[翻譯]Bid farewell to A-Rod, the gold-plated phony


在幾位於紐約各大主流媒體擁有運動相關專欄的作家中

Mike Lupica就算不是最受歡迎的一位...也肯定是最知名的一位

而他幽默卻又用詞犀利的文筆...更增加了不少我在閱報上的樂趣



他老兄對於A-Rod的感冒在紐約早就不是新聞

幾次在A-Rod言行引發爭議時...他都是第一個跳出來批評的人

雖然我無法完全同意他對A-Rod的看法

但是也不得不承認看完他的文章還蠻有心理治療的效果...



即便我對A-Rod離開洋基的選擇抱持著祝福的心態

但是身為一個洋基球迷...對於cleanup spot突然人間蒸發所帶來的衝擊

這篇文章或許可以幫助我抒發一下連日來的鬱悶心情

不然很難不得內傷吧...



我再次重申我個人對於A-Rod並沒有太多抱怨

也相當感謝A-Rod在過去幾年所帶給我的快樂時光...

這篇文章不過就是反映了部份紐約人的看法...雖然可能是很大一部份

各位朋友就輕鬆看待吧...



WARNING :

本文"酸"度極高、且帶有大量作者主觀看法, 閱讀前請作好心理建設

我個人傾向把翻譯本文的過程當作是治療一時無法接受A-Rod離隊事實所造成之"創傷後症候群"的療程

建議各位朋友把本文當作預防針...以後遇到更毒的批評也沒在怕了啦...





Bid farewell to A-Rod, the gold-plated phony



By MIKE LUPICA

Published : October 30, 2007 / New York Daily News




Alex Rodriguez and his agent, Scott Boras, have become the kind of phonies that aspiring phonies now study in sports, somewhat the way scientists study lab rats.

Alex Rodriguez和他的經紀人Scott Boras成了運動場上最具代表性的偽君子, 他們的行為對其他投機者來說有著極大的研究價值, 就像是實驗室中的白老鼠之於科學家一般。



Here was Boras the other night, getting his client A-Rod into the World Series the only way he can, having him opt out of his Yankees contract on the night the Boston Red Sox were about to sweep the Colorado Rockies.

Boras終究還是用他自己的方法讓A-Rod和世界大賽扯上了關係, 在紅襪隊以直落四擊敗落磯的當晚, 他代表其客戶宣佈了將行使合約中脫逃條款的決定。



In so doing, Boras unwittingly gave us a fitting epitaph to A-Rod's Yankee career:

這麼一來, Boras也在無意間為A-Rod的洋基歲月下了一個再適合不過的墓誌銘 :



He upstaged more World Series games than he actually played in.

"雖然不曾親身參與世界大賽, 但他卻搶盡世界大賽的風頭"



It was the late George Young, general manager of the football Giants, who once said to me, "When they say it's not about the money, it's always about the money."

還記得已經過世的前紐約巨人隊總經理George Young曾經對我說過一句話, "當人們說自己絕對不是為了錢時, 其實代表的是...他心裡想的就只有錢。"



It is always about the money with A-Rod. He just won't ever say that, even if you threaten him with one of his own baseball bats.

對A-Rod來說, 雖然他從不承認, 但是錢永遠是他最重要的考量, 就算你拿他的球棒作為武器威脅他, 他也不為所動。



So he tries to make it about his teammates, some of whose names he actually knows. So here was Boras, who never seems to run out of saliva - or angles - talking about Mo Rivera and Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte instead of the $300 million he thinks he can get for A-Rod someplace else.

不過這次他卻想讓大家認為"隊友因素"是他選擇離開的理由, 並且舉了幾個他難得記得的名字作為擋箭牌, 而舌燦蓮花的Boras, 也樂得大談Mo Rivera、Jorge Posada和Andy Pettitte, 而刻意掩飾他心中所想的其實就是那總值三億美金的鉅額合約。



"Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured starting pitchers was going to do," Boras said in one interview he gave Sunday night while Game 4 of the Series was still going on.

"Alex是因為無法確定陣中守護神、主戰捕手及王牌先發的去留, 才做出這樣的決定," Boras在世界大賽第四戰進行同時、接受媒體訪問時這麼表示。



If Boras thinks that he can convince anybody who has followed a single at-bat of Alex Rodriguez's career that he has ever cared for a baseball player other than Alex Rodriguez, then Scott Boras really is the world's greatest sports agent.

