佚名/Anonymous
I was watching some little kids play soccer. These kids were only five or six years old, but they were playing a real game—a serious game—two teams, complete with coaches, uniforms, and parents, I didn’t know any of them, so I was able to enjoy the game without the distraction of being anxious about winning or losing—I wished the parents and coaches could have done the same.
The teams were pretty evenly matched. I will just call them Team One and Team Two. Nobody scored in the first period. The kids were hilarious.They were clumsy and terribly inefficient. They fell over their own feet, they stumbled over the ball, they kicked at the ball and missed it but they didn’t seem to care. They were having fun.
In the second quarter, the Team One coach pulled out what must have been his first team and put in the scrubs, except for his best player who now guarded the goal.
The game took a dramatic turn. I guess winning is important even when you’re five years old—because the Team Two coach left his best players in, and the Team One scrubs were no match for them. Team Two swarmed around the little guy who was now the Team One goalie. He was an outstanding athlete, but he was no match for three or four who were also very good. Team Two began to score. The lone goalie gave it everything he had, recklessy throwing his body in front of incoming balls, trying valiantly to stop them.
Team Two scored two goals in quick succession. It infuriated the young boy. He became a raging maniac—shouting, running, diving.With all the stamina he could muster, he covered the boy who now had the ball, but that kicked it to another boy twenty feet away, and by the time he repositioned himself, it was too late—they scored a third goal.
I soon learned who the goalie’s parents were. They were nice, decent-looking people. I could tell that his dad had just come from the office—he still had his suit and tie on.They yelled encouragement to their son. I became totally absorbed, watching the boy on the field and his parents on he sidelines. After the third goal, the little kid changed. He could see it was no use; he couldn’t stop them.
He didn’t quit, but he became quietly desperate and futility was written all over him. His father changed, too. He had been urging his I son to try harder—yelling advice and encouragement. But then be changed. He became anxious. He tried to say that it was okay—to hang in there. He grieved for the pain his son was feeling.
After the fourth goal, I knew what was going to happen. I’d seen it before.The little boy needed help so badly, and there was no help to be had. He retrieved the ball from the net and handed it to the referee—and then he cried.
He just stood there while huge tears rolled down both cheeks, he went to his knees and put his fists to his eyes—and he cried the tears of the helpless and brokenhearted.
When the boy went to his knees, I saw the father start onto their field. His wife clutched his arm and said,“Jim, don’t. You’ll embarrass him.”But he tore loose from her and ran onto the field. He wasn’t supposed to—the game was still in progress. Suit, tie, dress shoe, and all—he charged onto the field, and he picked up his son so everybody would know that this was his boy, and he hugged him and held him and cried with him. I’ve never been so proud of a man in my life.
He carried him off the field, and when he got close to the sidelines I heard him say,“Scotty, I’m so proud of you. You were great out there. I want everybody to know that you are my son.”
“Daddy,”the boy sobbed.“I couldn’t stop them. I tried, Daddy, I tried and tried and they scored on me.”
“Scotty, it doesn’t matter how many times they scored on you. You’re my son, and I’m proud of you. I want you to go back there and finish the game. I know you want to quit, but you can’t. And, son, you’re going to get scored on again, but it doesn’t matter. In my eyes, you are the winner! Go on, now.”
The little guy ran back onto the field—and they scored two more times—but it was okay. Now in all viewers’ eyes, he is the Winner.
When you’re all alone, and you’re getting scored on—and you can’t stop them, even if you fume with rage—it means a lot to know that it doesn’t matter to those who love you. In their eyes, so long as you don’t give up, you are the winner. And they are always proud of you.
