[外電] Breathing Deep After a Frustrating Loss

[bri (.....................)]

http://0rz.tw/3241S

Breathing Deep After a Frustrating Loss

What odd timing for the first major blip on the Celtics' postseason radar.

這個重要的標誌出現在Celtics的季後賽雷達中，是在一個多麼奇怪的時機。

As I walked to the gym on a peaceful Saturday afternoon, it was the issue of
losing that sat on my mind -- namely, how I was going to react when and if it
occurred this postseason.

當我在一個平靜的星期六下午走向體育館時，是有關輸球的事情一直盤旋在我腦海 -換
句話說，假如它發生在季後賽，我將會如何反應。

The team was coming off two blowout victories and the reception of John
Hollinger's blessing that it would be cruising by 20-plus points with
regularity and might not lose a game until the Finals.  It wasn't expected to
suffer any setbacks in this series, and as a result, I was curious as to how
I might deal with such a setback later on.  Brief reminder: For someone who
likes to consider himself a fairly even keel guy in life, I really don't take
too well to losing.  In pick-up basketball.  In Scrabble.  In Boggle.  And
particularly with regard to the Celtics.

這支球隊剛經歷了兩場大勝，而且剛經過John Hollinger的加持，他說我們會一路以
20分以上的差距大勝，甚至直到決賽都不會輸一場球。在這個系列戰遭逢挫折是預料
之外的，而其結果是，我對於我會有怎樣的反應感到好奇。一個簡要的提醒：身為一
個希望在生活中盡量保持公正的人，我的確沒辦法很輕鬆地看待勝利。在籃球遊戲中
。在Scrabble遊戲中。在Boggle遊戲中。還有特別是有關Celtics時。

Even in this wonderful 66-win season, the few losses I witnessed tended to
drive me crazy.  As a brief reminder of what we're talking about here, let's go
with an excerpt courtesy of the column from the day after the January loss to
Orlando on Hedo Turkoglu's buzzer-beater:

即使在這個了不起的66勝球季，有幾場我親眼見證的輸球，特別要讓我發瘋。一個簡
要的提醒，一起來看看這段摘要，來自一月輸給 Hedo Turkoglu槍響進球的那場跟魔
術隊的比賽隔天，我所寫的專欄：

Within ninety seconds of Hedo Turkoglu's improbable trey dropping through the
twine on Sunday afternoon, I had already put a block and a half of distance
between my residence and myself in an effort to walk off my fury rather than
exploring its possible consequences around other humans.

在星期日下午， Hedo Turkoglu的球不可思議地劃破弧線，穿破籃網的九十秒內，我
已經離開我家一個半街區的距離，這是為了走出我的憤怒，而不是為了在其他人身上
尋求可能的結果。

It was at about that minute-and-a-half mark that I realized I hadn't even taken
the time to put sneakers on.  So ended the walk.

但是就在這一分半左右的時間，我才發現我根本還沒花時間把球鞋穿上。所以我停止
了我的走路。

That was in mid-January with an eleven-game lead in the division.  Given the
rather increased meaning and heightened urgency of the playoffs -- where four
losses in seven games ends the season -- losing was likely to be taken with
even less patience on my end.  But given that there certainly haven't been any
teams in my memory that got through the playoffs without a single blemish on
the record, it was a reality that was extraordinarily likely to be faced sooner
or later.  So a small part of a Saturday afternoon was dedicated to
considering what the appropriate reaction to this would be, whenever it
happened.  The resolution?  To cross that bridge when the time came.

這是在一月中，在分區還領先了11場比賽。在每場意義更重大，情勢更急迫的季後賽
-當七場中有四場失敗就代表球季結束-輸球可能會讓我更失去耐心。但是考慮到我記
憶中，從來沒有球隊沒在季後賽中留下一點瑕疵，事實是這可能是早晚要面對的。所
以在星期六下午，有一小部分的考慮是怎樣才是適當的反應，不管它何時要發生。解
答呢？當那個時候來臨時，就跨過那條橋吧。

Hello, bridge.

哈囉，橋這就來了。

It seems we've reached you well sooner than expected.

似乎我們比預期地要早許多遇見你。

Surprisingly enough, the reaction espoused here thus far has been a salutation
to calmness and patience as well.

十分驚訝地，目前為止伴隨而來的反應，是冷靜，也是耐心的致意。

It just isn't worth the strain of getting too upset over this one.  Now isn't
the time for that.

