一位特殊的運動員

不能因為月缺，我們就說月球不是圓的；不能因為日食，我們就說太陽不是永恒的。沒有哪一天、哪一種環境、哪一種命運是百分之百的完美。但只要你愿意嘗試，愿意努力，愿意付出，再不完美的事情也一樣有望贏得一個完美的結局。

We found out that Jenny was hearing impaired when she was four and a half years old. Several surgeries later， when she was seven， we found out that Jenny had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis1） （JRA）.

She could not put pressure on the heels of her feet， so she walked on tiptoe， and when the pain became unbearable， I carried her. Jenny was fortunate， though， because she did not suffer the deformities2）， often associated with JRA.

All through grade school3） and on into high school， Jenny suffered， yet never complained. When the pain came， she took her medicine， and I would often wrap her feet in steaming towels and hold her until the pain eased. But， as soon as she could withstand the pain， Jenny immediately carried on， as though she were pain free.

She wore a smile on her face， a song on her lips， and a love and acceptance of others. That was simply amazing. I don't remember her ever voicing self-pity. She ran when she could run. She played when she could play， and she danced when she could dance. And when she could do none of these things， she took her medicine， and she waited until she could.

Jenny， a beautiful blonde4）， with warm brown eyes， was never a cheerleader. She never competed in a sport. She could not even take part in a gym class. She took the same substitute5） health class four years in a row6）， just so she could pass with its credit each year. She joined the band. She won a place in The Governor's School for the Arts； yet， no one in the Charleston， South Carolina School System knew what to do with Jenny. The rules were simply not in place to deal with a student， who was both active and handicapped.

Jenny continued to have one surgery after another on her ears， all through school. Her hearing improved to 60%， and she taught herself to read lips. She carried a pillow to school， all through high school. Once， when she suddenly experienced crippling7） pain， her friends scooped8） her up and carried her from class to class.

She was totally mainstreamed9）， popular， and funny， attending every football game， cheering the team on， carrying her pillow everywhere she went， so that she could cushion10） the pain when she sat down. Then came her senior year. She would be considered for scholarships； however， school activities， especially sports， could often mean the difference between receiving an award and losing out.

So Jenny came to a decision； and in her quirky11）， unorthodox12） manner， she began to bombard13） the high school football coach. She begged. She pleaded. She promised. She got her best friend to sign up with her. Finally the coach gave in， with the admonition14）， \"If you miss ONE game， you're out！\" So Jenny became one of the Garrett High School Football Team.

She carried big buckets of water to her teammates. She bandaged knees and ankles before every game. She massaged15） necks and backs. She gave pep talks16）. She was continually at their beck and call17）， and it turned out to be one of the best years for Garrett High School Football Team， in its twenty-five year history. Often Jenny could be seen carrying a bucket of water in each hand， nearly dragging them， along with her pillow tucked under her arm.

When asked why he thought that the team was winning all their games， even in the face of injury， one linebacker18） explained， in his soft， Charleston drawl， \"Well， when you've been knocked down， and you can't seem to move， you look up and see Jenny Lewis， limping across the field， dragging her buckets and carrying her pillow. It makes anything the rest of us may suffer seem pretty insignificant.\"

At the Senior Awards Ceremony， Jenny received a number of scholarships to College of Charleston. Her favorite scholarship， however， was a small one from the Charleston Women's Club. The President of the Women's Club listed Jenny's accomplishments， starting with her grades and ending with an excited voice， \"... and the first girl to letter19） in football， in Garrett High School history！\"

珍妮四歲半時，我們發現她有聽力障礙。幾次手術之后，在她七歲那年，我們發現她還患有幼年型類風濕性關節炎。

她的腳后跟不能受力，于是她就踮著腳尖走路，疼得難以忍受時，就由我背著她走。不過，珍妮是幸運的，因為幼年型類風濕性關節炎通常會并發身體畸形，但這種癥狀并沒有出現在她身上。

從小學一直到高中，珍妮飽受病痛的折磨，但卻從未抱怨過。痛的時候，她就吃藥，每每這時我就會用熱毛巾裹住她的雙腳，抱著她，直到她疼痛有所緩解。但是，只要珍妮覺得疼痛可以忍受了，她就會立刻繼續她之前做的事情，好像一點兒也不疼似的。

她那時總是面帶微笑，嘴里哼著歌兒，用愛和包容對待他人。這簡直太不可思議了。我印象里從未聽到過她自怨自艾。能跑的時候她就跑，能玩的時候她就玩，能跳舞的時候她就跳舞。這些都不能做的時候，她就吃藥，然后一直等到她又能接著做這些事兒。

