大学体验英语第四版第二册-5B-Christopher Reeve— A Real Superman

Unit 5. Way to success

Passage B. Christopher Reeve— A Real Superman

[1] He was “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” He was the world’s greatest superhero. When Christopher Reeve was picked to play this role in films in 1977, audiences across the country cheered with approval. Like Superman, Christopher was dashing, handsome, and strong. Like Superman, he seemed nearly invincible. He skied, sailed, flew planes, went scuba diving, rode horses, played tennis — and did it all with skill and ease. No one could imagine Christopher Reeve any other way.

他“比飞速前行的子弹还快，比火车头更有力，轻轻一跃就能跳上高大的建筑物。”他就是全世界最伟大的超级英雄。1977年，克里斯托弗·里夫出演出演超人系列电影，全国观众欢呼喝彩。克里斯托弗潇洒、英俊、强壮，一如影片中的超人，而且似乎战无不胜。他滑雪、驾船、驾驶飞机、潜水、骑马、打网球，无一不是技艺高超，挥洒自如，谁也无法想象克里斯托弗会是另外一种样子。

[2] All that changed on May 27, 1995. Christopher was in Virginia with his wife, Dana Morosini, and their young son, Will. He had entered a three-day horse riding competition there. His horse, Eastern Express, appeared to be in fine shape. The 42-year-old Christopher looked equally fit and relaxed.

1995年5月27日，一切都改变了，当时他与妻子达纳·莫罗西尼带着年幼的儿子威尔在弗吉尼亚州。他参加了一项为期三天的马术比赛，他的坐骑“东方快车”看上去状态颇佳。42岁的克里斯托弗也显得同样神采奕奕，气定神闲。

[3] The competition was going well for Christopher. He wasn’t in the first place, but he wasn’t in the last, either. On his third obstacle in a two-mile jumping event, however, the communication between horse and rider broke down somehow. Without warning, Eastern Express stopped short, but Christopher kept going. He pi tched forward over the horse’s head, landing on his own head —not moving, not even breathing.

对克里斯托弗而言，比赛进行的很顺利，虽没有名列前茅，但也没有落到最后。但在一场两英里的障碍赛中，第三次跨越障碍时，马和骑手之间不知怎么失去了默契。“东方快车”突然停了下来，可是克里斯托弗还在继续前行，他身子飞过马的头顶，头部着地摔了下来：一动不动，甚至没有了呼吸。

[4] Christopher had broken his spinal cord near the base of his skull, resulting in paralysis from the neck down. He could not speak. He could not even breathe on his own. At the time, doctors gave him only a 50-50 chance of surviving at all.

克里斯托弗颅腔底部的脊柱折断了，导致颈部以下瘫痪。他不能说话，甚至无法自主呼吸。当时医生们认为他的生存几率只有50%。

[5] Despair filled Christopher Reeve’s heart. He thought perhaps it would be best if he simply gave up. Dying seemed like the easiest and least painful thing to do. He thought it might be best for his family, too. Then he saw his wif e Dana standing next to him, saying, “You’re still you, and I love you.”

绝望攫住了克里斯托弗·里夫的心。他想，也许放弃生存的努力是最佳的方案。死亡似乎是最不费劲、痛苦最少的一件事。他想放弃生存对家人而言也是最佳方案。但这时他看见妻子达纳站在他身边，对他说：“你依然是你。我爱你。”

[6] From that moment on, Christopher thought only about living. Gathering his courage, he began to fight for his life. A few days later, Christopher underwent an operation that helped restore some feeling to his upper body. Still, doctors emphasized his limitations. He would never walk