Robert Whaley ---- 小城鎮，大未來

[nobody (或躍在淵進無咎也)]

 Robert Whaley sat in room 315 of the Berrien County (Mich.) Court House and
watched two lawyers debate his actions, pick apart his mental health and
argue over his future. He watched 12 jurors take it all in and hold his life
in their hands. He listened to doctors and cops analyze every facet of his
life.

  Whaley坐在 密西根州，Berrien 郡的法院 315 室裡面，看著兩個律師在討論
他的行為，提到了他的心理健康，還有爭論著他的未來。他看著十二個陪審團團
員，把他的人生和未來握在他們的手上。他看著醫生和警察分析著他生命的每個
面向。


It was June of 2001 and Whaley was facing 15 years in prison for criminal
sexual conduct with a 13-year-old girl; a friend of his youngest sister
claimed Whaley raped her on Thanksgiving eve 2000 in the small Benton Harbor,
Mich., trailer home his family lived in.

  時年 2001 年六月，他面對著一項指控，指他對一個十三歲小女孩性侵害，並
求處十五年的徒刑。他最小的妹妹的一個朋友，指控他在 2000 年感恩節前夕，
在密西根的 Benton Harbor，他們家的拖車式房屋中強暴了她。

The one-time No. 1 high school player in the country did what he could --
testified on his own behalf ("I just didn't rape that little girl," he
proclaimed), thanked supporters, followed his attorney's advice.

  這位曾經是全國高中評價第一名的球員，對他的行為做了所有他能夠的證明。
（他重申，他沒有強暴那個小女孩）並且依照著他律師的建議，謝謝所有支持他
的人們。

But when the jury room closed and his fate hung in the balance -- hoop
stardom or prison -- it hit harder than a cannon ball to the stomach.
  當陪審室的門關上，他的命運也隨之搖擺 ---- 籃球明星或者去監獄 ----
這比被加農砲打到肚子還痛徹心肺。

"That feeling is a feeling I can't really explain," Whaley said. "I sat there
and watched two (lawyers) bounce with my life, play with my life like it was
some kind of joke."

  「那種感覺是一種我很難形容的感覺。」 Whaley 說。「我坐在那邊，然後看
著兩個律師把我的生命丟來丟去，玩著他，把他當作某種笑話似的。

After three long days of deliberation the jury was deadlocked. Six people
thought Whaley did it, six didn't. The case was declared a mistrial. The
prosecutor's office decided not to retry.

  經過三天冗長的討論，陪審團自己也卡住了。六個人認為他沒幹，另外六個覺
得有。這件案子最後不起訴，檢察官放棄上訴。

Whaley was free ... free to again pursue a basketball career with so much
potential. Whether that potential would ever be reached -- whether he was
destined to return to court someday -- remained in doubt as long as Robert
Whaley kept acting like Robert Whaley (substance abuse, attitude problems,
academic trouble).

  Whaley自由了。終於可以繼續追求他很有潛力的籃球生涯。不論那樣的潛力是
否有被開發到極限 ---- 不論他的命運，是否某天還是要回到法庭上來 ---- 他
還是被質疑著就像是 Robert Whaley一樣（物質濫用，態度不佳，學業成績）


That was 16 months ago and the story of Robert Whaley picks up far from
Benton Harbor and its chronic unemployment and rampant poverty.

  那是十六個月之前的故事，故事說著 Whaley 是怎樣從長期失業，並且經常性
貧窮的 Benton Harbor中挖出來的。

Whaley calls little Great Bend, Kan., and Barton County Community College
home now, a place he fled to after the trial to put his life and game back
together.

  Whaley現在在 Barton CC 巴頓社區學院，Great Ben，這是他逃離審判，並且
把籃球和人生繼續兜在一起的地方。

After Missouri rescinded its scholarship offer and his senior season was
wiped out, he needed this -- a place with few distractions but plenty of time
to reassess priorities.

  在密蘇里決定取消他的獎學金，並且他從高中畢業之後，他需要這樣一個地方
，只有一些些能讓他分心的原因，而有很多時間可以回來。

As best as it can be judged, he has succeeded on both accounts.