珍妮是一個漂亮的金發女孩，有一雙令人感到溫暖的棕色眼眸，她從未加入過拉拉隊。她從未參加過體育比賽，甚至不能上體育課。她連續四年都選修同一門替代課—健康課，有了這門課的學分，她每年就能達到學分要求。她加入了樂隊，還成功考入了州長藝術學校，但是，南卡羅來納州查爾斯頓地區學校體系內沒有一個人知道應該拿珍妮怎么辦。現有的規章制度根本就不適用于這樣一個雖然身體殘疾但卻積極活躍的學生。

上學期間，珍妮又相繼做了幾次耳部手術。她的聽力提高到了60%，她還自學了讀唇語。整個高中時期，她都帶著一個靠墊去學校。有一次，她突然感到劇痛不已，她的朋友們就把她抱起來，帶著她去上每堂課。

她能夠完全融入班級，很受歡迎，也很幽默，她去看每一場橄欖球賽、到場給校隊加油，無論走到哪兒都帶著她的靠墊，這樣她坐下來的時候能緩解一下疼痛。之后就到了高中最后一年，她想被納入授予獎學金的考慮范圍，但是參加學校活動，尤其是體育活動的情況，往往意味著是獲得獎學金還是被淘汰出局。

因此珍妮做了一個決定。她用她那種古怪、另類的方式開始對校橄欖球隊教練展開連續攻勢。她苦苦哀求，她以情動人，她再三保證。她還讓她最好的朋友同她一起報名。最終，教練讓步了，但告誡她說：“如果你有一場比賽沒到，你就走人！”就這樣，珍妮成了加勒特高中橄欖球隊的一員。

她為隊友們提桶裝水，每場比賽前都為他們包裹膝蓋和腳踝，為他們按摩脖子和后背，為他們打氣鼓勁。她總是隨叫隨到。結果證明，那一年是加勒特高中橄欖球隊成立25年來成績最好的一年。同學們經常能看見珍妮兩只手各提著一桶水，幾乎是拖著水桶往前走，胳膊下面還夾著她的靠墊。

當被問及為什么即使面對傷病，球隊還能所向披靡、打贏所有比賽時，一位線衛球員用查爾斯頓人特有的那種慢吞吞拉長聲調的方式，溫和地說道：“是這樣，當你被撞倒、似乎不能動彈時，你抬頭看見珍妮·劉易斯一瘸一拐地走過球場，拖著她的水桶，夾著她的靠墊。相比之下，我們所遭受的任何痛苦都顯得那么微不足道。”

在高中畢業生頒獎典禮上，珍妮獲得了查爾斯頓大學的多項獎學金。而她最喜歡的卻是來自查爾斯頓女子俱樂部的那筆數額并不太高的獎學金。該俱樂部的主席在發言時從珍妮的學習成績談起，列舉了珍妮取得的各項成就，結束時她激動地說：“……她是加勒特高中歷史上，橄欖球運動員中首位獲得佩戴校名首字母標志榮譽的女孩！”

1.juvenile rheumatoid arthritis： 【醫】幼年型類風濕性關節炎

2.deformity [d??f??m?ti] n. 畸形狀態；畸形部位（或器官）

3.grade school： <美>小學

4.blonde [bl?nd] n. 白膚金發碧眼女人（或女孩）

5.substitute [?s?bst?tju?t] adj. 代替的，代用的

6.in a row： <口>接連地，連續地

7.crippling [?kr?pl??] adj. 極有害的；造成嚴重損害的

8.scoop [sku?p] vt. <口> 抱起（up）

9.mainstream

[?me?nstri?m] vt. <美> 讓（身心有缺陷的兒童）融入正規班級

10.cushion [?k??n] vt. 使減少震動（或沖撞力）；緩和……的沖擊（或影響等）

11.quirky [kw??k?] adj. 古怪的

12.unorthodox[?n???θ?d?ks] adj. 非傳統的

13.bombard [b?m?bɑ?d] vt. 不斷攻擊；向……連續提出問題

14.admonition [??dm??n??n] n. 警告；告誡

15.massage [?m?sɑ??] vt. 對……按摩

16.pep talk： 激勵士氣的講話，鼓動性講話。 pep [pep] n. <美口>精力，活力；勁頭

17.at one's beck and call： 惟某人之命是從，聽憑某人調遣

18.linebacker [?la?nb?k?（r）] n. 【美橄】線衛，美式橄欖球中防守方的重要成員。

19.letter [?let?（r）] vi. <美口>贏得佩戴校名首字母標志的榮譽（即校優秀運動員榮譽）