Taiwanese swimmer with learning disabilities makes a splash in Los Angeles 輕度智障被笑笨 曾怡瑄游出世界金牌

Tseng Yi-hsuan, a student at National Hsin Hua Industrial Vocational High School who has mild learning disabilities, recently traveled to the US to participate in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles, winning one gold and one bronze medal in swimming events.

Tseng’s mother says her daughter initially dabbled in swimming to improve her fragile physique, hoping to exercise her body and grow up healthy, but she surprisingly developed a hidden talent. When she started learning, Tseng was held back by her innate learning disability and was therefore a late starter. However, through diligence and hard hard work, after mastering the basics Tseng made rapid strides, even surprising her coach.

When she was younger, Tseng was often laughed at for being “stupid” and “silly,” which caused her to feel extremely hurt. However, Tseng’s mother encouraged her daughter, saying “Everyone has their own strengths. Whatever you do, don’t feel discouraged.” During swimming class at school, Tseng’s outstanding performance left those sneering students speechless and she gradually became accepted.

(Liberty Times, translated by Edward Jones)

就讀新化高工綜合職能科，有輕度智能障礙的曾怡瑄，日前遠赴美國參加洛杉磯夏季世界特殊奧林匹克運動會，在游泳項目勇奪一金一銅。

母親陳紅柑表示，曾怡瑄是為了改善過敏體質，才試著游泳，原本只是希望能鍛鍊身體，更健康成長，卻意外開發出她的潛能，初學時受限於先天的理解能力，起步較晚，但勤能補拙，打下基礎後，一路突飛猛進，連教練都很訝異。

曾怡瑄小時候常被笑是「笨蛋」、「傻瓜」，心裡很受傷，陳紅柑則以「每個人都會有自己的強項」來激勵女兒，千萬不要洩氣，學校上游泳課時，她的卓越表現，讓那些嘲諷的同學啞口無言，也逐漸獲得接納。

(自由時報記者吳俊鋒)

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. dabble v.

試著 (shi4 zhe)

例: I dabbled in painting for a full two years before giving up.

（我試著畫畫滿兩年，之後就放棄了。）

2. make rapid strides v. phr.

突飛猛進 (tu2 fei1 meng3 jin4)

例: Susan has recently made rapid strides toward her goal of mastering German.

（蘇珊最近朝向學好德文的目標突飛猛進。）

3. speechless adj.

啞口無言 (ya2 kou3 wu2 yan2)

例: After being patronized by Justin, I was speechless with rage.

（賈斯汀對我以恩人自居後，我就怒得啞口無言。）

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