精品閱讀：有關自行車及生活_跨考網(wǎng)

　　精品閱讀：有關自行車及生活

　　NOVELS about sport are notoriously hard to pull off. It seems somewhat odd for a literary mind to care how often a ball makes it to the back of the net or how long it takes to sprint down a track. Yet that need not be so. The classic quest narrative-in which an individual overcomes obstacles to achieve a goal-could be a template for any single match or sporting career. "Gold", Chris Cleave's third novel, is a skilful demonstration of the form.

　　寫一部關于體育運動的小說，顯然是有難度的。讓文學去關注一粒球怎樣入網(wǎng)，沖刺終點需要多長時間，看起來多少有點奇怪。然而，事實也不盡然。古典文學所追求的敘述方式往往是一個從克服障礙到實現(xiàn)目標的過程。這其實和任何一場單獨的比賽或者體育項目的邏輯是一致的。《赤子之心》--克里夫的第三本小說，正是這種敘述方式的巧妙呈現(xiàn)。

　　This is the story of Zoe, Kate and Jack, three obsessive race cyclists who meet as young hopefuls. There is bike geekery and Lycra aplenty. As the title suggests, Mr Cleave even dares to set his story around the Olympics, the ultimate sporting circus. Yet this is no niche book for aficionados looking for a brief summer distraction.

　　書中講述了三個人的故事：若伊、凱特和杰克--三個狂熱的自行車車手，年輕有為，志同道合。故事里有高水準的自行車"極客"。正如題目所暗示的，克里夫甚至刻意讓故事游離在奧運會--那終極的競技場的邊緣。但是，此書也絕對不是為了在炎夏給體育迷們提供一份短暫的消遣。

　　Instead, cycling is the backdrop for a deeper exploration of the struggle between the physical and the psychological. Into the love triangle and professional exertions Mr Cleave throws eight-year-old Sophie, diagnosed with leukaemia only days before the Olympics and fighting a different type of battle to the finish.

　　相反，自行車運動化為了背景。小說在這背景上深入探討了靈與肉的掙扎。除了三角戀、職業(yè)上的進取，克里夫還講述了蘇菲的故事：一個年僅8歲的孩子，在奧林匹克運動會開幕前被診斷出白血病，在生命的盡頭處，打了一場特殊的生死之戰(zhàn)。