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Section B
The Last Dive at the Olympics
I climbed the ladder, heard my dive announced, and commenced the moves that would thrust me into the air. Pushing off the diving board with my legs, I lifted my arms and shoulders back, and knew immediately I would be close to the board and might hit my hands. I tried to correct myself as I turned, spreading my hands wide apart. Then I heard a strange sound and my body lost control. Moments later I realized I had hit my head on the board.
Initially, I felt embarrassment. I wanted to hide, to get out of the pool without anyone seeing me. Next I felt intense fear. Had I cut my head? Was I bleeding? Was there blood in the pool? Swimming to the side, I noticed many shocked faces. People were worried about my head; I was worried about something far more threatening. An official examined my head. In haste, I pushed him away, and everyone else who approached me. "Don't touch me!" I felt like screaming. "Get away from me!"
These were the trials for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. Until this dive, I had been ahead. But now, something else was more significant than winning. I might have endangered other divers' lives if I had spilled blood in the pool. For what I knew — that few others knew — was that I was HIV-positive.
According to my mother, my natural parents were Samoan and only teenagers when I was born, so they gave me up for adoption. When I was only eighteen months old, I started gym classes. At ten, I explored doing gym exercises off the diving board at the pool.
Because of my dark skin, kids at school called me names; I often got mugged coming home from school. My diving made me feel good about myself when my peers made me feel stupid. In the seventh grade, I started taking drugs.
At sixteen, I knew I had a shot at the 1976 Olympics. At the trials, one month prior to the finals, I took first place on the ten-meter platform and on the springboard! This was surprising because I had trained mostly on the platform. In the finals, I won the silver medal for the platform. Unfortunately, I wasn't happy. Instead, I felt I failed because I hadn't won the gold. After that, I started training with Ron O'Brien, a well-known Olympic diving coach. Ron understood me and assisted my working more intensely. I soon became the international leader in diving. In the 1984 Olympics, I won two gold medals, one for platform, one for springboard. This was an enjoyable triumph.
No one knew then I was gay, except Ron and a few friends. I feared being hated if people found out. Four years later, while preparing for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, I learned my partner had AIDS. I had to accept I might be HIV-positive or have AIDS, too. When my HIV test results returned positive, I was shocked and confused. Was I dying? Was my shot at the '88 Olympics vaporized? What should I do? During this very difficult time, I couldn't tell anyone for fear I wouldn't be able to compete in the Olympics if people learned I was HIV-positive.
Everyone was alarmed when I hit my head on the board at the trials in Seoul. Regardless, I made it into the finals. When we practiced the next morning, my coach made me start with the dive I'd hit my head on. At first, I was scared, but Ron made me do it six times. With each repetition, I felt more confident.
During my last dive in the finals, I enjoyed for the last time the quietness underwater and then swam to the side of the pool. Afraid to look at the score-board, I watched Ron's face. Suddenly he leaped into the air, the crowd cheered, and I knew I'd won — two gold medals, one for the three-meter springboard, one for the ten-meter platform. None knew how hard it had been, except Ron and the friends I'd told I was HIV-positive.
AIDS forced me to stop diving; I had to quit diving professionally after the Olympics.
Words: 700
NEW WORDS
▲commence
v. begin; start 开始
thrust
v. push with force and suddenly 推，冲
apart
ad. 1. separate by a distance 分开地
2. (from) except for 除了……之外
initial
a. which is at the beginning of 起初的，开始的
initially
ad. at the beginning 开始地，起先
intense
a. strong (in quality or feeling) 强烈的
bleed
vi. lose blood 流血
haste
n. quick movement or action 匆忙
approach
vt. come near to 靠近，接近
n. 1. [U] the act of coming near 靠近，接近
2. [C] a means or way of entering 途径
3. [C] (to) a way or method of doing sth. 方式，方法
trial
n. 1. (pl.)［体］预赛，选拔赛
2. (an act of) testing to find quality, value, or usefulness 实验，检验
3. (an act of) hearing and judging a person or a case in a court 审判
significant
a. of major importance 重要的
■endanger
vt. cause danger to 危及，使遭受危险
spill
vt. pour out 溅出，溢出
adopt
vt. 1. take into one's family and take on the responsibility as a parent 收养
2. use 采取，采用
adoption
n. 1. the act of adopting 收养
2. the act of using 运用，使用，采用
gym (gymnasium)
n. physical training; a hall for physical training 体操，体育训练；体育馆
explore
vt. 1. travel into or through (a place) for the purpose of discovery 探索，探讨
2. examine carefully 探讨，仔细研究
mug
vt. steal from and/or treat in a rough way 抢劫
prior
a. earlier; coming or planned before 先前的；预先的
platform
n. 1. a raised floor of boards for speakers, performers, etc. 讲台，舞台
2. a board for jumping off to give height to a dive or jump 跳板
spring-board (springboard)
n. （游泳池）跳水板
mostly
ad. mainly; in most cases or most of the time 主要地
unfortunately
ad. with regret or sad feelings 不幸的是；遗憾地
coach
n. a person who trains people in different sports for games, matches, etc. 教练
vt. train or teach; give instruction or advice to 训练； 指导，辅导
assist
v. help or support 帮助，协助
leader
n. a person or a thing that leads or is in advance of others 处于领先地位的人或事物；领袖，领导
triumph
n. a complete victory or success 胜利，成功
vi. (over) win; beat 获胜， 成功；击败
gay
n. a homosexual person, esp. a man （尤指男）同性恋者
partner
n. the person one is married to or having a loving or sexual relation with; the person one is doing sth. with 伴侣；伙伴
confuse
vt. cause to be mistaken; fail to tell the difference between 弄错，使困惑；混淆
vapor
n. a form like a gas which is made up of tiny drops of water or other liquids in the air 蒸气
vaporize
vi. (cause to) change into vapor 变成蒸气
compete
vi. take part in (a game, a match, etc.) 竞争，比赛
scare
vt. cause sudden fear to 吓坏，使惊恐
repetition
n. saying or doing again 重复
confident
a. having belief in one's power or ability 自信的，相信的
score-board
n. a board on which the score of a game is recorded as it is played （体育比赛）记分牌
leap
vi. jump through the air, often landing in a different place 跳跃
quit
vt. stop (doing sth.) and leave 放弃，停止
vi. give up one's job 离职，辞职
professional
a. relating to a person's work, especially work that requires special training 职业的
professionally
ad. 职业地；专业地
PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS
in haste
in a hurry 匆忙
prior to
before 在……之前
make it
succeed in doing sth. 成功地做某事
start with
begin with 从……开始
assist (sb. with) sth.
help sb. do sth. 帮助做某事
PROPER NAMES
Olympics
奥林匹克运动会
Seoul
汉城（韩国首都）
Korea
朝鲜（地名）
Samoan
萨摩亚人
Ron O'Brien
罗恩·布赖恩（人名）
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