散文佳作108篇 第67期:Doug Heir 杜格·埃厄

杜格·埃厄

Lynn Rosellini

林·羅塞利尼

It was Father’s Day 1978, and Doug Heir, a brawny 18-year-old, was working as a lifeguard at apool in Fairfield, N.J. Suddenly he spotted a struggling child crying for help. Doug dived off thenine-foot lifeguard stand into the pool. The next thing he saw was a white flash as his headstruck the concrete bottom. The water turned red around him, and Doug felt he was drowning.Then he saw his brother, Brian, pulling him to the surface.

1978年父親節(jié)這天，杜格·埃厄，一個身強體壯的18歲小伙子，作為救生員在新澤西州費爾菲爾德鎮(zhèn)上的一家游泳池值班。突然，他發(fā)現(xiàn)有個孩子正在水中掙扎著呼救。杜格從9英尺高的救生臺上一個猛子扎入池中。頭部撞在混凝土池底上，緊接著，他眼前白光一閃，他周圍的水變成了紅色，杜格覺得自已快淹死了。隨后,他看見哥哥布賴恩把他拖出水面。

“Some body’s in trouble over there,” Doug sputtered, blood gushing from his head.

"那邊有人出事兒了，"杜格一邊吐水一邊急促而含糊地說，鮮血正從他頭上涌出。

“Don’t worry,” said Brian, in words his brother would never forget. “The kid was faking.”

“沒事兒，”布賴恩說 “那孩子是假裝的”這句話讓他弟弟永世難忘。

Doug couldn’t move. A defensive tackle on his college football team, he was used to being hithard. He was just stunned, he thought.

杜格一動也不能動，作為大學橄欖球隊的一名防守搶截，他對于猛烈故沖撞已經(jīng)習以為常。自己只不過是被震暈了，他想。

Brian and the other lifeguards lifted Doug from the water. Later, as paramedics from anambulance unit hovered over him, Doug waited for feeling to return to his body. The minutesticked by, yet his legs and hands remained numb. He was frightened.

晚恩和其他救生員一起把杜格從水里抬了出來。后來，當急救單位的醫(yī)護人員在他左右俯身忙碌時，杜格還在等著自己的身體恢復知覺。間過了一分鐘又一分鐘，但他的雙腿和雙手仍然麻木。這下子他可嚇壞了。

A few miles away in North Caldwell, Leonard and Carol Heir’s preparations for a Father’s Daybarbecue were interrupted by a telephone call from the pool manager. They arrived atMountainside Hospital in Montclair just as their son, his head cradled in towels, was carried in ona stretcher. The prognosis came quickly: a broken neck, irreversible spinal damage. “He’s aquadriplegic,” said the doctor. “Doug has lost all use of his hands and legs.”

幾英里之外的北考德威爾鎮(zhèn)，倫納德·海爾和卡蘿爾·海爾夫婦正在為父親節(jié)的烤肉野餐做準備，突然間游泳池經(jīng)理打來了電話。他們到達蒙克萊市的芒騰賽德醫(yī)院時，正好看見他們的兒子躺在擔架上被送了進來，他的頭用毛巾裹著。預后很快就出來了：頸推骨折，不可逆性脊髓損傷。“他四肢癱瘓了，”大夫說，“杜格完全喪失了使用雙手和雙腿的能力。”

By now, Doug was in deep shock. It was decided to transfer him to Bellevue Hospital in NewYork City, where he could get the best care. At six the next morning, Doug went into surgery.For three hours, doctors at Bellevue rebuilt his shattered neck, taking bone from his hip.

此時，杜格已處于嚴重的休克狀態(tài)。于是，決定把他轉往紐約市的貝爾維尤醫(yī)院，在那里他可以得到最好的治療。翌晨六時，杜格開始接受手術。大夫們花了三小時的時間，用從他髖部取出的骨頭修復了他粉碎性骨折的頸椎。

In January 1979, six months after the accident, Doug moved home. The next day, he enteredRamapo College of New Jersey, a small school in Mahwah with excellent facilities for thehandicapped. He plunged into his political-science studies, accumulating a straight-A average,and began swimming and lifting weights. Before long, the phys-ed instructor asked Doug, “Whydon’t you enter a wheelchair competition?”

