Dare to Dream
Life! What a precious gift from God. What a blessing to be alive in a wonderful, vibrant world of unlimited possibilities. However, adversity strikes, and this “gift” feels more like a curse. “Why? Why me?” We ask. Yet we never get an answer, or do we? After contracting Hodgkin’s disease at age seven and being given six months to live, I triumphed over the odds. Call it luck, hope, faith or courage, there are thousands of survivors! Winners like us know the answer —“Why not us? We can handle it!” I’m not dying of cancer. I’m living with cancer. God doesn’t make junk, regardless of what comes our way, and I don’t have to be afraid anymore.
In my sophomore year of university, the class was scheduled to run the mile. I will always remember that day because due to the swelling and scars from surgery on my leg, for two solid years I had not worn shorts. I was afraid of the teasing. So, for two years I lived in fear. Yet that day, it didn’t matter. I was ready —shorts, heart and mind. I no sooner got to the starting line before I heard the loud whispers. “Gross !” “How fat!” “How ugly!” I blocked it out.
Then the coach yelled, “Ready. Set. Go!” I jetted out of there like an airplane, faster than anyone for the first 20 feet. I didn’t know much about pacing then, but it was okay because I was determined to finish first. As we came around the first of four laps, there were students all over the track. By the end of the second lap, many of the students had already quit. They had given up and were on the ground gasping for air. As I started the third lap, only a few of my classmates were left on the track, and I began limping. By the time I hit the fourth lap, I was alone. Then it hit me. I realized that nobody had given up. Instead, everyone had already finished. As I ran that last lap, I cried. I realized that every boy and girl in my class had beat me, and 12 minutes, 42 seconds after starting, I crossed the finish line. I fell to the ground and shed oceans. I was so embarrassed.
Suddenly my coach ran up to me and picked me up, yelling, “You did it. Manuel! Manuel, you finished, son. You finished! ”He looked me straight in the eyes, waving a piece of paper in his hand. It was my goal for the day, which I had forgotten. I had given it to him before class. He read it aloud to everyone. It simply said, “I, Manuel Diotte, will finish the mile run tomorrow, come what may. No pain or frustration will stop me. For I am more than capable of finishing, and with God as my strength, I will finish.” Signed, Manuel Diotte —with a little smiling face inside the D, as I always sign my name. My heart lifted. My tears went away, and I had a smile on my face as if I had eaten a banana. My classmates applauded and gave me my first standing ovation. It was then I realized winning isn’t always finishing first. Sometimes winning is just finishing.
生命！多么宝贵的礼物啊，这是上帝赐予人类的。我们应该为能生活在这样一个美好、充满生机和无限可能的世界里而感到幸福！然而，灾难降临了，这份“礼物”给人的感觉更像是一种诅咒、一场灾难。“为什么？为什么倒霉的是我？”我们不解。但我们永远无从知晓其答案，不是吗？ 我7岁时得了霍奇金病(译者注：这是一种病因不明的疾病，特征为淋巴结及肝脾进行性肿大及贫血)，只有六个月的存活时间，而我却奇迹般地战胜了病魔。运气、希望也好，信念、勇气也罢，总之，世界上有几千个这样的幸存者！我们这些胜利者知道答案——“为什么我们没有失败，因为我们控制了它！”癌症没能将我击垮。我与癌症并存。无论以后遭遇什么困难，我都不会恐惧了，因为天生我材必有用。
大二时，班上举行一英里赛跑。那一天我永生难忘。因为手术，腿上留下了很多肿块和疤痕。我怕别人嘲笑，在恐惧中生活了两年。整整两年，我都没穿短裤。但那天，我不在乎了。我准备好了——短裤，心理和思想也都早有准备。我来到起跑线前，周围立刻议论纷纷。“好臃肿!”“真胖！”“难看死了！”对这些议论，我充耳不闻。
然后，教练大喊：“各就各位。预备。跑!”我像离弦的箭一样冲了出去，开始的20英尺，我跑得比谁都快。那时，我还不太懂控制速度，那也没关系，因为我下定决心要第一个冲到终点。一共要跑四圈。第一圈时，跑道上随处可见同学的身影。第二圈快结束时，许多同学都放弃了，停下来拼命地喘气。当我开始跑第三圈时，跑道上只剩几个同学了，我的步履开始蹒跚。第四圈时，跑道上就我一个人了。我突然意识到，并没有人放弃，而是他们都跑完了。跑最后一圈时，我哭了。我知道自己输给了班里的所有同学。跑了12分42秒后，我终于冲到了终点，跌坐在地上，汗如雨下。我简直羞愧难当。
突然，教练跑过来，把我抱起，喊道：“你成功了。曼纽尔！曼纽尔，你做到了，孩子。你跑完了!”他手里挥动着一张纸条，注视着我。我忽然想起来了，那是上课前我交给他的，是那天我为自己制定的一个目标。他大声地把纸条读给大家听，上面简单地写着：“我，曼纽尔·迪耶特，无论如何，都要完成明天的一英里赛跑。痛苦和挫折并不能将我击退。因为，上帝赐予了我力量，使我有足够的能力实现这一目标，相信自己一定可以。”署名为曼纽尔·迪耶特——在字母“D”当中，我画了一张笑脸，这是我署名的一个习惯。我深受鼓舞，像吃了香蕉一样甜蜜，不禁破涕为笑。同学们都站起身来鼓掌，这是我生平第一次得到如此“礼遇”。就是在那时，我意识到，胜利并非总意味着最先完成某事，有时，仅仅完成某事也是胜利。
1. Yet we_____get an answer, or do we?______contracting Hodgkin’s disease at age seven and_____given six months to live, I triumphed over the odds. Call it_______, hope, faith or courage, there_______thousands of survivors!
2. _______I ran that last lap, I cried. I realized that_______boy and girl in my class had_______me, and 12 minutes, 42 seconds after starting, I crossed the_______line. I fell to the ground and shed_______. I was so embarrassed.
3. It was_______I realized winning isn’t always finishing_______. Sometimes winning is_______finishing.
1. 我与癌症并存。无论以后遭遇什么困难，我都不会恐惧了，因为天生我材必有用。
2. 我突然意识到，并没有人放弃，而是他们都跑完了。
3. 就是在那时，我意识到，胜利并非总意味着最先完成某事，有时，仅仅完成某事也是胜利。
