A Real Superman

 　　他“比飞驰的子弹还快，比火车头更有力，轻轻一跃就能跳上高大的建筑物。”他就是全世界最伟大的超极英雄。1977年，克里斯托弗·里夫出演超人系列电影，全国观众欢呼喝彩。克里斯托弗活跃、英俊、强壮，一如影片中的超人，而且似乎战无不胜。他滑雪，驾船，驾驶飞机，潜水，骑马，打网球，无一不是技艺高超，挥洒自如。谁也无法想象克里斯托弗会是另外一种样子。

　　He was "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound." He was the world’s greatest superhero. When Christopher Reeve was picked to play this role in films in 1977, audiences across the country cheered with approval. Like Superman, Christopher was dashing, handsome, and strong. Like Superman, he seemed nearly invincible 1. He skied, sailed, flew planes, went scuba 2 diving, rode horses, played tennis——and did it all with skill and ease. No one could imagine Christopher Reeve any other way.
　　1995年5月27日，一切都改变了。当时克里斯托弗和妻子达纳·莫罗西尼带着年幼的儿子威尔住在弗吉尼亚州。他参加了一项为期三天的马术比赛。他的坐骑“东方快车” 看上去状态颇佳。42岁的克里斯托弗也显得同样神采奕奕，气定神闲。
　　All that changed on May 27, 1995. Christopher was in Virginia with his wife, Dana Morosini, and their young son, Will. He had entered a three-day horse riding competition there. His horse, Eastern Express, appeared to be in fine shape. The 42-year-old Christopher looked equally fit and relaxed.
　　对克里斯托弗而言，比赛进行得很顺利，虽没有名列前茅，但也没有落到最后。但在一场两英里的障碍赛中，第三次跨越障碍时，马和骑手之间不知怎么失去了默契。“东方快车”突然停了下来，可是克里斯托弗还在继续前行，他身子飞过马的头顶，头部着地摔了下来：一动不动，甚至没有呼吸。
　　The competition was going well for Christopher. He wasn't in the first place, but he wasn't in the last, either. On his third obstacle in a two-mile jumping event, however, the communication between horse and rider broke down somehow. Without warning, Eastern Express stopped short, but Christopher kept going. He pitched forward over the horse's head, landing on his own head——not moving, not even breathing.
　　克里斯托弗颅腔底部的脊柱折断了，颈部以下瘫痪。他不能说话，甚至不能自己呼吸。当时医生们认为他的生存几率只有百分之五十。
　　Christopher had broken his spinal 3 cord near the base of his skull 4, resulting in paralysis 5 from the neck down. He could not speak. He could not even breathe on his own. At the time, doctors gave him only a 50-50 chance of surviving at all.
　　绝望攫住了克里斯托弗·里夫的心。他想，也许放弃生存的努力是最佳的方案。死亡似乎是最不费劲、痛苦最少的一件事。他想放弃生存对家人而言也是最佳方案。但这时他看见妻子达纳站在他身边，对他说：“你依然是你。我爱你。”
　　Despair filled Christopher Reeve's heart. He thought perhaps it would be best if he simply gave up. Dying seemed like the easiest and least painful thing to do. He thought it might be best for his family, too. Then he saw his wife Dana standing 6 next to him, saying, "You're still you, and I love you."
　　从那一刻开始，克里斯托弗一心只想着活下去。他鼓起勇气，开始为生命而战斗。几天以后，克里斯托弗接受了手术，术后他的上半身恢复了一些知觉。不过，医生们仍然不乐观。他可能永远不能再走路了。他也许永远就只能靠着呼吸器来呼吸了。
　　From that moment on, Christopher thought only about living. Gathering 7 his courage, he began to fight for his life. A few days later, Christopher underwent an operation that helped restore some feeling to his upper body. Still, doctors emphasized his limitations. He would never walk again. He would never even breathe again without the aid of a respirator.
　　克里斯托弗要证明医生们错了。首先，他想靠自己呼吸。事故过后五个月，他要求拿掉呼吸器。他只勉强地呼吸了十次就得重新连上呼吸管。克里斯托弗毫不气馁，第二天又多呼吸了几次。到第四天的时候，他不用帮助可以呼吸七分钟了。三个月以后，他可以一次持续90分钟。1995年底，他已经可以回家了。
　　Christopher set out to prove the doctors wrong. First of all, he wanted to breathe on his own. Five months after the accident, he asked to be taken off the respirator. He managed just 10 feeble breaths before being reconnected to the breathing tube. Refusing to be discouraged, Christopher took a few more breaths the next day. By the fourth day, he was able to breathe seven minutes without assistance. After three months, he could sustain himself for 90 minutes at a time. By the end of 1995, he was able to go home.
　　在那以后不久，克里斯托弗觉得自己已经做好准备，可以重新面对世界了。他有话要说。他想告诉人们，不论面对怎样的挑战，都不能放弃。他开始频频在公众场合出现。在多伦多作过激扬的演说，在波士顿大学毕业典礼上进行过讲演。不论克里斯托弗出现在哪里，人们都起立喝彩，很多人甚至泪流满面。
　　Soon after that, Christopher felt ready to face the world again. He had a message to spread. He wanted to tell people that no matter what challenges they faced, they shouldn't give up. Christopher began to make public appearances. He gave a motivational speech in Toronto. He spoke 8 at a Boston University graduation. Wherever Christopher appeared, his speeches met with standing ovations 9 and many teary faces.
　　与此同时，克里斯托弗也重新开始工作。很显然，他不可能再去扮演以前的角色了，于是转而执导。他的处女作影片《暮色如斯》证明创作灵感并没有离他而去。
　　Christopher also went back to work. Clearly he couldn't play the roles he'd played in the past. Instead he turned to directing. His first film, In the Gloaming, proved he had not lost his creative spark.
　　虽然克里斯托弗很坚强，但也还是有不顺心的时候。事故后的一年里，他面临着血栓问题，后来又得了肺炎。有一天做理疗时，他摔在地上，折断了一条胳膊。
　　Despite his brave attitude, Christopher has had his share of "down" times. In the year following his accident, he had problems with blood clots 10. Later, he developed pneumonia 11. One day while doing physical therapy, he fell to the floor and broke his arm.
　　每天他都要与自身现实做斗争。“早晨，我需要20分钟去哭泣，”他对一个记者说。在梦中和儿子奔跑玩耍，梦醒之后他需要20分钟来“清醒和调整...”
　　Every day he struggled with the reality of his condition. "In the morning, I need 20 minutes to cry," he told a reporter. After nighttime dreams of running and playing with his son, he needed the 20 minutes "to wake up and make that shift..."
　　但擦干眼泪后，克里斯托弗总会悄声说：“好了，前进！”这些话证明，尽管他无法控制自己的身体，但仍拥有他的勇气，他的精神，他的内在力量。在这个意义上，他依旧是,也将永远是超人！
　　But after the tears, Christopher always whispered, "And now, forward!" With those words, Christopher Reeve proved that although he had lost control of his body, he still had his courage, his spirit, and his inner strength. In that sense, he still was,and always would be Superman!