早读英语精华本上册 Unit11

　　If the Dream is Big Enough(II)---为了心中的梦想(二)
One day in her senior year, I saw her sitting in the grass, head cradled¹ in her arms.
I walked across the street and sat down in the cool grass beside her. Quietly I asked what was wrong.
"Oh, nothing." Came a soft reply. "I am just too short."
The coach told her that at 5'5 she would probably never get to play for a top ranked team much less offered a scholarship - so she should stop dreaming about college.
She was heartbroken and I felt my own throat tighten² as I sensed her disappointment.
I asked her if she had talked to her dad about it yet.
She lifted her head from her hands and told me that her father said those coaches were wrong.
They just did not understand the power of a dream. He told her that if she really wanted to play for a good college, if she truly wanted a scholarship.
That nothing could stop her except one thing-her own attitude.
He told her again, "If the dream is big enough, the facts don't count."
The next year, as she and her team went to the Northern California Championship game, she was seen by a college recruiter³.
She was indeed of freed a scholarship, a full ride, to a Division⁴ I, NCAA women's basketball team.
She was going to get the college education that she had dreamed of and worked toward⁵ for all those years.
It's true: If the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.
高中那会儿的某一天，我看见她坐在草地上，头埋在臂弯里。
我穿过街道，坐到她旁边的清凉的草地上。我轻轻地问出什么事了。
“哦，没什么”，她轻声回答，“只是我太矮了。”
原来篮球教练告诉她，以五英尺五英寸的身材，她几乎是没有机会到一流的球队去打球的更不用说会获得奖学金了所以她应该放弃想上大学的梦想。
她很伤心，我也觉得自己的喉咙发紧，因为我感觉到了她的失望。
我问她是否与她的爸爸谈过这件事。
她从臂弯里抬起头，告诉我，她爸爸说那些教练错了。
他们根本不懂得梦想的力量。他告诉她，如果真的想到一个好的大学去打篮球，如果她真的想获得奖学金，
任何东西也不能阻止她，除非她自己不愿意。
他又一次跟她说：“心中有目标，风雨不折腰”。
第二年，当她和她的球队去参加北加利福尼亚州冠军赛时，她被一位大学的招生人员看中了。
她真的获得了奖学金，一个全面资助的奖学金，并且进入美国全国大学体育协会其中一队女子甲组篮球队。
她将接受她曾梦想并为之奋斗多年的大学教育。
是的，心中有目标，风雨不折腰。

1 cradled   

vt.将…置于摇篮中（cradle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• I cradled the baby in my arms. 我轻轻地把婴儿抱到怀里摇晃着。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Civilization was cradled somewhere in Asia. 文明发源于亚洲某地。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

3 recruiter   

n.招募者

参考例句：

• The tele recruiter is prompted by a variety of questions, depending on your answers. 针对你不同的回答，这位考官还会提出些不同的问题。
• A recruiter can give you insider pointers and advice. 一个招聘人可以为你提供内行人的观点与建议。

4 division   

n.区分，分开，除法，公司，部门，师(军队里)

参考例句：

• Have you learnt division?你学会除法了吗？
• The division commander ordered that we start the attack before dawn.师长令我们在拂晓前发起攻击。

5 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。