[外電] Ben's Beginnings

[Mitchville (犁田達人)]

原文:http://0rz.net/9a0Zu

Alma mater in Virginia becomes his haven

對班蛙而言，維吉尼亞的母校就像是個避風港。


AUBURN HILLS --There's a special place Ben Wallace goes to be a normal guy.

【奧本山訊】有一個特別的地方，在那裡，班蛙可以脫離他球星的名號，回復一般人的身
分。

No screaming fans, no demands on his time, or the other things that are
involved with being a very recognizable Piston and NBA All-Star.

在那裡不會有球迷在身邊尖叫或在私人時間來打擾你這類的身為一個家喻戶曉的NBA活塞隊
球星得要面對的困擾。

Virginia Union, a small, private Division II university in Richmond, is
Wallace's alma mater and his retreat. He kicks back, enjoys life and becomes
just a guy named Ben who hangs around the gym for summer league games.

那個特別的地方叫做維吉尼亞聯盟大學，位於維吉尼亞州李奇蒙市的第二區一間規模不大
的私立學校。它是班蛙的大學母校，同時也是他的避風港。在那裡他可以把自己拉回到當
年那個在舉辦夏季聯盟的體育館前躊躇不前，名叫「班」的大男孩。

"I like that because it lets me be me," said Wallace, who finished his career
at Virginia Union in 1996. "Those people know me, and my friends are there.
Virginia Union is a very special place to me. I learned a lot there, and I take
a lot of that with me today. No doubt, there's no place like it."

「我喜歡那裡，因為在那裡我總是感覺好自在，」1996年，班蛙剛從學校畢業時這麼說。
「那裡的人都認識我，而我的好友們也都在那裡。維吉尼亞聯盟對我而言意義非凡。我在
那裡學到很多東西，這些東西到了今天也一直在我身邊。無疑地，這裡是最棒的。」

Wallace and Virginia Union share an ongoing mutual love. He's one of the
historically black school's highest-profile graduates, along with former NBA
star Charles Oakley. Wallace is prominently featured on the school's Web site;
he is pictured standing next to university president Dr. Belinda C. Anderson.

班蛙和他的母校互敬互愛。他是這間黑人學校校史上最著名的畢業生之一（另一位是前NBA
球星Charles Oakley，1985年畢業）。學校的網站有一欄特別介紹他。他的照片就擺在校
長Belinda C. Anderson博士之後。

He's kept Virginia Union as a priority too, sponsoring an annual scholarship
for a member of the men's basketball team. Wallace's contributions also have
allowed the school to purchase new equipment, and he helps in other unsung ways.

他也把維吉尼亞聯盟擺在第一優先。他每年都贊助年度獎學金給男籃校隊的成員。由於他
的慷慨解囊，讓維吉尼亞聯盟有錢可以添購新的設備。此外，在很多看不到的地方，班蛙
也幫了不少忙。

He stays in close touch with the basketball program, through friend and coach
Dave Robbins.

他透過和他亦師亦友的Dave Robbins與維吉尼亞聯盟的籃球事務保持密切的關係。

"Ben's never forgotten us, and we'll never forget him," said Robbins, who has
won three Division II national titles with the Panthers.

「班蛙從沒忘了我們，而我們也不會忘記他，」拿下三次第二區全國冠軍的Robbins這麼說。

"This is a special place, because we're small, and we do the best we can with
what we have. And I think that makes our players different; they have to work
harder.

「這裡是個特別的地方，因為我們學校並不大，但我們總是拼盡全力打出最好的表現。我
想，這就是我們為什麼與眾不同的原因吧；因為我們非常拼命。」

"And obviously, that's what Ben's all about -- hard work."

「而很明顯地，班蛙就是努力的代名詞。」

Wallace's college experience was very different from teammates such as Rasheed
Wallace (North Carolina), Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky) and Rip Hamilton
(Connecticut).

至於班蛙大學時期的事蹟，和他那些早在大學時就聲名顯赫的隊友相比就沒什麼好說嘴的
了。（溪蛙：北卡；小王子：肯塔基；Rip：康乃迪克）

They went to high-profile, cash-rich programs that come close to providing an
NBA atmosphere.

他們享有球星級的待遇，而且球隊的資源豐富，早早就體驗了NBA的氛圍。

Wallace's life at Virginia Union was quite different. And not much has changed
for today's Panthers players.

班蛙在維吉尼亞的大學生活跟他們很不一樣。而黑豹隊的環境現在也還是跟以前差不多。

He rode buses for hundreds of miles to get to road games. The Panthers try not
to stay overnight, to save money, even if it means a 10-hour, round-trip bus
ride.

他們要坐上巴士，開上幾百公里的路去別的學校打客場比賽。為了省錢，他們盡量不在外
過夜，打完比賽就直接回家，即使來回得開上10小時。

They play at Barco-Stevens Hall, a building once famous -- or infamous --
for not having adequate heating or air conditioning.