1979年1月，即事故后的六個月，杜格回到了家中。第二天，他進人了新澤西州的拉馬波學院。這是位于莫沃鎮(zhèn)的一所小型學府，有專供殘疾人使用的優(yōu)良設施。人學后，他一心撲在政治學專業(yè)的學習 上，平均成績均為優(yōu)秀，并開始游泳和舉重。不久，體育老師問杜格：“你干嗎不參加輪椅賽呢?”

Doug said he wasn’t interested, but the teacher persisted. Finally Doug agreed to enter a race.On the day of the meet, as he sat at the starting line in his heavy, everyday wheelchair, Dougnoticed that the other competitors had fancy, light racing chairs.

杜格說沒有興趣，但那位老師卻堅持要杜格試試。最后，杜格同意參加一次競賽。比賽那天，杜格坐著笨重的普通輪椅停在出發(fā)線上時，他注意到別的參賽者使用的都進輕便講究的競賽輪椅。

Then the starter’s gun went off, and Doug barreled down the course, pushing his wheels fasterand faster. As the unwieldy chair gained speed, Doug lost control. His chair careened into anopponent, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

接著，發(fā)令員的槍響了。杜格立刻沿打競賽路線全速前進，把座下的輪子越推越快。隨著笨重輪椅的加速，杜格失去了控制，他的輪椅向一側傾倒，正好撞著一個對手，結果兩個人一塊兒翻倒在地上。

Doug was disqualified. But as friends helped him right his chair, his heart pounded withexcitement. And a grin spread over his face. Discouraged? He was elated!

杜格被取消了比賽資格?？勺悖斉笥褌儙退銎疠喴螘r.他的心卻興奮得怦怦直跳，臉上布滿了笑容。泄氣了嗎?不，他還挺得意的呢!

At the next meet, Doug concentrated on field events. His shot put was good enough toqualify him for the annual National Wheelchair Games, to be held on Father’s Day 1979.

第二次運動會時，杜格把精力集中在田賽項目上。他的鉛球成績已使他有資格參加定于1979年父親節(jié)舉行的一年一度的全過輪椅運動會。

Doug won a bronze medal in shot put that day. But more important, he met the world-champion wheelchair athlete, whose muscular chest and arms and powerful throwsastonished Doug. “I’m going to beat that guy one day,” he vowed.

父親節(jié)那天，杜格獲得了鉛球賽的銅牌。但更重要的是，他遇見當過世界冠軍的輪椅運動員。那位運動員肌肉發(fā)達的胸膛和臂膀，以及他強有力的投擲，使杜格感到十分驚訝。“有朝一日我要擊敗那家伙。”他發(fā)誓道。

After that, his training began in earnest. Every day at 7 a .m. Leonard, Brian and Douggathered in their back yard. First Brian and his father helped Doug stretch and warm up hisarms. Then, while his father held the wheelchair and Brain coached, Doug put the shot andthrew the discus and javelin. Afterward, he swam half a mile and worked out for two hours on aweight-training machine in his bedroom.

從耶以他汗始了認真的訓練。每天早上七點，倫納德、布賴恩和杜格在他們家后院碰頭。首先，布賴恩和父親幫杜格伸展雙臂做準備活動;接下來，父親扶住輪椅，杜格在布賴恩的指導下練習推鉛球和投擲鐵講及標槍;然后，杜格下水游半英里，再回到他臥室的力量訓練器上練習兩小時。

In time, his biceps bulged to 18 1/2 inches, and Doug was able to bench-press 400 pounds.Between classes at Ramapo, he traveled with the Jersey Wheelers wheelchair team and begancleaning up in local competitions. When he entered his second national games in 1980, he cameaway with silver medals in shot put, discus and pentathlon. The following year he won a gold indiscus, plus silvers in shot put and javelin.

終于，杜格的二頭肌鼓了起來，其周長達到18.5英寸，他還能臥推400磅的重量。在拉馬波學院聽課之余，他隨同澤西輪椅隊四處征戰(zhàn)，并開始在當?shù)氐谋荣愔羞B連奪標。1980年再度參加全國比賽時，他摘走鉛球、鐵餅和五項全能三枚銀牌。次年，他又獲得鐵餅金牌，以及鉛球和標槍的銀牌

Even with success, Doug occasionally got discouraged. On winter mornings, the ground wherehe trained was snowy and frozen, the wind bitter. In summer, the heat and humidity seemedto cook him alive. As a result of his accident, Doug couldn’t perspire from his shouldersdownward, and Brian had to spray him with water to ward off heat exhaustion.

