嗯，前段时间又是考试又是放假，所以没怎么来弄这个地方，今后要努力经营了，而且YY近日和小强达成初步意向，决定合作经营此Space，原创内容会有所增加，这大概是件不错的事情吧……

嗯，NBA季后赛第一轮几乎结束了，在这里整理一下上一篇东西里和那个Marca报专家的预测的对比吧，评分标准，胜负正确两分，比分正确再加一分……

Detroit VS Milwaukee：YY两分，Talpez两分半，因为他说四比零或四比一，自然得分要一半了……

Miami VS Chicago：YY两分，Talpez三分……

New Jersey VS Indiana：YY两分，Talpez两分……

Cleveland VS Washington：YY三分，Talpez两分半，因为他又预测了两个结果……

San Antonio VS Sacramento：YY三分，Talpez两分……

Clippers VS Denver：YY零分，Talpez零分……

Dallas VS Memphis：YY三分，Talpez两分……

Phoenix VS Lakers：结果不知道，不过两个人要么都得两分，要么都得零分，所以对结果没有帮助……

最后的结果是，YY以17（15）VS 16（14）取胜，嗯，当然是个自娱自乐的东西，不过能赢得这种预测比赛还是很爽的，今后会常来的……

Bracket Breakdown

Predicting the first round of the playoffs

by Yaron Talpaz

 

细数对决

对季后赛第一轮的预测

作者：Yaron Talpaz

点评：Yan Yan

 

Is there someone out there saying the NBA doesn't have its own bracket?

That we can't predict and be wrong just like all those college hoop freaks? Well, yes we can and yes we will. Be wrong, I mean.

 

有没有人会说NBA没有自己的对抗呢？

我们无法预测或是会向对待荒唐的大学篮球那样犯错误吗？嗯，我们当然也会的。我说的是，犯错误。

 

Detroit - Milwaukee: The easiest series to predict. The Pistons lost to the Bucks earlier this week but they were resting some of their stars. The Pistons are just too good, too experienced and too hungry. Detroit will win in 4 or 5 games.

 

Detroit – Milwaukee：最容易预测的对决。活塞队这个星期早些时候输给过雄鹿队，但他们的明星球员都在休息。活塞队太好了，太有经验了，太饥渴了。Detorit会用4或5场比赛取得胜利。

确实没有什么好说的，最没有悬念的对决，东部后四支球队实际战绩非常一般，而且很多胜利还是在对自己赛区更弱的球队身上取得的，所以这是场没有悬念的比赛，更大胆的预测：4比0……

 

Miami - Chicago: Remember the days when Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman were not giving any respect to Alonzo Mourning? Those days are gone, but 'Zo and his veteran friends can do the same to the baby Bulls. The Bulls are coming in hot (Is Andres Nocioni getting enough credit? Probably not). Miami in 6.

 

Miami – Chicago：还记得Michael Jordan和Dennis Rodman对Alonzo Mourning充满不敬的日子吗？那段日子已经过去了，但Mourning和他的元老级队友们可还在对小公牛们做同样的事情。公牛队很有激情（Andres Nocioni够让人信任吗？恐怕不），Miami4比2取胜。

若说东部唯一有实力制造冷门的也许就是公牛了，一帮年轻队员经过了几年的锻炼确实该到了出成绩的时候，而且Hinrich和Gordon向来不惧怕大场面，而且公牛去年也已经有了季后赛经验，不过想扳倒热火确实难了点，但打到第七场还是很有可能的……

 

New Jersey - Indiana: The Nets are gonna suffer for 7 games against a team that knows its way in the playoffs. New Jersey will win because they are better, but I wonder how much they will have left for the Heat in the second round.

 

New Jersey – Indiana：网对将要和这支知道如何在季后赛中打球的球队经历7场大战。New Jersey会取胜，因为他们更好一些，但我怀疑他们在第二轮打热火的时候还剩下多少的力气。

Yan Yan十分不同意他关于这场的预测，Indiana是一支知道如何在季后赛打球的球队？Miller和Mark Jackson在的时候也许是的，但现在已经不是了，特别是Artest走了之后，J O’Neal向来就不是领袖，Peja也无数次在季后赛令人失望，网队两进总决赛的大将还都在，打步行者没有问题，4比1……

 

Cleveland - Washington: A lot of people are going against the Cavs in this one due to inexperience. I think LeBron will take control of this series, including in the big moments. Cavs in 6 or 7.

