[外電] My Amazing Journey -- Chauncey Billups

[kerrys (台北不是我的家)]

    原文出處：
              http://www.nba.com/preview2007/journey_billups.html

--

Getting to the NBA is not easy. Of the millions of kids playing basketball
around the world today, only a very small percentage will make it to the
Association. Along the way, there will be highs and lows, ups and downs.
    進入NBA不是件容易的事。在全世界有數百萬個孩子熱愛籃球的今天，只有極少部分的
菁英能夠打進這個籃球的最高殿堂。在這條路上，肯定會有高潮低潮以及高低起伏。

As they prepare for the 2007-08 season, 30 current players reflect back on
their journey to the NBA and some of the things they went through to fulfill
their dream of playing basketball for a living.
    在他們為'07-'08年球季預作準備的此時，30位現任球員回顧他們邁進NBA的艱辛歷程
以及一些他們為了能讓以打球維生的美夢成真所做的一些努力。

What was the biggest obstacle you overcame to make the NBA?
    問：什麼是你在打進NBA過程中所克服的最大阻礙？

Chauncey Billups: Being from Denver, I think was one of my biggest obstacles.
It's pretty much a football state. It's not out there for basketball. It's not
like [a coach] can just call out and say here's a great player. So it was hard,
I had to go to different camps and things. People would probably talk before I
got there, they would be just like he's ok because he's not playing against
anybody [competitive] every night. So I would have to constantly prove that,
and I love the challenge, but every single stop I would have to constantly
prove that I was for real.
    答：出身丹佛，我認為是我遭遇過最大的阻礙之一。那個州最為盛行的活動應該算是
美式足球。就算你有天份，教練也不會來發掘你。所以那很難，我必須去參加一個又一個
不同的訓練營。人們或許在我到之前就會討論，他們或許會認為他表現還可以，因為他不
是每個晚上都會遭遇到有競爭力的對手。所以我必須持續不斷地去證明，而我熱愛挑戰，
但每一小步我都必須持續不斷地去證明，我是玩真的！

Growing up, what would you have done to play basketball, even if it was just to
shoot around?
    問：從小到大，你要去打球，甚至只是去投投球，必須先完成些什麼事情嗎？

CB: I would have done anything. Of course, if I had chores or things to do
around the house like cut grass, taking the trash out, all those kind of things
... I would come home, cut the grass, take out the trash, clean my room, all in
about 30 minutes, as fast as I could. I might not do a good job, but I would do
it so fast so I could go to the rec center and play ball.
    答：我必須先做好任何事。當然，如果我在家有些雜事，例如割草、倒垃圾，所有那
一類工作...我會回家，割草、倒垃圾、打掃我的房間，大概在30分鐘左右，盡我所能地盡
快完成所有的事。我或許不會做得很好，但我會很快地完成，這樣我才能到娛樂中心去打
球。

Did you have a basketball hero as a kid and why that person?
    問：有哪個人是你兒時的籃球偶像嗎？為什麼是那個人？

CB: I liked Magic Johnson. He was my favorite player. I thought Jordan was the
best, but Magic was my favorite player because I just felt like he was a winner
. He did every single thing he could to win. He played multiple positions when
he had to. He would score more on some nights when he had to. I just loved
Magic, he was my favorite player most definitely.
    答：我喜歡Magic Johnson。他是我最喜歡的球員。我認為Jordan是最棒的，但Magic
才是我的最愛，因為我感覺他是個贏家。他願意為了贏球去做每件他能做到的小事。在必
要時他可以打好幾個位置。有幾個晚上在必要時他會挺身而出拿下更多的分數。我就是喜
歡Magic，很肯定地他是我最敬愛的球員。

What was your favorite childhood basketball memory?
    問：童年時期最令你難忘的籃球回憶是？

CB: I think it was the tournament that my team won in Grand Junction, Colorado
back in the 6th grade. It was just a team from the inner city, all black team
and we went to a tournament in Grand Junction that was pretty much all white.
We went undefeated and won the tournament. It was great because out there,
there wasn't a lot of people who wanted us to win. So we felt like we
accomplished some thing that was great.
    答：我想是六年級時我的球隊贏得科羅拉多大強克遜錦標賽的這件事吧。我們只是一
支出身貧民區的球隊，一支全部由黑人組成的球隊而我們去參加了絕大部分是白人參賽的
大強克遜錦標賽，戰無不勝並一舉奪得冠軍。那真的很棒，因為在那裡沒有太多人希望我
們獲勝。所以我們感覺我們達到了一件相當難得的成就。