不值得對這場感到太沮喪的沉重壓力，現在還不是時候。

Undoubtedly, as Jeff touched on in his post-game briefing, there was plenty of
discouraging stuff occurring on the floor last night.   The Celts not guarding
anybody wasn't too good.  The lack of offensive cohesion all night was
frustrating.  That was just the beginning.  The needless fouls.  The fact that
the team seemed to go into panic mode way too early, which led to bad shots,
long rebounds and more Atlanta baskets in transition.  That the first road
playoff test this team faced resulted in such a miserable failure.  That the
bench didn't have all that much to add either.  This Pierce-Hoford posture-fest
seems like something that could have been done without as well.  The list goes
on and on.  As member Bahku (a seemingly like-wired night owl and always an
amusing yet on point source of insight) pointed out in an eloquent and well
thought-out forum post of his own, this loss was certainly a team effort, with
contributions all around.

沒有疑問地，就像Jeff他的賽後簡評寫的，昨晚有好些令人失望的東西發生。Celtics
沒有守好任何人不是太好。整個晚上都缺乏進攻的凝聚力是令人挫折的。這只是開始
而已。不必要的犯規。球隊似乎太早就進入驚慌模式的事實，隨之而來的是不好的出
手，長籃板，還有更多亞特蘭大的快速攻防轉換。這支球隊面對第一輪季後賽客場的
考驗，結果卻是一場悲哀的失敗。板凳也沒有提供什麼幫助。 Horford在Pierce面前
的那些姿勢，似乎是可以不會發生的。這張名單可以繼續下去，繼續下去。像網友
Bahku有說服力，完全通透的發言 (這篇晚點就翻)，這場失敗確實是全隊的的努力，
每個人都有貢獻。

But that doesn't make it worth going off the deep end as a fan.

但是作為球迷，不可以這麼草率行事。

These guys are humans.  They deal with momentum shifts, energy levels, the
strains of travel and injury and plenty more, and they are going to
occasionally come out without their best stuff.  It's part of the program.  One
loss doesn't mean there is a need to flip out, or that the sky is falling, or
that this team suddenly isn't capable of winning a championship.  It destroyed
this Hawks team twice in the last week, and there is certainly a fair bit of
likelihood that it will do the same throughout the week to come.

這些傢伙都是人。他們要面對氣勢的轉移、能量提升、旅行和傷痛的負擔，還有更多
，他們偶爾都會無法拿出最好的表現。這就是節目的一部分。一場輸球不代表有氣到
發瘋的需要，或是天要塌了，或是這支球隊忽然沒有拿冠軍的能力了。它在上週摧毀
了老鷹隊兩次，的確有相當的可能在未來這一周，它還會作到同樣的事。

It is worth remembering after all that sweeping a team is no easy feat.  Sure,
it happens with some regularity in this league, but that doesn't make it a walk
in the park.  For all the talk about how minute the physical talent differences
truly are at this level, it is plenty difficult to beat the same team four
times in a row.  Chances are, it shouldn't happen as much as it does. If the
Celtics can take care of business in these next two games and beat the Hawks in
five, they will be looking at having won 80 percent of their playoff games for
the series, which would be right around the astoundingly high percentage the
team played at through the entirety of the regular season.  No shame there.

這是值得記住的，要橫掃一支球隊不是件簡單的事。當然，在這聯盟中它有某種發生
的規律，但是這不是像去公園走路一樣簡單。給那些說在此層級，那些體能天份的差
別有多細微的談話，要連續四次擊敗同一支球隊有相當困難度的。而機會是，它不應
該是發生這麼多次的。如果 Celtics可以在接下來兩場比賽控制好，在五場比賽中解
決老鷹隊，它們在這個系列戰的勝率會是 80%，剛好差不多是這支球隊一整季下來令
人震驚的高勝率。沒什麼好丟臉的。

The Celtics are better than the Hawks are.  They have shown it all year and in
two of the three games of this series: They defend better, move the ball
better, score more, have better coaching and a deeper bench.  A Celtics team
with the additional motivation of a bad loss in Game 3 in Atlanta should only
come out with more strength and will to kill on Monday night in Game 4.

Celtics 是比老鷹隊好的。它們在一整年裡，和這個系列中三場的前兩場，已經展現
了這一點：他們的防守比較好，他們的傳球比較好，得分比較多，教練比較好，還有
個比較深的板凳。這支 Celtics球隊經歷過亞特蘭大的這場失敗，應該有更多的動機
，更多的力量，還有更強的意志在星期一的第四場比賽大開殺戒。

And lest we forget, it wouldn't hurt to at least note that it takes two teams
to play these games, and in addition to the Celtics' poor play, those on the
other team involved in this contest collectively played out of their minds.
Hats off to the Hawks as a team, as they shot an absurd 10-for-18 from three
-point land, played an as-of-yet-unseen stifling defense at times on the C's,
pulled down 12 offensive rebounds and generally played with more urgency than
the Celtics did.  To Josh Smith as well, who played an incredible game, going
for 27 points, 9 boards and 6 assists on 11-for-17 shooting.  He put out an
incredibly well-rounded individual effort, and he deserves credit for it.  So
does Mike Woodson, who finally figured out that it would best serve his team of
athletes to push the Hawks to run the tempo and look to get easy buckets in
transition early.  To Al Horford -- despite his run-in with Pierce -- for
another well-played game overall (17 points, 14 boards).  To the crowd in
Atlanta, fo getting up and making some noise when it become clear that the
Hawks were going to be in this game to stay.