他們在一度「赫赫有名」的Barco-Stevens會館球場打球－－或者應該說是有名的爛－－因
為它的空調老是時好時壞。

Barco has the character of an old-school "barn." The weight room, nicknamed
"The Cage," was cramped and musty.

Barco球場有一間老學校特有的「車庫」－－一間既狹小又老舊的重量訓練室，人們給它取
了個綽號：「鳥籠」。

Barco has received some recent renovations but still retains its charm.

球場最近做了些翻修，不過它那特有的魅力倒是保留了下來。

"I think it's good not to have much, like we did," Wallace said. "You're
grateful for everything you've got. You don't expect anybody to give you
anything.

「我覺得不要改太多比較好，最好是像我們那時候一樣，」班蛙說。你會學著對你擁有的
東西心存感激，不會去奢望有人給你什麼幫助。

"You know that being there means you've got to work for everything you get,
with no special treatment. And that's good. That teaches you to be independent,
grow up and be a man."

「你會知道，那裡的每樣東西都得靠自己努力爭取，不會有特別待遇。那樣（的做法）很
好，它會教你學習獨立、成長，並變成一個真正的男人。」

Robbins said Wallace was different from the start. He was a transfer from
Cuyahoga (Ohio) Community College, coming to Virginia Union for his junior and
senior seasons. He wasn't the Wallace of today, with big-muscled and a sky-high
Afro.

Robbins說，班蛙的與眾不同從他剛入校時就看得出來了。他在俄亥俄州的Cuyahoga社區學
院唸完一年級以後才轉來維吉尼亞聯盟，之後就在這待到畢業。那時的他和現在差很多，
既沒有驚死人的肌肉，也沒有留著恨天高的阿福柔頭。

"He would be in the gym or The Cage all the time, and it didn't matter if it
was 100, 110 degrees," Robbins remembered. "And I never heard him complain
about anything."

「他每天的生活不是練球就是去『鳥籠』裡做重訓。有時候裡面的溫度甚至高達華氏100-
110度，」Robbins回想起班蛙大學時練球的情形。「但是我從來沒聽他抱怨過。」

Robbins laughs, remembering a time when Wallace's unassuming nature went a bit
too far.

一想到班蛙那謙虛到有點過份的老實個性，Robbins笑了出來。

"We don't have a lot of money, but we want the kids to have nice practice
shoes. So we make sure they get like two, three pairs a year," Robbins said.
"One day, I look down in practice and I see Ben, with his soles flapping on his
worn-out shoes.

「我們球隊沒什麼錢，但我們還是盡量讓孩子們都能有幾雙好的練習鞋可以穿。所以我們
盡可能確保他們每個人每年都能拿到個兩三雙，」Robins說。「有天我望向他們的腳，看
到班蛙的鞋子正張開嘴巴對著我笑。」

"I said, 'Young man, I think you need some new shoes. Why didn't you say
something?'

「我說：『年輕人，我想你需要換雙新鞋囉！你怎麼不來跟我們說呢？』」

"Ben just replied, 'Yeah, I guess I could use some.' He never ever asked me for
a thing. He just kept quiet and played."

「而班蛙只說：『嗯，也許我是該換雙鞋了。』他從來不會主動跟我要這要那的。他總是
安靜地認真打球。」

Wallace finished his career with a strong senior season. He averaged 10.5
rebounds, 12.5 points and 3.6 blocks. The Panthers made it to the Division II
Final Four with a 28-3 record.

班蛙用壯觀的數據為他大學最後一年劃下句點。平均10.5個籃板、12.5分和3.6阻攻。黑豹
隊該年以28勝3負的戰績躋身第二區的季後賽，並打進四強決賽。

And though Wallace is now a big NBA star, Virginia Union still feels like home.

雖然班蛙現在已經是個NBA的超級巨星了，但是維吉尼亞聯盟依舊能給他家的溫暖。

Said Robbins: "I tell Ben he's part of two families -- his and ours -- for the
rest of his life."

Robbins說：「我跟他說，這一生你永遠都會有兩個家－－一個是你自己的家，另一個則
是我們。」





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抱歉這麼晚才PO上來(昨晚有事耽擱...)

有錯請指正 我會再改的

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◆ From: 220.132.182.103
推 G15:看到該換鞋那段，害我想到灌籃高手的櫻木XD
推 kasulaku:推=>變成一個真正的男人  XDD
推 Wind1026:senior應該是指大學四年級?
→ jungchu:高四好像也是叫senior的樣子@@""~
※ 編輯: Mitchville      來自: 220.132.182.103      (01/12 13:26)
→ Mitchville:多謝指教 我老眼昏花了