That must have been a great experience in itself to prove all of the naysayers
wrong, right?
    問：去證明所有反對者都錯了肯定是個相當棒的經驗，對吧？

CB: Ah yes it was. It really taught us about more then basketball in that
tournament. And we fought through that man... Some inner city kids, some
neighborhood kids not ever dealing with that before. Coached warned us how it
was going to be but you can never know until you go through something like that
. That was probably one of the most special moments in my childhood.
    答：哈，沒錯。那錦標賽真的教了我們很多關於籃球的事。而我們和那些傢伙競爭...
有些貧民區的孩子，有些我的童年玩伴甚至沒經歷過那樣的事。教練告誡過我們會遇到哪
些事情但直到你親身經歷前你絕對沒辦法了解他所說的話。那或許是我童年時期最特別最
難忘的時刻之一。

Finish this sentence... "Growing up the basketball court was my... "
    問：請你完成這個句子..."從小到大，籃球場是我的...。"

CB: Safe Haven. It got me away from all of the things in the neighborhood. When
I was on the court, I was on the court man. I was just happy, I wasn't thinking
about anything else that was going on in my life. That was my safe haven.
    答：避風港。它讓我遠離那些存在於鄰里間所有不好的事。當我在籃球場上，我就完
全專注於場上，老兄。我很高興，我不會想到在我生活中其他的任何事。籃球場就是我的
避風港。

So it was like your own little zone I guess you could say?
    問：所以我猜你應該是想說它是你專屬的小小私人天地？

CB: Right.
    答：沒錯。

Any one give you basketball advice that you thought was particularly compelling
?
    問：有哪個人給你關於籃球的建議是你認為特別受用的嗎？

CB: One of my coaches told me, "When you win something, everybody gets the
credit, as opposed to trying to be the star of the team, trying to score all
the points." He told me to play to win. He taught me that then and since, I've
always played for the right reasons. I think that's one of the reasons why I
love Magic so much.
    答：我一個教練告訴過我，"當你獲勝，每個人都可以分到一些光彩，而不要只是想著
出盡鋒頭，搶著得分，試圖成為球隊的招牌人物。"他告訴我應該為勝利而戰。他告訴我後
我就一直為了正確的理由在打球。我想那也是我如此敬愛Magic的原因之一吧。

What advice would give you someone who wants to play in the NBA?
    問：你會給想進NBA打球的人什麼樣的建議呢？

CB: It doesn't happen overnight. I think one thing that people don't understand
is how hard you've got to work. It's repetition that you've got to put in.
People just see you on TV, see you driving around in nice cars, see you doing
this and that, kinda make it look easy. [They need to] see what you are putting
into the gym, the countless hours. The constant pushing of your body. Trying to
get ready, trying to get into shape. They don't understand that part of it. I
think sometimes when they do understand that, you find out if you really love
the game. That's something that you find out about yourself when you get a
little more serious it.
    答：你沒辦法一步登天。我認為有件事是人們不知道的，那就是我們到底有多努力。
你必須一再重複同樣的事。人們只看到你在電視上，看到你開著名貴的車子到處晃，看著
你做這做那，好像一切都很容易的樣子。他們應該去看看我們在體育館裡面無數個小時的
努力和付出。持續不斷鍛鍊身體。試著做好準備，試著保持身材。他們不知道這個部分。
我有時候會想，當他們了解後，你才會知道你是不是真的熱愛球賽。那是當你更為認真對
待球賽後才會明白的事。

When did you realize that you had serious game?
    問：你什麼時候意識到你要認真面對球賽？

CB: Probably around 9th or 10th grade is when I felt like I had a serious
chance to do something really special. 7th and 8th grade, I really just played
the game because my main goal was to get a scholarship to go to college. Like
I said before, there weren't a lot of guys from my neighborhood who went to the
NBA. My big thing was I just wanted to go to college. I knew if I got a
scholarship, that I could go to college and if I didn't, my parents probably
wouldn't be able to support me going to college financially. That was my big
goal. 9th grade, I was a state player of the year at that age. So then and on,
I felt like maybe I might be selling myself short if I just continue to think
that way. Maybe I should think big. So I did that and I started thinking big
and I was blessed man.
    答：大概是國三或高一那時候吧，我感覺到我有個難得的機會去做一些真的很不一樣
的事情。國一、國二時我打球真的只是因為我的主要目標是拿到一份獎學金，這樣才能繼
續唸大學。就像我之前說過的，我的童年玩伴並沒有很多人能夠進入NBA。我最大的目標只
是繼續升學。我知道如果我拿到獎學金，我就能唸大學，但如果沒有，我的雙親很可能沒
辦法在經濟方面繼續支助我去唸大學。那是我的主要目標。國三時，我是那個年紀的全州
年度最佳籃球員。所以從那時候起，我感覺如果我繼續這樣消極的想法，我或許會葬送了
自己的大好前途。或許我的野心應該大一點。所以我改變了想法而且開始去想一些更遠大
的目標，我真的是一個很有福氣的人。

