[翻譯]Road to Recovery
就在這幾天
A-Rod的婚姻狀態又再度成了美國媒體的焦點
先是在幾天前傳出A-Rod和據稱婚姻同樣出現危機的流行音樂天后Madonna過從甚密的消息
今天紐約各報又以頭版的篇幅報導A-Rod老婆Cynthia和Nicole Kidman前男友Lenny Kravitz
在浪漫的巴黎共渡了至少四天浪漫假期的新聞
對這類型從Page Six偷渡到頭版的八卦新聞抱持著"跟他認真你就輸了"態度的我
反倒是被昨天New York Post中隱藏在體育版角落的一篇文章給吸引
我個人覺得比起媒體記者充當作家創作的八卦頭條新聞、
這篇名為Road to Recovery的文章或許可以提供我們另一個角度
來觀察並了解一個運動明星的應該肩負起的社會責任...
我想大家對 Babe & the Kid 的故事應該都還記憶猶新吧...
Road to Revovery
By KEVIN KERNAN
Published : July 2, 2008 / New York Post
The fight against cancer gets more difficult by the day for John Challis, but he wanted to see a game at Yankee Stadium, especially after the 18-year-old got the chance to meet the Yankees last week in Pittsburgh and was touched by their kindness.
對於18歲的John Challis來說, 對抗癌症病魔的戰爭隨著時間推移而讓他備感吃力, 不過他還是希望能親眼到洋基球場觀戰, 尤其在他有機會於洋基做客匹茲堡時後球員見面、並被他們的友善深深感動後。
A family friend got tickets and a hotel reservation was made near Newark Airport. John's father Scott put a call into the Yankees on Monday to tell them John was coming to last night's game against Texas. He wanted to know if anything could be done about getting a ride to the famous ballpark in the Bronx.
朋友幫他買好了球票並訂好了鄰近Newark機場的旅館, John的父親在星期一打了通電話給洋基球團, 除了告知John將到場觀看昨晚對上游騎兵的比賽外, 也詢問了洋基球團是否能提供從旅館到球場的交通方式建議。
No problem, he was told, arrangements were made, and a midtown hotel was reserved. And, by the way, your driver's name is Alex.
球團方面要他不用擔心, 他們將會負責安排接送John往來球場的交通工具, 而且幫他改訂了一間位在紐約市中心的旅館。
對了, 關於司機的部份, 我有提到負責接送John的司機名叫Alex嗎?
On a day Madonna rumors swirled around Alex Rodriguez, the Yankee slugger deftly made his way through a wall of media camped on his Park Avenue doorstep. He had a promise to keep. He had to get John Challis to the game.
當他和Modonna的誹聞正在紐約鬧得沸沸揚揚的同時, A-Rod敏捷地穿越了守在他位在Park Avenue的住家外的媒體大軍, 他可不能遲到, 因為他要信守一個重要的承諾...安全地接送John前往洋基球場。
Moments before John climbed into the front seat of A-Rod's Suburban and his father and I piled into the back, Rodriguez told me what a privilege it was to spend time with John. He had just given him a tour of his apartment and presented John with his No. 13 jersey.
就在John和其父親坐進A-Rod的Chevrolet Suburban前, A-Rod告訴我他有多麼享受和John共度的時光, 他才剛剛帶著John參觀自己的家並送了件背號13號的球衣給他。
When A-Rod got the call from a Yankees official he jumped at the opportunity.
當A-Rod接到洋基球團的電話提到John的來訪時, 他毫不遲疑地接下這個任務。
"I'll drive John to the park every day he's here this week if he wants," said Rodriguez, who would go 0-for-4 in the struggling Yankees 3-2 loss to Texas.
"在John造訪紐約的這個禮拜中, 只要他願意, 我會負責接送他往來旅館和洋基球場," A-Rod給了球團這樣的答案。
"John is so special," A-Rod said. "He makes you realize how important every day is, and that's what life is really all about." "There is no way we were expecting any of this," said John's dad. An ESPN camera crew has been chronicling John's courageous battle and was along for the ride.
