The Happy Golfer

张玉凤

When I was sixteen years old， my father bought me a set of used golf clubs. “I think youll be good at this sport， and golf is something youll enjoy，” he said. Ill never forget those clubs. They were Bobby Jones Signatures， made by Spaulding. I loved them， as I loved my father.

我16岁时，父亲给我买了一套二手的高尔夫球杆。他说：“我想你会擅长这项运动的。你会喜欢高尔夫球的。”我永远不会忘记那些球杆，它们是斯伯丁制造的，上面有鲍比·琼斯的签名。我爱它们，就像我爱我的父亲一样。

His prediction proved to be somewhat accurate. I did get pretty good at the sport. But I didnt just enjoy golf， as my father had predicted， I became obsessed with it.

事实证明他的预测多少有些准确。我确实很擅长这项运动，但我不只是像父亲预测的那样喜欢高尔夫，我变得沉迷其中。

Golf has been an enduring passion since that day. In the six decades since my father first handed me those clubs， golf has helped me learn the virtues of patience and steadiness. Golf has helped me cope with the tragic1 loss of our daughter on her eighteenth birthday. On days when the mood is blue and dark， golf has forced me to get out the door and keep on keeping on. In short， golf has given me a reason for living.

从那天起，高尔夫就成为我经久不衰的爱好。从我父亲第一次把球杆交给我以来的60年里，高尔夫帮助我养成了耐心和沉稳的美德。我女儿在她18岁生日那天不幸去世，高尔夫球帮助我度过了那个悲痛的时刻。在心情阴郁、阴暗的日子里，高尔夫球迫使我走出家门，继续前进。简而言之，高尔夫球给了我活下去的理由。

Still， after six decades it was time to creative a crowning2 achievement on this sport I so loved. But what could that be？ Id played thousands of rounds of golf. What challenge was left？ I thought about it. There was one other activity that appealed to me as much as golf， and that was travel. Why not combine the two？ I pulled out a map of the United States. What about taking that RV and heading out on a golfing extravaganza3， a quest to play a round of golf in each of the contiguous U.S. states？ Wait， would that even be possible？

然而，在60年后，是时候在我如此热爱的这项运动上创立一个至高无上的成就了。但那会是什么呢？我打了上千轮高尔夫球。还有什么挑战呢？我想了想。还有一项活动和高尔夫一样吸引我，那就是旅行。为什么不把两者结合起来呢？我拿出一张美国地图。开着房车出去享受一场高尔夫盛宴，在美国相邻的各州打一场高尔夫球怎么样？等等，这可能吗？

I put the map away. That would be impossible.

我把地图收好。那是不可能的。

But the thought stuck with me. I decided to talk to my doctor about it. He warned me that attempting such a feat would put a lot of stress on my heart.

但这个想法始终萦绕在我的脑海中，我决定和我的医生谈谈。他提醒我，尝试这样的壮举会给我的心脏带来很大的压力。

“Doctor， Im seventy-two years old. Going to the bathroom puts a lot of stress on my heart. Id rather go out in a blaze of glory doing what I love， than slumped over a toilet seat.”

“医生，我七十二歲了。上厕所都会给我的心脏带来很大的压力。我宁愿带着荣耀去做我喜欢做的事，也不愿倒在马桶上。”

He advised against it.

他建议不要这样做。

I decided to go for it.

我决定去试试。

But Where to begin？ I thought about writing a golf company to see if they might be interested in sponsoring my trip. Callaway bought into the idea. I proposed playing two rounds of golf in each of the forty-eight states， a total of ninety-six rounds of golf in ninety-six days.

但從哪里开始呢？我想给一家高尔夫公司写信，看看他们是否有兴趣赞助我旅行。卡拉威接受了这个想法。我提议在美国的48个州各打两轮高尔夫球，总共96天打96轮高尔夫球。

As the departure day approached， my anticipation grew stronger. Finally， the day came. My family gathered at the house to bid me farewell. I felt both confident and comforted by their support. After months of planning and preparation， this would be my Forrest Gump of golf moment.

随着出发日期的临近，我就越发期待起来。这一天终于来了，我的家人聚集在家里向我告别。他们的支持使我感到既自信又安慰。经过几个月的计划和准备，这将是我的阿甘高尔夫时刻。

From that point forward I never looked back. There were many long drives during the journey， some on the golf course but mostly on the roadways. Finally I got into a rhythm， I found my groove. It went something like this： EAT. SLEEP. DRIVE. PLAY GOLF. REPEAT.