我只能說, 要是Boras真能說服任何一個人, 讓他們相信A-Rod所關心的人不只是A-Rod自身、還包含其他球員的話, 那Boras還真不愧是世界上最偉大的經紀人。



Boras has made no secret that he is looking for another 10-year contract for A-Rod. That is out of one side of his mouth. Out of the other, he wants us to believe that a huge reason A-Rod walks away from the Yankees is because of this sudden concern about the futures of the 37-year-old Rivera, the 36-year-old Posada, the 35-year-old Pettitte.

Boras的真正用意在為A-Rod簽下另一個十年合約這件事, 早就不是祕密, 不過這只是其中一個理由。除此之外, 他還希望我們能相信, A-Rod離開球隊的關鍵因素, 在於他突然關心起了37歲的Rivera、36歲的Posada以及35歲的Prttitte的未來。



I have even heard some broadcasters suggest that Joe Torre leaving the Yankees might also have been a reason why A-Rod wanted to leave. Every time I did, I had the same reaction: That anybody thinking Rodriguez had loyalty to any manager - especially one who batted him eighth in a playoff game against the Detroit Tigers last year - must be drunk.

我甚至聽過有些人說, Joe Torre的離開也是A-Rod做出如此選擇的原因之一, 每次聽到這樣的說詞, 我都只有一種想法...如果有人認為A-Rod會對任何一個總教練、尤其是在季後賽讓他打第八棒的人效忠的話, 那人肯定是喝醉了。



It is as interesting to note that this all happens as the Red Sox win again. And that there is all this fuss about A-Rod's contract one night after a Red Sox pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, knocks in more runs - two - with his first postseason hit than A-Rod did against the Indians in the Yankees' division series.

有趣的是, 這齣鬧劇發生在紅襪贏得世界大賽冠軍的同時, 在A-Rod宣佈使用脫逃條款而引發話題的前一天, 擊出大聯盟生涯第一支季後賽安打的松坂大輔, 為球隊打下了兩分打點, 這還贏過A-Rod在今年季後賽首輪的成績。



Once, nearly four years ago, Rodriguez nearly went to Boston. The Red Sox were even willing to part with Manny Ramirez and his own big contract ($20 million a year) to bring Rodriguez to Fenway Park to play shortstop for them. If they had managed to do that, they would probably still be looking for their first World Series championship since 1918.

記得在四年前, A-Rod差點就去了波士頓, 當時的紅襪甚至願意為了讓A-Rod成為其先發游擊手、而放棄Manny Ramirez, 如果當初紅襪選擇這麼做的話, 他們極有可能到現在還等不到自1918年以來的第一枚冠軍戒指。



Boras loves to show you a lot of research about how a lot of great baseball players have come up short in the postseason. Even A-Rod short, which means short enough to ride a horse in the Breeders' Cup. In Boston, where Ramirez was MVP of the 2004 World Series, where he and David Ortiz are run-producing machines in the postseason, they must think Boras is the one acting drunk.

Boras很喜歡引用一堆數據來告訴我們, 有許多偉大的球員都在季後賽表現不佳, 不過看看A-Rod, 再看看贏得2004年世界大賽MVP的Ramirez和RO連線在季後賽的驚人表現, 我想應該沒多少人會買Boras的帳吧。



You can go up and down the Red Sox batting order, pick any name, and find somebody who did more for his team than A-Rod did for the Yankees in the last three Octobers he played for them.

你可以隨便在紅襪隊的先發打序中選出任何一個球員, 都會發現他們對於紅襪所做出的貢獻勝過A-Rod在過去三年季後賽對洋基所作的。



He was a gold-plated phony coming in the door and he is the same leaving.

初到洋基時的他, 是個鍍金的假貨, 而離開時也沒啥兩樣。



Here was Rodriguez standing in the Stadium Club at Yankee Stadium in February 2004, on the day it was officially announced that he was coming to New York to play third base for the Yankees:

還記得2004年的2月, 正式宣佈自己將穿上條紋球衣並轉任三壘手的A-Rod, 說了這麼一席話 :



"I've come to the point in my career [where] winning is the most important thing. Aside from the personal accolades - and I think I've done a lot there - winning is the most important thing. And being a New York Yankee and the history and the present and the future, I think it provides an opportunity when you drive to the ballpark every day that you actually have an opportunity to win and win big. Hopefully in October. So I think it was just team over personal."

"我的棒球生涯已經走到了一個轉捩點, 對現在的我來說, 勝利比起個人的榮譽更為重要, 我已經達成了許多個人記錄上的成就, 現在該是追求勝利的時候了。身為洋基人最大的優點在於, 球隊提供你贏球、甚至是贏得世界大賽冠軍的機會, 而我想其中的關鍵就在於..."永遠把團隊擺在第一位"的觀念。"



Nothing is ever personal with him, ever. He wants to act like a team guy and sound like a team guy but has no real idea how to do that, because everything is supposed to be about him.