 

Cleveland – Washington：许多人都不看好骑士队因为他们没有经验。我觉得LeBron会控制这个系列赛的，包括一些重要的时刻。骑士4比2或4比3获胜。

骑士应该会获胜，不过Arenas去年对公牛时在关键时刻的发挥可是出色至极，而且不要忘了James最后时刻的成功率其实并不高，不过这些大概也只是会帮助奇才赢个两场而已，骑士4比2……

 

San Antonio - Sacramento: The games will be hard fought and close, but the Spurs are just too good and Ron Artest shoots bad in the playoffs. Spurs in 5.

 

San Antonio – Sacramento：这场比赛会很激烈并且胶着，但马刺太强了而且Ron Artest会在季后赛失去投篮准星。马刺在第5场获胜。

我一向不预测我喜欢的球队，总是怕情感战胜理智，国王队自从Artest来了以后确实有了脱胎换骨的变化，不过可惜的是最后还是只得到了第8，的确，马刺太强了，但是，赢两场总还是有机会的吧……

 

Phoenix - Lakers: The Suns are allowed to be scared of Kobe & Phil, but they shouldn't. People are forgetting how well Phoenix has played until April. They will get back to that level in the first round and finish this in 5 or 6 games.

 

Phoenix – Lakers：太阳队也许会害怕Kobe和Phil的组合，但他们没有必要。人们忘记了四月之前太阳打的有多好。他们会在第一轮比赛中回到那种水平并会在第5或第6场结束比赛。

湖人确实不可怕，以现在的实力很难对抗太阳，不过太阳现在内线实在很弱，传说中的Kwame Brown会发飚吗？我觉得悬……Kobe发飚？大家都习惯了，所以就不叫发飚了，所以Lakers会1比4输掉比赛……

 

Clippers - Denver: What is the upset here? Nuggets winning without homecourt advantage? Clippers winning seeded sixth? I don't know if there's an upset here, but I'm saying that the Nuggets have done well bringing in Ruben Patterson and Reggie Evans. With Mr. Clutch Carmelo Anthony they will win in 7.

 

Clippers – Denver：这里有什么混乱的吗？掘金在没有主场优势的情况下取胜？快船队会以第六号种子的身份获胜？我不知道这里有没有什么混乱的，但我想说掘金挖来Ruben Patterson和Reggie Evans是很好的。而且在关键先生Carmelo Anthony的帮助下他们会在第7场获胜。

如果真的到第7场的话也许就很难获胜了，我想表示他们会以4比2取胜，Anthony确实很重要，不过快船这样差不多十年来第一次打季后赛的球队实在是很难创造奇迹的……

 

Dallas - Memphis: The Mavs won the regular season series 3 - 1 and will lose 2 games out of 6 to the Grizzlies and Pau Gasol who loves to match-up with Dirk Nowitzki (The feeling is mutual, by the way, according the their numbers head-to-head in recent years).

 

Dallas – Memphis：小牛队在常规赛以3比1占优，在季后赛会在输掉2场后在第6场拿下。Pau Gasol很喜欢和Dirk Nowitzke对位（顺便提一下，由于他们这几年对抗的次数很多，这种感觉是共有的）。

小牛实力不可小视，今年虽然缩小了投资，不再囤积高薪球员，但是在Avery Johnson的带领下实力反而增强，小牛绝对有机会在西部扳倒马刺，打灰熊？4比0我也不会奇怪……

I enjoyed myself a lot, and this time not on the pitch but behind the microphone for Fiorella’s radio broadcast that I took part in a few days ago. I wasn’t expecting it to go as well as it did, and the two hundred kids who followed the programme in front of us were really enthusiastic. Was this thanks to me? I’m not sure. “Fiore” is an exceptional character of course, and he put me at ease straightaway so that the show went very smoothly, shifting between jokes and more serious comments.

 

我最近过的很开心，这次不是因为球场上的表现而是因为前几天在麦克风前参与Fiorella的广播节目。我从没有想过它会如此的好，在我们面前的参加节目的两百个孩子真的很热情。这是因为我吗？我不确定。当然“Fiore”是个关键的角色，他使我轻松下来这样节目进行的就非常的顺利，在玩笑和更多的严肃评论之间转移。

 

Comments like when I said that we can come back against Arsenal. I really believe that. There’s no point in denying that the English side is strong, and in addition they’ll be starting with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg. However, if we can manage to get an early goal then we would be back in the game, and on a psychological level this would be difficult even for Henry and his team-mates. Our minimum aim is to get the game to go into extra time, but I’m not sure... we could maybe even win it before that.

