Open Love Letter to Basketball 乔丹致篮球的告白书

Dear Basketball，

It's been almost 28 years since the first day we met. 28 years since I saw you in the back of our garage. 28 years since my parents introduced us.

If someone would have told me then， what would become of1） us， I'm not sure I would have believed them. I barely remembered your name.

Then I started seeing you around the neighborhood and watching you on television. I used to see you with guys down at the playground. But when my older brother started paying more attention to you， I started to wonder. Maybe you were different.

We hung out a few times. The more I got to know you， the more I liked you. And as life would have it， when I finally got really interested in you， when I was finally ready to get serious， you left me off the varsity2）. You told me I wasn't good enough.

I was crushed. I was hurt. I think I even cried.

Then I wanted you more than ever. So I practiced. I hustled3）. I worked on my game. Passing. Dribbling4）. Shooting. Thinking. I ran. I did sit-ups. I did push-ups. I did pull-ups. I lifted weights. I studied you. I began to fall in love and you noticed. At least that's what Coach Smith5） said.

At the time， I wasn't sure exactly what was going on. But now I know. Coach Smith was teaching me how to love you， how to listen to you， how to understand you， how to respect you and how to appreciate you. Then it happened. That night， at the Louisiana Superdome in the final seconds of the championship game against Georgetown， you found me in the corner and we danced6）.

Since then， you've become much more than just a ball to me. You've become more than just a court7）. More than just a hoop8）. More than just a pair of sneakers. More than just a game.

In some respects， you've become my life. My passion. My motivation. My inspiration.

You're my biggest fan and my harshest9） critic. You're my dearest friend and my strongest ally. You're my most challenging teacher and my most endearing10） student. You're my ultimate teammate and my toughest competitor. You're my passport around the world and my visa into the hearts of millions.

So much has changed since the first day we met， and to a large degree I have you to thank. So if you haven't heard me say it before， let me say it now for the world to hear. Thank you. Thank you， Basketball.

亲爱的篮球：

从我们初次见面那天到现在，已有将近28年。从我在我家车库后面见到你到现在，已有28年了。从我的父母介绍我们相识到现在，已有28年了。

如果那时有人告诉我，我们之间会发生什么，我想我可能不会相信。我当时甚至还记不住你的名字。

之后，我开始在我家附近遇见你，在电视上观看你。我过去总是看到你和一群人在操场里。不过，当我的哥哥开始更加关注你之后，我开始对你感到好奇。或许你是与众不同的。

我们曾在一起玩了几次。对你了解越多，我就越喜欢你。也许是命运的捉弄，就在我终于对你有了强烈的兴趣、终于想要认真地对待你的时候，你却让我落选了校队。你告诉我，我还不够优秀。

我感到心碎、难过，我想我甚至还掉过眼泪。

在那之后，我比以往任何时候都想得到你。为此我勤加练习。我积极进攻、苦练球技。我传球、运球、投篮、思考。我跑步，做仰卧起坐、俯卧撑、引体向上、举重，还去研究你。我开始爱上了你，而你也察觉到了。至少史密斯教练是这么说的。

当时，我并不太清楚到底发生了什么。但现在我知道了。史密斯教练那时是在教我如何爱你，如何倾听你的心声，如何理解你，如何尊重并欣赏你。然后事情就那样发生了。那天晚上，在路易斯安那超级巨蛋体育馆与乔治敦大学的冠军争夺赛中，在比赛结束前的最后几秒，你在球场的一角找到我，与我一同起舞。

从那时起，你对我来说已远不止是一颗篮球、一块场地、一个篮圈，也不止是一双球鞋、一项运动。

在某些方面，你已经融入了我的生命，给我激情，给我动力，给我鼓舞。

你是我最忠实的粉丝，也是最严厉的批评家。你是我最亲密的朋友，也是我最坚定的同盟。你是我最严苛的老师，也是我最喜爱的学生。你是我最合作无间的队友，也是我最难缠的对手。你是我走遍天下的护照，也是我走向数百万人心中的通行证。

