One strong gust1) of wind could blow me right off the side of this rock. That's what I'm thinking as I scale El Capitan2), a 3,500-foot cliff in Yosemite3), California. My callused4) fingertips grip the side of the rock as my boots search for a foothold. If I slip, it'll be a long way down. And the only thing separating me from a half mile of air will be one slender5) rope tied to my waist.
只要一阵狂风就能把我吹下山崖,这样想着的时候,我正在攀登加州约塞米蒂国家公园里3500英尺高的埃尔卡皮坦岩壁。我长满茧的十指指尖紧紧抠住岩石,双脚小心地寻找着落足点。如果不慎滑落,我一定会坠入深谷。而让我不至于摔下半英里山崖的仅仅是系在腰上的一根细绳。
I've never done anything like this before. For the first time in my career as a rock climber, I'm scared. OK. I'm just 14. And I've only been climbing for three years. But I'm good at it—better than some climbers who are 10 years older and a whole lot6) more experienced. I have never lost a climbing competition. I set a new world record at last summer's X Games7), racing up8) a 60-foot artificial rock wall in just over 13 seconds. That's four seconds faster than any woman has ever done it before. I love everything about those competitions—the noises, the DJs9), the crowd. But, mostly, I love the heights. I'm a thrill-seeker. An adventurer. And I hate to have my feet on the ground.
之前我从来没尝试过类似难度的攀岩。在我的攀岩运动生涯里,我第一次感到如此害怕。好吧,我只有14岁,也只有三年的攀岩经历。但我很擅长攀岩——比那些大我十岁、经验远比我丰富的人还要好。我从未输过一场攀岩比赛。去年夏季的极限运动中,我仅用了13秒就迅速爬上了60英尺高的人造岩石,刷新了世界纪录。这比之前女子最好的成绩还快了四秒。我爱攀岩运动的全部——嘈杂声、主持人、观众。但最主要的是,我爱顶峰。我是个追求刺激的人,一个冒险家。双脚不离地会让我不自在。
To New Height 再创新高
But now I'm really scared. Three other climbers invited me to scale El Capitan with them. They've done it before. But this is new territory10) for me. El Capitan isn't plastic, like the walls in the competitions. It's real rock. And there's no padding11) or safety nets at the bottom. I'm 2,400-feet high, maybe two thirds of the way up this mountain. The wind is pounding12) against me. I'm 5'2'' and 96 pounds—I feel like it'll carry me away if I let go.
可我现在真的很害怕。另外三位攀岩友人邀请我与他们一起征服埃尔卡皮坦岩壁,他们之前已经成功攀至顶峰,但它对于我来说却是全新的领域。埃尔卡皮坦岩壁不像比赛场上的攀石墙那样是塑料的,它可是实实在在的岩石,下面也没有垫子或者安全网。我现在位于2400英尺高的半山腰,大概已爬了三分之二的路程。强风不断吹打着我。我只有1米57的个头、96磅的体重——我感觉要是松开绳子,大风一定会把我吹走。
It's a four-day climb up El Capitan. No girl my age has ever made it to the top. But, as I hold on for dear life13), I tell myself that I'm going to be the first.
攀登埃尔卡皮坦岩壁需要四天时间。到目前为止,和我同龄的女孩中还没有人能攀上顶峰。但是,当我拼命坚持的时候,我告诉自己,我要成为第一个成功的女生。
A Climbing Life 攀岩人生
I guess it's just dumb luck14) that I'm a climber now. I had always thought I'd be a ballerina15) or a figure skater16). But I stumbled17) across a rock-climbing wall while Christmas shopping in an Indianapolis mall. I was 11. I thought, "Hey, that looks cool," and I asked my dad if it was OK to try it. By the time I made it to the top, people around me were astounded18). They said they had never seen someone climb that wall so fast.
我想我能成为一名攀岩者纯属运气。我一直以为我会成为芭蕾舞演员或花样滑冰运动员。然而,有一次我和爸爸在印第安纳波利斯的一家商场进行圣诞采购的时候,我偶然发现了一堵攀岩墙。那时我11岁。我想,“哇,这个看起来好酷啊,”然后问爸爸我能不能试一下。当我爬到顶端时,周围的人都惊呆了。他们说还从没见过爬得这么快的人呢。
But my real climbing experience began far away from an Indiana mall—in Benin, West Africa. I had moved there with my family when I was 4 years old. My parents were missionaries19), but we lived just like everybody else. We slept in a little cement20) hut. We spent our days in the village, cooking with the women and working in the marketplace. We saw lions and elephants in the fields. Once, I went swimming in a pond with a hippo. I didn't know he was there until he yawned and I found myself staring right down his throat.