Last season, the 6-foot-9 forward was named first team NJCAA All-American,
averaging 19 points and seven rebounds a game for his 22-10 team. He was
recently named NJCAA preseason player of the year. Maybe most important, he
hasn't gotten in any trouble since he enrolled at Barton.

  他做到了兩者的最好。

  這個六呎九吋的球員，他去年被選作 NJCAA全美第一隊，平均十九分，七籃板
，他的隊伍也打了個 22-10。他最近被 NJCAA評為季前最佳年度球員。也許最重
要的是，他目前在 Barton 以來，沒有惹上什麼麻煩。

"This was the best thing for me," Whaley said. "I needed time like this to
work on my game, work on my character. The best thing for me was to get away
from Benton Harbor. I needed to get a new life, start new."

  「這是對我最好的事了吧。」Whaley說。「我需要這樣的時間來使球技進步，
努力使個性更好。最好的事就是離開 Benton Harbor。我需要一個新的生命，重
新開始。」

Last week, Whaley orally committed to Cincinnati, choosing the Bearcats over
Oklahoma, Iowa State and Florida State. It was a decision that was both a
statement about the future and a realization of the past. Whaley still has
new levels to reach, but he is a long way from that Western Michigan
courthouse.

  上個禮拜，他口頭答應了要加入辛辛那提，選擇了 熊貓隊，而非奧克拉何馬、
愛歐瓦州大或佛州大。這是個一個關於他的未來，還有過去領悟的決定。Whaley
還是有新的等級要突破，不過他已經離西密西根的法庭很遠了。

New attitude

"He's really a fun kid to be around," said Ryan Wolf, the fourth-year coach
at Barton and a former player at Minnesota. "He's done really well here. You
heard the stories, but that isn't his reality here. He really is a hell of a
kid to be around."

  新態度

  「他真的是個，在他身邊會很有趣的孩子」邁入第四年的巴頓教練，過去打過明
尼蘇達的 Ryan Wolf說。「他目前在這裡做得很好。你聽過那些故事了，不過那些
事情在這裡並不是真的。他真的是個不錯的孩子。」


This isn't to say coach and player haven't butted heads. But Wolf is a
hard-headed disciplinarian who specializes in being tougher than the toughest
kid that shows up on his patch of Kansas Plains.

  這不是說這個教練和球員沒有爭執過。不過 Wolf 是個硬漢，很有原則，並且
比那些很難管的球員更強悍的教練。（shows up on his patch of Kansas Plains
翻不出來）

With each test of wills, however, Whaley grew, the coach said. With each
challenge laid before him, he has learned to focus.

  在這些意志的淬煉後，教練說， Whaley 長大了。在每個對他的挑戰之後，他
已經學會了要專注。

You never really know if someone has changed, just as you never really know
what a person is truly about in the first place. But Wolf swears by his
player and his player swears everything is different.

  你永遠不會知道某個人是否真正改變了，就像你永遠不知道誰把誰擺在第一位
一樣。不過 Wolf 說他的球員向他發誓，他每件事都改變了。

"The trial taught me so much," Whaley said. "It's strange to say, but I'm
glad I went through something like that. I learned a lot from it. People
who've got problems need to go through episodes like that. It's what it takes
to wake up."

  「那個審判讓我成長不少。」 Whaley 說。「這樣說很怪，不過我很慶幸我可
以從那樣的事情中過來。我從那件事學到不少。那些還沒有問題的人必須要經過
這樣的插曲。那就是覺醒的代價。」

There is no debate Whaley needed to wake up. He lived in a world without
discipline, where he was the biggest star of a tiny town, where there were no
rules, no expectations, no accountability for his actions.

  當然， Whaley 必須要覺醒。他成長在一個沒有原則的地方，他是那個城鎮的
大明星，在那裡沒又規則，沒有未來，對他的行為也沒有什麼責任可言。

Even before the trial, he had a lengthy juvenile record, a history of truancy
from school and a series of run-ins with police.

