthatIwas abletopersevereandwinthesilvermedal eventhoughalmosteveryonehadcountedmeout. Attimes,Paulhadalmostcountedhimselfout. Twomonthsbeforethe92Olympics,USA Todaydidasurveyofdifferentathletesandasked,Howoftendoyoucontemplate retirement?Thechoiceswere:yearly,monthlyorweekly.Iwrote,daily,becauseitwashardtokeepgoing.ButIjustdecided,Imgoingto persevereandhanginthere,becauseIhavea shot. Thingsdefinitelychangedin1992inAlbertville. Tohavemystorybeonethatbroughttears topeopleseyes,becauseofthewayitturnedaround-thatchangedmylifeaswell,Paulsays. Ilookedatmyskatingcareerandsawitrewrittenandbeautiful,asopposedtoabig disappointmentandmanyyearsstrugglingto wardsomegoalbutnotreachingit. ?Withmedalinhand,Paulwassuddenlyusheredintoaworldof lucrativeendorsementsand figure-skatingworldtours,ofexclusiveeventsandautographseekers.Everythingyoumight expectofacelebrityhero,butnoneofwhatPaulhimselfbelievesmeritsthehonorofthattitle.?Whatmakesatrueheroisselflessservice,hesays. Orsomeonewhoselifeandactions inspireyoutobebetterandtobeabiggerperson.IdontthinkthatwhatIdidwasselfless service.ButGodusedthestoryofmylifetoinspireothers. Heroism,Paulhasobserved,requiresdaily maintenance.Justasaskaterachieves perfectionbypracticingsmallpartsofhislarger routinedayafterday,aheromustlookfor waystoserveonaregularbasis-notjustina crisisormorevisiblesituation. anOlympicmedallosesitslusterafteryearsof storage,aherowilllosehiscredibilityifhe stopslookingtotheneedsofothers.WhenPaul joinsthethousandsofotherswatchingthe OlympicsinSaltLakeCity,heknowsthatbehindthescenesofeachvictory,ofeach record-settingfinish,standcountlessstoriesofeverydayheroes.Heroeswhorefusetogiveup. 人们劝他引退，说他天分不够，但是花样滑冰选手保罗怀利拒绝放弃。1992年冬奥会闭幕后，保罗怀利抵达华盛顿。走下飞机时，欢迎的人群开始鼓掌。他差点停下了脚步。谁在后面呀？他心里嘀咕。虽说有银牌在囊中，他怎么也不敢相信这掌声是献给他的。从那一刻起，保罗意识到自己的生活从此永远地改变了。这位27岁的花样滑冰运动员在法国的阿尔贝维尔获得了银牌，从此走向全新的生活。1988年的卡尔加里冬奥会上，他表现平平，只得了第10名，可如今他再也不是在大型赛事中举止失措的无名小卒了；1991年的世界锦标赛上，保罗比赛完后，裁判建议他退出冰坛，“给年轻选手让位”，如今再也听不到这样的建议了。跟踪报道1991年冬奥会选拔赛的记者们曾问他“你来这儿干什么？”，如今再也不会有这种别有用心的提问了。他再也不是美国冠军托德埃尔德雷奇的手下败将，再也不会被三度问鼎世界冠军宝座的加拿大运动员库尔特布朗宁甩在身后。现在保罗怀利成了奥运英雄。虽然有些人对他没有信心，建议他放弃，可他仍然勇往直前。虽然这个刚出校门的哈佛毕业生经常幻想，离开严酷的冰上训练生活会是怎样，但依然苦苦坚持着；这个年轻人发现：不管途中有多少障碍，要经历多少次失败，目标终能实现，而且他证明了这一点。保罗说：“闭幕式上我接受采访，有个记者对我说，你来时不为人知，归时却名扬四海。我觉得这话很有意思，因为我当时在法国，根本不知道美国电视是怎么报道这次法国之旅的。走下飞机，我才意识到人们把我当成了英雄。他们对我的看法改变了，因为我们获胜了。他们的看法改变了，因为我坚持不懈并且得了银牌，虽然没什么人看好我。”有时，保罗也几乎不看好自己了。“92年冬奥会两个月前，今日美国对运动员们进行了一次调查，问道，你经常考虑退役吗？选项有：每年、每月、每周。”“我写的是每天，因为要坚持下去实在是太难了。但我还是下定决心要坚持下去，决不放弃，我要全力拼搏。”1992年在阿尔贝维尔，事情完全改观了。保罗说：“我的经历使人们热泪盈眶，因为结果出人意料。这同时也改变了我的生活，我看着自己的冰上生涯从此被改写，变得精彩纷呈。其实也可能会是另一种结局：多年的努力化为乌有，结果令人大失所望。”手中拿着奖牌，保罗突然进入到一个全新的世界：财源不断的签约、花样滑冰巡回赛、独家采