Andrea Kasiske

Host： Nijmegen in the Netherlands is not a big place. But its big enough for 50，000 Dutch people to be spending four days walking around the town and its surrounding area in the east of the country. Well， this Four Day March has become a popular sporting event， and something of a local festival， with hundreds of thousands of people lining the route to cheer on the participants.

Bernhardt： （via translator） Im Bernhardt and Im walking for the fifth time.

Monique： （via translator） Hi， Im Monique， and Im walking for the first time.

These people are training for the big march， or “Vierdaagse，” a punishing 200 kilometers in four days. Bert van der Lans is doing the march for the 63rd time.

Bert： （via translator） Im 1）resolute. Thats how I was at work， too. It gives you something extra. Just dont give up. Keep going. Its good for your health.

T h e f o r m e r b a n k director is proud of his medals. Theyre actually official 2）decorations awarded according to an elaborate system.

Bert： （via translator） After 25 marches， you get a different color， after 40 another， after 50 another， and with 60 you get this medal.

His first march was way back in 1948， at the age of 15. Since then， hes usually walked alone， except as a soldier.

Bert： （via translator） I did the walk twice in the military， 40 kilometers with a backpack.

Major Roelofs organizes the miltary camp. Six thousand soldiers， a third of them from abroad， are housed here. One hundred years ago， the four-day march had purely miltary purposes. Now the soldiers are in the minority， and most of the time dont need to march 3）in step.

Roelofs： Only in the village， to show the people they can walk the military step.

While the army insists on 4）regiment， the four day march is usually anything but routine. The Berkelions prepare for training. Last year， the whole family took part. The parents walked， while the children cheered from the sidelines. Now theyre training together， 30 kilometers at a time. Ten-year-old Steiff has the 5）stamina， but only his sister Eline will make her debut walk. Shes 12—the minimum age to take part. Then there will be little incentives along the way.

Connie Berkelion （Elines mother）： We promise always， well， when you have 10 kilometers or 12 kilometers walked， then youre going to get an ice cream or a drink， with bubbles！

And of course there are the medals. Theres quite a collection to be had for the shorter childrens marches.

Eline： （via translator） I like the medals， but also the way people cheer me on when I walk. And I see a bit of the world.

Everythings still quiet in Nijmegen， but soon 50，000 people will be out pushing their feet and bodies to the limit. The psychologist Rico Schuijers has looked at what drives the Dutch to take part in this mass march.

Rico： I think its a sense of…of traditon. Its a sense of doing things together， its a sense of supporting people you dont know. Alright， that you will make friends for life， if…if its possible， but...but its in…its in the nature of...of the Dutch people.

Perhaps theres a Vierdaagse virus that specifically infects the Dutch？

Bert： （via translator） Were all sick.

Bert van der Lans hasnt reached his limit yet. The Viergaagse veteran is already thinking about next year.

主持人：荷蘭的奈梅亨并不是個多大的地方。但對于讓五萬荷蘭人在位于本國東部地區(qū)的小鎮(zhèn)和周圍步行四天，它足夠大了。如今，這項被稱作“四天走路節(jié)”的活動已成為一項受歡迎的體育活動和當?shù)孛癖姷囊粋€節(jié)日，成千上萬的民眾會在行進路線的道路兩旁給參加者加油鼓勁。

伯恩哈特：（通過翻譯）我叫伯恩哈特，這是我第五次參加走路節(jié)了。

莫妮卡：（通過翻譯）大家好，我叫莫妮卡，這是我第一次參加。

他們這是在為接下來更遠的行走——“四天走路節(jié)”做準備，那將是一次為時四天、全程200公里的艱苦行走。伯特·范德蘭已經(jīng)是第63次參加了。

伯特：（通過翻譯）我會一直堅持下去，對待工作

我也是靠著這份堅持。它會帶給你一些不一樣的東西。別放棄，一直走。這對你的健康也有好處。

這位前銀行董事對于自己獲得的獎牌十分驕傲。這些獎章都是根據(jù)明確的等級體系并由活動官方頒發(fā)的。

伯特：（通過翻譯）參加走路節(jié)25次，你就會得到一枚不同顏色的獎章，超過40次一個顏色，50次再另外一個顏色，超過60次就能得到一枚和我這枚一樣的獎章。伯特第一次參加四天走路節(jié)是在1948年，那年他15歲。從那時起，除了服役時和軍隊一起參加，他都是獨自一人參加。

伯特：（通過翻譯）我在服役期間隨軍隊參加過兩次，是負重每天行進40公里。

羅洛夫斯少校管轄的軍營駐扎在這里，共有6000名士兵，三分之一的人來自國外。一百年前，四天行進路線是軍隊用于行軍操練的線路。如今參加的軍人只占很小一部分，且大多時候都不走行軍步。

羅洛夫斯：只是在經(jīng)過鎮(zhèn)上時，為了向人們展示才走行軍步。

雖然軍隊還是保持著一樣的編制，但四天的行軍操練已不再是軍隊的例行事項。伯克利恩一家正進行節(jié)前訓練。去年，他們一家人都參加了，大人參加行走，小孩們在路邊加油。今天他們要一起訓練，一次30公里。雖說十歲的斯泰夫精力旺盛，但只有姐姐埃蓮娜能達成她“四天走路節(jié)”首秀的愿望，因為她12歲了，達到了參加此項活動的最小年齡限制。走路節(jié)期間，一路上還會為參加者準備各種小獎勵。

康妮·伯克利恩（埃蓮娜的媽媽）：我們總是向孩子們保證，走完10公里或12公里，就能得到一支冰淇淋或是一杯飲料，是會冒泡的汽水喲！

當然還會有獎章，短程的兒童路線也有很多獎章可以收集。

埃蓮娜：（通過翻譯）我喜歡獎章，也喜歡在行走時人們?yōu)槲壹佑停彝ㄟ^這種方式，我可以讓視野更開闊。

如今奈梅亨還是挺安靜的，但很快這里將有五萬人出發(fā)挑戰(zhàn)他們身體的極限。心理學家里科·舒伊杰斯曾經(jīng)研究是什么促使荷蘭人如此熱衷于這項集體走路運動。

里科：我想是因為……傳統(tǒng)。一種大家一起做一件事的感覺，去支持素不相識的人?？赡艿脑挘阋苍S會因此交到一輩子的朋友。不管怎么說，這似乎是荷蘭人的天性。

或許是一種叫做“行走四天”的病毒，單單感染了荷蘭人也說不定？

伯特：（通過翻譯）我們都患上了這種病。

伯特·范德蘭還沒有到達他的極限，這位“四天走路節(jié)”的老兵已經(jīng)在琢磨著下一年的行走了。