Novels about sport are notoriously hard to pull off. It seems somewhat odd for a literary mind to care how often a ball makes it to the back of the net or how long it takes to sprint¹ down a track. Yet that need not be so. The classic quest narrative-in which an individual overcomes obstacles to achieve a goal-could be a template for any single match or sporting career. "Gold", Chris Cleave²'s third novel, is a skilful³ demonstration⁴ of the form.

写一部关于体育运动的小说，显然是有难度的。让文学去关注一粒球怎样入网，冲刺终点需要多长时间，看起来多少有点奇怪。然而，事实也不尽然。古典文学所追求的叙述方式往往是一个从克服障碍到实现目标的过程。这其实和任何一场单独的比赛或者体育项目的逻辑是一致的。《赤子之心》--克里夫的第三本小说，正是这种叙述方式的巧妙呈现。

This is the story of Zoe, Kate and Jack⁵, three obsessive⁶ race cyclists who meet as young hopefuls. There is bike geekery and Lycra aplenty. As the title suggests, Mr Cleave even dares to set his story around the Olympics, the ultimate sporting circus. Yet this is no niche⁷ book for aficionados⁸ looking for a brief summer distraction⁹.

书中讲述了三个人的故事：若伊、凯特和杰克--三个狂热的自行车车手，年轻有为，志同道合。故事里有高水准的自行车"极客"。正如题目所暗示的，克里夫甚至刻意让故事游离在奥运会--那终极的竞技场的边缘。但是，此书也绝对不是为了在炎夏给体育迷们提供一份短暂的消遣。

Instead, cycling is the backdrop for a deeper exploration of the struggle between the physical and the psychological. Into the love triangle and professional exertions¹⁰ Mr Cleave throws eight-year-old Sophie, diagnosed with leukaemia only days before the Olympics and fighting a different type of battle to the finish.

相反，自行车运动化为了背景。小说在这背景上深入探讨了灵与肉的挣扎。除了三角恋、职业上的进取，克里夫还讲述了苏菲的故事：一个年仅8岁的孩子，在奥林匹克运动会开幕前被诊断出白血病，在生命的尽头处，打了一场特殊的生死之战。

At times the book seems slightly sentimental¹¹. Sophie and Kate are a little too good to be true; Zoe a bit too deranged¹² and calculating. Yet "Gold" works as a novel because Mr Cleave manages to make the reader care about what it takes to win-or even to take part.

书中，有些地方的行文会略显情绪化。苏菲和凯特美好得不真实；若伊则又太神经兮兮且斤斤计较。然而，《赤子之心》之成其为小说，在于克里夫将读者的关注点，引向夺冠前的征程，或者说整个参赛的过程，和夺冠与否无关。

The small details speak loudly. As the story opens, Zoe stands terrified as 5,000 people chant her name-yet she is equally frightened that one day they may stop. On another occasion she lingers and stares at Kate's bike before a race and implants¹³ the idea that something could be wrong; she wins the mental advantage, and the quicker start. By such tiny glances and irrecoverable moments lives are changed, a lesson that reaches beyond sport. The moment of winning a gold medal, by contrast, can almost seem disappointing.

小细节里有大蕴义。譬如小说开场，5000名观众反复喊着若伊的名字，这让站在台上的她紧张极了；然而若有一天人们不再这么做，她同样会害怕。另外一个场景，在一场比赛开始前，若伊故意徘徊着，盯住凯特的自行车，让对方觉得自己的车子出了毛病。于是她赢得了心理上的优势，在起点上抢占了先机。但是这种伎俩和自私的光景被某种高于体育的精神改变了。相形之下，夺取金牌的时刻，几乎让人沮丧。

Mr Cleave knows what makes a good story. Here, his concern is not with macho physicality or crossing a line, but with the endless and enduring human endeavours: love, death and what is left when hopes and dreams are crushed or fulfilled. A book to savour long after the Olympic games are over.

克里夫懂得如何把故事讲得精彩。在书中，他关心的不是体魄的强壮或某一次的胜利，而是无休止的人类的奋斗：爱情，死亡，以及在希望和梦想或破灭或兑现之后，我们的人生还剩下些什么。这样一本书，适合奥林匹克运动会结束后细细品味。