Hannah tightened the helmet strap2） under her chin. A man's voice boomed from the loudspeakers： \"Participants in the Five-Mile Junior Fat-Tire Race， please gather behind the orange flags.\"

Hannah's stomach was churning3）. First prize was a mountain bike with clipless pedals4） and front suspension5）. On a bike like that， she'd fly through the woods.

\"Good luck， junior mountain bikers，\" the loudspeaker voice boomed. \"Three， two， one， and go！\"

The lead-out6）， a man in a bright orange shirt with the words Follow Me printed on his back， started pedaling down the dirt road. The racers followed close behind.

Hannah squeezed her bike between a boy in a black spandex7） suit and a girl with a silver helmet. She passed a girl in a bright-green shirt. Four of them were up front8） now. Hannah was itching9） to take off， but she knew she wasn't allowed to pass the lead-out.

The lead-out made a turn onto a section of single track and gathered speed. A girl with a red braid rolled in10） behind him. Hannah pulled up11） behind the girl. The lead-out sped up again. Hannah downshifted12） for the incline13）， following close behind the girl with the braid， but the girl was gaining speed.

Curving around a pond， the course flattened. Hannah shifted up14） and pedaled the downhill section. Still， the braid girl biked faster. They crossed a wooden bridge. The lead-out and the girl disappeared behind a thick stand15） of trees. When Hannah glanced over her shoulder， she saw nobody behind her.

Hannah watched for the orange arrows marking the course and biked through the muddy fields.

The girl might still get tired， she thought. Then Hannah saw her. At the edge of the forest， the girl was kneeling by her bike， the lead-out next to her. The girl must have gotten a flat16）. Hannah biked faster. She didn't shift down17） for the incline but pedaled harder. She wiped the sweat from her eyes， panting18）. The lead-out noticed her and jumped on his bike. Hannah was close enough now to see the girl putting the chain on the chain ring.

Hannah felt a jolt19） of energy as she followed the lead-out past the girl into the woods. Maybe she could win. On the uphill， she reached for her bottle and took a quick drink. She didn't have much water left， but they'd covered more than half the course.

In the middle of a small meadow， Hannah looked back. The girl was coming up behind her at a furious speed.

Hannah pedaled closer to the lead-out， who immediately pulled away20）. They entered the woods again， the lead-out now far ahead， disappearing around a bend21）. Hannah reached a fork22） in the trail. The lead-out was nowhere in sight， but there， to her left， was the sign with the orange arrow. When she turned， her foot slipped off the pedal， and she accidentally kicked the sign over.

I need to stop and fix the sign， she thought. The other racers might get lost. But even as she was thinking this， her feet kept moving faster， faster.

As Hannah entered the double track， she looked behind her， but the girl wasn't there.

\"Hannah Anderson， winner of the Five-Mile Junior Fat-Tire Race！\" the man on the loudspeakers announced as she passed the finish line.

\"Hey！\"

Hannah turned and saw the girl with the braid jumping off her bike.

\"Good job，\" the girl called to Hannah， panting. \"I thought I almost had you， but I must have missed a trail marker.\"

\"You would have won if it hadn't been for your bike chain and getting lost，\" Hannah mumbled.

The girl was smiling. \"No，\" she said. \"It's all part of racing. You won fair and square.\"

Hannah swallowed hard. The girl's bike was rusty. No wonder her chain had jumped.

Leading her new bike away after the award ceremony， Hannah felt like crying. She looked around for the girl with the braid and found her by the water stand.

\"I accidentally kicked the sign over，\" Hannah said softly.

The girl was quiet.

\"You know， at the fork in the trail. I tipped the sign，\" Hannah said， a little louder. \"I want you to have the bike.\"

As she handed over the bike to the shocked girl， Hannah felt the lump in her throat23） disappear.

\"Are you sure ...？\" the girl asked.

Hannah nodded. \"I'm sure，\" she said.

The girl was beaming now， her finger moving along the shiny blue frame.

\"Are you racing in Copper Harbor next weekend？\" she asked. \"I am.\"

Hannah grinned. \"Yes，\" she said. \"Let's see who wins then. Fair and square.\"

漢娜系緊了下巴底下的頭盔帶。喇叭中傳來了一個男子低沉而響亮的聲音：“參加少年組五英里山地自行車賽的選手們，請在橘黃色旗子后面集合?！?/p>

漢娜的胃里翻騰著。一等獎獎品是一輛帶自鎖腳踏和前懸架的山地自行車。騎在那樣的自行車上，她就能在林中飛馳了。

“少年組山地自行車的選手們，祝你們好運，”喇叭又隆隆地傳來了聲音，“三，二，一，出發(fā)！”

引路人腳蹬自行車在土路上騎了起來，他身著亮眼的橘黃色汗衫，背后印著“跟著我”的字樣。選手們緊隨其后。

漢娜騎著自行車從一個身穿黑色氨綸上衣的男孩和一個頭戴銀色頭盔的女孩中間擠了過去，又超過了一個穿著翠綠色汗衫的女孩。他們四個現在遙遙領先。漢娜很想騎到最前面去，不過她知道自己不能超過引路人。

引路人轉入一段單行車道，并逐漸加速。一個梳著紅色辮子的女孩不慌不忙地跟上了引路人。漢娜緊跟在這個女孩的后面。引路人再次加速。在斜坡路段，漢娜放慢了速度，緊跟著那個紅辮子女孩，但那個女孩卻加快了速度。