我正在观看一群小孩子踢足球，虽然他们只有五六岁，却是在进行真正的比赛——非常严肃的比赛——有两个队，并且有教练，穿着统一的服装，还有父母助阵。我不认识他们，所以只顾欣赏比赛，不必关心谁输谁赢。我真希望他们的父母和教练也能像我一样。
两个队势均力敌，我在这里分别叫他们一队和二队。在第一场，两个队都没有得分。孩子们非常活跃，虽然他们动作笨拙，经常失误，常常自己摔倒，或是被球绊倒，去踢球却常踢不到球，但是，这些他们都不介意，只管继续比赛。
第二场，一队的教练换下首发队员，换上替补队员。但是，他保留了最棒的队员，就是现在的守门员。
比赛出现了戏剧性的变化。我猜胜利是最重要的，对于只有五岁的孩子也是如此，由于二队的教练保留了最好的队员，一队的候补队员根本比不过他们。二队队员朝1队的守门员蜂拥过来，这个小男孩本来是个优秀的队员，但是他一个人抵不过三四个同样实力雄厚的队员。二队开始得分，孤军奋战的守门员用尽全部力量，不顾一切地朝飞过来的球扑去，想挡住对方的球。
二队连续进了两个球，这激怒了小男孩。他简直发疯了，他狂叫、奔跑、猛扑。他集中全部精力在那个控制球的男孩身上，但男孩把球传给了距他二十英尺远的另一个男孩。等守门员重新调整好自己的位置时，已经来不及了，二队进了第三个球。
我很快知道了谁是小守门员的父母。他们看起来端庄和善，而且我能猜出他的父亲刚刚从办公室赶来，因为他还穿着西服，系着领带。他们呼喊着鼓励自己的儿子。看着场上的小男孩和场下他的父母，我完全入迷了。对方进第三个球后，小男孩儿变了，因为他知道无论他怎么努力都是徒劳，他根本阻挡不了对方的进攻。
小男孩没有放弃，但是可以看出他非常绝望。他的无计可施表现在脸上。他爸爸也变了，之前他鼓励儿子努力拼搏，后来，他变了，变得焦虑，他试图告诉他的儿子一切都还好——让他坚持，他为儿子的伤心而难过。
对方踢进第四个球后，我知道会发生什么，因为我以前看到过。小男孩非常需要帮助，却没有人帮他，他从网内捡出球，递给裁判，然后就哭了。
他站在那儿，任凭大大的泪珠从脸颊滑落。接着他跪了下来，用拳头盖住眼睛——他流下了无助而痛心的眼泪。
当小男孩跪下来时，我看到他的爸爸跑上赛场。他的妻子拽住他的胳膊，说：“吉姆，不要这样，这会让他难堪的。”但是，他挣脱了她，跑上赛场。他穿着西服，系着领带，穿着皮鞋，就冲上了赛场，他抱起自己的儿子——这样谁都知道这是他的儿子——拥抱着他一起哭，我生平第一次为一个男人感到自豪。
他把儿子抱下赛场，在赛场边缘，我听到他说：“斯科蒂，我为你感到骄傲，你表现得非常棒，我想让人们知道你是我的儿子。”
“爸爸，”小男孩儿哭诉着，“我阻挡不住他们。爸爸，我尽力了，但是，他们还是进球得分。”
“斯科蒂，他们踢进你的球门的几个球其实并不重要，你是我的儿子，我为你而骄傲，现在我想让你回到赛场完成比赛。我知道你想放弃，但是你不能这样做。我的儿子，你可能还会让对方得分，但这没关系，在我的眼中，你是胜利者。去比赛吧。”
小家伙又跑回了赛场，对方又踢进两个球，但这没关系，因为在众人的眼中，他已经是一个胜利者了。
当处于困境，孤立无援时，你可能非常痛苦，但对那些爱你的人来说，你的失败算不了什么。只要你坚持，在他们看来，你就是胜利者，他们会为你自豪。
心灵小语
人不可能成为每一场对抗中的胜利者，但只要你不因失败的挫折而一蹶不振，那么，你就不会成为一个人生的失败者。
quarter v.四等分
例 Sale fall slightly in the second quarter.
第二季度的销售量有所下降。
stamina n.精力；活力；持久力；耐力
例 My speech is better, my stamina is greatly improved and my balance has improved.
我现在讲话变得清晰了很多，精力变得更加充沛，平衡能力也得到了改善。
embarrass v.使……困窘；使……局促不安；阻碍
例 She dragged up that incident just to embarrass me.
她又提起那件事，故意想使我难堪。
sideline n.（球场）边线
例 If we’re lucky we can watch the game on the sidelines.
若幸运的话，我们可以在边线区看比赛。
比赛出现了戏剧性的变化。
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他的无计可施表现在脸上。
译___________________________________________________________________
当处于困境，孤立无援时，你可能非常痛苦，但对那些爱你的人来说，你的失败算不了什么。
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I was able to enjoy the game……
be able to：会；能
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……the Team One scrubs were no match for them.
no match for：无法对抗
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