Doug Heir

杜格·埃厄

Lynn Rosellini

林·罗塞利尼

It was Father’s Day 1978, and Doug Heir, a brawny¹ 18-year-old, was working as a lifeguard at apool in Fairfield, N.J. Suddenly he spotted² 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年父亲节这天，杜格·埃厄，一个身强体壮的18岁小伙子，作为救生员在新泽西州费尔菲尔德镇上的一家游泳池值班。突然，他发现有个孩子正在水中挣扎着呼救。杜格从9英尺高的救生台上一个猛子扎入池中。头部撞在混凝土池底上，紧接着，他眼前白光一闪，他周围的水变成了红色，杜格觉得自已快淹死了。随后,他看见哥哥布赖恩把他拖出水面。

“Some body’s in trouble over there,” Doug sputtered³, blood gushing⁴ from his head.

"那边有人出事儿了，"杜格一边吐水一边急促而含糊地说，鲜血正从他头上涌出。

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

“没事儿，”布赖恩说 “那孩子是假装的”这句话让他弟弟永世难忘。

Doug couldn’t move. A defensive⁵ tackle on his college football team, he was used to being hithard. He was just stunned⁶, he thought.

杜格一动也不能动，作为大学橄榄球队的一名防守抢截，他对于猛烈故冲撞已经习以为常。自己只不过是被震晕了，他想。

Brian and the other lifeguards lifted Doug from the water. Later, as paramedics from anambulance unit hovered⁷ over him, Doug waited for feeling to return to his body. The minutesticked by, yet his legs and hands remained numb⁸. He was frightened.

晚恩和其他救生员一起把杜格从水里抬了出来。后来，当急救单位的医护人员在他左右俯身忙碌时，杜格还在等着自己的身体恢复知觉。间过了一分钟又一分钟，但他的双腿和双手仍然麻木。这下子他可吓坏了。

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 spinal⁹ damage. “He’s aquadriplegic,” said the doctor. “Doug has lost all use of his hands and legs.”

几英里之外的北考德威尔镇，伦纳德·海尔和卡萝尔·海尔夫妇正在为父亲节的烤肉野餐做准备，突然间游泳池经理打来了电话。他们到达蒙克莱市的芒腾赛德医院时，正好看见他们的儿子躺在担架上被送了进来，他的头用毛巾裹着。预后很快就出来了：颈推骨折，不可逆性脊髓损伤。“他四肢瘫痪了，”大夫说，“杜格完全丧失了使用双手和双腿的能力。”

By now, Doug was in deep shock. It was decided¹⁰ 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.

此时，杜格已处于严重的休克状态。于是，决定把他转往纽约市的贝尔维尤医院，在那里他可以得到最好的治疗。翌晨六时，杜格开始接受手术。大夫们花了三小时的时间，用从他髋部取出的骨头修复了他粉碎性骨折的颈椎。

In January 1979, six months after the accident, Doug moved home. The next day, he enteredRamapo College of New Jersey¹¹, a small school in Mahwah with excellent facilities for thehandicapped. He plunged¹² into his political-science studies, accumulating a straight-A average,and began swimming and lifting weights. Before long, the phys-ed instructor¹³ asked Doug, “Whydon’t you enter a wheelchair competition?”

1979年1月，即事故后的六个月，杜格回到了家中。第二天，他进人了新泽西州的拉马波学院。这是位于莫沃镇的一所小型学府，有专供残疾人使用的优良设施。人学后，他一心扑在政治学专业的学习 上，平均成绩均为优秀，并开始游泳和举重。不久，体育老师问杜格：“你干吗不参加轮椅赛呢?”

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 racing¹⁴ chairs.

杜格说没有兴趣，但那位老师却坚持要杜格试试。最后，杜格同意参加一次竞赛。比赛那天，杜格坐着笨重的普通轮椅停在出发线上时，他注意到别的参赛者使用的都进轻便讲究的竞赛轮椅。

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.

接着，发令员的枪响了。杜格立刻沿打竞赛路线全速前进，把座下的轮子越推越快。随着笨重轮椅的加速，杜格失去了控制，他的轮椅向一侧倾倒，正好撞着一个对手，结果两个人一块儿翻倒在地上。

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!