即使有了這樣的成功。杜格偶爾也會感到心灰意懶。冬日的清晨，訓練場地上冰封雪凍，寒風刺刺骨。一到夏季，溽熱的酷暑又似乎要把他活活蒸熟。由于那次事故，杜格的身體從肩部以下不會排汗:因此，布賴恩不得不往他身上噴水以避免中暑。

Why am I trying so hard? Doug sometimes wondered. And then he would remember the long,helpless days in the hospital, the despair, and the support of his family. How could he let themdown?

我干嗎要這么拼命地練呢?杜格有時這樣問自己。但每當這時，他就會想起在醫(yī)院里度過的那些漫長的、無能為力的日子和當時的絕望心情，同時，他也會想到家人給予他的大力支持：他怎么能讓他們失望呢?

In 1982, Doug won three gold medals at the World Games, and he graduated from Ramapo asa dean’s list scholar. That fall, he entered Rutgers School of Law in Camden, N.J. But he alsohad another goal: doing his best in the 1984 Paralympics, in Aylesbury, England .

1982年，杜格在世界運動會上贏得三枚金牌，并作為優(yōu)等生從拉馬波學院畢業(yè)。當年秋季，他進入位于新澤西州坎登市的拉特格斯法學院深造。但是，他還有另—個目標：要在1984年英國埃爾茲伯里舉 行的國際傷殘人奧運會上發(fā)揮出最佳水平。

On the morning of July 29, Doug took his place with other Paralympic athletes for his firstevent, the javelin competition. He noticed reporters crowding around a South African athletewho had just thrown the javelin.

是年7月29日上午，杜格來到賽場，和其他傷殘人奧運會選手一起參加他第一個項目的角逐，即標槍比賽。他發(fā)現(xiàn)記者們正圍著一個剛投完標槍的南非運動員。

“A world record!” someone said.

“一項新的世界紀錄!”有人說。

Doug’s heart fell. The record had been his.

杜格的心隨之一沉，原先的紀錄是他保持的呀!

He rolled to the throwing circle, took several deep breaths and glanced at his father. “You cando it!” Leonard Heir shouted.

他坐著輪椅進入投擲圈內(nèi)，做了幾次深呼吸.又朝父親那邊瞥了一眼。“你能行!”倫納德·海爾叫道。

Doug took a practice throw. Then, as he lifted the javelin and drew back his arm, the crowdgrew still. With a supreme effort, he hurled the slim rod skyward, nearly catapulting himselffrom the chair. When the javelin plunged to earth, the crowd erupted in thunderous shouts.Doug had set yet another record!

杜格先進行了一次練習性試投。接著，他舉起標槍，向后引臂，人們都靜了下來。只見他奮臂一揮，把細長的標槍猛地投向空中，他自己也差點從輪椅中彈出。當標槍終于一頭扎進地面時，人群中頓時 爆發(fā)出當鳴般的歡呼。杜格再次創(chuàng)造了一項世界紀錄!

Before the Paralympics were over, Doug had won not only the gold medal for javelin but alsogolds in discus and shot put, plus a silver in pentathlon. As he accepted his four medals, theAmerican flag flying behind him, he had never been happier.

傷殘人奧運會尚未結束，杜格不僅奪得了標槍金牌，而且還榮獲了鐵餅和鉛球的金牌，外加一枚五項全能銀牌。當他接受四枚獎牌時，美國國旗在他身后高高飄揚，這是他有生以來最幸福的時刻。

“If you look at life,” he told a reporter, “there are 10,000 things you can do. With a disability,maybe you can’t do 1,000 of them, but you’ve got to go for the other 9,000. You set your ownlimits.”

“如果你縱觀人生，”他對—位記者說.“你會發(fā)現(xiàn)有10,000件你能夠做到的事。假如你有某種殘疾，也許對其中的1,000件你已經(jīng)無能為力。但是，你必須努力爭取去做好另外9,000件。事在人為啊。