从与你初见的那一天起，很多事情都改变了。在很大程度上，我都要感谢你。所以如果你以前没有从我口中听到过这句话，那么我现在要讲给全世界听。谢谢。谢谢你，篮球。

1. become of： 使遭遇；发生于

2. varsity [?v?s?ti] n. （尤指体育运动的）大学（或学院）代表队，校队

3. hustle [?h?sl] vi. （游戏或体育比赛中）积极进攻

4. dribble [?dr?bl] vi. （用手、脚或球棍等）运球

5. Coach Smith： 指迪安・爱德华兹・史密斯（Dean Edwards Smith， 1931～），是一位退休的美国大学篮球主教练，被美国篮球名人堂称为“传奇教练”，对乔丹有知遇之恩。

6. 指1982年，乔丹在NCAA （National Collegiate Athletic Association，即美国大学体育协会）举办的美国大学篮球联赛决赛中在最后关头投入制胜球，帮助母校北卡罗来纳大学夺冠，从此开始崭露头角。

7. court [k??t] n. （网球、棒球等的）球场

8. hoop [hu?p] n. 【篮】篮圈

9. harsh [h??] adj. 严厉的；严酷的

10. endearing [?n?d??r??] adj. 使人喜爱的；表示钟爱之情的

Thank you for everything.

Thank you for all the players who came before me. Thank you for all the players who went into battle with me. Thank you for the championships and the rings11）. Thank you for the All-Star Games and the Play-offs12）. Thank you for the last shots， the buzzer-beaters13）， the hard fouls14）， the victories and the defeats. Thank you for making me earn my keep15）. Thank you for #23. Thank you for North Carolina and Chicago. Thank you for the Air and the nickname16）. Thank you for the moves and the hang time. Thank you for the Slam-Dunk Contest17）. Thank you for the will and the determination， the heart and the soul， the pride and the courage. Thank you for the competitive spirits and the competition to challenge it. Thank you for the failures and the setbacks18）， the blessings and the applause. Thank you for the triangle19）. Thank you for baseball and the Barons20）. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for the assistant coaches， the trainers， and the physical therapists. Thank you for the announcers， the refs， the writers， the reporters， the broadcasters and the radio stations. Thank you for the Pistons and the Lakers， the Cavs and the Knicks， the Sixers and the Celtics21）. Thank you for Phoenix， Portland， Seattle and Utah. Thank you for the Wizards22）. Thank you for the believers and the doubters. Thank you for Coach Smith， Coach Loughery， Coach Albeck， Coach Collins and Coach Jackson. Thank you for the education and the experience. Thank you for teaching me the game behind， beneath， within， above and around the game ... the game23） game. Thank you for every fan who has ever called my name， put their hands together for me and my teammates， slapped me five or patted me on the back. Thank you for everything you've given my family. Thank you for the moon and the stars， and last but not least， thank you for Bugs and Mars24）.

I know I'm not the only one who loves you. I know you have loved many before me and will love many after me. But， I also know what we had was unique. It was special. So as our relationship changes yet again， as all relationships do， one thing is for sure. I love you， Basketball. I love everything about you and I always will. My playing days in the NBA are definitely over， but our relationship will never end.

