03 If the Dream Is Big Enough如果梦想足够远大

I used to watch her from my kitchen window,she seemed so small as she muscled her way through the crowd of boys on the playground.The school was across the street from our home and I would often watch the kids as they played during recess.A sea of children,and yet to me,she stood out from them all.I remember the first day I saw her playing basketball.I watched in wonder as she ran circles around the other kids.She managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net.The boys always tried to stop her but no one could.I began to notice her at other times,basketball in hand,playing alone.She would practice dribbling and shooting over and over again,sometimes until dark.

我以前常常从厨房的窗户看到她，她显得那么小，她强行挤过操场上的一群男生。学校在我家对面的街上，我经常在休息的时候看着孩子们玩耍。一大群孩子，但对我来说，她从他们当中脱颖而出。我记得我第一次看到她在操场上打篮球的时候，她在其他孩子旁边兜来转去，技术娴熟，我感到十分惊奇。她成功地从他们的头上跳投射入。男孩们总是试图阻止她，但没人能阻止得了她。我开始注意到她在其他时候也篮球在手，独自玩耍。她会一遍又一遍地练习运球和投篮，有时直到天黑。

One day I asked her why she practiced so much.She looked directly in my eyes and without a moment of hesitation she said，“I want to go to college.The only way I can go is if I get a scholarship.I like basketball.I decided that if I were good enough,I would get a scholarship.I am going to play college basketball.I want to be the best.My Daddy told me if the dream is big enough,the facts don't count.”Then she smiled and ran towards the court to recap the routine I had seen over and over again.Well,I had to give it to her—she was determined.I watched her through those junior high years and into high school.Every week,she led her varsity team to victory.The next year,as she and her team went to the Northern California Championship game,she was seen by a college recruiter.She was indeed offered a scholarship,a full ride,to a Division I,NCAA women's basketball team.She was going to get the college education that she had dreamed of and worked toward for all those years.It's true：If the dream is big enough,the facts don't count.

有一天，我问她为什么练习这么多。她直视我的眼睛，毫不犹豫地说：“我想上大学。我能去的唯一办法就是拿到奖学金。我喜欢篮球。我认为如果我足够好，我就会获得奖学金。我要去打大学篮球。我想成为最好的。我爸爸告诉我，如果梦想足够大，事实并不重要。”然后她笑着跑向球场开始我看了一遍又一遍常规动作。好吧，我必须承认她真的下定决心了。我看着她通过初中，进入高中。每周我都看着她带领她的代表队获取胜利。第二年，当她和她的球队去参加加利福尼亚北部锦标赛时，她被一个大学招聘人员看到了。她真的得到了奖学金，全额奖学金，在NCAA女子篮球队。她将接受她曾梦想并为之奋斗多年的大学教育。这是真的：如果梦想足够大，事实并不重要。

单词解析Word Analysis

muscle[ˈmʌsl]n.肌肉；力量；权威，权力vt.硬挤；使劲搬动vi.用力挤例Keeping your muscles strong and in tone helps you to avoid

back problems.

保持肌肉强壮发达有利于预防背部疾病。

recess[rɪˈses]n.休息；隐蔽处；（山脉，海岸等的）凹处；壁凹，壁龛例The conference broke for a recess.

会议暂时休会。

dribbling[ˈdrɪblɪŋ]v.运球，带球

例I have no doubt of his basic skills in passing,dribbling and shooting.

我丝毫不怀疑他传球、运球和射门的基本技术。

hesitation[ˌhezɪˈteɪʃn]n.犹豫；踌躇；含糊；口吃

例He promised there would be no more hesitations in pursuing reforms.

他答应在推进改革这件事上不再迟疑不决。

recap[ˈri：kæp]v.翻新（轮胎）的胎面；扼要重述，概括

例To recap briefly,an agreement negotiated to cut the budget defcit was rejected 10 days ago.

简要概括起来，一项关于削减预算赤字的协议在10天前遭到了否决。

varsity[ˈvɑ：səti]n.大学（尤指牛津或剑桥）；（学校的）代表队

例The school has not given them the same opportunities to participate in varsity sports that men receive.

学校没有给她们与男生同样多的参加大学体育活动的机会。

championship[ˈtʃæmpiənʃɪp]n.锦标赛，冠军赛；冠军头衔，冠军称号

例This season I expect us to retain the championship and win the European Cup.

这个赛季我期待我们能够保住冠军头衔，赢得欧洲杯。

recruiter[rɪˈkru：tə（r）]n.招聘人员，征兵人员

例If you don’t know the recruiter’s name,simply list the company name and address.

如果你不知道招聘员工的名字，简单地写上公司名字和地址吧。

NCAA abbr.National Collegiate Athletic Association＜美＞全国大学生体育协会

例NCAA games is one of the biggest and the highest level games in the world.

美国大学生篮球联赛是世界上规模最大、水平最高的大学生篮球联赛之一。

语法知识点Grammar Points

①A sea of children,and yet to me,she stood out from them all.

本句中stand out of为固定搭配，表示“突出；坚持；超群；向前跨步”。

例Only in this way can we avoid the adverse effects,stand out of the hardship and seek development and success.

这样，我们才能避免不利的影响，在困境中脱颖而出，寻求发展和成功。

②I watched in wonder as she ran circles around the other kids.

本句中run circles around为固定搭配，表示“兜来转去”，还有引申意为“比（某人）做得更好，远远超过（某人）”。

例I’m a far better player than my opponent.I can run circles around him.

我的球技比我的对手好得多，我可以把他耍得团团转。

③Every week,she led her varsity team to victory.

本句中lead sb.to victory为固定搭配，表示“带领某人走向胜利”。

例I will lead us to victory.

我会引领我们走向胜利。

④The next year,as she and her team went to the Northern California Championship game,she was seen by a college recruiter.

本句中，as引导的是一个时间状语从句，表示“当……时候”；同时as还可以引导定语从句、原因状语从句、方式状语从句和让步状语从句。

例As the weather is colder and colder,the leaves of the tree is less and less.

随着天气越来越冷，树叶变得越来越少。

⑤She was going to get the college education that she had dreamed of and worked toward for all those years.

本句中，that引导的是一个定语从句，先行词是education。此处可以用which替代。

经典名句Famous Classics

1.Sometimes you have to let things go,so there’s room for better things to come into your life.

有时你要学会放手，这样才有空间让更好的事物进入你的生活。

2.Never get stuck with the thing that ruins your day.Stay upbeat and be happy；for life is too short to be wasted on crap.

不要让不好的事情毁了你这一天，乐观一点，开心一点，生命如此短暂，别浪费时间在不值一提的事情上。

3.Lies will always be bitter in the end,no matter how sweet you made it at the beginning.

到最后，谎言总是苦涩的，不管开始的时候是多么的悦耳。

4.Always remember：when the pain of holding on is greater than the pain of letting go,it’s time to let go.

记住：当坚持之苦大过放弃之痛，是该放手的时候了。

5.Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

我们生活中的许多失败，是因为人们在放弃的时候没有认识到他们距离成功有多么近。

6.I don’t need a photograph to recall you,because you’ve never left my mind.

我不需要一张照片把你记起，因为在我脑海中你从未离去。7.When all else is lost the future still remains.

即使失去了一切，还有未来。

读书笔记

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