从那一刻起，我再也没有回头。旅途中有很多长途驾驶，有些是在高尔夫球场上，但大多数是在公路上。最终我进入了一个节奏，找到了最佳状态。大概是这样的：吃、睡、开车、打高尔夫球。重复。

As my trip progressed， people started learning about my pursuit and they started showing up at golf courses. They were reading the daily blog updates and my job was serving to inspire them. People started calling me “The Happy Golfer” and golf courses started charging my greens fees free and inviting me to pose for pictures in the pro shop afterward. Reporters began calling. Soon I had interviews and media duties. This whole effort was proving to be quite a sensation. I started growing a beard， just like Forrest Gump. I was on a roll.

随着我旅行的进展，人们开始了解我的追求，他们开始出现在高尔夫球场上。他们每天都在阅读更新的博客，而我的工作就是激励他们。人们开始叫我“快乐的高尔夫球手”，高尔夫球场开始免除我的场地费，并邀请我之后在专业商店拍照。记者开始打来电话，很快我就有了采访和媒体任务。这整个活动结果很轰动。我开始长胡子，就像阿甘一样。我超常发挥了。

Then I had heart palpitations and my left shoulder went numb. Next， my right. I checked myself into a hospital. The cardiologist confirmed that my arteries were clogged and I would need surgery. It wasnt a matter of if， he explained， but when.

然后我开始心悸，左肩麻木。接下来，我的右肩也开始麻木。我住进了医院。心脏病专家证实我的动脉阻塞了，需要动手术。他解释说，这不是“是否”的问题，而是“何时”的问题。

When would I need to have this done？ It became an important question of my life. Was it possible to continue forward and realize my dream？ Or must I stop？ The doctor had his opinion， and I had mine. The two didnt necessarily reconcile4， but I decided to play on.

我什么时候需要做这个手术？这成了我生活中的一个重要问题。有没有可能继续前进，实现我的梦想？还是说必须停下来？医生有他的意见，我也有我的。我们不一定非要达成一致，但我决定继续比赛。

I mostly stayed at campgrounds along the way， or sometimes with friends， and in Walmart parking lots. After the hospital scare， my diet became very strict. I only ate healthy foods， like salads and fresh vegetables. I started feeling better.

我大部分時间都住在沿途的露营地，有时和朋友在一起，必要时还会去沃尔玛的停车场。在医院恐慌之后，我的饮食变得非常严格。我只吃对健康有益的食物，如沙拉和新鲜蔬菜。我开始感觉好多了。

The final day， as you can imagine， was quite emotional. Putting in the last shot on Hole 18 of the Gold Hills Golf Course in Redding， California brought strong feelings and reflections. Id completed two rounds of golf in each of the forty-eight states for a total of ninety-six rounds of golf in ninety-six days. Mission accomplished.

最后一天，正如你所能想象的，非常激动人心。在加州雷丁金山高尔夫球场18洞的最后一杆，引起了强烈的反响。我在96天的时间里，在相邻的48个州各打了两轮高尔夫球，总共打了96轮。任务完成。

It had been an amazing journey， one that required me to overcome many fears and doubts. After seventy-two years of living I finally proved to myself that I was more brave than Id ever given myself credit for being. If anyone needs a resource for locating a nice golf course in any state， or finding a Walmart parking lot to camp in， Im your guy. Beyond that， if anyone dreams of trying something really bold5 in his or her life， think of The Happy Golfer...and go for it.

这是一次奇妙的旅程，需要我克服许多恐惧和疑虑。经过72年的生活，我终于向自己证明，我比以往任何时候都要勇敢。如果有人想在任何一个州找到一个漂亮的高尔夫球场，或者想找一个沃尔玛停车场安营扎寨，我就是你要找的人。除此之外，如果有人梦想在他或她的生活中尝试一些真正大胆的事情，想想那个快乐的高尔夫球手，然后去做吧。

Notes

1. tragic [] adj. 悲惨的;悲痛的

2. crowning [] adj. 使完美的;使圆满的

3. extravaganza [] n. 铺张华丽的娱乐表演

4. reconcile [] v. 使和谐一致;调和

5. bold [] adj. 大胆自信的;敢于冒险的