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骑脚踏车对于一个正常人来说并不是一件难事，但对于只有一条腿的残疾人而言，参加150英里的骑车比赛，难度就可想而知了。是什么支撑着她踏上如此艰难的赛程？除了对他人的爱心和对慈善事业的支持，更重要的是对自己充满信心。有了这份信心和希望，就没有到达不了的终点。
When I started riding a bike a couple of years ago, I didn’t think my in-volvement1 would ever be more serious than the occasional short ride. But as I built strength, my friends encouraged me to step up my training and try some longer trips. The first one to come along was a 150-mile trek2, the MS-150, an annual event that raises money to fight multiple3 sclerosis4.
When I registered, the idea seemed terrific— support a worthy cause while going for the distance— and I trained with enthusiasm. But as the time for the ride approached, my self-doubts gained ground over my endurance5. I still wanted to raise money for the charity6, but I didn’t really want to bike all those miles for two days straight.
The ride began on a beautiful Sunday morning in the tranquil7 Georgia countryside, and for the first few hours I felt wonderful. This was just the experience I had imagined, and my spirits were high. But by the end of the day, I felt tired and irritable8.
If the body is connected to the mind, here was proof in action. Every excuse my brain pushed out seemed to travel right down to my legs. “I can’t handle this” became a leg cramp9, and “everyone else is a better rider” translated into shortness of breath. I was sure I’d have to quit.
As I topped the crest10 of a hill, the magnificent sunset kept me going for a few minutes more. Then in the distance, silhouetted11 against the bright red sun, I saw a lone rider pedaling12 very slowly. I noticed that the person looked different in some way, but I couldn’t tell why. So I pushed myself to catch up. There she was, pedaling along slowly but steadily, with a slight and determined smile on her face—and she had only one leg.
My focus changed in that instant. For a whole day I’d been doubting my body. But now I knew it wasn’t the body, but the will that would help me reach my goal.
It rained all the second day. I never saw the one-legged biker again, but I pushed on without complaining, knowing she was out there with me somewhere. And at the end of the day, still feeling strong, I completed the 150-mile trek.
几年前，我开始骑脚踏车。我一直认为自己参与这项运动只会是为了偶尔的几次短途出行。但是，随着我的身体越来越强壮，朋友们鼓励我进一步强化训练，并且尝试一些更长距离的出行。我参加的第一个长途出行是一个150英里的艰苦跋涉。这个名叫“MS-150”的年度赛事,其主要目的是为患有多发性硬化症的病人募集善款。
报名时，感觉能在参加比赛的同时支持这项有意义的事业的想法不错，我热情高涨地投入了赛前训练。但是随着比赛日期的临近，我对自己的怀疑开始动摇我坚定的决心。虽然我仍希望为慈善事业募集善款，但我真的不愿意用整整两天的时间骑着脚踏车走那么远。
比赛开始那天是一个阳光明媚的星期天，我们从佐治亚州一个安静的乡村出发了。比赛开始的头几个小时，我的感觉棒极了，这种感受与我想象的一模一样，我的情绪异常高涨。但在这一天结束的时候，我感觉到非常疲惫和急躁。
如果人的身体与思想有联系的话，这儿就有一个实例。我的大脑想出的每一个停止比赛的借口都传达到了我的双腿。“我无法做到”这个想法像夹子一样夹住我的双腿，而“其他每一个参赛选手都比我好”的想法更使我的呼吸变得急促。我确信自己将会中途退出。
当我到达一个小山顶时，落日的美景吸引着我多向前蹬了几分钟。在离我较远的地方，在火红落日的映衬下，出现了一个身影。一个骑车人正在独自很缓慢地向前骑行。虽然说不出，但我始终觉得那个人与我有些不同。于是，我紧蹬几下，赶过去看个究竟。原来那个沿着山路，缓慢而坚定地向前骑行的是一位女选手，她的脸上带着浅浅的但异常坚定的微笑。她只有一条腿。
在那一刻，我的想法改变了。我一整天都在质疑自己的体力，直到现在我才认识到，能够支撑我达到目标的不是体力，而是意志力。
比赛的第二天，雨一直下个不停。我再没有遇到那位独腿女选手，但我一直毫无怨言地往前骑，因为我知道她也正在某个赛段与我一样不断前行。最终我完成了漫长的150英里的赛程，仍觉体力充沛。
王巍 摘译自 Great People
When I started riding a bike a couple of years ago, I didn’t think my in-volvement1 would ever be more serious than the occasional short ride. But as I built strength, my friends encouraged me to step up my training and try some longer trips. The first one to come along was a 150-mile trek2, the MS-150, an annual event that raises money to fight multiple3 sclerosis4.