看來他是完全不懂什麼叫做"團隊第一", 他想要表現的像個重視團隊甚於個人的球員, 但是卻完全搞不懂該如何去做, 因為對他而言, 世界是繞著A-Rod而打轉。



It's why you wanted to laugh the other night when Boras invoked the names of Rivera and Posada and Pettitte. You know who they really are to Alex Rodriguez? Three more guys in the clubhouse trying to breathe his air.

這也是為何當Boras提到Rivera、Posada和Pettitte的名字時, 我們會覺得可笑的原因, 他們三人對A-Rod而言, 不過就是三個在球員休息室中搶著和他呼吸同樣空氣的人罷了。



Big Octobers, that's what A-Rod promised Yankee fans. And that is exactly how it worked out during his four seasons here. Only the big Octobers, two of the biggest in baseball history because of the way the Red Sox came back in the league championship series and then swept through the World Series, were in Boston.

A-Rod承諾洋基球迷要給他們難忘的季後賽, 在他效力洋基的四年間, 他也確實信守承諾, 只不過其中兩年是因為紅襪隊先是在美聯冠軍系列戰中奇蹟似地後來居上、然後再以秋風掃落葉之勢橫掃國聯冠軍隊贏得世界大賽桂冠。



A real good Yankee fan I know put it this way yesterday, even talking about a player who hit him 54 home runs this season, one without whom the Yankees wouldn't have even made the first round of the playoffs:

對於這個在球季中擊出54支全壘打、並幫助球隊打進季後賽的球員在昨天引發的風波, 一位死忠的洋基球迷這麼說 :



"The Red Sox won, but we lost A-Rod. Call it a split."

"紅襪或許贏得了世界大賽冠軍, 但是我們也擺脫了A-Rod...就當兩隊扯平好了。"





翻譯後記 :

常常聽到有人信誓旦旦地說...紐約的媒體很毒舌、紐約球迷更是現實
但是沒有美國其他城市生活經驗的我實在很好奇...

難道其他城市的記者真的不會有這種比較情緒性的發言嗎?

是因為紐約的媒體事業太過發達以致於什麼狗屁倒灶的偏頗評論都可以上報紙版面?

還是紐約的媒體真的就是比美國其他城市的媒體嗜血?紐約的球迷就是比其他城市球迷現實?

還是說...

紐約人其實比其他城市的人對運動多了點狂熱
所以難免愛之深責之切?

姑且不論這些對於紐約客的印象是否有其根據
我們都得承認一件事...

至少這樣的說法能讓一個人在紐約發展卻不幸失敗時
有個足以堵住所有人嘴巴(紐約客除外)的絕佳藉口...


說起來...這個連下臺階都幫你找好的城市...也還蠻可愛的嘛...





Related Articles :

[翻譯]Yankee image is now A-Joke

By MIKE LUPICA

Published : June 1, 2007 / New York Daily News


September baseball not October harbinger for Mets, Yanks

By MIKE LUPICA

Published : September 23, 2007 / New York Daily News













留言

  1. Good job!
    I'm not a big fan of A-rod's, but his production in this regular
    season cannot be paralleled.
    My favorite quote from somebody else's comment:

    "Good luck to A-rod, except that he stays in this division."

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  2. 雖然$ rod走了會給洋基留下一個大洞,但是看到這篇文章真的是心裡很有feel

    說真的從他加入以後除了今年之外,實在沒甚麼好回憶

    雖然明年真的很艱困,還是希望能意外的拿個冠軍給這個心口不一的人一個大耳光

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  3. 這簡直是人身攻擊了吧
    紐約的媒體(一個知名的專欄作家)可以這麼大喇喇把主觀情緒看法
    帶入登在報上的文章而不覺得怪嗎
    不能對球員來來去去泰然看待嗎
    再怎麼說沒有功勞也有苦勞
    如此視如仇寇般地言論
    怎麼覺得專欄作家本身就像也跳入演出(洋基季末洗牌秀)般地誇張
    好笑

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  4. archtemplar8:20 上午

    to ZZ,

    這就是為什麼我會在該文章前加上警語的原因囉
    這的確是帶有相當主觀情緒看法的一篇文章
    (他這種風格或許也是他會享有盛名的原因之一)
    而我也早已強調這位作家有蠻明顯的反A-Rod情節囉...