Did it ever strike in the middle of the game playing in a packed house that, "
Man, I am actually here"?
    問：你曾經在一個人山人海的球館裡面打球，在比賽中腦海突然出現一個念頭，"老兄
，這是真的嗎？我真的在這裡打球？"

CB: My first game of my NBA career, I was in Boston. We played against [Michael
] Jordan and the Bulls and that was when they were on their run. They had won
like 5 championships up to that point. There was a time during that game where
I was like really in awe. I forgot about what plays we were running. I was on
the Free Throw line and Jordan was standing back across the court from me. I
was just looking at the guy like "are you serious right now?" I'm really out
here on the court playing with Jordan... and [Dennis] Rodman. You know what I
mean, I was like "How did I do this?" It was unbelievable. That's the only time
I've been in awe... but there have been a few where I try to take myself out of
the situation, like "Damn, look what happened, look where I'm at." I respect
the game and I don't take anything for granted.
    答：我NBA生涯的第一場比賽，我在波士頓。我們對上了Jordan還有他的公牛隊，當時
他們還處在屢戰屢勝的巔峰時刻。到那時為止他們已經贏得五座冠軍盃。在球賽中有段時
間我真的抱持著敬畏的心態。我忘了他們執行怎樣的戰術。我在罰球線上而Jordan就站在
我身後的球場上。我只是看著他心裡想著"你們現在真的都在這裡嗎？"我真的在場上和
Jordan...還有Rodman打球。你知道我在說什麼，我心中就想著"我該怎麼辦？"這真令人難
以相信。那是我唯一抱持敬畏態度的時候...但還是有好幾次，我試著讓自己跳脫這樣的情
況，例如"該死，看看現在在做什麼，看看我在哪裡。"我尊敬比賽而且也沒有把任何一件
事情視為理所當然。

During that game did you reach out to Jordan and say anything?
    問：在比賽期間你有靠近Jordan去和他攀談嗎？

CB: I didn't man, I just said "Hi" and met him but I didn't really reach out to
him like that. I think I was a little too intimidated at that point. That year
went on and we played them more times and I was able to talk to him and express
that to him and he signed some shoes for me and my daughter, who was just born
that year. It was great.
    答：我沒有，老兄，我遇到他時只說了"嗨"但我並沒有真的特別靠近他去攀談。我認
為那時候我有點太過害怕了。那年球季持續進行而我們又和他們打了幾場比賽，而我終於
可以鼓起勇氣和他交談並且表達我對他的敬意，他還在幾雙鞋子上面簽名，送給我和我那
年剛出生的女兒作紀念。那真的是很棒。

How old were you when you received your first basketball and what did it feel
like to have your very own?
    問：你第一次拿到屬於自己的籃球是幾歲的事？擁有屬於自己的籃球感覺如何？

CB: I think I started playing when I was 9 or 10. So I was probably 11. Man, it
was like... I slept with that thing. I didn't want that thing leaving my sight.
It was like a prized possession. I treated that thing like it was a gold medal
or the NBA trophy or something.
    答：我認為我在9歲還是10歲開始打球。所以我想大概是11歲左右吧。老兄，那感覺就
像...我抱著它睡覺。我不想它離開我的視線。那是我珍藏的寶貝。我把它當作NBA冠軍獎
盃之類的珍寶在看待。

Lastly, how proud is your family of that you made it to the NBA?
    問：最後一個問題，你的家人對於你打進NBA感到多光榮？

CB: My family is so proud of me. Like I said, this is something I've been doing
for over 20 years... when you're reach the top of the line at anything through
hard work and dedication, it hasn't been easy for me so they know I haven't
been given anything. I've worked for everything and they are extremely proud of
that fact.
    答：我的家人相當以我為榮。就像我說過的，這是我努力超過20年才做到的事...當你
歷經千辛萬苦才能登上世界最高殿堂，這對我來說並不容易，所以他們知道我從未放棄什
麼。不管什麼事情我一直都很努力，而他們也真的相當以這件事情為榮。

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※ 編輯: kerrys          來自: 210.241.111.125      (10/18 15:01)