It's not that we are afraid of seeing him stumble, of scribbling a mustache over his career. Sure, the nice part of us wants Mike to know we appreciate him, that he still reigns, at least in our memory. The truth, though, is that we don't want him to come back because even for Michael Jordan, this would be an act of hubris so monumental as to make his trademark confidence twist into conceit. We don't want him back on the court because no one likes a show-off. The stumbling? That will be fun. But we are nice people, we Americans, with 225 years of optimism at our backs.
并非因为我们担心他绊倒，担心他给自己的生涯抹黑。当然，友善的我们希望迈克知道，我们敬仰他，他仍然是领导者，至少在我们的记忆里如此。但是，事实是我们不希望他回来，即便对迈克乔丹而言，这也是一种非常自以为是的行为，这将使他自信的个性扭曲为自负。我们不想让他回到球场上，因为没有人喜欢卖弄的人。绊倒？那会很有意思。但是我们是善良的人，我们美国人，乐观主义支撑225年的我们。
Days ago when M.J. said he had made a decision about returning to the NBA in September, we got excited. He had said the day before, “I look forward to playing, and hopefully I can get to that point where I can make that decision. It's O.K., to have some doubt, and it's O.K. to have some nervousness.” A Time/CNN poll last week has Americans, 2 to 1, saying they would like him on the court ASAP. And only 21 percent thought that if he came back and just completely bombed, it would damage his legend. In fact only 28 percent think athletes should retire at their peak. Sources close to him tell Time that when Jordan first talked about a comeback with the Washington Wizards, the team Jordan co-owns and would play for, some of his trusted advisers privately tried to discourage him. “But they say if they try to stop him, it will only firm up his resolve,” says an NBA source.
几天前，当乔丹表示决定将于9月重返NBA，我们非常兴奋。他以前曾经说过，“我希望能再打球，我能下定决心的时候这就那么将会很有可能。有疑虑，没有关系；紧张，没有关系。”一个由TIME/CNN上周发起的民意调查，美国人民是否需要他尽快回到球场上。仅有21%的人认为如果他头脑发昏回归球场，这将有损他的传奇。实际上有28%的人认为运动员应该在顶峰状态退役。他身边的人告诉TIME说当乔丹首次告诉华盛顿奇才队谈到他的回归时，一些他信任的顾问就私下里努力说服他不要回来，华盛顿奇才队是乔丹共有的，并为其效劳。“但是他们说，如果他们拼命阻止他，反而会让他更加坚决。”一个NBA消息说。
The problem with Jordan's return is not only that he can't possibly live up to the storybook ending he gave up in 1998 — earning his sixth ring with a last-second championship-winning shot. The problem is that the motives for coming back —needing the attention, needing to play even when his 38-year-old body does not —violate the very myth of Jordan, the myth of absolute control. Babe Ruth, the 20th century's first star, was a gust of fat bravado and drunken talent, while Jordan ended the century by proving the elegance of resolve; Babe's pointing to the bleachers replaced by the charm of a backpedaling shoulder shrug. Jordan symbolized success by not sullying his brand with his politics, his opinion or superstar personality. To be a Jordan fan was to be a fan of classiness and confidence.
乔丹重返球坛的问题不仅仅是他不可能再取得1998年他退役前的辉煌——以最后一秒的投球第六次赢得了冠军，问题还在于回归的动机，需要被关注，需要打篮球，即便他那38岁的身体已经不再允许，这将破坏了乔丹神话，一个绝对控制的神话。宝贝露丝，20世纪的第一颗星星，是一个装模作样的胖酒鬼，而乔丹以优雅的决心结束了这个世纪。宝贝指向看台的动作由优雅的后退耸肩动作而取代。乔丹所代表的成功是未用他的政治观点，个人思想和超级明星的性格磨损的品牌。一个乔丹迷也是经典与自信的推崇者。
To come back when he knows that playing for Wizards won't get him anywhere near the second round of the play-offs, when he knows that he won't be the league
scoring leader, that's a loss of control. Jordan does not care what we think. Friends say that he takes articles that tell him not to come back and tacks them all on his refrigerator as inspiration. So why bother writing something telling him not to come back? He is still Michael Jordan.
当他知道在奇人队，他无法打进倒数第二场决赛，当他知道他不在是队伍的得分领袖，也就失去了控制。乔丹不在乎我们怎么想。朋友们说他把那些写他不该重返球坛的文章钉在冰箱上以激励自己，所以我们为什么还要写东西要他不要回来呢？他忍让是迈克乔丹。
posted on 2007-12-10 19:17
nanami 阅读(144)
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研究生英语翻译＋杂杂 
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