"John是個特別的孩子," A-Rod說道, "他讓你體會到生命的可貴, 還有其真正的價值及意義所在。"
"我們從來沒有預期到會有這樣的待遇,"John的父親這麼說道。
一群來自ESPN的攝影工作人員, 將會一路跟著他們, 為John對抗病魔的勇敢歷程作紀錄。
The cancer that started in John's liver has moved to other parts of his body. His doctors did not want John to make the trip, but this was something he had to do.
最早在John的肝臟中發現的癌細胞已經開始蔓延到身體其他部位, 他的主治醫生因此對John的紐約之行投下反對票, 不過對John來說, 這是他不能不做的事。
Rodriguez gave John a tour of his beautiful apartment. The two sat in the living room and talked baseball. In April, John, a football player who had not played baseball in years, pinch-hit for his Freedom (Pa.) High School team and ripped a fastball for an RBI-single. Opponents dropped their gloves and clapped when John reached first. Tears were shed.
A-Rod帶著John參觀了他的豪宅, 兩個人坐在客廳的沙發中聊著棒球。
在今年四月、一場高中校際棒球賽中, 多年沒有拿起球棒的John (他是美式足球校隊代表) 為其母校Freedom H.S.棒球隊擔任代打, 將對方投手投出的速球敲成一支帶有一分打點的一壘安打, 在他跑到一壘的同時, 對方球員甚至脫下手套為他鼓掌, 眼眶滿是淚水。
"I'm not that fast anymore, but I got there," John said.
"我的速度再也不像過去那麼快了, 但我還是安全地上到一壘," John這麼說道。
With that, A-Rod gave him a fist-pump.
故事聽到這裡, A-Rod給了他一個fist-pump (擊拳) 。
On his baseball cap John wrote: "Courage plus Believe Equals Life."
在他的棒球帽上, John自己寫上了 "勇氣加上信念等於生命"
"That's my little slogan," he said. That's why his foundation is named the Courage for Life Foundation. "It could always be worse," John said, but he admitted he is feeling worse by the day. He said the time he spent in Pittsburgh with the Yankees and Pirates made it easier to handle what is going on with his life. He is fighting this fight with class and dignity. "It's not how many breaths you take," he said. "It's what you do with each breath you take."
"這是我的座右銘," John解釋道, 而這也是他的基金會會取名為Courage for Life Foundation (生存的勇氣) 的原因。
"我的狀況並不算最糟的," 不過他也承認, 他一天比一天感到虛弱。
他認為在匹茲堡和洋基及海盜球員的愉快接觸, 為他在和病魔的艱苦戰鬥中提供了一點喘息的機會。
"生命的價值並不在於長度," 他說道 "而是在於你如何有意義地運用它。"
The ride to the Stadium took 25 minutes. Rodriguez played the part of tour guide perfectly. John mentioned Central Park and A-Rod talked about how much his family loves to go there. Rodriguez then picked up a plastic bag on the console and said, "This is my lunch. I always take my lunch to the ballpark. I've got to get a new bag, though."He told John how the ride to Yankee Stadium was something he looked forward to every day. It gives him time to think about that day's pitcher, to focus, to prepare. A-Rod and John talked about a lot of things, baseball, traffic, music, New York and family.
從A-Rod的家到洋基球場的路程大約是25分鐘, 在此過程中, A-Rod扮演著稱職的導遊角色, 他提到自己和家人有多麼喜歡在中央公園中活動, 甚至還把自己放在塑膠袋中的午餐秀給John看。
"我一向都喜歡自己帶午餐到球場...不過我想該是時候換個新的塑膠袋了..." A-Rod這麼對他說。
A-Rod也告訴John自己有多麼享受每天開車從家中到球場的這段車程, 因為在這段時間中, 他可以不受打擾地在腦海中搜尋對當天對戰投手的記憶, 試著讓自己專注在接下來的比賽中, 並做好準備。
在這段旅程中, John和A-Rod天南地北地聊著, 聊棒球、聊交通、聊音樂、聊紐約也聊家庭...
In some ways, for both, it was the ride of their life.
從某個角度看, 對兩人來說, 這也是段關於生命的旅程。
Related Articles :
[翻譯]A-Rod Agonistes
By TOM VERDUCCI
Published : September 2006 / Sports Illustrated
嗚~
回覆刪除好感動
這樣的故事才值得大眾知道
而不是揣測的八卦
來回訪囉 :)
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