When I registered, the idea seemed terrific— support a worthy cause while going for the distance— and I trained with enthusiasm. But as the time for the ride approached, my self-doubts gained ground over my endurance5. I still wanted to raise money for the charity6, but I didn’t really want to bike all those miles for two days straight.
The ride began on a beautiful Sunday morning in the tranquil7 Georgia countryside, and for the first few hours I felt wonderful. This was just the experience I had imagined, and my spirits were high. But by the end of the day, I felt tired and irritable8.
If the body is connected to the mind, here was proof in action. Every excuse my brain pushed out seemed to travel right down to my legs. “I can’t handle this” became a leg cramp9, and “everyone else is a better rider” translated into shortness of breath. I was sure I’d have to quit.
As I topped the crest10 of a hill, the magnificent sunset kept me going for a few minutes more. Then in the distance, silhouetted11 against the bright red sun, I saw a lone rider pedaling12 very slowly. I noticed that the person looked different in some way, but I couldn’t tell why. So I pushed myself to catch up. There she was, pedaling along slowly but steadily, with a slight and determined smile on her face—and she had only one leg.
My focus changed in that instant. For a whole day I’d been doubting my body. But now I knew it wasn’t the body, but the will that would help me reach my goal.
It rained all the second day. I never saw the one-legged biker again, but I pushed on without complaining, knowing she was out there with me somewhere. And at the end of the day, still feeling strong, I completed the 150-mile trek.
几年前，我开始骑脚踏车。我一直认为自己参与这项运动只会是为了偶尔的几次短途出行。但是，随着我的身体越来越强壮，朋友们鼓励我进一步强化训练，并且尝试一些更长距离的出行。我参加的第一个长途出行是一个150英里的艰苦跋涉。这个名叫“MS-150”的年度赛事,其主要目的是为患有多发性硬化症的病人募集善款。
报名时，感觉能在参加比赛的同时支持这项有意义的事业的想法不错，我热情高涨地投入了赛前训练。但是随着比赛日期的临近，我对自己的怀疑开始动摇我坚定的决心。虽然我仍希望为慈善事业募集善款，但我真的不愿意用整整两天的时间骑着脚踏车走那么远。
比赛开始那天是一个阳光明媚的星期天，我们从佐治亚州一个安静的乡村出发了。比赛开始的头几个小时，我的感觉棒极了，这种感受与我想象的一模一样，我的情绪异常高涨。但在这一天结束的时候，我感觉到非常疲惫和急躁。
如果人的身体与思想有联系的话，这儿就有一个实例。我的大脑想出的每一个停止比赛的借口都传达到了我的双腿。“我无法做到”这个想法像夹子一样夹住我的双腿，而“其他每一个参赛选手都比我好”的想法更使我的呼吸变得急促。我确信自己将会中途退出。
当我到达一个小山顶时，落日的美景吸引着我多向前蹬了几分钟。在离我较远的地方，在火红落日的映衬下，出现了一个身影。一个骑车人正在独自很缓慢地向前骑行。虽然说不出，但我始终觉得那个人与我有些不同。于是，我紧蹬几下，赶过去看个究竟。原来那个沿着山路，缓慢而坚定地向前骑行的是一位女选手，她的脸上带着浅浅的但异常坚定的微笑。她只有一条腿。
在那一刻，我的想法改变了。我一整天都在质疑自己的体力，直到现在我才认识到，能够支撑我达到目标的不是体力，而是意志力。
比赛的第二天，雨一直下个不停。我再没有遇到那位独腿女选手，但我一直毫无怨言地往前骑，因为我知道她也正在某个赛段与我一样不断前行。最终我完成了漫长的150英里的赛程，仍觉体力充沛。
王巍 摘译自 Great People