2020年经济学人 骑自行车的人雷蒙·布里多(4)

 

The more Tours he lost, the more the crowds liked him and the more he earned. At the height of his celebrity¹, in the mid-1970s, almost half of respondents to one poll made him their first choice as a dinner guest. In 1974 alone more than 4,000 articles were written about him, besides university theses and sociological studies.

他输的比赛越多，人们就越喜欢他，他就挣得越多。20世纪70年代中期是他最有名的时候，几乎一半参与一项民调的人都选他作为晚餐客人的首选。仅仅在1974年一年，除了大学论文和社会学研究之外，就有超过4000篇关于他的文章。

He lent his name to sports bikes, and given half a chance would stand in supermarkets shouting "Just the right bike for you, sir!" Later, as a national treasure, he had a rose named after him, and appeared along the route of the Tour in yellow outfits² and with trinkets in his hands, cheered by all who saw him. This adulation came not simply because he failed, but because of the manner of his failing.

他把自己的名字借给运动自行车，只要有一点机会，他就会站在超市里喊道，“这就是你想要的自行车，先生！” 后来，作为国家宝藏，他的名字被命名成一种玫瑰，他穿着黄色的服装，手里拿着小饰品，出现在巡演路线上，所有看到他的人都欢呼起来。这种崇拜不仅仅是因为他失败了，而且是因为他失败的方式。

He did not get up each morning with the thought of winning. He did not think of winning at all. His manager complained that he was always in a daydream³, and it was true. Everything that was happening to him was marvelous enough. His memoir⁴ was called "La gloire sans maillot jaune", glory without the jersey⁵, which in the end he didn't need. Eight times he had got within touching⁶ distance, and lost them all. But he could still say, as he often did, "Look how close I came!"

他每天不是带着获胜的想法起床的。他就没想过赢这回事儿。他的经理一职抱怨他总是做白日梦，而且这是真的。发生在他身上的事情已经足够神奇了。他的回忆录名为《没有黄色领骑衫的荣耀》，没有这件球衣的荣耀，最后他也不需要了。八次比赛中他都对第一名触手可得，却都没拿到。但是他仍然会说，就像他经常做的那样，“就差一点！”

1 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

2 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

3 daydream   

v.做白日梦，幻想

参考例句：

• Boys and girls daydream about what they want to be.孩子们遐想着他们将来要干什么。
• He drifted off into another daydream.他飘飘然又做了一个白日梦。

4 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。