实际上,我真正的攀岩经历并不是从印第安纳商场开始的——而是远在西非的贝宁。我四岁的时候就随家人搬到了贝宁。我父母都是传教士,但是我们像其他人一样生活。我们晚上在水泥小屋里睡觉,白天在村子里度日,和当地的妇女一起做饭,在集市中工作。我们在田野里看到过狮子和大象。有一次,我还与一头河马同游池塘。刚开始我并不知道它的存在,直到它打了个哈欠,我才发现我正盯着它的喉咙。
We had animals all over our property21). Two deer, three rabbits, seven chickens, a turkey, two guinea pigs22), and a tortoise. But my favorite was my pet Mona monkey, Georgie. She was 7 days old when she came to us. Her mother had been killed by hunters. I remember feeding her with a baby's bottle. The size of a kitten23), she'd rested in the pockets of my sundresses and I'd take her all over town.
我们的房子周围到处都是动物,有两头鹿、三只兔子、七只鸡、一只火鸡、两只豚鼠和一只乌龟。但我最喜爱的是一只叫乔吉的白腹长尾猴,她是我的宠物。她来到我家的时候才七天大,当时她的妈妈已经被猎人捕杀了。我还记得用奶瓶给她喂奶的情景。那时的她只有小猫一般大,我把她放在背心裙的口袋里,带她逛遍了整个小镇。
I guess it was Georgie who got me climbing. I followed her up every tree in our village. When I was 8, just before we left Africa, Georgie was killed by a snakebite. I think about her during my climbing competitions. As silly as it sounds, Georgie taught me a lot about climbing. I guess she taught me to be fearless.
我想是乔吉让我开始攀岩的。我跟着她爬上了村里的每一棵树。就在我八岁要离开非洲的时候,乔吉被毒蛇咬死了。每当我参加攀岩比赛时,我都会想起她。虽然这样说很傻,但是乔吉教会我许多关于攀岩的事情。我想,是她让我学会了无所畏惧,勇往直前。
Queen of the Mountain 山之女王
But I'm not feeling so fearless now. Not as I hang suspended24) from the side of El Capitan, with the wind beating against my body.
但我现在没办法做到毫不畏惧。此刻的我正悬挂在埃尔卡皮坦岩壁上,狂风不断拍打着我的身体。
The weather changes as you climb up a mountain. You start out in the baking sun, wearing little more than a tank top25) and shorts. Then, you climb another pitch26)—100 feet and suddenly the wind picks up. You quickly pull on sweat pants27) and a fleece28) shirt. You carry you clothes and food and gear29) on your back as you climb. Dinner is usually just a mashed30) bagel31) with peanut butter. And my bed is a two-foot-wide ledge32). I sleep tied to the mountain but, one morning, I woke up with my legs dangling33) off the side of the ledge. 
天气会随着攀登高度的增加而不断变化。出发时还是烈日当头,只穿着背心短裤就行。当爬到一定高度——100英尺的时候,狂风骤起,就得赶紧穿上运动长裤和羊毛衬衫。攀岩者登山时都会背上衣服、食物和其他装备。晚餐一般是捣成糊状、混和了花生酱的贝果面包。而我的床只是一个两英尺宽的岩架。一般我会靠着山睡,但是有一天早上醒来时,我发现自己的双腿竟悬吊在岩架边上。
The Final Stretch 最后一搏
Come on, Tori, I tell myself. Think less, climb more. My hands are cut from the rock's sharp edges. Bruises34) and scratches35) run down my legs. Every muscle in my body aches. But in three-and-a-half-days—half a day ahead of schedule—I pull myself to the top of mountain. My dad is waiting for me. I fall into his arms. I'm dog-tired36), but I have never felt such a sense of accomplishment37). I did it! Me, Tori Allen, the youngest female to ever summit El Capitan!
加油,托里,我对自己说。少想,多爬。我的双手被尖峰利石割破,我的双腿布满了擦伤划痕,我身上的每一块肌肉都酸痛至极。但三天半之后——比预定日期提前了半天——我爬上了山顶。爸爸在山顶等我,我投入了他的怀抱。虽然筋疲力尽,但我却感受到了前所未有的成就感。我做到了!我,托里·艾伦,成了成功登顶埃尔卡皮坦岩的最年轻的女性!
Climbers who make it to the top of El Capitan sign a guest book and place a stone on large rock pile. Tossing my stone on that pile was one of the happiest moments of my life.
