I used to watch her from my kitchen window， she seemed so small as she 1）muscled her way through the crowd of boys on the playground. The school was across the street from our home and I would often watch the kids as they played during recess. A sea of children， and yet to me， she stood out from them all.

    I remember the first day I saw her playing basketball. I watched in wonder as she ran circles around the other kids. She managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net. The boys always tried to stop her but no one could.

    I began to notice her at other times， basketball in hand， playing alone. She would practice 2）dribbling and shooting over and over again， sometimes until dark. One day I asked her why she practiced so much. She looked directly in my eyes and without a moment of hesitation she said， “I want to go to college. The only way I can go is if I get a scholarship. I like basketball. I decided that if I were good enough， I would get a scholarship. I am going to play college basketball. I want to be the best. My Daddy told me if the dream is big enough， the facts don't count.” Then she smiled and ran towards the court to 3）recap the routine I had seen over and over again.

    Well， I had to give it to her―she was determined. I watched her through those junior high years and into high school. Every week， she led her 4）varsity team to victory.

    One day in her senior year， I saw her sitting in the grass， head cradled 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 tighten 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 5）recruiter. She was indeed offered a scholarship， a full ride， to a Division I， 6）NCAA women's basketball team. She was going to get the college education that she had dreamed of and worked toward for all those years.

    It's true： If the dream is big enough， the facts don't count.

    我以前常常從廚房的窗戶看到她穿梭于操場上的一群男孩子中間，她顯得那么矮小。學校在我家的街對面，我可以經?？吹胶⒆觽冊谙抡n時間打球。盡管有一大群的孩子，但我覺得她跟其他的孩子截然不同。

    我記得第一天看到她打籃球的情景?？粗谄渌⒆优赃叾祦磙D去，我感到十分驚奇。她總是盡力地跳起投籃，球恰好越過那些孩子的頭頂飛入籃筐。那些男孩總是拼命地阻止她，但沒有人可以做得到。

    我開始注意到她有時候一個人打球。她一遍遍地練習運球和投籃，有時直到天黑。有一天我問她為什么這么刻苦地練習。她直視著我的眼睛，不加思索地說：“我想上大學。只有獲得獎學金我才能上大學。我喜歡打籃球， 我想只要我打得好，我就能獲得獎學金。我要到大學去打籃球。我想成為最棒的球員。我爸爸告訴我說，心中有目標，風雨不折腰?！闭f完她笑了笑，跑向籃球場，又開始我之前見過的一遍又一遍的練習。

    嘿，我服了她了――她是下定了決心了。我看著她這些年從初中升到高中。每個星期，她帶領的學校籃球代表隊都能夠獲勝。

    高中那會兒的某一天，我看見她坐在草地上，頭埋在臂彎里。我穿過街道，坐到她旁邊的清涼的草地上。我輕輕地問出什么事了?！芭叮瑳]什么，”她輕聲回答，“只是我太矮了。”原來籃球教練告訴她，以五英尺五英寸的身材，她幾乎是沒有機會到一流的球隊去打球的――更不用說會獲得獎學金了――所以她應該放棄想上大學的夢想。

    她很傷心，我也覺得自己的喉嚨發緊，因為我感覺到了她的失望。我問她是否與她的爸爸談過這件事。

    她從臂彎里抬起頭，告訴我，她爸爸說那些教練錯了。他們根本不懂得夢想的力量。他告訴她，如果真的想到一個好的大學去打籃球，如果她真的想獲得獎學金，任何東西也不能阻止她，除非她自己不愿意。他又一次跟她說：“心中有目標，風雨不折腰?！?/p>

    第二年，當她和她的球隊去參加北加利福尼亞州冠軍賽時，她被一位大學的招生人員看中了。她真的獲得了獎學金，一個全面資助的獎學金，并且進入美國全國大學體育協會其中一隊女子甲組籃球隊。她將接受她曾夢想并為之奮斗多年的大學教育。

    是的，心中有目標，風雨不折腰。

    注釋：

    1） muscle v. （非正式）（用勁）硬擠入

    2） dribble v. （籃球）運球

    3） recap v. （recapitulate的省略形式）重復，再現

    4） varsity n. 大學運動代表隊

    5） recruiter n. 招聘人員

    6） NCAA全稱是National Collegiate Athletic Association全國大學體育協會

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