Much love and respect，

Michael Jordan

谢谢你，一切全因为有你。

谢谢你为我展现了那些前辈球员的风采。谢谢你让我可以和那么多的优秀球员同场竞技。谢谢你为我带来的冠军头衔和冠军戒指。谢谢你让我经历的那些全明星赛和季后赛。谢谢你让我展现最后关头的投球、压哨球、激烈的犯规以及那些得失成败。谢谢你为我提供了谋生的手段。谢谢你让我披上23号战衣。谢谢你让我有机会效力于北卡罗来纳队和芝加哥队。谢谢你让我拥有了Air Jordan这个品牌和“飞人乔丹”的美称。谢谢你给我机会在场上大显身手，展示我的空中绝技。谢谢你让我参加了扣篮大赛。谢谢你激发出了我的意志和决心、热情与活力、自豪和勇气。谢谢你激起我的斗志并用激烈的比赛来磨练它。谢谢你带我走过那些失败和挫折，助我赢得那些祝福和掌声。谢谢你让我成为“铁三角”的一员。谢谢你让我有了去男爵队打棒球的经历。谢谢你对我的宽容。谢谢你让我从助理教练、健身教练和理疗师们那里得到了许多支持和帮助。谢谢你让那么多解说员、裁判、体育专栏作家、记者、播音员和电台都参与和关注我们的比赛。谢谢你让我遇到活塞队、湖人队、骑士队、尼克斯队、76人队和凯尔特人队这样优秀的对手。谢谢你让我征战于凤凰城、波特兰、西雅图和犹他。谢谢你让我能够效力于奇才队。谢谢你让我面对人们的信任和质疑。谢谢你让我有机会聆听史密斯教练、朗格利教练、阿尔贝克教练、柯林斯教练和杰克逊教练的教导。谢谢你让我收获了教益和经验。谢谢你教我了解这项运动的方方面面……这是一项勇敢者的运动。谢谢你让那么多的球迷呼喊我的名字，为我和队友鼓掌加油，与我击掌庆祝或是轻拍我的后背给我以鼓励。谢谢你给予我家庭的一切。谢谢你带给我的一切美好事物。最后不得不提的是，谢谢你给我带来了兔八哥和马尔斯。

我知道我不是唯一爱你的人。我知道在我之前你爱过许多人，在我之后你还会爱上许多人。但我同样知道，我们共同拥有的经历是独一无二的，是特别的。因此，尽管我们之间的关系就像世间所有的关系那样又再一次发生转变，但有一件事是确定不变的。我爱你，篮球。我爱关于你的一切，永远都爱。我在NBA的职业球员生涯无疑已经画上了句号，但我和你之间的牵绊永不会结束。

致上满心的爱与敬意

迈克尔・乔丹

11. ring： 这里指冠军戒指，是北美职业运动联盟和大学锦标赛奖励给获胜球队每位球员的戒指。一个获胜球队只能获得一个奖杯，而其每位球员均可获得一枚冠军戒指以作纪念。

12. play-off：【体】（平局后的）延长赛（或加赛）； （常规赛季之后的）季后赛。这里指NBA季后赛。

13. buzzer-beater： 【篮】压哨球

14. foul [fa?l] n. （运动、球类比赛中的）犯规

15. earn one's keep： 谋生，挣饭吃

16. the Air指Air Jordan运动品牌，而后面的the nickname则指乔丹“空中飞人”（Air Jordan）的别称。

17. Slam-Dunk Contest： 扣篮大赛

18. setback [?setb?k] n. 挫折

19. the triangle： 指著名的公牛铁三角迈克尔・乔丹、斯科蒂・皮蓬（Scottie Pippen，1965～）和丹尼斯・罗德曼（Dennis Rodman， 1961～）。

20. the Barons： 指伯明翰男爵队，是一个棒球队。乔丹于1994年第一次退役后曾加入伯明翰男爵队打棒球。

21. 依次指活塞队、湖人队、骑士队、尼克斯队、76人队和凯尔特人队。这几个篮球队都是乔丹曾对抗过的球队。

22. the Wizards： 指华盛顿奇才队。乔丹于2001年复出后曾效力于此队。

23. game [e?m] adj. 勇敢的

24. Bugs and Mars： Bugs指的是乔丹主演的影片《空中大灌篮》（Space Jam）中的动画主角Bugs Bunny；Mars指的是导演斯派克・李（Spike Lee， 1957～）在影片《稳操胜券》（She's Gotta Have It）中创造和扮演的Mars Blackmon，该人物形象曾长期为Air Jordan品牌代言。