我在汽車(chē)后排找了個(gè)座位坐下,就開(kāi)始陷入沉思了。我知道再過(guò)那么一會(huì)兒,自己就將從幾百英尺(編注:一英尺約0.3米)的高空以剛好58英里(編注:約93公里)的時(shí)速下落。我沒(méi)法兒想其他任何事情。爸爸一直試著讓我相信“什么事兒都不會(huì)發(fā)生的”,這我知道,可是“萬(wàn)一?”這樣的想法不停地從我腦子里冒出來(lái)。我想知道要是我的安全壓杠松開(kāi)了會(huì)發(fā)生什么,這讓我打了個(gè)哆嗦。我命令自己那漫無(wú)邊際的想象消停下來(lái),我也努力讓自己沉浸在音樂(lè)中。但我做不到。那些念頭就在那里,在摧毀著我的意識(shí)。我正被一個(gè)又一個(gè)“萬(wàn)一”和“也許”的想法攻擊。僅僅是想到那個(gè)過(guò)山車(chē)都讓我感覺(jué)胃里一陣緊張。
接下來(lái),隨著我們接近公園,我看見(jiàn)一個(gè)個(gè)過(guò)山車(chē)拔地而起。當(dāng)我們走進(jìn)公園時(shí),飛輪海在我們頭頂赫然聳現(xiàn),似乎在嘲笑我內(nèi)心的恐懼。我親眼看見(jiàn)一群人從第一處俯沖那里陡直下落,我還能聽(tīng)到他們恐懼地尖叫、哀號(hào)。我的胃里一沉,因?yàn)槲抑涝龠^(guò)一小會(huì)兒我就會(huì)和他們一般處境了。我們?nèi)プ饬艘粋€(gè)儲(chǔ)物柜,自始至終我都睜大眼睛盯著那個(gè)巨大的、鮮橙色的怪獸——飛輪海過(guò)山車(chē),我的心臟怦怦跳個(gè)不停。
我們租好儲(chǔ)物柜后,爸爸和我就開(kāi)始排隊(duì)等候乘坐飛輪海了。每?jī)煞昼娢揖蜁?huì)看著有人從97°的第一處俯沖那里滑下,這對(duì)我驚恐不安的精神狀態(tài)可并沒(méi)有任何幫助。人們蜂擁而至,排到我們身后等候乘坐飛輪海,現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)不能反悔了。我得出結(jié)論:我只能無(wú)視自己的求生本能,去做正是我原本想要逃避的那件事情。隊(duì)伍緩緩向前移動(dòng),我也向我那無(wú)法逃避的命運(yùn)慢慢靠近。我腦中依然有一個(gè)個(gè)念頭閃過(guò),告訴我我瘋了,告訴我一切都會(huì)沒(méi)事的,記得上次……
隊(duì)伍現(xiàn)在短一些了,可能只要再等十分鐘就輪到我們了。我仍然被飛輪海上的乘客高高低低的尖叫聲折磨著。前面的隊(duì)伍越來(lái)越短,我的心也跳得越來(lái)越快。我們一步一步緩慢地朝那可怕的過(guò)山車(chē)挪動(dòng),終于,下一個(gè)就是我們了。雖然我百般懇求,我們還是排在了前排座位的隊(duì)伍里,靜靜地等著過(guò)山車(chē)停靠。一名工作人員打開(kāi)了我們面前的門(mén),爸爸和我坐在了最前面的那輛車(chē)上。我將安全壓杠從頭頂拉下來(lái),讓它落在我的雙肩上。我可不想從車(chē)?yán)锏舫鋈?,所以我要確保安全壓杠盡可能緊一些。
接著喇叭里播放了一條自動(dòng)語(yǔ)音,大概是說(shuō),“行進(jìn)過(guò)程中請(qǐng)始終將手臂和雙腿置于車(chē)內(nèi),祝大家此次飛輪海之旅愉快。”過(guò)了一會(huì)兒,我們的車(chē)開(kāi)始滑動(dòng)了。在我們啟程之際,我和媽媽揮手告別,以防此行成永別。我們開(kāi)始朝著第一處俯沖爬升,它有90°,和地面垂直。我的胃里上下翻滾、揪成一團(tuán),心臟也跳得比以往任何時(shí)候都要快。想要反悔已經(jīng)太遲了,這我知道。我們慢慢沿著軌道向上爬升,對(duì)恐懼的預(yù)期讓我感到惡心。我們到達(dá)了飛輪海的最高點(diǎn),沿著第一處俯沖軌道的邊緣前進(jìn),此時(shí)我的心臟在胸膛里陣陣抽痛。突然,過(guò)山車(chē)以58英里的時(shí)速?gòu)囊粋€(gè)121英尺高的俯沖軌道沖了下去。那一刻我經(jīng)歷的那種感受和力量與我以往曾經(jīng)感受過(guò)的任何事物都完全不同。腎上腺素流遍我全身的血管,那種感覺(jué)不可思議。我感覺(jué)風(fēng)吹在我的臉上,從我的發(fā)間穿流而過(guò)。我感覺(jué)自己好像在飛一樣,好像無(wú)拘無(wú)束。我的身體像一個(gè)布娃娃那樣被扔來(lái)扔去,經(jīng)歷著一次又一次的翻滾、轉(zhuǎn)彎和回環(huán),我甚至真的無(wú)法判斷哪個(gè)方向是朝上的。我眼前所能看到的只有鮮橙色的模糊東西——那是過(guò)山車(chē)的軌道。在整個(gè)行駛過(guò)程中,我有好幾次體驗(yàn)到作用于我身體的G力讓我重了三倍或是完全失重的感覺(jué)。這令我難忘,和我以前做過(guò)的任何一件事情都不同。終于,過(guò)山車(chē)到達(dá)終點(diǎn),我們停了下來(lái)。
