打敗心中的假想敵全力以赴去嘗試26TheTry-athlon

勇于嘗試者三項

(ByHeatherKlassen)

(希瑟·克拉森)

Outofmyway,shortstuff.Ihavetotrain!“閃開，小矮子。我得去訓練了！”

Addiebracedherselfagainstthekitchencounterasheroldersister,Miranda,blewby,justablurofmotioninaswimsuit,bikehelmet,andrunningshoes.艾迪靠著櫥柜，她的姐姐米蘭達一陣風似地閃過。艾迪只看到了她穿著泳衣和跑鞋、戴著自行車頭盔的模糊人影。AsthebackdoorslammedbehindMiranda,Addie"sfatherappearedinthekitchen.后門在米蘭達身后砰的一聲關上了。艾迪的爸爸來到了廚房。Isyoursistergoingtotrainforhertriathlon?heasked.“你姐姐又去練鐵人三項了？”他問。Addieshrugged."Iguess,"shereplied.Addiecertainlydidn"tkeeptrackofMiranda"sschedule.Mirandahadalwaysbeenannoying,butsinceshehadstartedtrainingforthetriathlon,shewasevenworse.艾迪聳聳肩，回答說：“我想是吧。”她確實沒有對米蘭達的作息安排了若指掌。米蘭達一直很煩人，但是自從開始鐵人三項訓練以后，她更是討厭得要死。Mirandathinksshe"ssogreatjustbecauseshe"sdoingthattriathlon,Addiecouldn"tstopherselffromblurtingout.“米蘭達以為自己練鐵人三項就了不起了。”艾迪不禁脫口而出。Well,Addie,whydon"tyoudoit,too?herfatherasked.“那么，艾迪你也去試試怎么樣？”爸爸問。Addiestaredathim."Me?Doatriathlon?"Mirandahadtrainedandtrainedforthisraceformonths."HowcouldIdothat?"

艾迪盯著他：“我？鐵人三項？”米蘭達已經為這項比賽一遍又一遍地訓練了好幾個月了，“我時間不夠了呀。”

Canyouswim?herfatherasked.“你會游泳嗎？”爸爸問。Addielaughed."OfcourseIcan."Addieswameveryafternoon,chasingherfriendsandracingthemacrossthepool.艾迪笑了：“我當然會。”每天下午，她都在泳池里和伙伴們比賽，追著他們嬉戲。Canyourun?“你會跑步嗎？”

Sure,Addiereplied.Everyeveningafterdinner,Addieranoutsidetomeetherfriends.Theyranwhiletheyplayedtagandkickball.“當然會了。”艾迪回答。每天晚飯后她都跑到外面去見朋友。他們玩捉人游戲或是踢球時，總是跑來跑去的。Canyoubike?herfatherasked.“你會騎自行車嗎？”爸爸又問。騎行比我們每天早晨騎車的距離短多了。還有，一英里的賽跑不過是學校跑道上跑四圈的距離。這些對你來說都很容易。”

Addiedidn"tfeelquiteascertainaboutthatasherfatherdid.Shethoughtaboutthetriathlonallafternoonwhilesheswaminthepoolandalleveningwhilesheranaroundoutsidewithherfriends.艾迪并不像爸爸那樣有把握。下午她去游泳時一直想著鐵人三項的事，晚上跑去和朋友們玩耍時也一直琢磨是否要參加。Beforebed,AddiebumpedintoMirandainthehallway.睡覺前，艾迪在走廊里碰見了米蘭達。Boy,amIbeat,Mirandasaid,stretchingandyawning."Allthistrainingisreallywearingmeout.“好家伙，我累慘了，”米蘭達伸著懶腰，打著哈欠，“這些訓練可真把我累得夠嗆。”AddierolledhereyesatMirandaandheadedtoherroom.艾迪沖米蘭達翻了個白眼，然后走向自己的房間。WhileAddieandherfathercycledalongthebiketrailthenextmorning,Addiethoughtaboutthetriathlon.MaybeIwouldn"tevenhavetotrainthatmuch,Addiethought.Swimming,biking,andrunningarethingsIdoeveryday.第二天早晨，艾迪和爸爸沿著自行車道騎行時，心里還想著鐵人三項比賽。她想，或許我根本不用訓練那么久，畢竟游泳、騎車和跑步是我每天都做的。Assheandherdadwheeledintothedriveway,Addiemadeherdecision.當她和爸爸騎到車道上時，艾迪下定了決心。Iwanttotrythetriathlon,Dad,Addiesaid."Butdon"ttellMiranda,OK?"