比賽路線沿著一個池塘蜿蜒伸展，變得平坦起來。漢娜換了高速擋，在下坡路段猛蹬。然而紅辮子女孩卻騎得越來越快。她們騎過了一座木橋。引路人和那個女孩消失在一片茂密的樹林后面。漢娜扭頭瞟了一眼，發(fā)現身后一個人都沒有。

漢娜留心看著指示路線的橘黃色箭頭標志，騎過了泥濘的田地。

那個女孩或許也會累的，她心想。接著，漢娜就看到了她。在林邊，那個女孩跪在車旁，引路人就在她旁邊。女孩的輪胎肯定漏氣了。漢娜騎得越來越快。在斜坡路段，她都沒有減速，反而蹬得更加用力了。她擦了擦眼睛周圍的汗水，大口喘著氣。引路人看到了她，就跳上了自行車。漢娜現在離那個女孩很近了，都能看到她在往齒輪上裝車鏈。

漢娜跟隨著引路人從女孩身旁騎過，進入了一片樹林。此時的她感到精神為之一振：她可能會贏。在上坡路段，她伸手拿起水瓶，趕緊喝了一口。瓶里的水所剩不多，但是那些水已經讓她騎完了一多半的路程。

騎到一小片草地的中間時，漢娜回頭看了看。那個女孩正在飛速追上來。

漢娜蹬著自行車，離引路人越來越近，后者立即開始向前騎。他們又一次騎進了樹林，引路人此時遠遠地騎在前面，在一個轉彎處消失不見了。漢娜騎到了一個岔路口，雖然看不到引路人，但就在她的左側有一個畫著橘黃色箭頭的路標。轉彎時，漢娜的一只腳從腳蹬上滑了下來，一不小心把那個路標給踢翻了。

我得停下來，把路標扶起來，她心想，其他選手可能會騎錯路的。但即使她心里這么想，她的腳卻一直在蹬，越蹬越快。

進入雙向車道后，漢娜朝身后看了看，但卻看不見那個女孩的蹤影。

“漢娜·安德森就是少年組五英里山地自行車賽的冠軍！”漢娜騎過終點線時，喇叭里的那個男子宣布道。

“嗨！”

漢娜扭過頭來，看到那個紅辮子女孩跳下了自行車。

“好樣的，”女孩氣喘吁吁地對漢娜大聲說，“我本來以為自己就快要超過你了，但我一定是錯過了一個路標?！?/p>

“要是你車鏈沒掉，也沒騎錯路，冠軍就是你了。”漢娜嘟噥著說。

女孩笑了笑?！皼]事，”她說，“這些都是比賽的一部分。你贏得光明磊落?！?/p>

漢娜使勁咽了下口水。那個女孩的自行車銹跡斑斑，難怪車鏈會掉。

頒獎儀式結束后，漢娜推著自己的新自行車，有一種想哭的感覺。她環(huán)顧四周找那個紅辮子女孩，發(fā)現她站在補水站旁。

“我不小心把那個路標踢倒了。”漢娜輕輕地說。

女孩沒有說話。

“你知道的，就在小道上的那個岔路口。我把那個路標踢倒了。”漢娜解釋著，聲音稍微大了一些?！拔蚁氚堰@輛自行車給你?！?/p>

當漢娜把自行車交給驚呆了的女孩時，她覺得自己的喉嚨不再哽咽了。

“你確定……？”女孩問道。

漢娜點了點頭?！拔掖_定?！彼f。

這時女孩開心地笑了，手指摩挲著那閃閃發(fā)亮的藍色車架。

“你會參加下周末在科珀港舉行的比賽嗎？”女孩問。“我會參加哦?！?/p>

漢娜咧嘴笑了?！皶?，”她回答，“讓我們拭目以待，看看到時誰會贏，而且要贏得光明磊落?！?/p>

1.fair and square： 光明正大地；誠實地

2.strap [str?p] n. 帶條；布帶

3.churn [t???n] vi. （由于緊張或情緒激動而）感到胃在攪動

4.clipless pedal： 自鎖腳踏，可將配套的自鎖鞋固定在腳踏上，使騎行更省力。pedal [?pedl] n. （自行車、摩托車等下部用腳蹬的）踏板；vi. 騎車；vt. 蹬（自行車的）踏板

5.suspension [s??spen?n] n. 懸架（指裝在車軸上用以防震的彈簧托架）

6.lead-out： 帶路人，引路人

7.spandex [?sp?ndeks] n. 【紡】斯潘德克斯，氨綸（一種合成彈性纖維或其織物）

8.up front： 在最前面（或最突出）的位置

9.itch [?t?] vi. 渴望，熱望

10.roll in： 不慌不忙地來到；姍姍來遲

11.pull up： （尤指在比賽中）追上，趕上

12.downshift [?da?n??ft] vi. 放慢速度；換低速擋

13.incline [?n?kla?n] n. 斜坡

14.shift up： 換高速擋；加速

15.stand [st?nd] n. 【生】林分，個體植物群叢；臺；售貨處，攤

16.flat [fl?t] n. 漏氣輪胎，癟車胎

17.shift down： 換低速擋；減速

18.pant [p?nt] vi. 氣喘，氣促

19.jolt [d???lt] n. 少量（提神的東西）

20.pull away： （車輛）開始駛離；（駕駛者）開走車輛

21.bend [bend] n. （道路、河流、管子等的）彎曲處；彎曲部分

22.fork [f??k] n. 岔路口

23.the lump in one's throat： （因激動、憐憫、哀傷而形成的）哽咽，喉嚨哽住