  甚至在他判決之前，他有不少的案底，一些逃學蹺課和一些跑給警察追的紀錄。

Whaley admitted in court that on the night in question, he had spent the
previous hours partying with three girls in his small bedroom, drinking and
smoking marijuana. He later drove them home despite being drunk, then stopped
by another girlfriend's house before coming home, where his sister and friend
were up late watching television. His mother was in the trailer the entire
time.

  Whaley法庭上承認，那個被質疑的晚上，他和三個女孩在他的小房間裡面開
 Party，喝酒並且吸大麻。他後來在酒醉的情況下送她們回家，之後在回家之前
，到了另外一個女性友人的家中。而他自己的家中，他媽媽一直都在，他的妹妹
和朋友看電視看到很晚。

Whaley said it was just your average night in his out-of-control life.

  Whaley說這只是他混亂生活中的很平常的一天罷了。

And in many ways it was just your average story in Benton Harbor, a
downtrodden 36,000-person city on Lake Michigan. At the time the city's
unemployment rate was 20 percent, 51 percent of its children lived below the
poverty line, and Whaley attended a high school with a 36.5 percent dropout
rate and 13.2 percent teen pregnancy rate.

  而這其實只是 Benton Harbor的一個希鬆平常的故事罷了。那是一個只有三萬
六千多人的密西根湖邊的小城鎮。這座城市的失業率一直都在百分之二十以上，
 51%以上的孩童生活在貧窮線以下，而 Whaley 的高中，輟學率高達 36.5%，而
懷孕的比率更高達 13.2%。

And Whaley lived in a broken home in the poor section.

Which is why he now avoids Benton Harbor even though he remains close to his
mother, and his girlfriend, Tequela Blackwell, still lives there. Last year,
instead of returning home for Christmas, he stayed in Great Bend and
celebrated with the Wolfs. He didn't go back this summer and has no immediate
plans to return.

  Whaley 住在一個貧窮的地區，一個破碎的家。

  這就是為什麼他極力的想要避免回到 Benton Harbor，即便他和他媽媽，還有
他的女朋友， Tequela Blackwell，感情還是很好，而她們都還住在那裡。去年
，他待在 Great Bend ，並且和教練 Wolf 一起度過聖誕節，而非回到家中。他
今年暑假都沒回去，而短期內也沒有這個計畫。

"I mean, I've changed a bunch since then, a whole bunch," he said.

Said Wolf, "He thinks he has the maturity now to go back, but he knows the
best thing is to stay out of that place. His mom doesn't want him back there
either."

  「我說的是，我從那時以來已經改變很多了，整個很多。」他說。

Whaley says he doesn't drink any more. He says he doesn't stay out late any
more. He says he spends his time working out, studying and talking to his
girlfriend on the phone.

  Whaley說他不在喝酒了。他說他不再在外面逗留到很晚了。他說他花很多時間
重訓，唸書，還有用電話和他女朋友聊天。

His best friend at Barton has turned out to be Nouha Diakite a 6-10 Frenchman
headed to Louisville, who doesn't speak much English and considers shooting
free throws a good way to pass a Saturday night. That's not the type of guy
Whaley used to hang with.

  他在巴頓最好的朋友是 Nouha Diakite，六呎十的法國人，正要轉去路易斯威
爾大學念大一，他不太說英文，而把時間用在禮拜六晚上努力練罰球。這樣的人
並不是 Whaley 過去喜歡做夥的人。

"We talk about not putting yourself in bad positions," Wolf said. "Nothing
good happens after midnight, that type of stuff. He's listened."

  「我們聊到了不要把自己丟進壞的地方」 Wolf 說。「深夜問題多，那些事情
。他有聽進去。」

Whaley said the trial made him realize all of those things.

"I know nothing can hurt me but me and the decisions I make," he said. "Every
decision I make now is a good one."

  Whaley 說，審判讓他瞭解了整件事。

  「我知道除了我自己和我的決定之外，沒有任何事情可以傷害我。」他說。
  「現在每個我的決定都是好的。」

Being a Bearcat

當一隻熊貓

That would include, presumably, his choice for college. Cincinnati coach Bob
Huggins is known for his hard-driving coaching style, his demanding
personality and his program's ability to maximize individual talent.

