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Kevin Lin: Infinite Willpower 挑战极限──超马总冠军林义杰

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

How far can determination take you? For world-record-holding ultramarathon champion Kevin Lin, it has taken him around the globe through the harshest environments on our planet.

决心能带你走多远？对于超级马拉松冠军的世界纪录保持人林义杰来说，决心已带他跑过地球上最严苛的环境。

Growing up, Lin faced many obstacles in his running career. His junior-high coach didn’t believe in him and wanted to kick him off the track and field team. What was more, his father did not want him to pursue an athletic career. When Lin attended Taipei Physical Education College, he had to drive a taxi every night just to pay for tuition, in addition to training and studying.

成长过程中，林义杰在长跑生涯遭遇许多障碍。国中教练对他没信心，想把他赶出田径队；此外，林义杰的父亲不希望他成为运动员。进入台北体育学院后，除了受训和课业，他每晚还得开出租车来赚取学费。

Regardless, Lin always put his best foot forward and kept running. He managed to earn a bronze medal in Taiwan’s first-ever ultramarathon, a 100-km race more than twice as long as a traditional marathon. He also won first place in Taiwan’s first 24-hour race. With these achievements under his belt, Lin decided it was time to prove himself to the world.

尽管如此，林义杰总是全力以赴，继续跑下去。他在台湾首届超级马拉松夺得铜牌；该赛程长达一百公里，是传统马拉松比赛的两倍以上。他还在台湾首次举办的24小时马拉松拿下第一。有了这些成就之后，林义杰认为是时候向全世界证明自己的能力了。

The Sahara Ultramarathon, a seven-day, 250-km across the Sahara Desert, was Lin’s greatest challenge yet. During the day, temperatures could reach up to 50^oC. Runners had to sign a waiver, acknowledging the possibility of death. “Success in this kind of race is 70 percent mental power,” said Lin. With an iron will, he finished 12^th place out of 687 runners and 1^st among Asian contestants.

撒哈拉超级马拉松历时七天，横越沙漠250公里，是林义杰当时面对的最大挑战。当地昼温高达摄氏50度，跑者必须签署切结书，表明知道该比赛有致死的可能。他说「要在这类竞赛成功，70%靠意志力」。最后，林义杰以钢铁般的意志在687位选手之中取得第十二名，在亚洲选手之中则排名第一。

Vocabulary

单词发音

infinite [ˋɪnfənɪt] adj. 无限的；无边的

obstacle [ˋɑbstək!] n. 障碍（物）

athletic [æθˋlɛtɪk] adj. 运动员的

put one’s best foot forward  全力以赴  to do something as well as you can

acknowledge [əkˋnɑlɪdʒ] v. 承认

More Information

单词发音

willpower [ˋwɪl͵paʊɚ] n. 意志力

determination [dɪ͵tɝməˋneʃən] n. 决心

ultramarathon [ʌltrə'mærəθən] n. 超长距离马拉松赛跑

coach [kotʃ] n.（运动队的）教练

tuition [tjuˋɪʃən] n. 学费

bronze [brɑnz] n. 青铜

under one’s belt 在以往的经历中; 【口】达到的; 获得的 if you have an experience or a qualification under your belt, you have completed it successfully

waiver [ˋwevɚ] n. 放弃；弃权证书

contestant [kənˋtɛstənt] n. 参加竞赛者

课文朗读

课文讲解

Kevin Lin’s determination has put Taiwan on the map for running. In fact, he runs every race with a Taiwanese flag on his arm. Since the Sahara Ultramarathon, Lin’s triumphs have only multiplied.

林义杰在长跑方面展现的毅力，使台湾扬名国际。事实上，他每次参赛时，手臂上都别着国旗。跑完撒哈拉超马之后，他的胜利迅速增加。

In 2006, Lin became one of the first people in history to run an ultramarathon in Antarctica. In preparation, he gained 3 kg of fat to keep warm. In the freezing wasteland of Antarctica, the temperature could drop below -30^oC. However, even when his body said no, Lin’s willpower kept him going. Having completed races in the world’s harshest environments, Lin was named an ultramarathon world record holder.

2006年，林义杰成为第一批在南极洲跑超马的选手之一。准备期间，他为了要不怕冷而增胖三公斤。南极洲冰原的气温可能降到摄氏-30度以下。然而，尽管他的体力已承受不住，意志力仍支撑他跑下去。在地球上各种最严苛的环境参赛后，林义杰荣获超马世界纪录保持人的头衔。

Lin also runs for humanitarian causes. To raise awareness of water shortage problems in Africa, he returned to the Sahara with two companions. They set a world record by being the first people in history to run across the 6,000-kilometer-wide desert. Besides running, they had to deal with political problems, fields of landmines and the deadly sun. Even though his feet were swollen and sore, Lin never stopped for a single day.

林义杰也为人道目标而跑。为了唤起世人对非洲水荒的注意，他和两位同伴重返撒哈拉，创下史上首次跑完六千公里沙漠的纪录。除了跑步，他们还要应付政治问题、地雷区，以及炙热的太阳。即使双脚肿胀酸痛，林义杰没有一天停下来过。

Running in these extreme environments has shown Kevin Lin the limits of his own body. But “My own willpower is limitless,” he says. His next challenge is the North Pole in 2008. After that, who knows where he might find his next track?

在这些极端的环境跑步，让林义杰了解到身体的极限，不过他说：「我的意志力是无限的。」下一个挑战是2008年的北极。在那之后，谁知道他会在哪里找到下一个跑道？

−by Timothy David de Sosa

Vocabulary

单词发音

put … on the map 使...出名或有重要性

triumph [ˋtraɪəmf] n. 胜利

multiply [ˋmʌltəplaɪ] v.（使）大大增加

humanitarian [hju͵mænəˋtɛrɪən] adj. 人道主义的；博爱的

political [pəˋlɪtɪk!] adj. 政治的；政治上的

More Information

单词发音

Antarctica [ænˋtɑrktɪkə] n. 南极洲

wasteland [ˋwest͵lænd] n. 荒地；荒原

cause [kɔz] n. 目标，理想，事业

landmine [ˋlændmaɪn] n.【军】地雷（= land mine）

sore [sor] adj. 痛的；疼痛发炎的

North Pole 北极

Reading Questions

1. Why is Kevin Lin able to endure such amazing tests?

A. Because his father was an athlete.

B. Because he has a higher level of iron in his blood.

C. Because he is an extremely determined person.

D. Because he has a very experienced teacher.

2. Which of the following is NOT true about Lin’s accomplishments?

A. He won Taiwan’s first-ever 24-hour marathon.

B. He ran across the Sahara Desert with two companions.

C. He placed 2nd in Taiwan’s first-ever ultramarathon.

D. He is one of the first people running an ultramarathon in Antarctica.

3. What can we assume about Kevin Lin’s future?

A. That he will begin to run less.

B. That he will continue challenging himself.

C. That he will only run ultramarathons.

D. That he will study physical education again.

4. What would be another good title for this article?

A. Running Through the North Pole

B. Striving for a Gymnastic Career

C. Living in Harsh Environments

D. Taiwan’s Marathon Champion

Answer