我抬起安全壓杠,走了下來(lái),踩在了堅(jiān)實(shí)的地面上。我的雙手因興奮激動(dòng)而顫抖著,我感覺(jué)棒極了。事實(shí)上,我對(duì)此次過(guò)山車(chē)之旅的結(jié)束還感到有點(diǎn)失望,但我同時(shí)又感覺(jué)松了一口氣,就好像一個(gè)重物從我的雙肩卸了下來(lái)。我為自己感到非常驕傲,因?yàn)槲抑雷约嚎朔藢?duì)過(guò)山車(chē)無(wú)端的恐懼。我很勇敢,勇敢到可以直視自己最大的恐懼,還克服了它。一走下飛輪海,高高昂起頭的我就開(kāi)始朝下一個(gè)過(guò)山車(chē)走去。200394.png
1. harness [?hɑ?n?s] n. (飛機(jī)、汽車(chē)等乘客用的)背帶,保護(hù)帶,安全帶
2. silent [?sa?l?nt] adj. 靜止的,不活動(dòng)的;沉寂的
3. tie in knots: <口>使緊張,使不安
4. Fahrenheit: 飛輪海,賓夕法尼亞州好時(shí)公園(Hersheypark)的一處過(guò)山車(chē),于2008年5月啟用。它曾是世界上最陡的過(guò)山車(chē),會(huì)先后倒轉(zhuǎn)(inversion)六次,其中最刺激、最知名的便是先垂直上升至近37米高且與地面垂直的位置然后再以97°的角度陡然下降的第一處俯沖(first drop)。
5. loom [lu?m] vi. 赫然聳現(xiàn);隱約地出現(xiàn)
6. plummet [?pl?m?t] vi. 快速落下;陡直落下
7. wail [we?l] vi. 哀號(hào);悲鳴;嚎啕痛哭
8. pile in: 擁進(jìn),擠進(jìn),蜂擁進(jìn)入
9. plea [pli?] n. 懇求;請(qǐng)求
10. unlatch [??n?l?t?] vt. 開(kāi)閂(或拔銷(xiāo))將……打開(kāi);拉開(kāi)(閂、銷(xiāo)等)
11. perpendicular [?p??p?n?d?kj?l?(r)] adj. 垂直的;成直角的
12. turn over: (因害怕、激動(dòng)等) (胃里)翻動(dòng)
13. nauseate [?n??zie?t] vt. 使惡心;使作嘔
14. throb [θr?b] vi. (心臟等)強(qiáng)烈地跳動(dòng);搏動(dòng);抽痛
15. adrenaline [??dren?l?n] n. 【醫(yī)】腎上腺素
16. vein [ve?n] n. 靜脈;血管
17. blur [bl??(r)] n. 模糊;模糊的東西
18. g-force: G力(由速度或方向的改變所作用于人體或物體的力)
美國(guó)鄉(xiāng)村音樂(lè)小天后泰勒·斯威夫特的粉絲不可勝數(shù),18歲的荷蘭女孩洛特·盧特耶斯就是其中之一。她和其他的粉絲一樣,會(huì)聽(tīng)偶像唱的歌、看偶像的演唱會(huì)、關(guān)注偶像的一舉一動(dòng)。但她又和其他的粉絲不一樣,因?yàn)榕枷翊┻^(guò)的很多套服裝她竟然都有,而且偶像還在社交媒體上對(duì)此主動(dòng)點(diǎn)贊!想知道這是為什么嗎?去下文中一探究竟吧。
Teachers and supervisors are meant to inspire young people, to challenge them in their thinking while encouraging them to exceed any self-imposed2) confines. For 18-year-old Netherlands native Lotte Lutjes, that was not the case, repeatedly being told "nobody cares and it wont get you anywhere".
"My school generally just doesnt really encourage art and creativity, so as someone who has a passion for those things, I felt unwanted or wrong a lot," Lutjes said in an interview. "Whenever Id mention wanting to do something creative after I graduated, Id always be told not to, or Wow thats such a shame, youre so smart. My supervisor once told me, Please just dont. Go do biology or something useful and keep that other stuff on the side3)."
Unbothered, or rather, keen to shake it off4), Lutjes turned her love of Taylor Swift into actionable inspiration. With assistance from her grandmother (and one trusty sewing machine), she turned some of her favorite Taylor outfits into custom creations all of her own.