登上埃尔卡皮坦顶峰的攀岩者会在留名簿上签名,然后在大石堆上扔一块石头。扔石头的那一刻是我此生最幸福的时刻之一。
Work and School 工作与学习
Climbing is a huge part of my life right now. I train four times a week. And I compete so much that I have to get special permission to e-mail my homework.
现在,攀岩占据了我生活的很大部分。我每周训练四次。因为参加的比赛太多,我不得不申请获得特许通过电子邮件提交作业。
I like high school, but it's a real scene. It's all who-is-hanging-out-with-who. I have always been cool hanging out with the guys. In fact, I'm the only girl on the boys' track team38). I love to pole vault39), but schools in Indiana don't offer girls' pole-vaulting. So I just joined the boys' team.
我喜欢高中,但是高中只是一场生活秀,关乎的只是你与谁一起玩。我总是跟男孩子玩在一起。其实,我是男子田径队里唯一的一个女生。我喜欢撑杆跳,但是印第安纳州的学校并没有女子撑杆跳项目,所以我加入了男子田径队。
I won't climb forever. I'd love to go to the Olympics. They don't have rock climbing yet, so I'm focusing on pole-vaulting. I want to go to college and have a family and be a kindergarten teacher. My parents have always encouraged me to follow my dreams. And that's what I tell other young girls: Don't give up. If I can make it to the top of the mountain, you can too.
我不会一辈子都攀岩。我想参加奥运会,但现在奥运会还没有攀岩这个项目,所以我将目光瞄准了撑杆跳。我想读大学,结婚生子,当一名幼儿园教师。我的父母总是鼓励我追求自己的梦想。这也是我想要告诉其他年轻女孩的:别放弃。如果我能登上顶峰,那么你们也一定能做到。
1. gust [^Qst] n. (雨、声、烟、火等的)一阵突发
2. El Capitan: 埃尔卡皮坦岩壁,海拔约九百米,位于美国约塞米蒂国家公园内,约塞米蒂谷之北,是世界上攀岩者最喜欢挑战的地方之一。
3. Yosemite [jEu5semItI] n. (美国加利福尼亚州中部)约塞米蒂国家公园
4. callus [5kAlEs] vi. 结硬皮,生老茧
5. slender [5slendE(r)] adj. 纤细的,细长的
6. a whole lot: [用于强调]许多
7. X Game: 极限运动
8. race up: 向上奔,冲上
9. DJ: disk jockey的缩略, <口> (广播或电视台的)流行音乐唱片播音员
10. territory [5terItErI] n. (活动、知识、思想等的)范围,领域
11. padding [5pAdIN] n. (软性的)垫料,衬料
12. pound [paund] vi. 连续重击
13. for dear life: (或for one's life) 拼命地
14. dumb luck: 不费多少心思和力气得来的好运,不应得的好运
15. ballerina [7bAlE5ri:nE] n. (尤指演主角或独舞的)芭蕾舞女演员
16. figure skater: 花样滑冰运动员
17. stumble [5stQmbl] vi. 偶然遇到,碰巧找到(on, upon, onto, across)
18. astound [E5staund] vt. 使震惊;使惊骇,使大惊
19. missionary [5mIFEnErI] n. 传教士
20. cement [sI5ment] n. 水泥
21. property [5prCpEtI] n. (包括工地上所建房屋在内的)地产,房地产;花园住宅
22. guinea pig: 【动】豚鼠,天竺鼠
23. kitten [5kItEn] n. 小猫;幼小动物(如小兔等)
24. suspend [sE5spend] vt. 悬,挂,吊
25. tank top: (紧身的)短背心
26. pitch [pItF] n. (鹰扑向猎物等的)高度;<喻>程度,强度;极点,顶点
27. sweat pants: [复] n. <主美> (尤指运动员运动前后保暖穿的)宽松长运动裤
28. fleece [fli:s] n. 羊毛制的覆盖物,柔软的覆盖物
29. gear [^IE(r)] n. 工具,用具;设备,装置
30. mash [mAF] vt. 把……捣成糊状
31. bagel [5beI^El] n. <美> 硬面包圈,贝果面包
32. ledge [ledV] n. 岩架,岩石突出部,岩脊
33. dangle [5dAN^l] vi. 垂着摆动,悬荡;
34. bruise [bru:z] n. (人体跌、碰后产生的)青肿,挫伤
35. scratch [skrAtF] n. 划痕,刮痕,擦痕
36. dog-tired [5dC^5taIEd] adj. <口> 极度疲乏的,累极了的
37. accomplishment [E5kCmplIFmEnt] n. 成就;成绩
38. track team: 田径队
39. pole vault: 【体】撑杆跳高(项目)