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NOVELS about sport are notoriously hard to pull off. It seems somewhat odd for a literary mind to care how often a ball makes it to the back of the net or how long it takes to sprint down a track. Yet that need not be so. The classic quest narrative-in which an individual overcomes obstacles to achieve a goal-could be a template for any single match or sporting career. Gold, Chris Cleaves third novel, is a skilful demonstration of the form. 写一部关于体育运动的小说，显然是有难度的。让文学去关注一粒球怎样入网，冲刺终点需要多长时间，看起来多少有点奇怪。然而，事实也不尽然。古典文学所追求的叙述方式往往是一个从克服障碍到实现目标的过程。这其实和任何一场单独的比赛或者体育项目的逻辑是一致的。《赤子之心》--克里夫的第三本小说，正是这种叙述方式的巧妙呈现。 This is the story of Zoe, Kate and Jack, three obsessive race cyclists who meet as young hopefuls. There is bike geekery and Lycra aplenty. As the title suggests, Mr Cleave even dares to set his story around the Olympics, the ultimate sporting circus. Yet this is no niche book for aficionados looking for a brief summer distraction. 书中讲述了三个人的故事：若伊、凯特和杰克--三个狂热的自行车车手，年轻有为，志同道合。故事里有高水准的自行车极客。正如题目所暗示的，克里夫甚至刻意让故事游离在奥运会--那终极的竞技场的边缘。但是，此书也绝对不是为了在炎夏给体育迷们提供一份短暂的消遣。 | 