"I had seen my grandma sew but I never thought Id be able to learn it," Lutjes said. "I visited my grandma regularly and shed help me out and teach me. I also started experimenting on my own and surprisingly, stuff actually worked. I also decided to start taking sewing lessons closer to home, as my grandma lives two hours away. I still do a lot of experimenting though, I never really know if somethings actually going to turn out the way I had planned."
So why Taylor? According to Lutjes, its all in Taylors message.
"Taylor just has this amazing way of teaching people to follow their heart and dreams, no matter what other people think," she said. "Ive had some issues with that in the past, but thanks to her I feel so much more empowered5). She taught me that there will be people trying to tear you down6), tell you you cant do this and that, youll never make it etc. but as long as you want it and are willing to fight for that goal, you will get there somehow."
Thankfully, her hard work paid off in March 2016 when Taylor herself took notice of the teens handiwork, reblogging one of her looks on Tumblr7) with the caption8) "Lol9) I thought that was me".
Her persistence is particularly noteworthy10) considering that in addition to a lack of inspiring leaders, Lutjes suffers from a disease, a common neurological11) disorder that makes it difficult for her to walk or stand for long periods of time. As a result, sewing garments turned out to be the perfect hobby—especially considering the fact that some of these outfits take months to make.
"The outfits are something different though, as its not just making them and, oh its done, next," Lutjes said. "I can wear them and feel proud and confident, something that can be quite a lot harder when your body doesnt cooperate, and you sometimes feel like it hates you. I also feel less limited now that Ive seen what I can do, disability or not."
As for other young people who might be living with a disability, Lutjes has a message: "Dont let anyone tell you what to do or like youre less valuable than others." She said, "Your passions and actions define you, not your disability. If you love something, go for it and dont let anyone tear you down."