英語美文:If the Dream is Big Enough

　　英語美文:If the Dream is Big Enough

　　If the Dream is Big EnoughI used to watch her from mykitchenwindow, she seemed so small as she 1)muscled her way throughthecrowd of boys on the playground. The school was across thestreetfrom our home and I would often watch the kids as theyplayedduring recess. A sea of children, and yet to me, she stoodout fromthem all.I remr the first day I saw her playing basketball.Iwatched in wonder as she ran circles around the other kids.Shemanaged to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into thenet.The boys always tried to stop her but no one could.I begantonotice her at other times, basketball in hand, playing alone.Shewould practice 2)dribbling and shooting over and overagain,sometimes until dark. One day I asked her why she practicedsomuch. She looked directly in my eyes and without a momentofhesitation she said, “I want to go to college. The only way Icango is if I get a scholarship. I like basketball. I decided thatifI were good enough, I would get a scholarship. I am going toplaycollege basketball. I want to be the best. My Daddy told me ifthedream is big enough, the facts don’t count.” Then she smiledandran towards the court to 3)recap the routine I had seen overandover again.Well, I had to give it to her—she was determined.Iwatched her through those junior high years and into highschool.Every week, she led her 4)varsity team to victory.One day inhersenior year, I saw her sitting in the grass, head cradled inherarms. I walked across the street and sat down in the coolgrassbeside her. Quietly I asked what was wrong. “Oh, nothing,”came asoft reply. “I am just too short.” The coach told her that at5’5”she would probably never get to play for a top ranked team—muchless offered a scholarship—so she should stop dreamingaboutcollege.She was heartbroken and I felt my own throat tightenas Isensed her disappointment. I asked her if she had talked to herdadabout it yet.She lifted her head from her hands and told methather father said those coaches were wrong. They just didnotunderstand the power of a dream. He told her that if shereallywanted to play for a good college, if she truly wantedascholarship, that nothing could stop her except one thing — herownattitude. He told her again, “If the dream is big enough, thefactsdon’t count.”The next year, as she and her team went totheNorthern California Championship game, she was seen by acollege5)recruiter. She was indeed offered a scholarship, a fullride, toa Division I, 6)NCAA women’s basketball team. She was goingto getthe college education that she had dreamed of and workedtoward forall those years.It’s true: If the dream is big enough,the factsdon’t count.

　　我以前常常從廚房的窗戶看到她穿梭于操場上的一群男孩子中間，她顯得那么矮小。

　　學校在我家的街對面，我可以經常看到孩子們在下課時間打球。盡管有一大群的孩子，但我覺得她跟其他的孩子截然不同。

　　我記得第一天看到她打籃球的情景。看著她在其他孩子旁邊兜來轉去，我感到十分驚奇。她總是盡力地跳起投籃，球恰好越過那些孩子的頭頂飛入籃筐。那些男孩總是拼命地阻止她，但沒有人可以做得到。

　　我開始注意到她有時候一個人打球。她一遍遍地練習運球和投籃，有時直到天黑。有一天我問她為什么這么刻苦地練習。她直視著我的眼睛，不加思索地說:“我想上大學。只有獲得獎學金我才能上大學。我喜歡打籃球，我想只要我打得好，我就能獲得獎學金。我要到大學去打籃球。我想成為最棒的球員。我爸爸告訴我說，心中有目標，風雨不折腰。”說完她笑了笑，跑向籃球場，又開始我之前見過的一遍又一遍的練習。

　　嘿，我服了她了——她是下定了決心了。我看著她這些年從初中升到高中。每個星期，她帶領的學校籃球代表隊都能夠獲勝。

　　高中那會兒的某一天，我看見她坐在草地上，頭埋在臂彎里。我穿過街道，坐到她旁邊的清涼的草地上。我輕輕地問出什么事了。“哦，沒什么，”她輕聲回答，“只是我太矮了。”原來籃球教練告訴她，以五英尺五英寸的身材，她幾乎是沒有機會到一流的球隊去打球的——更不用說會獲得獎學金了——所以她應該放棄想上大學的夢想。

　　她很傷心，我也覺得自己的喉嚨發緊，因為我感覺到了她的失望。我問她是否與她的爸爸談過這件事。

　　她從臂彎里抬起頭，告訴我，她爸爸說那些教練錯了。他們根本不懂得夢想的力量。他告訴她，如果真的想到一個好的大學去打籃球，如果她真的想獲得獎學金，任何東西也不能阻止她，除非她自己不愿意。他又一次跟她說：“心中有目標，風雨不折腰。”

　　第二年，當她和她的球隊去參加北加利福尼亞州冠軍賽時，她被一位大學的招生人員看中了。她真的獲得了獎學金，一個全面資助的獎學金，并且進入美國全國大學體育協會其中一隊女子甲組籃球隊。她將接受她曾夢想并為之奮斗多年的大學教育。

　　是的，心中有目標，風雨不折腰。