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未経験のジャンプ選手
大学生時代、スキー部のキャプテンをしていた筆者は、大学選手権の出場選手を決める際、
ジャンプ競技の4番手としてスキップ選手をエントリーした。
スキップ選手はジャンプの経験がなかったが、小さなジャンプ台で練習を重ねた。
そしてシーズン最初の競技会を迎えたのだが…。
Skip and a jump
Well, I could tell you a story about skiing.
Back in 1957, I was captain of the U.C. ski team. We had no coach, so I was pretty much in charge. We had a fellow on the team named Skip. Skip was our one-man reserve. In intercollegiate competition there were four events: downhill, slalom, cross-country and jumping. We needed to enter four people in each event. In downhill, slalom and cross-country, Skip was number five. But in the jump, he was number four.
The trouble was, Skip had never done any jumping.
Well, before the racing season began, we had practiced on a small jump: whup you're up, bang you're down. Skip had done OK. But at the first meet of the season, at Reno, the jump was entirely different. From the top, all you could see was the takeoff, and then the valley far below. You couldn't see where you were going to land. For a beginner, it was terrifying.
Skip made a mistake. A week before the meet, he drove to where the jump was, and carried his skis to the top. After a long wait, he walked back down, got into his car, and drove back to the city. All the next week he couldn't sleep.
On Thursday the team, Skip included, drove up to Reno. While the rest of us were busy with the other events, Skip went every day to the jump, carried his skis to the top, stared into the yawning abyss below, and climbed down again.
By Sunday, the day of the event, Skip was a mess.
It was only then that I realized what was going on. I thought, if Skip comes off the jump and breaks a leg, it will heal. But if, after this terrible week, he gives up, that will stay with him for life. Let's get him off that jump, whatever the cost
I gathered the team and told them, "Today, Skip jumps. We are going to stand alongside him to make sure he does. Skip, just climb to the top, put on your skis, put them in the tracks, and gravity will carry you over the jump. We will be watching."
Skip did as he was told. He came off the jump arms akimbo, rolling back so his skis were over his head, eyes popping, screaming like someone thrown off a building. The other team's coaches and competitors stared at me like I was a torturer. I thought, "Oh, my God! What have I done?! Skip! Skip! I'm sorry. You don't have to do it again."
I ran to the bottom of the landing, where Skip was getting up slowly. He was furious. He began picking up his scattered skis, gloves, hat, goggles. He was muttering, "Goddammit! That was the stupidest goddam thing I ever heard of, goddammit!" He climbed to the top of the jump, and jumped again. And again, and again, and again.
He never became a very good jumper. He always came off the jump looking a bit like someone thrown off a building. But he loved it. I think there was never anyone on our team who delighted in jumping as much as Skip did.
- jump
- スキーのジャンプ競技
- U.C.
- カリフォルニア大学(University of California)
- coach
- 監督
- was pretty much in charge
- ほば監督のようなものだった
- fellow
- 男
- one-man reserve
- 唯一の控え選手
- intercollegiate competition
- 大学選手権
- events
- 種目
- downhill
- 滑降
- slalom
- 回転
- enter 〜
- 〜に参加登録する
- number five
- 5番手
- The trouble was 〜
- 問題は、〜だった
- had practiced
- 練習した
- whup you're up, bang you're down
- ひゅーっと飛んで、ドスンと着地する
- had done OK
- うまくやっていた
- meet
- 試合
- Reno
- ネバダ州北部の町
- takeoff
- 踏み切り
- valley far below
- はるか下の谷間
- land
- 着地する
- terrifying
- 恐ろしい
- were busy with 〜
- 〜で忙しかった
- top
- ジャンプ台のてっぺん
- stared into 〜
- 〜をじっと見つめた
- yawning abyss
- ぽっかり開いた深い谷底
- mess
- めちゃめちゃな心理状態
- It was only then that I realized what was going on.
- そのときになってやっと私は事態を飲み込んだ
- comes off the jump
- ジャンプする
- breaks a leg
- 足の骨を折る
- heal
- 治る
- gives up
- あきらめる
- stay with him for life
- 一生ついて回る
- get him off that jump
- ジャンプをさせる
- whatever the cost
- どんな犠牲を払っても
- make sure 〜
- 〜を確実にする
- put on 〜
- 〜を装着する
- gravity
- 重力
- as he was told
- 言われたとおりに
- arms akimbo
- 両手を腰に当てて
- rolling back
- 後ろにひっくり返って
- eyes popping
- 目を飛び出しそうに見開いて
- thrown off 〜
- 〜から投げ飛ばされた
- competitors
- 選手
- stared at 〜
- 〜をじっと見つめた
- torturer
- 拷問する人
- landing
- 着地地点
- furious
- 怒っている
- scattered
- 散らばった
- goggles
- ゴーグル
- was muttering
- ぶつぶつ言っていた
- Goddammit!
- ちくしょう!
- delighted in 〜
- 〜を楽しんだ