飞轮海

2016-10-12 13:11
新东方英语·中学版 2016年10期
关键词:储物柜过山车偶像

我在汽车后排找了个座位坐下,就开始陷入沉思了。我知道再过那么一会儿,自己就将从几百英尺(编注:一英尺约0.3米)的高空以刚好58英里(编注:约93公里)的时速下落。我没法儿想其他任何事情。爸爸一直试着让我相信“什么事儿都不会发生的”,这我知道,可是“万一?”这样的想法不停地从我脑子里冒出来。我想知道要是我的安全压杠松开了会发生什么,这让我打了个哆嗦。我命令自己那漫无边际的想象消停下来,我也努力让自己沉浸在音乐中。但我做不到。那些念头就在那里,在摧毁着我的意识。我正被一个又一个“万一”和“也许”的想法攻击。仅仅是想到那个过山车都让我感觉胃里一阵紧张。

接下来,随着我们接近公园,我看见一个个过山车拔地而起。当我们走进公园时,飞轮海在我们头顶赫然耸现,似乎在嘲笑我内心的恐惧。我亲眼看见一群人从第一处俯冲那里陡直下落,我还能听到他们恐惧地尖叫、哀号。我的胃里一沉,因为我知道再过一小会儿我就会和他们一般处境了。我们去租了一个储物柜,自始至终我都睁大眼睛盯着那个巨大的、鲜橙色的怪兽——飞轮海过山车,我的心脏怦怦跳个不停。

我们租好储物柜后,爸爸和我就开始排队等候乘坐飞轮海了。每两分钟我就会看着有人从97°的第一处俯冲那里滑下,这对我惊恐不安的精神状态可并没有任何帮助。人们蜂拥而至,排到我们身后等候乘坐飞轮海,现在已经不能反悔了。我得出结论:我只能无视自己的求生本能,去做正是我原本想要逃避的那件事情。队伍缓缓向前移动,我也向我那无法逃避的命运慢慢靠近。我脑中依然有一个个念头闪过,告诉我我疯了,告诉我一切都会没事的,记得上次……

队伍现在短一些了,可能只要再等十分钟就轮到我们了。我仍然被飞轮海上的乘客高高低低的尖叫声折磨着。前面的队伍越来越短,我的心也跳得越来越快。我们一步一步缓慢地朝那可怕的过山车挪动,终于,下一个就是我们了。虽然我百般恳求,我们还是排在了前排座位的队伍里,静静地等着过山车停靠。一名工作人员打开了我们面前的门,爸爸和我坐在了最前面的那辆车上。我将安全压杠从头顶拉下来,让它落在我的双肩上。我可不想从车里掉出去,所以我要确保安全压杠尽可能紧一些。

接着喇叭里播放了一条自动语音,大概是说,“行进过程中请始终将手臂和双腿置于车内,祝大家此次飞轮海之旅愉快。”过了一会儿,我们的车开始滑动了。在我们启程之际,我和妈妈挥手告别,以防此行成永别。我们开始朝着第一处俯冲爬升,它有90°,和地面垂直。我的胃里上下翻滚、揪成一团,心脏也跳得比以往任何时候都要快。想要反悔已经太迟了,这我知道。我们慢慢沿着轨道向上爬升,对恐惧的预期让我感到恶心。我们到达了飞轮海的最高点,沿着第一处俯冲轨道的边缘前进,此时我的心脏在胸膛里阵阵抽痛。突然,过山车以58英里的时速从一个121英尺高的俯冲轨道冲了下去。那一刻我经历的那种感受和力量与我以往曾经感受过的任何事物都完全不同。肾上腺素流遍我全身的血管,那种感觉不可思议。我感觉风吹在我的脸上,从我的发间穿流而过。我感觉自己好像在飞一样,好像无拘无束。我的身体像一个布娃娃那样被扔来扔去,经历着一次又一次的翻滚、转弯和回环,我甚至真的无法判断哪个方向是朝上的。我眼前所能看到的只有鲜橙色的模糊东西——那是过山车的轨道。在整个行驶过程中,我有好几次体验到作用于我身体的G力让我重了三倍或是完全失重的感觉。这令我难忘,和我以前做过的任何一件事情都不同。终于,过山车到达终点,我们停了下来。

我抬起安全压杠,走了下来,踩在了坚实的地面上。我的双手因兴奋激动而颤抖着,我感觉棒极了。事实上,我对此次过山车之旅的结束还感到有点失望,但我同时又感觉松了一口气,就好像一个重物从我的双肩卸了下来。我为自己感到非常骄傲,因为我知道自己克服了对过山车无端的恐惧。我很勇敢,勇敢到可以直视自己最大的恐惧,还克服了它。一走下飞轮海,高高昂起头的我就开始朝下一个过山车走去。200394.png

