【WhenSallyRidewastenyearsold,shehadnoideathatshewouldsomedaygrowuptobeoneofAmerica’sfirstwomanastronauts.Infact,ifyouhadaskedherthenwhatwantedtobe,shewouldhavesaid,“IwanttoplayshortstopfortheL】

　　WhenSallyRidewastenyearsold,shehadnoideathatshewouldsomedaygrowuptobeoneofAmerica’sfirstwomanastronauts.Infact,ifyouhadaskedherthenwhatwantedtobe,shewouldhavesaid,“IwanttoplayshortstopfortheLosAngelesDodgers.”Sallycollectedbaseballcardsbytheboxful,andsheknewthenameandbattingaverage(击球率)ofeveryplayerintheNationalLeague.

　　Butmajorleaguebaseballdidn’tseemmuchofapossibilityforagirl,evenanathleticonelikeSally,soherfatherandmothertalkedherintotakingtennislessonswhenshewastwelve.Atfirstshehatedtotradeinherbaseballbatforatennisracket,butitwasn’tlongbeforeshestartedtowintournamentsinhernewsport.“TennisbecamemuchmorefunwhenIstartedwinning,”Sallyremembers.Soonarowoftrophies（奖牌）replacedherboxofbaseballcards,andtennisstarBillieJeanKingreplacedDodgershortstopMauryWillsashersportsidol.

　　Sallyfirstbecameinterestedinthespaceprogramin1962whenastronautJohnGlennorbitedtheearthinhisMercuryspacecapsule.Sallywastenyearsoldatthetime,butsheremembersthelaunchandthesplashdown(掉落)asiftheyhappenedyesterday.Thegirlwhousedtomemorizebattingaveragesbecameaspacefan.ShequicklylearnedthenameofeveryNASAastronaut(therewereonlyeightofthemin1962),thedateofeverylaunch,andthenameandnumberofeveryspacecraftfromFreedom7toSkylab3.Shecouldtellyouthespeedoflight(186,300milespersecond),thedistancetothemoon(238,860miles),andthenamesofthethreeneareststars(theSun,AlphaCentauri,andBarnard’sStar).

　　Bythetimeshewassixteen,Sallyhaddecidedtobecomeanastrophysicist,ascientistwhostudiesspace.Shehadalsobecomeanationallyrankedtennisplayer.Sheremembersyawning（打哈欠）throughanimportanttennismatchonJune20,1969,afterstayingupallnighttowatchNeilArmstrong’sfirststepsonthemoon.Sallylostthematch.

　　AsSallygotolder,manyofherfriendsstartedplayingprofessionaltennis.Someofthemtriedtotalkherintoquittingschooltojointhemontheprofessionaltenniscircuit.ButSallysaidno.“Blackholesaremoreinterestingtomethanbackhands,”shetoldthem.Nowsheknowsthatshemadetherightchoice,butin1970SallyhadnowayofknowingthatNASAwouldopen