Cows have to be milked twice a day， so work on a farm never stops. But every Christmas， we nine Gardner children let Dad sleep in. We woke before dawn in the Wyoming① cold to do the chores②. My brother and I would argue—and sometimes wrestle—over who had to do what. One year he fed the calves—a ten-minute job. While I got stuck③ herding the cows into their stalls to be milked. They can knock you over， and while you’re down 20 of them will escape. That morning I decided I wasn’t going to run from work that had to be done. I wanted to say I did my best. By myself， I pushed them all into the milking pens.
The same determination helped me win a gold medal in Sydney， and kept me alive when I drove my snowmobile into a frozen Wyoming creek in February 2002 I was lost outside in sub-zero weather from 4：30 in the afternoon until the next morning. When the rescuers found me， they had to saw④ my boots off. I should have died that night but willed⑤ myself to stay alive by focusing like I did on herding the cows， like I did on facing an opponent⑥. Even if I didn’t make it， I wanted to know I had done my best.
I did make it. Doctors amputated⑦ a toe and I had several skin grafts⑧， but I can still wrestle. That first Christmas after the accident meant a lot to me. My nieces and nephews did the farm chores， so I got to sleep in. I woke up viewing the day， and any that followed， as a bonus⑨.
① Wyomingn. 怀俄明州（美国州名）
② choren. 农庄杂务，家务活
③ get stuck不能完成某事，一直陷于某事中
④ saw something off把某物锯去，锯掉
⑤ willv. 用意志的力量驱使（或控制）
⑥ opponentn. 对手
⑦ amputatev. （尤指用外科手术）切断，截（肢）
⑧ graftn. 移植物；移植片
⑨ bonusn. 额外给予的东西
决心助我成功
每天要给母牛挤两次奶，所以农场上的活儿总也干不完。但在每个圣诞节那天，我们加德纳家的9个孩子都会让父亲美美地睡个懒觉。我们冒着怀俄明州的严寒，天不亮就起床去干活。我和我哥哥常会为谁得去干什么而争吵不休——有时还会摔跤来决定。有一年圣诞节，他只负责喂喂小牛——一项10分钟就能搞定的工作。而我却得费力地将母牛赶进牛栏给它们挤奶。它们能把你撞翻，而一旦你被撞倒，其中的20只奶牛便会趁机跑出牛栏。那天上午，我决定忠于职守，完成必须要做的事。我想说我的确尽力了。最终，我自个儿把它们全都推进了挤奶的围栏里。
同样的决心帮我在悉尼赢得了一块金牌，并使我在2002年2月误将雪地车驶入怀俄明州一条冰冷刺骨的小河中后活了下来。零度以下的天气里，我在野外迷了路，从那天下午四点半一直撑到第二天早晨。当救护人员发现我时，他们不得不把我的靴子从脚上锯下来。那夜，我本可能就被冻死了，但就像当初在赶牛和面对对手时我做的那样，坚强的意志让我挺了过来。即使我不能成功，我也想确定自己曾尽力努力过。
我的确成功了。医生们截断了我的一根脚趾，我有几块皮肤也是移植的，但我还可以摔跤。这次事故后的第一个圣诞节对我来说意义重大。我的侄子侄女们包揽了农场上的所有活儿，让我美美睡了一觉。醒来后，我把这一天和之后的每一天都看作是对我的奖赏。
