SLAM online Top 50: Yao Ming, no. 15
現役五十強球員排座次: 姚明, 第15位
The definitive ranking of the best players in the NBA today…
現役NBA的50名最強球員權威排名...
作者: Emry DowningHall
翻譯: Derek
http://slamonline.com/online/200 ... -50-yao-ming-no-15/
Yao Ming is the most important player in the NBA. If you
don’t deduct points for China’s population, and overwhelming nationalism, he’s
also the most popular. Standing 7-foot-6 inches and hailing from Shanghai, he’s
a giant monument to the globalization of the game of basketball.
姚明是NBA最重要的球員。就算你不把中國那龐大的人口數量和壓倒性的瘋狂愛國主義計算在內，他也是最受歡迎的。來自上海身高7尺6寸，他對於全球籃球界來說是一座巨人的紀念碑。
When measuring the reach of an
athlete’s popularity, I’ve found an excellent barometer is to find out whether
my mother knows that the person exists. I came to terms with the fact my mother
was out of touch with sports when she used to inquire about my own high school
practices by asking, “How was rehearsal today, honey?” I’ve never fully recovered.
當我們衡量一個運動員的受歡迎程度時，我發現一個絕佳的衡量方法，那就是問下一我的母親究竟她是否知道那個人的存在。我可以這樣子說，我的母親從來不關注體育方面的東西，以前當她想問一下我高中時候的體育訓練情況時她會問道：“寶貝，今天的訓練怎麼樣啊？”我從來都沒有都沒有完全恢復過來。
I thought I would put Yao to the
test, and in preparation for this article, I did what a good son should do, and
hit her up.
我想我會拿姚明來做這個測試，爲寫這篇文章做準備，我做了一個乖孩子應該做的事，然後請求母親她幫忙。
“Mom…do you know who Yao Ming is?” I
asked.
“媽媽…你知道姚明是誰嗎？”我問道。
“Yao Ming? Yes, he’s a basketball
player; in fact, I have his biography around the house somewhere. I picked it
up for your father.”
“姚明？我知道啊，他是一個籃球運動員；事實上我有他的傳記好像擺在屋子里的某處。我是買給你父親看的。”
I wasn’t sure which was more
impressive – the fact that she knew who he was, or the fact that she actually
copped Yao: A Life in Two Worlds. Ric Bucher’s name must have really
rang out.
我并不確定哪一樣更加印象深刻 – 事實是母親她知道姚明是何許人也，或者是實際上上母親買了姚明的傳記：【我的世界我的夢】。看來Ric Bucher（姚明傳記的作者，ESPN的資深NBA分析評論員）的名字肯定會名聲大噪。
Why is Yao Ming no. 15 on this list?
爲什麼姚明可以排在這個排名榜的第十五位？
The Good:
優勢：
Yao represents everything right
about the globalization of basketball. He possesses the star power to put fans
in the seats, and has the skills and frame to adapt to the NBA style of play.
姚明代表著全球籃球界的每一樣東西。他具有很強的明星效應能把無數球迷吸引到觀眾席上，而且他有著能夠適應NBA風格打法的技巧和身體結構。
His post game is fundamental, and
his improvement represents the kind of work ethic everyone can appreciate from
a superstar. At times his game may appear predictable but that’s by design.
他的賽場表現是很穩重的，而且他的進步正是他工作態度的體現，每一個人都可以從一個超級巨星那裡體會到。有時候他的比賽可能會出現可預測的結果但是那都是故意地。
He’s 7-6, strong enough to hold
position in the post, and smart enough to realize keeping the ball high
eliminates a defender’s ability to guard him–listen to your coaches youngins’!
His ability to make free throws at an extremely high rate also allows him to
remain in the game in crunch time.
他身高7尺6寸，他足夠強壯去穩住內線，而且他足夠聰明去了解到要保持把球高高舉起可以避免防守者對他的兇悍盯防的威脅 – 聽一下你們教練的話吧年青人！他的罰球技術讓他的罰球命中率始終保持在一個極高的水準，這也讓他在關鍵時刻依舊可以在場上奮戰。
The Rockets will place Yao in the
middle of the court to break a press, and his name is often called to shoot
technical foul shots. His ability to find cutters, and see movement develop
from the block is something all big men should aspire to, and why the Rockets
dump the ball into Yao on nearly every possession.
火箭隊把姚明放在了場中央去給對手製造壓力，而且他 的名字經常會聽到被叫去投技術犯規的罰球。他的能力讓他可以找到切入的隊友，而且他 的低位移動腳步應該是所有大個子球員都很渴望能做得到，這就是爲什麼火箭進攻時候其他都喜歡都把球傳到姚明那裡。
His athleticism for a man his size
is unbelievable. If you get the chance to see the Rockets play live, take it.
Yao runs the floor with amazing grace, and although he’s not quick, he covers
the court very well. He sets the type of screens that give knockdown shooters
wet dreams, and knows how to run the offense through his position.
