I have always believed in myself， even as a young child growing up in Louisville， Kentucky. My parents instilled2） a sense of pride and confidence in me， and taught me and my brother that we could be the best at anything. I must have believed them， because I remember being the neighborhood marble3） champion and challenging my neighborhood buddies to see who could jump the tallest hedges4） or run a foot race the length of the block. Of course I knew when I made the challenge that I would win. I never even thought of losing.

In high school， I boasted weekly—if not daily—that one day I was going to be the heavyweight5） champion of the world. As part of my boxing training， I would run down Fourth Street in downtown Louisville， darting6） in and out of local shops， taking just enough time to tell them I was training for the Olympics and I was going to win a gold medal. And when I came back home， I was going to turn pro7） and become the world heavyweight champion in boxing. I never thought of the possibility of failing—only of the fame and glory I was going to get when I won. I could see it. I could almost feel it. When I proclaimed8） that I was the \"Greatest of All Time\"， I believed in myself. And I still do.

Throughout my entire boxing career， my belief in my abilities triumphed9） over the skill of an opponent. My will was stronger than their skills. What I didn't know was that my will would be tested even more when I retired.

In 1984， I was conclusively10） diagnosed with Parkinson's disease11）. Since that diagnosis， my symptoms have increased and my ability to speak in audible12） tones has diminished. If there was anything that would strike at the core of my confidence in myself， it would be this insidious13） disease. But my confidence and will to continue to live life as I choose won't be compromised14）.

Early in 1996， I was asked to light the caldron15） at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta， Georgia. Of course my immediate answer was yes. I never even thought of having Parkinson's or what physical challenges that would present for me.

When the moment came for me to walk out on the 140-foot-high scaffolding16） and take the torch from Janet Evans， I realized I had the eyes of the world on me. I also realized that as I held the Olympic torch high above my head， my tremors17） had taken over. Just at that moment， I heard a rumble in the stadium that became a pounding roar and then turned into a deafening applause. I was reminded of my 1960 Olympic experience in Rome， when I won the gold medal. Those 36 years between Rome and Atlanta flashed before me， and I realized that I had come full circle18）.

Nothing in life has defeated me. I am still the \"Greatest\". This I believe.

我一直都相信自己，就連我還是個小屁孩兒的時候也是。我從小在肯塔基州路易斯維爾市長大，我的父母給我灌輸了一種自豪感和自信心，并告訴我和弟弟，我們能把任何事情都做到最好。我當(dāng)時一定對他們的話深信不疑，因為我記得我曾經(jīng)是我家那一帶玩彈珠玩得最好的，而且還向鄰居的小伙伴們挑戰(zhàn)，看誰能跳過那排最高的籬笆或是誰敢和我比賽跑一個街區(qū)那么長的距離。當(dāng)然，向他們發(fā)起挑戰(zhàn)時我就知道自己會贏。我甚至從未想過失敗。

上高中時，我每周都吹牛說——就算不是天天如此——有朝一日我會成為重量級拳擊比賽的世界冠軍。作為拳擊訓(xùn)練的一部分，我會沿著路易斯維爾市區(qū)的第四大街跑步，在當(dāng)?shù)氐纳痰昀镘f進躥出，只為有足夠的時間去告訴店里的人：我正在為奧運會訓(xùn)練，而且我會贏得一枚金牌；等我載譽歸來時，我就會變成職業(yè)拳擊手，成為重量級拳擊比賽的世界冠軍。我從未想過我可能會失敗，腦子里想的都是獲勝后將會得到的名譽和榮耀。我能預(yù)見這種結(jié)果，它幾乎觸手可及。當(dāng)我宣布自己是“有史以來最偉大的拳擊手”時，我對此深信不疑，現(xiàn)在依然如此。

在我的整個拳擊職業(yè)生涯中，我對自己能力的堅信戰(zhàn)勝了對手的技巧。我的意志比他們的技巧更為強大。但我沒有想到的是，我的意志在我退役后還要經(jīng)受更多的考驗。

1984年，我被確診患有帕金森病。自確診之后，我的癥狀日趨嚴(yán)重，說話也越來越不清晰。如果說有什么事情會從根本上打擊我的自信心的話，那就是這種悄然加劇的疾病了。但是，我繼續(xù)按自己選擇的道路生活下去的信心和意志是不會受影響的。

1996年初，我受邀在佐治亞州亞特蘭大市舉行的夏季奧運會上點燃主火炬。我當(dāng)然立刻就答應(yīng)了。我甚至從未想過我患有帕金森病以及這會給我的身體帶來什么挑戰(zhàn)。

當(dāng)我從140英尺高的架臺上走出來，從珍妮特·埃文斯（編注：美國游泳運動員）手中接過火炬的那一刻到來時，我意識到全世界的目光都聚集在我的身上。當(dāng)我將奧運火炬高高舉過頭頂時，我還發(fā)覺我的身體已經(jīng)不聽使喚地顫抖起來。就在那一刻，我聽到體育場內(nèi)發(fā)出一陣轟鳴，而后歡呼聲四起，接著是一片震耳欲聾的掌聲。這讓我想起了我在1960年參加羅馬奧運會贏得一枚金牌時的那種感受。從羅馬奧運會到亞特蘭大奧運會那36年的時光在我的眼前閃現(xiàn)，我感覺自己走了一圈，又回到了最初。

生命中沒有任何事情曾將我擊敗，我仍然是“最棒的”。我堅信這一點。

1.Muhammad Ali： 穆罕穆德·阿里（1942～），美國著名拳擊運動員，是20世紀(jì)最偉大的運動員之一，也是一位反抗種族歧視的斗士。

2.instill [?n?st?l] vt. 逐漸灌輸

3.marble [?mɑ?bl] n. 彈子；彈珠

4.hedge [hed?] n. 樹籬

5.heavyweight [?heviwe?t] n. 重量級拳擊手

6.dart [dɑ?t] vi. 猛沖；飛奔

7.pro [pr??] adj. 專業(yè)的

8.proclaim [pr??kle?m] vt. 宣布；宣告

9.triumph [?tra??mf] vi. 獲勝；成功

10.conclusively [k?n?klu?s?vli] adv. 結(jié)論性地；確定地

11.Parkinson's disease： 帕金森病，是一種慢性的中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)退化性失調(diào)疾病，會損害患者的動作技能、語言能力以及其他功能。

12.audible [???d?bl] adj. 聽得見的

13.insidious [?n?s?di?s] adj. 隱伏的；（疾?。┎恢挥X間加劇的

14.compromise [?k?mpr?ma?z] vt. 使（聲譽等）受損；違背（信念）

15.caldron [?k??ldr?n] n. （通常指架在火上的）大鍋

16.scaffolding [?sk?f?ld??] n. 腳手架；臺架

17.tremor [?trem?（r）] n. （情不自禁的）顫動；激動

18.come full circle： （經(jīng)過一連串曲折變化后）回到原來的狀況