VOA慢速英语--盲人运动员徒步穿越大峡谷

Blind Athlete Hikes the Grand Canyon¹

Shawn Cheshire is a blind cyclist who competed in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She hopes to take part again in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.

But before that, she had a different goal: hiking the Grand Canyon in the American state of Arizona.

Cheshire lost her ability to see after an accident nine years ago. She has tried to become as independent as possible in the last few years. She said, "For me, being able to walk in the Grand Canyon like that, that’s freedom.”

She said that, for a long time, she was in “a really dark place and hated being blind.” She said that sports and physical exercise gave her “another opportunity at living.”

Earlier this month, Cheshire crossed 68 kilometers of steep and uneven² ground in the Grand Canyon. She did so in 24 hours and 15 minutes. That is believed to be a record for a blind hiker. The earlier record of 28 hours was set in 2014.

Three friends helped her during the Grand Canyon hike. They walked several steps apart. They guided and warned her of barriers. She listened for and followed the sound of a bell worn by the lead hiker. She used hiking poles for balance.

Scott Drum is one of Cheshire’s friends. He served as a guide on the hike. “I’ve learned³ a lot about myself,” he said. “I learned a lot more about the canyon.”

Cheshire and her friends finished the hike on October 8. She said as the group neared the end of the trip, “I had a huge ball of emotion welled up in my chest –I cannot believe we just did that.”

Along with hiking and cycling, Cheshire has also done running, skiing and rock climbing.

“I’d like to figure out everything a blind woman has never done," she said, "and I would like to do that.”

I'm Caty Weaver⁴.

Words in This Story

blind - adj. unable to see

cyclist - n. someone who rides a bicycle

hike - v. to walk a long distance especially for pleasure or exercise

opportunity - n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done

steep - adj. rising or falling very sharply⁵

pole - n. a long, straight piece of wood, metal ...that is used to support a person

1 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

2 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

3 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

4 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

5 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。