“我想試試參加鐵人三項比賽，爸爸，”艾迪說，“不過別告訴米蘭達，好嗎？”

That"sgreat,Addie,saidDad."Anddon"tworry;it"llbeoursecret."

“太好了，艾迪，”爸爸說，“別擔心，這是我們倆的小秘密。”

Idon"twantMirandabuggingmeaboutit,Addiethought,becauseI"msureIwon"twin.ButIknowIcantry.艾迪想，我可不想米蘭達因為這事兒來煩我，因為我肯定不會贏，但是我會全力以赴的。Addieswam,biked,andranalittlemorethanusualthenexttwoweekstogetready.接下來的兩周，艾迪游泳、騎車和跑步的距離都比平常多了點，以此為比賽做準備。Themorningofthetriathlondawnedcoolandclear.AddieandherfatherleftafterMirandaandbikedovertothehighschool.Thetriathlonwouldbeginatthelake,thencontinueonthebiketrail,andfinishonthetrack.鐵人三項比賽的那天早晨，天亮后天氣晴朗涼爽。艾迪和爸爸等米蘭達離開后，才騎車去了學校。比賽將從湖邊開始，然后上自行車賽道，最后在跑道上結束。Addie"sstomachlurchedwhenshesawthehordesofkidsclusteredonthelakeshore.Icandothis,shecoachedherselfasshemovedtowardthewater"sedge.艾迪看到湖邊聚集了成群的孩子，心里有點打鼓。她一邊向湖邊走，一邊給自己打氣：我可以的。Shortstuff!SuddenlyMirandastoodrightinfrontofher."Whatareyoudoinghere?"“小矮子！”米蘭達突然站到了她面前，“你來這里干什么？”

I"mgoingtodothetriathlon,Addietoldhersister."OratleastI"mgoingtotry.Ifigurethat"swhytheycallitatriathlon,becauseallyouhavetodoistry."

“我要參加鐵人三項比賽，”艾迪對姐姐說，“至少我要去試試。我明白了鐵人三項之所以被稱為鐵人三項，是因為你所需要做的就是去嘗試(編注：鐵人三項中的tri-與try同音)。”

Addiewaitedforhersistertosaysomethingsnideorsnarky.Instead,Mirandasmiled.艾迪等著姐姐說一些諷刺或刻薄的話，但是恰恰相反，米蘭達臉上露出了微笑。I"msogladyou"redoingthis,Mirandasaid."Iwantedyoutoallalong,butIknewifIsuggestedit,youneverwould."

“我真高興你來參加比賽，”米蘭達說，“我一直都想讓你參加比賽，但是我知道，如果我建議你參加的話，你是堅決不會參加的。”

Addiestaredathersister."Sothat"swhyyouactedsogreatabouttrainingand

everything?"sheasked."YoufiguredImighttryifyouactedlikeIcouldn"tdoit?"艾迪睜大眼睛看著她。“所以你才將訓練和所有的一切都表現得那么了不起？”她問道，“你知道只要對我使用激將法，我就一定會嘗試？”

Exactly.ThenMirandadidthemostsurprisingthingofall.ShereachedoverandhuggedAddie."Nowhurry,"shesaid."Youragegroup"supfortheswim."“沒錯。”米蘭達接下來的舉動令艾迪大吃一驚。她伸出雙臂擁抱了艾迪，說：“快去。你們年齡組的游泳比賽馬上就要開始了。”Stillstunnedbyherencounterwithh