  那還包括了，應該是，他選擇哪一個大學。辛辛那提的教練 Bob Huggins是一
個被認為很猛烈的教導風格，他要求好的個性，還有要求他的整個隊伍必須要發
揮自己個人才能的最大值。

Playing at Cincinnati is about being up to the challenge, being man enough to
handle the rigorous weight training that is designed to lower body fat,
increase strength and improve quickness. It is about being mentally tough
enough to deal with Huggins day in, day out in practice.

  在辛辛那提打球會是個挑戰，必須要努力的承受嚴苛的，專門設計給下半身肥
胖的重量訓練，增強肌力，並且變快。那是關於心理的素質，這樣的素質必須要
忍受 Huggins每天每晚，每次練習的要求。

It isn't for the lazy, the uncommitted, the faint of heart ... three things
that used to describe Whaley.

  這不是給懶惰的人的，也不是給那些沒力、心理素質不好的人的。而上述三點
正式過去人們如何形容 Whaley 的。

"When I visited, the players there told me how hard they work," Whaley said.
"They work really, really hard. Real hard. But that's what I need. I kind of
like that. Coach Huggins will work the hell out of me and that's good."

  「當我去拜訪的時候，那些球員告訴我他們如何練球的。」 Whaley 說。「那
樣的練習真的，真的很辛苦。不過那正是我要的。我某種程度上喜歡這樣。
 Huggins會練的跟地獄一樣，而那樣對我來說是件好事。」

Wolf thinks it is telling not just that Whaley picked Cincinnati, but his
other finalists all include no nonsense, tough coaches such as Kelvin
Sampson, Larry Eustachy and Leonard Hamilton.

  Wolf覺得這不只是 Whaley 選了辛辛那提而已，他其他選擇的學校還包括幾個
以不苟顏色，硬底子的教練，譬如Kelvin Sampson, Larry Eustachy 以及 Leonard
 Hamilton.

"When he got here, he probably didn't want anything to do with those kinds of
guys," Wolf said. "Now he knows he's got to prove himself."

 「當他之前來到這裡的時候，他可能根本不想要和這些人共事。」 Wolf說。「
現在他知道他必須要證明自己。」

Whaley said it was his half-sister, Quacy Barnes, a WNBA veteran and former
Indiana star, who pushed him over the top for UC.

  Whaley說他同母異父的姊姊， Quacy Barnes，WNBA的老將，過去打過 Indiana的
球員，是希望他能去 UC 的。

"She was a big factor, she's in the pros, so she obviously knows what she is
doing," Whaley said. "She said without a doubt Cincinnati is the school I
should go to. She said they turn out pros and make you work and that is
exactly what you want and need."

  「她是很重要的因素，她現在打職業，她顯然知道她在幹嘛」 Whaley說。
他說 UC 是我一定要去的學校。她說他們是專業的，並且讓你做那些你應該而你
也想要做的事。

Huggins is prohibited from speaking about Whaley until he signs a binding
national letter of intent in November. But the Bearcats coach and his staff,
particularly assistant Andy Kennedy, did a lot of talking during the
recruitment.

  Huggins 不能在十一月，簽下 Whaley 前評論他。不過熊貓隊的教練，特別是
助理教練 Andy Kennedy，說了很多有關於招生的事。

Wolf said the Oklahoma staff was similar, talking to him and others at Barton
about Whaley's character, traveling to Benton Harbor to meet with family and
others, pouring through court records.

  Wolf說傲克拉和碼其實也差不多，在巴頓和他和一些其他人討論了 Whaley 的
 個性。並且到了 Benton Harbor 去見他的家人還有一些人，然後去看法庭的紀
錄。

Whaley is aware these programs were gambling on him, betting he isn't a felon
who got away with it, but a 20-year-old fit for campus life. He says he won't
let Huggins down.