1. harness [?hɑ?n?s] n. (飞机、汽车等乘客用的)背带,保护带,安全带

2. silent [?sa?l?nt] adj. 静止的,不活动的;沉寂的

3. tie in knots: <口>使紧张,使不安

4. Fahrenheit: 飞轮海,宾夕法尼亚州好时公园(Hersheypark)的一处过山车,于2008年5月启用。它曾是世界上最陡的过山车,会先后倒转(inversion)六次,其中最刺激、最知名的便是先垂直上升至近37米高且与地面垂直的位置然后再以97°的角度陡然下降的第一处俯冲(first drop)。

5. loom [lu?m] vi. 赫然耸现;隐约地出现

6. plummet [?pl?m?t] vi. 快速落下;陡直落下

7. wail [we?l] vi. 哀号;悲鸣;嚎啕痛哭

8. pile in: 拥进,挤进,蜂拥进入

9. plea [pli?] n. 恳求;请求

10. unlatch [??n?l?t?] vt. 开闩(或拔销)将……打开;拉开(闩、销等)

11. perpendicular [?p??p?n?d?kj?l?(r)] adj. 垂直的;成直角的

12. turn over: (因害怕、激动等) (胃里)翻动

13. nauseate [?n??zie?t] vt. 使恶心;使作呕

14. throb [θr?b] vi. (心脏等)强烈地跳动;搏动;抽痛

15. adrenaline [??dren?l?n] n. 【医】肾上腺素

16. vein [ve?n] n. 静脉;血管

17. blur [bl??(r)] n. 模糊;模糊的东西

18. g-force: G力(由速度或方向的改变所作用于人体或物体的力)

美国乡村音乐小天后泰勒·斯威夫特的粉丝不可胜数,18岁的荷兰女孩洛特·卢特耶斯就是其中之一。她和其他的粉丝一样,会听偶像唱的歌、看偶像的演唱会、关注偶像的一举一动。但她又和其他的粉丝不一样,因为偶像穿过的很多套服装她竟然都有,而且偶像还在社交媒体上对此主动点赞!想知道这是为什么吗?去下文中一探究竟吧。

Teachers and supervisors are meant to inspire young people, to challenge them in their thinking while encouraging them to exceed any self-imposed2) confines. For 18-year-old Netherlands native Lotte Lutjes, that was not the case, repeatedly being told "nobody cares and it wont get you anywhere".

"My school generally just doesnt really encourage art and creativity, so as someone who has a passion for those things, I felt unwanted or wrong a lot," Lutjes said in an interview. "Whenever Id mention wanting to do something creative after I graduated, Id always be told not to, or Wow thats such a shame, youre so smart. My supervisor once told me, Please just dont. Go do biology or something useful and keep that other stuff on the side3)."

Unbothered, or rather, keen to shake it off4), Lutjes turned her love of Taylor Swift into actionable inspiration. With assistance from her grandmother (and one trusty sewing machine), she turned some of her favorite Taylor outfits into custom creations all of her own.

"I had seen my grandma sew but I never thought Id be able to learn it," Lutjes said. "I visited my grandma regularly and shed help me out and teach me. I also started experimenting on my own and surprisingly, stuff actually worked. I also decided to start taking sewing lessons closer to home, as my grandma lives two hours away. I still do a lot of experimenting though, I never really know if somethings actually going to turn out the way I had planned."

So why Taylor? According to Lutjes, its all in Taylors message.

"Taylor just has this amazing way of teaching people to follow their heart and dreams, no matter what other people think," she said. "Ive had some issues with that in the past, but thanks to her I feel so much more empowered5). She taught me that there will be people trying to tear you down6), tell you you cant do this and that, youll never make it etc. but as long as you want it and are willing to fight for that goal, you will get there somehow."

Thankfully, her hard work paid off in March 2016 when Taylor herself took notice of the teens handiwork, reblogging one of her looks on Tumblr7) with the caption8) "Lol9) I thought that was me".

Her persistence is particularly noteworthy10) considering that in addition to a lack of inspiring leaders, Lutjes suffers from a disease, a common neurological11) disorder that makes it difficult for her to walk or stand for long periods of time. As a result, sewing garments turned out to be the perfect hobby—especially considering the fact that some of these outfits take months to make.

"The outfits are something different though, as its not just making them and, oh its done, next," Lutjes said. "I can wear them and feel proud and confident, something that can be quite a lot harder when your body doesnt cooperate, and you sometimes feel like it hates you. I also feel less limited now that Ive seen what I can do, disability or not."

As for other young people who might be living with a disability, Lutjes has a message: "Dont let anyone tell you what to do or like youre less valuable than others." She said, "Your passions and actions define you, not your disability. If you love something, go for it and dont let anyone tear you down."

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