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Unit Twelve Dance of Death
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At the age of 21, Patrick Bissell burst upon New York as principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre. Rarely had a man so young dazzled so many in the intensely competitive world of ballet. He was praised, in the word of Mikhail Baryshnikov, as “one of the brightest lights in the entire ballet world.”
Patrick Bissell also helped bury the American myth that ballet is for sissies. At six feet two inches tall, Patrick was a tough, hard-drinking kid from Texas with a passion for motorcycles, cowboy boots and women. He was a muscle man who could twirl ballerinas into the air and make them look as graceful as butterflies.
Seven months after his birth in 1957, baby Bissell was not walking, according to his mother; he was actually running. When Patrick was ten, his sister bribed him with her allowance to come to her dance class, because she needed a partner. His natural gifts of coordination and stamina were stunning, and from that point on, his destiny was dance.
The ballet world is notoriously brutal in its physical and emotional demands. The primary goal is absolute perfection. Unlike a professional athlete, which many believe Bissell could have become, a ballet star never has the satisfaction of knowing a final score, or of beating the competition. He competes only against himself – and for a perfectionist this may be the harshest competition of all.
When young Bissell set off for life, his mother believes he carried with him seeds that would lead to his destruction.
Every indication is that, even early in his career, Bissell was addicted to cocaine, alcohol and other drugs. But his strength and skill were so tremendous that he was able to perform the most demanding work without his managers’ knowing the truth.
In June 1981, only three years into his career, Bissell slashed his wrist. When the doctors reached him, Bissell slashed a bottle to use for a weapon and fought them off. Next day, he was bandaged and back onstage.
In the fall of 1987, the ballet company sent Bissell away for treatment to the Betty Ford Center in California. He told friends that he was ready to clean up his life. He wanted a fresh start.
He was released a week early and returned to New York. During December, Amy Rose, a ballerina he had become engaged to, was on tour in California and would return to New York after the holidays. Alone, Bissell got Christmas tree and decorated it for their apartment.
On December 23, he had a long telephone conversation with his parents. His mother begged him to join them at home. He declined, explaining that being alone during Christmas was a chance for him to show that he was strong enough to live without cocaine.
Four days after Christmas, Amy Rose let herself into the apartment. She discovered Patrick’s body on the living-room couch. Patrick Bissell was dead of an overdose of cocaine and other drugs. He had just turned 30.
名人名言：
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A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.
Man's life may burn or decay. I wouldn't like to decay, but I'd like to burn
提高系统集成能力 improve systems integration
多予少取放活政策 the policy of giving more, taking less and loosening control
实施稳健的财政政策和货币政策 follow prudent fiscal and monetary policies
城市和国有企业厂办大集体 collectively owned factories operated by state-owned enterprises and cities
发扬成绩 build on our achievements
衰退产业援助机制 mechanisms to aid declining industries
翻译句子
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1. one of the brightest lights in the entire ballet world.
2. He was a muscle man who could twirl ballerinas into the air and make them look as graceful as butterflie
3. His natural gifts of coordination and stamina were stunning, and from that point on, his destiny was dance
4. Unlike a professional athlete, which many believe Bissell could have become, a ballet star never has the satisfaction of knowing a final score, or of beating the competition.
5. His mother begged him to join them at home. He declined, explaining that being alone during Christmas was a chance for him to show that he was strong enough to live without cocaine.
任意选择三个翻译沪元50奖励
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posted on 2006-05-16 20:05
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