  Whaley知道這些學校都在賭他，賭他不是個離開案件很久的罪犯。不過二十歲
的他是很適合學校生活的。他說他不會讓 Huggins 失望。

"Coach Huggins got to know me," Whaley said. "I think he understands me.
People that get to know me -- and don't just make assumptions about me, but
who get to know me a bit better -- they know I'm not what people think. They
know that is in the past."

  「 Huggins 教練必須要認識我。」 Whaley說。「我相信他瞭解我。那些認識
我的人 --- 不要只是假設我是什麼樣的人，而是要多瞭解我一點點 --- 他們知
道我不是人們想的那樣。他們知道那些事情都已經過去了。

What is in Whaley's future is intriguing.

Wolf says his game has made significant strides since the end of his high
school career, when he was often criticized for being lazy and out of shape.
As a high school sophomore, he was a spectacular talent and was rated above
current NBA players such as Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry. But scouts soured
on him as a senior.

  Whaley的未來正在規劃中。

  Wolf 說，他的球技比起高中已經有了長足的進步， 他當時通常被批評懶而且
身材走樣。高中二年級的時候，他非常有天分，甚至比現在的 NBA球員 Curry和
Chandler評價還高。不過高四的時候，球探把他的分數打低了。


"The best thing for him was to get out of Benton Harbor where everyone was
telling him how great he was while he sat on the couch and got fatter every
day," Wolf said. "His potential is unlimited because he's so skilled. Now he
has to take it to the next level, control his weight and not just work hard,
but really push himself to the next level."

  「這一切最棒的事，就是離開 Benton Harbor，那裡所有的人都在他坐在沙發
上每天變胖的時候，告訴他有多強有多厲害。」Wolf說。「他的潛力是無限的，
因為他很強。現在他必須要往下一個層級邁進，控制他的體重，並且不只是努力
打球而已，還要努力的把自己推向下一個等級。

Whaley says he is working on that and will continue to. There remains the
chance he can play his way into the top 10 of next June's NBA Draft, although
that won't be easy.

  Whaley說他很努力的做到，並且會持續的繼續下去。他還有機會，可以讓自己
打到明年六月的 NBA選秀中的前十名，雖然那不是很簡單倒是。

Junior college prospects haven't panned out in recent drafts, and scouts say
they are less likely to grab unproven JC stars. If he is in the top 10,
Whaley said Huggins wants him to go pro. If not, he'll enroll at UC.

  JC的球員最近這幾次選秀還沒有成功過，而球探說他們不是很喜歡 JC 的球星。
如果他是在前十的話，Whaley說 Huggins希望他去打職業，如果不是，他會進去
UC。

"He said he'd give me a hug and tell me to go," Whaley said. "But right now I
really want to go to college, I'm really focused on college."

  「他說他會給我一個擁抱，然後讓我走。」Whaley說。「不過現在我很想要去
大學，我的目標是大學。」

Sixteen months removed from nearly having control of his future wrested away,
Robert Whaley says he is a changed man, realizes what he almost lost and has
made the most of his life at a junior college in a small town in Kansas.

  在離開了可能會改變他一生的事件之後， Robert Whaley說他已經改變了，知
道他過去曾經幾乎迷失過，也已經讓他的人生幾乎就要在一個堪薩斯的小城市中
的社區學院裡度過。

He says he can't stop thinking about the future.

"I'm so determined now," he said. "There is no stopping me. Nothing."

  他說他不能停止想像他的未來。

  「我已經下定了決心」他說。「沒有任何事能阻擋我，什麼都不能。」

--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) 
◆ From: 61.70.147.31
推 semicoma:好文 推
推 sam369:^^
推 Bird33:推推~
推 amonway:浪子回頭金不換..Whaley..持續努力加油吧
推 pipipikachu:深夜問題多~~~
→ Stockton:平安吃碗洨尾飯最好...
推 aly:推薦好文，不過他到底要不要打NBA(還是讓不讓他打)?
推 xjazz:nba好像這樣的故事不少...逆境成長真的不容易
推 jasonshu:推超棒超長的外電翻譯!!