Looking out over the ocean, I would watch the waves sparkling in the sunlight as they grew and spilled into(涌出变成) a burst of froth(泡沫). It was a fun way to relax, to breathe deep and enjoy an awesome(令人敬畏的) display of energy. But lately it had become exhausting.
眺望大海，我会看着海浪在阳光下闪闪发光，它们不断涌起，然后迸裂成一片泡沫。这是一种有趣的放松方式，可以深呼吸，享受一场令人敬畏的能量展示。但最近，这变得令人疲惫不堪。
In winter last year I tore the lining of an artery(动脉) in my neck during a rough ocean swim off the Central Coast of New South Wales. It caused a stroke while I was in the water, which saw me scrambling(挣扎着爬) back to shore where a surfer noticed me and sounded the alarm(发出警报). Six months later, the injury had healed, and my motor functions(运动功能) were all back to normal. But as I prepared for a dip(游泳，泡水) in calm conditions on a sunny day in January, I paused. An unexpected journey into fear began.
去年冬天，我在新南威尔士州中央海岸附近的一次波涛汹涌的海泳中撕裂了颈部动脉的内膜。这导致我在水中中风，我挣扎着回到岸边，一位冲浪者注意到了我并发出了警报。六个月后，伤势痊愈，我的运动功能全部恢复正常。但当我准备在一月一个阳光明媚的日子里在平静的水域中畅游时，我犹豫了。一段意想不到的恐惧之旅开始了。
Standing on the sand, a thousand scenarios(情景，可能发生的情况) would play out(上演，展开) in my mind: how big was that wave? Was it powerful enough to injure me? Where would the currents take me? Would I be safe?
站在沙滩上，一千种情景会在我的脑海中上演：那个浪有多大？它是否强大到足以伤害我？水流会把我带到哪里？我会安全吗？
The scales tipped
天平倾斜了
Three lessons
三个教训
Returning to the water
重返水中