 

对于我说过的我们会逆转Arsenal的评论。我真的确信这点。没有理由否认英国球队很强大，再加上他们会以第一回合2比0的优势开始比赛。但是，如果我们能早一些进球的话我们就会重获生机，而且从心理层面上来说这对Henry和他的队友们会很困难的。我们的最低目标是把比赛拖入加时，但我不确定……我们也许可以在那之间就取胜。

 

The jokes in the programme, on the other hand, were those about Cassano and Italy’s certain triumph at the World Cup. And let me make this clear: Antonio is a great player, but I would never allow myself to interfere with the selections of our coach. But you know that I wouldn’t like it if in the end, as Cassano joked, Lippi selected him and left me at home!

 

另外一方面，节目中的玩笑是关于Cassano和意大利的“必胜”的世界杯之旅。让我澄清一下：Antonio是个伟大的球员，但我绝不允许自己干涉我们主教练的选择。但你知道我是不会喜欢像Cassano说的那样的结局的：Lippi选择了他却把我留在了家里！

 

As far as the World Cup goes, maybe I exaggerated a bit with the 95% chance of success for Italy. Actually, Brazil and other teams are really strong, so that probability is not so big. We have a good chance, though, that’s for sure. I’m feeling optimistic, more than ever before, and I don’t want to hide it.

 

随着世界杯的到来，也许我说的意大利有95％的机会夺冠是有一点夸大。事实上，巴西和其它球队也真的很强，所以可能性没有那么大。不过，我们机会不错，这是确定的。我感觉很乐观，比以前都要乐观，我并不想隐藏这点。

Playoffs system needs a change

Why a division champion with a worse record is seeded higher than other teams with best record?

 

季后赛体制需要改变了

为什么一只拿到更差成绩的分区冠军要排在其它拿到最好成绩的球队前面？

 

Rafael Alique and Eduardo Schell

Marca.com

The director of Spain's largest sports web site, Rafael Alique has covered basketball for the Spanish newspaper Marca for nine years, as well as providing commentary for Radio Marca from basketball events worldwide. In 1997, Alique personally presented Michael Jordan with the Spanish sports award, Marca Leyenda. Alique will file his blogs from Spain with the help of his BA (Blog Assistant), Eduardo Schell.

 

作者：Rafael Alique和Eduardo Schell，Marca.com记者

作为西班牙最大的体育网站的主编，Rafael Alique已经为Marca这家西班牙报纸报道了九年篮球，此外还为Marca电台做篮球事件的解说评论。在1997年，Alique个人向Michael Jordan颁发了西班牙体育奖，Marca Leyenda。Alique会在他的博客助手Eduardo Schell的帮助下在西班牙写作他的博客。

 

 

Now that the most important time of the season is coming the NBA should stop and think about a big problem: the current playoffs system. The division champions obtain the best three places and the other teams fill the rest. A big mistake here.

Denver is the perfect example. The Nuggets will obtain the third seeding the Wild Wild West Conference despite finishing surely with a worse record than Dallas, Clippers and maybe Memphis.

 

现在赛季中最重要的时刻就要到来了，NBA应该停下来思考一个重大问题：现今的季后赛体制。分区冠军获得最好的三个位置，其它球队填充其它位置。这里有个巨大的错误。Denver就是个完美的例子。Nuggets会在竞争激烈的西部获得第三名的位置，尽管他们最后确定会取得一个不如Dallas，Clippers，也许还要加上Memphis的成绩。

 

Even Dallas (or San Antonio) will finish with a better record than Phoenix, kings of the Pacific Division, but one of the Texas teams will be seeded below. In fact, San Antonio or Dallas (probably the Mavs) despite of finishing with the second best record of the West will drop down to the fourth seed of the West.

 

甚至Dallas（或是San Antonio）也会取得一个比Phoenix――太平洋赛区冠军――更好的成绩，但一只德州球队会排在下面。事实上，San Antonio或是Dallas（可能是小牛队）尽管会取得西部第二好的成绩，但却会排在西部的第四号种子。

 

In the East Conference, actually there isn't this problem unless Cleveland, second in the Central finishes with a better record than New Jersey, king of the Atlantic.

 

在东部，实际上还没有这个问题，除非中部赛区的Cleveland以一个比大西洋赛区冠军New Jersey更好的成绩结束赛季。

 

With the current playoff system there are two teams, Clippers and Grizzlies, that could battle for not ending fifth in the West and will probably 'choose' ending sixth. Why? To avoid Dallas who could end up fourth in the first round and play therefore against Denver, which would be third.

 

在现今的季后赛体制下，有两只球队，Clippers和Grizzlies，会为不取得西部第五而选择第六而进行争夺。为什么？为了在第一轮避开可能取得第四名的Dallas而且因此可以对阵可能取得第三名的Denver。

 

The NBA must work in this subject. The ideal qualifying system would be that the best 8 of each conference would qualify despite in what division they play. That would be more fair than the actual system.