以他這樣身材的人來說，他的運動能力真的是很不可思議。如果你有機會去火箭隊的現場看他們比賽，那就去看看吧。姚明在場上驚人地奔跑在場上，雖然他的速度不快，但是他把能夠很好地在場上做好防守。他作出的單擋掩護讓很多射手都可以很好地完成投射，而且在他的位置上他知道如何去組織進攻。
Beyond basketball, he serves as an
ambassador for China. He is responsible for billions (no joke) of NBA fans.
He’s also indirectly responsible for one of TNT’s and Charles Barkley’s
greatest moments.
除了打籃球以外，姚明還幹著像中國的大使般的工作。他牽動著十億（不是開玩笑）NBA球迷的心。他也是間接地讓TNT更加名聲大噪和成就了查爾斯-巴克利最令人難忘的一刻。（巴克利之前和人打賭說姚明拿不了19分，結果姚明做到了，巴克利也願賭服輸在一個脫口秀上吻了一下一頭驢的屁股）
The Bad:
劣勢：
For all the positive things you can
say about Yao, his inability to remain healthy over the past three seasons is
the reason he doesn’t appear higher on this list.
儘管你說了所有姚明的好的、正面的東西，不過他過去三個賽季里的健康問題依舊是為人詬病，這就是他不能在這個排行榜上排在更高排名的原因。
Despite initial skepticism of his
ability to stay healthy, Yao brushed his shoulders off and missed only two
games in his first three seasons in the NBA. He then missed a total of 86 games
the following three seasons.
儘管一大堆懷疑論者都在質疑著姚明保持健康的能力，姚明其實在他在NBA的頭三個賽季里只是肩部受傷過和僅僅缺席過兩場比賽。但是之後在接著下來的三個賽季里姚明總共缺席了86場比賽。
Although Yao reported to Rockets
camp healthy this season, and he did appear fit during the Olympics, I think
there are legitimate long-term concerns about his body’s ability to handle the
grind of an 82-game NBA season. His stature illustrates, not surprisingly, a
catch 22: his size is a clear advantage in matchups, but that same build takes
an undeniable toll on his body. And how does he monitor that?
雖然姚明本賽季健康地來到火箭的訓練營報到，而且還在奧運會上有不錯的狀態，我認為還是要更加長期地關注姚明的身體狀況和他是否還有能力承受NBA賽季82場常規賽的折磨。以他的身材來講，并不驚奇，每樣事情都有兩面性：他的身材在比賽里是一個很顯著的優勢，但是不可否認的是他同樣地也要承受著他的身體帶來的痛苦折磨。他會如何控制這種情況呢？
As basketball fans, we should all be
rooting for Yao. After he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot this
past season, his oft-reserved emotions cascaded into view. He expressed
feelings of failure and felt as if he had let his team and his country down.
Though listed as China’s wealthiest athlete, Yao wouldn’t be ballin’ for the
bucks; even if he were traded to Milwaukee.
作為以個籃球迷，我們都應該大力支持姚明。在去年賽季里他的腳被診斷出應力性骨折，可以看得出他的情緒異常地低落和感到沮喪。他表達出他感到一種失敗的感覺，而且他還感到他讓他的球隊和他的國家失望了。雖然姚明是中國最富有的運動員，但是他打球不是僅僅爲了鈔票，就算你把他交易到密爾沃基雄鹿。
With Ron Artest added to the
Rockets’ lineup, 2008-09 is the most important year yet for the legacy Yao will
leave. If he’s able to remain healthy and get Houston out of the first round of
the playoffs for the first time in his career, history will remember Yao
fondly.
在羅恩-阿泰斯特加盟了火箭之後，2008-09賽季對於姚明來講是最重要的一年。如果他可以一直保持健康並且在他職業生涯第一次帶領火箭隊突破季後賽首輪，那麼歷史將會不由分說地銘記住姚明。
On the other hand, if he is forced
to once again miss significant time due to injury, there will be enough fodder
to validate claims that dueling between the NBA and his commitment to Chinese professional
basketball has proven too much for the icon.
另外一方面，如果姚明再次不幸地在關鍵時刻因傷被迫休戰，那麼就給了這個爭論提供了足夠多的素材，在NBA和他對中國國家籃球隊的承諾里來回地忙來忙去，常常被召回去為國家隊效力已經證明了姚明這個標誌性人物已疲憊不堪、超出負荷了。
I’m not asking you to root for the
Rockets, but next time you’re raising your glass, why not toast to Yao’s
health? David Stern and 1,321,851,888 Chinese basketball fans will thank you
for it.
我并不是在叫你去全力支持火箭隊，但是下一次當你舉起你的酒杯時候，為何不為姚明的健康干杯？大衛-斯特恩總裁和1,321,851,888名中國籃球迷會為此而感謝你的。
======================================================================================================
原文來自SLAM online，翻譯來自科比中文網，轉載請註明。謝謝合作！
