ABalltoRollAround 　　滚球 　　byRobertGAllman 　　罗伯特·G·奥尔曼 　　IlostmysightwhenIwasfouryearsoldbyfallingoffaboxcarinafreightyardinAtlanticCityandlandingonmyhead.NowIamthirty-two.Icanvaguelyrememberthebrightnessofsunshineandwhatcolourredis.Itwouldbewonderfultoseeagain,butacalamitycandostrangethingstopeople. 　　4岁那年在大西洋城,我从货场一辆火车上摔下来,头先着地,于是双目失明.现在我已经32岁了.我还模糊地记得阳光是多么灿烂,红色是多么鲜艳.能恢复视觉固然好,但灾难也能对人产生奇妙的作用. 　　ItoccurredtometheotherdaythatImightnothavecometolovelifeasIdoifIhadn'tbeenblind.Ibelieveinlifenow.IamnotsosurethatIwouldhavebelievedinitsodeeply,otherwise.Idon'tmeanthatIwouldprefertogowithoutmyeyes.IsimplymeanthatthelossofthemmademeappreciatethemorewhatIhadleft. 　　有一天我突然想到,倘若我不是盲人,我或许不会变得像现在这样热爱生活.现在我相信生活,但我不能肯定如果自己是明眼人,会不会像现在这样深深地相信生活.这并不意味着我宁愿成为盲人,而只是意味着失去视力使我更加珍惜自己其他的能力. 　　Life,Ibelieve,asksacontinuousseriesofadjustmentstoreality.Themorereadilyapersonisabletomaketheseadjustments,themoremeaningfulhisownprivateworldbecomes.Theadjustmentisnevereasy.Iwasbewilderedandafraid.ButIwaslucky.Myparentsandmyteacherssawsomethinginme——apotentialtolive,youmightcallit——whichIdidn’tsee,andtheymademewanttofightitoutwithblindness. 　　我认为,生活要求人不断地自我调整以适应现实.人愈能及时地进行调整,他的个人世界便愈有意义.调整决非易事.我曾感到茫然害怕,但我很幸运,父母和老师在我身上发现了某种东西——可以称之为活下去的潜力吧——而我自己却没有发现.他们激励我誓与失明拼搏到底. 　　ThehardestlessonIhadtolearnwastobelieveinmyself.Thatwasbasic.IfIhadn'tbeenabletodothat,Iwouldhavecollapsedandbecomeachairrockeronthefrontporchfortherestofmylife.WhenIsaybeliefinmyselfIamnottalkingaboutsimplythekindofself-confidencethathelpsmedownanunfamiliarstaircasealone.Thatispartofit.ButImeansomethingbiggerthanthat:anassurancethatIam,despiteimperfections,areal,positivepersonthatsomewhereinthesweeping,intricatepatternofpeoplethereisaspecialplacewhereIcanmakemyselffit. 　　我必须学会的最艰难的一课就是相信自己,这是基本条件.如做不到这一点,我的精神就会崩溃,只能坐在前门廊的摇椅中度过余生.相信自己并不仅仅指支持我独自走下陌生的楼梯的那种自信,那是一部分.我指的是大事：是坚信自己虽然有缺陷,却是一个真正的有进取心的人；坚信在芸芸众生错综复杂的格局当中,自有我可以安身立命的一席之地. 　　Ittookmeyearstodiscoverandstrengthenthisassurance.Ithadtostartwiththemostelementarythings.Onceamangavemeanindoorbaseball.IthoughthewasmockingmeandIwashurt."Ican'tusethis,"Isaid."Takeitwithyou,"heurgedme,"androllitaround."Thewordsstuckinmyhead."Rollitaround!"ByrollingtheballIcouldhearwhereitwent.ThisgavemeanideahowtoachieveagoalIhadthoughtimpossible:playingbaseball.AtPhiladelphia'sOverbrookSchoolfortheBlindIinventedasuccessfulvariationofbaseball.Wecalleditgroundball. 　　我花了很长时间才树立并不断加强这一信念.这要从最简单的事做起.有一次一个人给我一个室内玩的棒球,我以为他在嘲笑我,心里很难受.“我不能使这个.”我说.“你拿去,”他竭力劝我,“在地上滚.”他的话在我脑子里生了根.“在地上滚!”滚球使我听见它朝哪儿滚动.我马上想到一个我曾认为不可能达到的目标：打棒球.在费城的奥弗布鲁克盲人学校,我发明了一种很受人欢迎的棒球游戏,我们称它为地面球. 　　AllmylifeIhavesetaheadofmeaseriesofgoalsandthentriedtoreachthem,oneatatime.Ihadtolearnmylimitations.ItwasnogoodtotryforsomethingIknewatthestartwaswildlyoutofreachbecausethatonlyinvitedthebitternessoffailure.IwouldfailsometimesanywaybutontheaverageImadeprogress. 　　我这一辈子给自己树立了一系列目标,然后努力去达到,一次一个.我必须了解自己能力有限,若开始就知道某个目标根本达不到却硬要去实现,那不会有任何好处,