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A Foothold in Life
A dozen children ran around laughing and playing in my friend's yard, while we parents sat chatting and sipping cool summer drinks. The barbecue had been cleared away when our host announced a surprise. A huge movable rock wall was loaded in, which was about twelve feet wide, made of gray molded plastic with indented footholds that stretched straight up for what looked like at least a hundred feet. The enthusiastic kids swiftly lined up to give it a try, and with the complete fearlessness most children possess, scrambled to the top and rang the bell that hung at the highest point. There wasn't really anything to be afraid of since they were belted into place. Three people could climb side by side and talk to each other, so gradually the adults tried it, too.
十几个孩子在我朋友的院子里嬉笑玩耍,而我们父母坐在那里聊天,喝着清凉的夏日饮料。烧烤已经结束了,这时我们的主人宣布了一个惊喜。一堵巨大的可移动岩壁被搬了进来,大约12英尺宽,由灰色模制塑料制成,有锯齿状的立足点,看起来至少有100英尺高。热情的孩子们迅速排队尝试,带着大多数孩子所拥有的完全无畏的精神,爬到顶部,敲响了挂在最高点的钟。自从他们被系好安全带后,就没有什么可害怕的了。三个人可以并排爬,互相交谈,所以渐渐地,成年人也尝试了。
“Come on; let's go get in line,” my husband Neil urged. “No, you go ahead without me.” I had all sorts of good excuses: I don't have the right shoes; I forgot my sunglasses; I have to help the hostess. I have a unique talent for seeing unthinkable danger in almost every situation, and this scene seemed dangerous to me. I watched everyone else having fun, though, and finally convinced myself to try it.
“来吧,我们去排队吧,”我丈夫尼尔催促道。“不,你不用我就去吧。”我有各种各样的好借口:我没有合适的鞋子;我忘记带太阳镜了;我必须帮助女主人。我有一种独特的天赋,几乎在任何情况下都能看到难以想象的危险,而这一幕对我来说似乎很危险。不过,我看着其他人都玩得很开心,最终说服自己去尝试。
With all the nerve I could gather, I started the climb. The belt wrapped around me like a diaper so there was no way to fall. Yes, I thought, this is fun and safe! Concentrating on each foothold, I slowly made my way up. I avoided looking down to prevent any sudden panic, and within a few minutes I made it to the top and proudly rang the bell.
我鼓足勇气开始攀登。皮带像尿布一样缠绕着我,所以没有办法掉下去。是的,我想,这既有趣又安全!我把注意力集中在每一个立足点上,慢慢地向上走去。为了防止突然的恐慌,我避免往下看,不到几分钟,