Keanu had run eleven half marathons, but this was his first as an official pacer. His job was simple but demanding. He had to finish in exactly two hours and keep a group of runners with him. On his back, he carried a small flag with "2:00" printed on it.
基努已经跑过十一次半程马拉松，但这是他第一次担任官方配速员。他的任务说起来简单，做起来却不容易：他必须恰好在两小时内跑完全程，还要带着一群跑者一起跑。他背上插着一面小旗，旗上印着“2:00”。
At the start line, about twenty people gathered around him. Some looked nervous, some made jokes, and one man in a grey shirt said very little.
在起跑线旁，大约二十个人围在他身边。有的人看起来很紧张，有的人开着玩笑，还有一个穿灰色上衣的男人几乎一句话也不说。
For the first ten kilometers, everything went well. Keanu checked his watch every few minutes and kept a steady pace. The group ran close behind the flag, like ducklings behind their mother.
前十公里一切顺利。基努每隔几分钟就看一眼手表，始终保持着稳定的配速。人群紧紧跟在旗子后面，就像小鸭子跟在妈妈身后。
Around kilometer sixteen, the road began to climb. Keanu noticed that the man in the grey shirt had fallen to the edge of the group. His face was red, and his steps were short. The name on his number was Yannick.
跑到大约十六公里的时候，路开始上坡。基努发现那个穿灰色上衣的男人已经掉到了队伍的边缘。他满脸通红，步子也变小了。他号码布上的名字是扬尼克。
"I can't do this," Yannick said between breaths. "You go ahead. I'm going to walk."
“我不行了，”扬尼克喘着气说，“你先走吧。我要走一会儿。”
Keanu knew the rule: the pace could not change. If he slowed down, twenty people would lose their goal. But he also remembered how it felt to want to stop at kilometer sixteen.
基努知道规矩：配速不能变。如果他慢下来，二十个人就会失去目标。可他也记得，自己在十六公里处想要停下来是什么滋味。
"Don't think about the finish," he said, moving to Yannick's side. "Think about the next marker. Only that one. Can you do that?"
“别去想终点，”他说着，靠到扬尼克身边，“只想下一个里程牌。就那一个。你能做到吗？”
Yannick nodded weakly.
扬尼克无力地点了点头。
They reached the marker. "Good," Keanu said. "Now the next one."
他们到了那块里程牌。“很好，”基努说，“现在是下一个。”
He talked the whole time, about the weather, about the terrible coffee at the start, about anything. His legs stayed steady, and the flag never slowed. Every time they passed a marker, he said the same thing: "One more."
他一路不停地说话，说天气，说起跑处那难喝得要命的咖啡，什么都说。他的双腿一直很稳，旗子也从没慢下来。每经过一块里程牌，他都说同样的一句话：“再来一个。”
At kilometer eighteen, Yannick wiped his face. "It's getting easier," he said.
到了十八公里，扬尼克擦了擦脸。“好像越来越轻松了，”他说。
"It isn't easier," Keanu said. "You're just stronger than you thought."
“不是轻松了，”基努说，“是你比你想的更强。”
With one kilometer left, the crowd grew louder, and the group began to speed up. Yannick stayed at his shoulder. Keanu checked his watch. They had no time to spare.
还剩一公里的时候，观众的声音越来越响，队伍开始加速。扬尼克一直跟在他的肩旁。基努看了看手表。他们一点富余的时间都没有。
They crossed the line together. The clock above it showed 1:59:57.
他们一起冲过了终点线。线上方的时钟显示1:59:57。
Yannick bent over with his hands on his knees. Then he stood up and grabbed Keanu's arm. "Three seconds," he said, laughing and almost crying. "I finished three seconds under two hours."
扬尼克弯下腰，双手撑着膝盖。然后他直起身，一把抓住基努的手臂。“三秒，”他又笑又差点哭出来，“我比两小时还快了三秒跑完。”
"You did that," Keanu said. "I only carried the flag." He pulled the little flag from his belt and held it out. "Keep it. You earned it."
“是你自己做到的，”基努说，“我只是扛了面旗子。”他从腰带上取下那面小旗，递了过去。“留着吧。这是你应得的。”