杜格被取消了比赛资格。可足，当朋友们帮他扶起轮椅时.他的心却兴奋得怦怦直跳，脸上布满了笑容。泄气了吗?不，他还挺得意的呢!

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.

第二次运动会时，杜格把精力集中在田赛项目上。他的铅球成绩已使他有资格参加定于1979年父亲节举行的一年一度的全过轮椅运动会。

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 vowed¹⁵.

父亲节那天，杜格获得了铅球赛的铜牌。但更重要的是，他遇见当过世界冠军的轮椅运动员。那位运动员肌肉发达的胸膛和臂膀，以及他强有力的投掷，使杜格感到十分惊讶。“有朝一日我要击败那家伙。”他发誓道。

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 javelin¹⁶. Afterward¹⁷, he swam half a mile and worked out for two hours on aweight-training machine in his bedroom.

从耶以他汗始了认真的训练。每天早上七点，伦纳德、布赖恩和杜格在他们家后院碰头。首先，布赖恩和父亲帮杜格伸展双臂做准备活动;接下来，父亲扶住轮椅，杜格在布赖恩的指导下练习推铅球和投掷铁讲及标枪;然后，杜格下水游半英里，再回到他卧室的力量训练器上练习两小时。

In time, his biceps bulged¹⁹ 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.

终于，杜格的二头肌鼓了起来，其周长达到18.5英寸，他还能卧推400磅的重量。在拉马波学院听课之余，他随同泽西轮椅队四处征战，并开始在当地的比赛中连连夺标。1980年再度参加全国比赛时，他摘走铅球、铁饼和五项全能三枚银牌。次年，他又获得铁饼金牌，以及铅球和标枪的银牌

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 perspire²⁰ from his shouldersdownward, and Brian had to spray him with water to ward¹⁸ off heat exhaustion²¹.

即使有了这样的成功。杜格偶尔也会感到心灰意懒。冬日的清晨，训练场地上冰封雪冻，寒风刺刺骨。一到夏季，溽热的酷暑又似乎要把他活活蒸熟。由于那次事故，杜格的身体从肩部以下不会排汗:因此，布赖恩不得不往他身上喷水以避免中暑。

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?

我干吗要这么拼命地练呢?杜格有时这样问自己。但每当这时，他就会想起在医院里度过的那些漫长的、无能为力的日子和当时的绝望心情，同时，他也会想到家人给予他的大力支持：他怎么能让他们失望呢?

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，杜格在世界运动会上赢得三枚金牌，并作为优等生从拉马波学院毕业。当年秋季，他进入位于新泽西州坎登市的拉特格斯法学院深造。但是，他还有另—个目标：要在1984年英国埃尔兹伯里举 行的国际伤残人奥运会上发挥出最佳水平。

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，杜格来到赛场，和其他伤残人奥运会选手一起参加他第一个项目的角逐，即标枪比赛。他发现记者们正围着一个刚投完标枪的南非运动员。

“A world record!” someone said.

“一项新的世界纪录!”有人说。

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

杜格的心随之一沉，原先的纪录是他保持的呀!

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

他坐着轮椅进入投掷圈内，做了几次深呼吸.又朝父亲那边瞥了一眼。“你能行!”伦纳德·海尔叫道。

Doug took a practice throw. Then, as he lifted the javelin and drew back his arm, the crowdgrew still. With a supreme²² effort, he hurled²³ 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!

杜格先进行了一次练习性试投。接着，他举起标枪，向后引臂，人们都静了下来。只见他奋臂一挥，把细长的标枪猛地投向空中，他自己也差点从轮椅中弹出。当标枪终于一头扎进地面时，人群中顿时 爆发出當鸣般的欢呼。杜格再次创造了一项世界纪录!

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.

伤残人奥运会尚未结束，杜格不仅夺得了标枪金牌，而且还荣获了铁饼和铅球的金牌，外加一枚五项全能银牌。当他接受四枚奖牌时，美国国旗在他身后高高飘扬，这是他有生以来最幸福的时刻。

“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.”

“如果你纵观人生，”他对—位记者说.“你会发现有10,000件你能够做到的事。假如你有某种残疾，也许对其中的1,000件你已经无能为力。但是，你必须努力争取去做好另外9,000件。事在人为啊。