[外電] 以色列來的男孩

[santabrelai ()]

http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/2131677.html

A nation holds its breath as 21-year-old Israeli forward Omri Casspi
approaches his debut with the Kings

以色列之光 - Omri Casspi

Omri Casspi knew better than everyone else, or certainly, before everyone
else. At age 15 – before he went on a date or finished high school – he
decided that he was the chosen one.

    Casspi比誰都還清楚，也比誰都還早知道，在他完成高中學業之前，他決定他就是那
個人！

He would be the first. The first Israeli selected in the opening round of the
NBA draft. The first to live among Kings and Lakers. The first to
successfully represent this basketball-crazed country of approximately 7.5
million people, few of whom measure up to NBA standards.

    他會是第一個在選秀會上首輪被選中的以色列人，代表這個有籃球狂熱的國家踏進
NBA 世界的第一人。

Former Israeli stars Mickey Berkowitz, Doron Sheffer, Oded Kattash, Yotam
Halperin and Lior Eliyahu all flirted with the notion of careers in the
National Basketball Association, but for various reasons – timing, injury,
attitude, aptitude – never made it to training camp.

    儘管有許多的以色列前輩也曾經試圖挑戰NBA ，但他們總因為各式各樣的原因被淘汰
，沒有任何一位能夠進入訓練營。

Casspi will make it to camp. As a first-round selection of the Sacramento
Kings and the 23rd pick overall, the 6-foot-9 small forward – all grown up
now at 21 – has a guaranteed contract and a date for opening night.

    Casspi將會進入訓練營，做為首輪23順位入選的這位6呎9吋小前鋒，他得到了一份保
證合約。

"We have had other good players try for NBA, and all were nice guys," said
Zvika Sherf, Casspi's former coach with the Israeli national team and Maccabi
Tel Aviv. "Maybe too much. They didn't have the elbows. Omri, he has the
elbows."

    Casspi的前任教頭Sherf 說：「我們有很多好手試著去挑戰NBA ，而他們都是不錯的
人，或許也是因為他們人太好，而失去了競爭的心態，但Omri絕對夠硬。」

Frankly, in terms of basketball, Israelis are tired of being shoved aside.
While soccer is the most popular sport, Israeli Premier League power Maccabi
Tel Aviv is the nation's treasure, often mistaken for the national team. The
fact that 60 nations have been represented in the NBA before Casspi even
attempts his first dunk remains a chronic source of irritation.

    事實上，在籃球的世界中，以色列往往是被忽略的。足球才是這個國家盛行的運動，
Maccabi Tel Aviv是這個國家的一隻球隊，卻常被人誤認為是他們的國家隊。在Casspi進
入NBA 殿堂之前，超過六十個國家都已經有球員成功踏入NBA。

"Think about it," said Eran Soroka, basketball writer for the newspaper
Ma'ariv. "Iran, one of the countries that wants to eliminate us, has a player
in the NBA (Hamed Haddadi, Memphis Grizzlies). Iceland has had a player in
the NBA. Latvia, Italy, France, Russia, but no Israel? This is like an insult
to us."

    「早就該這樣了，你看看伊朗，他們有NBA 球員，冰島也有。拉脫維亞、義大利、法
國、俄羅斯，但是沒有以色列？天啊，這簡直就是羞辱！」當地的報紙記者Soroka說。

It's not as if NBA officials have failed to extend a hand, either. In an
attempt to expand its global tentacles into the conflict-weary Middle East,
the NBA for years has conducted clinics in Lebanon, Qatar, Bahrain, Iran,
Iraq and Israel, frequently in conjunction with the U.S. State Department.
Yet even a small exodus of Middle Easterners toward the NBA has failed to
materialize; the game that has gone global continues to skip over the region.

    並不是NBA 官方沒有將他們的魔爪伸進中東，相反的，為了賣出更多球衣，賺更多的
錢，NBA 多年以來都致力於籃球文化的傳播，甚至多次與政府部門合作。但在中東依然難
以取得太多進展，NBA 還是希望可以達到全球化的境界。

Casspi's first-round selection is such an anomaly – such a national
sensation – that champagne flowed throughout Tel Aviv long after the draft.
On a video taped by an Israeli TV crew at his parents' home during the June
25 draft, Casspi's mother, Ilana, is seen pacing and cleaning while peeking
at the screen. His father, Shimon, frowns and frets while standing a few feet
away. Omri agonizes on the couch, thrusting his face into his hands, moaning
in disappointment as other players are selected, their names and remarks
scripted in Hebrew near the bottom of the screen.

    Casspi的首輪中選是一件破天荒的大事，是一件國際件的事件，還讓台拉維夫整天都
飄著香檳味！在6 月25日的選秀會時，Casspi媽正在一邊打掃一邊看電視，Casspi爸站在
幾呎外皺著一張臉，Omri則坐在沙發上享受這段等待、折磨的時光，他用雙手捧著臉，然
後對每個中選的球員發著牢騷，電視上以希伯來文將球員的姓名標示著。

Finally the Kings are on the clock. "Watch (NBA Commissioner) David Stern
now," Casspi instructed, remote in hand, while replaying the video for the
zillionth time. "When he calls my name he is smiling. He is Jewish, you know.
See!"

    終於到了國王的順位，「當David Stern 在笑，我知道就是這個moment了，他也是猶
太人嘛！」之後看了無數次這段影片的Casspi說。

Jubilant friends and relatives dive onto the couch, onto Casspi, who
disappears inside the scrum. Drenched in champagne, he strips down to an
undershirt and is showered again. Throughout the day, his image flashed
across TV screens. His cell phone never stopped ringing; he heard from
teammates and politicians and the individual that every young Israeli
basketball player idolizes.

    他的親人和朋友在那一刻紛紛衝向他，用香檳給Casspi來了一次淋浴，害他得去換一
件衣服。從那一天起他成了以色列的大明星，每天都可以在電視上看到他的相片，他的手
機從沒停止響過，隊友、當地政治人物紛紛恭喜他，他也成了以色列少年球員的偶像。

"When I heard David Stern say, 'At No. 23, Omri Casspi,' my body was
shaking," related Berkowitz, the former Maccabi star and most beloved of all
Israeli sports icons. "Just shaking."

    「當我聽到Stern 說出： 『第23順位，Omri Casspi。』時，我感覺到法切蒂、卡布
裏尼、馬爾蒂尼在這一刻靈魂附體！卡西比一個人他代表了以色列籃球悠久的歷史和傳統
，在這一刻他不是一個人在戰鬥，他不是一個人！」前以色列著名球星Berkowitz 說。

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翻得很爛 有不少錯，煩請幫忙指正<(__ __)>

網址裡面還有Casspi簡介

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◆ From: 125.224.135.202
推 eliczone:推 翻譯沒這麼簡單 翻得不錯了!!!
推 Tmix:推一下～也希望Casspi可以加油
推 z701660993:點球!點球!點球!
推 a00779928:猶太人 也不錯啊~ 卡茲比應該很聰明~
推 Iau2:推翻譯
推 baimoo520:推翻譯   加油   希望挖到寶~~~
推 RonArtest93:PUSH
推 GodEyes:最後一段是怎樣......
推 Kreen:他不是一個人、他不是一個人！最後一段超讚。XD