為了避免我們忘記，至少要記得需要兩支球隊才能打這些比賽，所以除了 Celtics糟
糕的表現，對面那支球隊每個都打的特別出色。給老鷹隊身為一支球隊脫帽行個禮，
為了他們荒謬的18投10中的三分球，對Celtics打出以前沒見過的窒息式防守，抓下12
個進攻籃板，還有大致上打的比Celtics還有警覺性。也要給 Josh Smith，他打出一
場不可思議的比賽，得了27分9籃板6助攻，投17中11。他展現了全面性的個人努力，
值得給予肯定。還有Mike Woodson，他終於發現球隊的運動力有多好，最適合打出快
節奏，快速攻防轉換中的輕鬆得分。給Al Horford-儘管他和Pierce的爭論-因為另一
場總體來說很好的球賽(17分14籃板)。給亞特蘭大的觀眾，為了站起來製造一些噪音
，當老鷹隊在這場比賽中明顯在狀況內了。

Good work all around, Hawks folk.  You beat a team that has indicated itself to
be largely superior all season, and you beat it soundly.  That's something to
feel very good about.

全部都作的很好，老鷹隊的人們。你們贏了一支整季都致力於要很優秀的球隊，而你
們完全擊敗他們。這是需要感覺非常好的。

Sometimes, a bad team surprises a good team.   It's part of the game.  If it
wasn't going to be, then we might as well not play the games -- it would all
be done on paper.

有時候，一支差的球隊可以使一支好球隊驚訝，這是比賽的一部分。如果不會這樣，
也許我們也根本不必比這些比賽了-直接在紙上進行就好了。

For this Celtics team, there is only one thing to worry about, which is the
same goal as they are likely have set for every playoff day: the next game.
That is always the most important one, especially in the playoffs.   This is a
Celts team quite capable of decisively winning Game 4 and putting a strangle
-hold on the Hawks.   It has no reason and to panic.

給這支 Celtics隊，只有一件事要擔心，也就是他們可能為季後賽的每一天設下的目
標：下一場比賽。這永遠是最重要的，尤其是在季後賽。這是一支可以果斷地贏得第
四場比賽，並且壓制住老鷹隊的球隊。沒有理由驚慌失措。

And neither do we fans.  It was a rough night, to be sure, but it's a rough
night that is (mercifully) over, and the chance for the fellas to redeem
themselves will be coming right around the corner.  If we're sitting here on
Tuesday morning with a series that is evened at two, we'll cross that bridge
when we come to it.  But for now, it's a simple case of one basketball team
being too human for one night and the other not being human enough.  For one
night.

我們球迷也不需要。這是個難受的夜晚，當然了，但是這個難受的夜晚即將(仁慈地)
結束，而這些傢伙重新恢復自我的機會就在咫尺。如果我們禮拜二早上坐在這裡，系
列戰打成二比二平手，我們將要跨過那條得要跨過去的橋。但是現在，這只是支籃球
隊，這一個晚上太像是人類，而另外一支不太只是人類而已，就這麼一晚。

But come Monday, we could all be singing a much happier song once more.
Waiting for that sans unnecessary anger suits me just fine this particular time
around.

但是當禮拜一到來，我們都可以再一次唱起一首更快樂的歌。這一次，等待著那個時
刻到來，無須不必要的怒氣，剛剛好適合我。

---------

我很喜歡這篇文章
用心的去翻譯它，跟各位分享

--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 218.166.203.99
※ 編輯: bri             來自: 218.166.203.99       (04/27 23:42)
推 Kirihara    :這篇擁有獨特的氣息XD
推 NLchu       :有些外國人就是很喜歡作奇妙的比喻，這是其中之一
→ NLchu       :會這樣寫多少是有些文學底子,而不像一般報導沒頭沒尾
→ piercepaul  :防守比他好　傳球比他好　球員比他好　替補比他好。
→ piercepaul  :比他好的　　很多喔＠＠
推 Poleaxe     :推 ~~
推 shepherdy   :推~
推 jaycoo      :推推～很有感覺XD