    不過或許我們也該體諒一下為什麼現在有這麼多文章都表達了相近的看法
    即便沒有本篇文章作者如此激動到接近破口大罵...但是觀點其實都大同小異
    我想這件事會引發如此大反應的原因在於...
    A-Rod在這整個球季中甚至是季後賽被淘汰之後
    都多次主動向媒體表達自己"想要留在紐約、無法想像自己會離開"的想法
    記得今年球季初當A-Rod交出怪物級成績單之時
    即便A-Rod從未親口證實...但是多數媒體記者都認為A-Rod肯定會離開洋基
    因為他在這裡不快樂、他的成績可以讓他順利轉到別隊拿天價合約...等

    但是這樣的情況在A-Rod幾次對於想要留隊繼續打拼的感性發言之後
    有了明顯的改變...
    到了球季後半段...你如果去對紐約球迷做民調...
    我想絕大多數都認為A-Rod一定會留在紐約...因為他都那麼真誠地說了...

    當然A-Rod有可能是因為球隊狀況實在太難以預測而決定離開洋基
    並非代表他之前的發言都是刻意說謊討好球迷
    (其實就算他真的這麼做...說實在也沒有錯啦)
    但是他決定完全不回兩位小老闆的電話、拒絕和洋基球團面對面溝通、
    更不讓洋基有機會將offer放到檯面上談而逕自決定行使逃脫條款的做法
    讓之前相信他一定會選擇留在洋基的許多球迷和媒體都一時無法接受吧

    至於Mike Lupica
    不管他這篇文章是不是有言辭過當的問題
    但是從他老兄打從一開始就堅持洋基一定留不住A-Rod看來
    他還是頗有兩把刷子的嘛...

    Cheers,

    Rich

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  5. 不會很酸阿!!呵呵lol

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  6. Anonymous12:31 上午

    你翻譯的好棒!
    雖然有看懂原文意思
    但再來看你的翻譯
    整篇文章又更酸了耶...

    作者寫得真好 Arod太傷洋基迷的心了
    所以已經不難過了 現在是憤怒大於傷心

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  7. archtemplar1:20 上午

    你過獎了...我的翻譯功力還有很大的進步空間

    說老實話...我是真的一直都蠻欣賞Mike Lupica的辛辣文筆
    雖然他老兄常有言論過度主觀的問題
    不過閱讀這篇文章對於一些對A-Rod感到失望、惋惜、心疼、甚至憤怒的
    球迷來說
    也算是不錯的情緒發洩管道吧...

    發洩過後
    還是感謝A-Rod過去四年對洋基的貢獻
    感謝他帶給我們的美好回憶...
    畢竟他也為了球隊放棄自己習慣的SS守備位置
    一個金手套級的SS被迫轉守3B...不小心發生失誤又會被球迷猛噓...真是
    難為他了

    祝福他能順利找到願意吃下其天價合約的球團老闆...希望是國聯球隊
    啦...Orz
    這對他自己和洋基球迷來說都會是比較樂見的結果吧

    Cheers,

    Rich

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  8. 你怎麼還待在無名啊....

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  9. i love arod3:05 下午

    A-Rod會離開,個人猜測他在洋基的季後賽表現應該是在他考量裡很重要的關鍵。

    去年季後A-Rod說的那番話,那時他並不是真心想待在紐約,而是想在跌倒的地方站起
    來,證明自己。今年他做到了。同樣的,以他的個性來說,連續幾年季後賽失利,他不會
    想要在同樣的地方討回來嗎?從結果來看,只能說他放棄了這樣的努力。

    季後賽沒打好,雖然可以歸咎於球迷、媒體給他的壓力太大balabala等等的理由,但終
    歸一句話就是打不好嘛,沒有誰的錯,只有A-Rod的錯。從2004到2007,說實在的,繼
    續在洋基待下去,縱使今後仍然每年進季後賽,我也不看好他的表現。如果每年持續季賽
    一條龍、季後一條蟲的表現,接下來的八到十年,oh my god,球迷能忍受嗎?我想他
    自己可能會先瘋掉吧。所以囉,走了也好,對雙方而言都是解脫。

    走得不漂亮,講難聽點,被罵是活該,等大家罵到嘴酸也差不多明年球季要開始了,洋基
    還是洋基,不會因為少了任何人而改變。

    祝福A-Rod!!

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  10. myctlg04174:06 上午

    A-ROD評價如此也沒什麼好意外的,正因為各方面所享有的太多,所以才會導致這種大好
    大壞的局面,所謂擁有的越多背負的也越多吧...

    個人本身其實並沒有何謂好壞,各方見解不同相對的好壞才會產生
    他會離開也沒什麼好意外的我覺得,即便當初說得如何好聽。反正同上,洋基還是洋基

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  11. 他是評論又不是報導,基本上美國人還蠻能知道自己的分野,正因為他是球評所以
    他知道自己可以放肆吧

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