书城外语有一种智慧叫包容
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第58章 速 度

Speed

Whoosh !

I sailed by person after person on the track.

Whoosh ! Whoosh ! Whoosh !

I am a runner. Well, technically a jogger. I often run at the track near my home, most people on the track walking, therefore my speed, meager in running terms and faster than walking.

So it’s whoosh, whoosh, and whoosh as I pass the walkers over and over around the track.

My speed and endurance seem amazing to the walkers. Some will come and walk for an hour. I am running when they come and still running when they leave. I have whooshed by them twenty or more times.

I got several lessons in life today on the track.

As I circled the track with my long steady strides passing the walkers like lamp poles, I got to feel superior. I know you shouldn’t, you don’t have to tell me, but after the constant whooshing past far younger people, it goes to your head.

Then he came.

He was short, perhaps five feet three. He didn’t look like much of a runner. I saw him get out of the car and stretch as I whooshed by a couple holding hands.

He started running a few feet ahead of me.

He was fast. I sped up to keep up. At last, I had someone to pace myself against. After half a lap I was on his heels but my breath was coming harder and heavier. After the first lap I was gasping but still on his heels. After a lap and a half my feet started hurting.

I slowed up and got back to my pace. The pain in my feet went away. I could breathe again without sounding like having a lung disease. He sped away.

In a fairly short time, whoosh! He went past me. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In life, there will always be those slower and faster. Some have natural ability, some have trained harder. For some, speed is simply their destiny.

The point is that we each have our own speed, and we often end up hurting ourselves and pushing ourselves to the point where the breath is knocked out of us because we are trying to keep up.

I learned several lessons that day.

Don’t get puffed up because you are faster than some. Don’t feel inferior because some are faster than you. Don’t judge the capabilities of others by how they look.

How much of your breath (spirit) is knocked out because you are running someone else’s race?

Are you trying to outrun someone’s car, house, clothes, looks, job title, etc.?

How much pain are you in trying to keep up with someone who may be running for an entirely different reason, heading to an entirely different place, with entirely different muscles?

Slow down or maybe speed up, but run your race to the best of your ability.

Whether you realize it or not, you are the real pace setter.

Don’t run fast when you should be running slowly. Don’t run at all when you should be walking, and don’t walk when you should be running.

嗖!

跑道上,我超越了一个又一个人。

嗖!嗖!嗖!

我是一个跑步者。哦,从专业角度上讲,是一个慢跑者。我常在家附近的跑道上跑步,而跑道上的大部分人都是步行。我的速度称不上是跑步,但比走路要快。

所以,在跑道上,我嗖嗖地超过了一个又一个行人。

我的速度和耐力似乎让行人感到惊奇。有些人会来这里散步一个小时,他们来的时候,我在跑,他们走的时候,我还在跑。我一直在这里跑步,从他们身边经过了20多次。

今天,在这条跑道上,我得出了生活中的一些启示。

当我用稳健的步伐慢跑,超越电线杆似的行人时,我有一种优越感。我知道你不会,你也不必告诉我。但是,当你不断地超越年轻人时,你也会这么想。

他来了。

他个子不高,大概只有5.3英尺。他不太像一个跑步的人。当我超越一对牵着手的恋人时,看见他从车里出来舒展身体。

他就在我前面几英尺的地方开始跑步。

他跑得很快,我加速跟上。最后,我开始调整我的步伐。半圈以后,我离他很近了,但是我的呼吸越来越急促。一圈下来,我紧紧地跟着他,但始终在他后面。一圈半后,我的脚开始疼起来。

我慢了下来,恢复到原来的速度。这时,脚部的疼痛消失了,我又能正常地呼吸了,不像得了肺病似的喘息沉重。但他已经跑得不见踪影了。

不一会儿,嗖! 他从我身边跑过。嗖! 嗖! 嗖!

生活中,人们有快有慢。有些是天生的能力,有些是经过了艰苦的锻炼。还有一些人,速度就像是与生俱来的。

关键是,每个人都有自己的速度。为了赶超别人,我们常逼迫自己达到能力承受范围之外的限度,结果伤害了自己。

那天,我学到了很多东西。

不要因为你比别人快而沾沾自喜,也不要因为别人比你快而自卑;不要以貌取人。

你的呼吸(精神)被打乱,有多少是因为你在与别人比赛呢?

你是否尝试着不去和别人攀比汽车、房子、衣服、外表、头衔等?

在试图赶超一个有特定目的、方向和体能的人时,你又在承受多大的痛苦?

你可以放慢速度或者加速前进,但是你应尽自己最大努力跑完你的比赛。

不管你是否意识到这一点,你自己才是真正设定步调的人。

不要在应该跑慢时跑快,也不要在该步行时跑步,更不要在应当飞速奔跑时步行。

1. I am a_______. Well, technically a jogger. I_______run at the track near my home,______people on the track walking, therefore my speed, meager_______ running terms and faster_______walking.

2. Don’t_______puffed up because you are faster than_______. Don’t feel inferior_____some are faster than you. Don’t_______the capabilities of_______ by how they look.

3. Don’t run_______when you should be running_______. Don’t run at all when you should be_______, and don’t walk when you_______be running.

1. 我的速度称不上是跑步,但比走路要快。

2. 我慢了下来,恢复到原来的速度。

3. 你可以放慢速度或者加速前进,但是你应尽自己最大努力跑完你的比赛。