 

NBA必须解决一下这个问题了。理想的晋级体制就是每个分区最好的8个球队晋级，而不管他们所处的赛区。那样会比现在的体制更公平一些。

A Long, Strange Trip

We're rolling, and that point guard of ours ain't bad

 

一段漫长而奇特的旅程

我们发挥不稳定，但是我们的组织后卫可不赖

 

Richard Jefferson

Forward, New Jersey Nets

Richard Jefferson entered the NBA after his junior season at Arizona when selected by the Houston Rockets in the first round (13th pick overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft. He was quickly traded to the New Jersey Nets and was a key part of a team that reached the NBA Finals in his first two seasons. Jefferson was known for his defense and his athleticism when he came into the league, but over the last four seasons, he has become a more complete player. He was having his finest year in 2004-05 before a wrist injury caused him to miss the final 49 games of the regular season. He returned for the playoffs and is back at 100 percent for 2005-06.

 

作者：Richard Jefferson，New Jersey Nets队前锋

Richard Jefferson在Arizona大学完成一年级学业之后进入了NBA，在2001年NBA选秀中，他在首轮第13位被Houston Rockets选中。之后立即被交换到New Jersey Nets，并且在最初的两个赛季中就成为了Nets两次进入总决赛的关键球员。Jefferson在进入NBA时以防守和运动天赋著称，但在最近四个赛季里，他已经成为了一名更全面的球员。他在2004-05赛季手腕受伤之前打出了最好的成绩，但伤病使他错过了常规赛的后49场比赛。他于季后赛重返赛场并且在2005-06赛季恢复到了100％的状态。

 

 

It's been bananas lately. When I first came here ... from where we've come from ... to the ups and downs of the last few years, it's been crazy. And now, I feel we're one of the elite teams in the NBA again after having one down year.

 

最近有点疯狂。当我初次来到这里――一直到现在――这几天一直在上下起伏，这很疯狂。现在，我觉得我们在一年低谷之后又一次成为了NBA的顶级球队。

 

When you're rolling like this, you don't want it to stop. We don't need a break, because we're not tired. We're fresh. We want to get to 50 and we want to see what we can do.

 

当你像这样起伏的时候，你并不想让它停下来。我们不需要休息，因为我们不累。我们还很生猛。我们想取得50场胜利而且我们想看看我们可以做到些什么。

 

Last night was such a weird game. You get off to an early start where you get some layups, you get some dunks, a couple of free throws, and then, all of a sudden, you just get hot. Everything you throw up goes in. I didn't play a perfect game, but the best thing about it is that we were tied at halftime and we we're kind of struggling a bit, going back and forth, so you get hot at the right time. You get hot when it matters. The team really needed that lift and if felt good to be there for them.

 

昨天晚上就是一场这样奇怪的比赛。你很早进入了状态，上进了几个篮，还有几个扣篮，罚进了几个球，然后，突然之间的，你就进入状态了。你扔的每个球都进了。我发挥的并不完美，但最好的事情就是我们在半场打平了，而且我们多少有点挣扎，来回起伏，所以你在正确的时间找到了状态。你在关键的时候找到了状态。球队确实需要这样的提升而且这来的恰到好处。

 

They gave me one more shot at my career high. The sad thing is that I probably had a layup, but I ran out to the three-point line just to see if I could get one more shot up and get the 43, the career high.

 

为了让我达到职业生涯最高，他们给了我又一次的投篮机会。不幸的是，我在可能上篮的机会下，却跑到了三分线上去看看我能不能再投进一个球来得到43分，那是我的职业生涯最高。

 

J Kidd does what he does. The dude is amazing. He's one of the best players in NBA history. It's tough to look at somebody like that before his career is over, but look at what he does at the point guard spot with all the triple-doubles ... and those are offensive categories (points, assists, rebounds), but he's been all-league defense six or seven times too. So to be getting all those triple-doubles and to be stopping people on the other end, you're doing a whole lot.

 

J Kidd做了他应做的。这家伙可够神的。他是NBA历史上最好的球员之一。在他职业生涯结束之前想找到像他这样的人是很难的，但看看他在组织后卫位置上拿到的那些三双吧――这些只是进攻上的（得分，助攻，篮板），但他也已经六七次入选最佳防守阵容了。一方面得到这些三双，另一方面又在阻止对手，你做的可真够多的。

 

He's about to be number three on the list. The funniest thing is that Wilt did so much, he was such a massive man, but he was mostly known as a scorer. He wasn't known for triple-doubles, though obviously he got a lot of them. Larry Bird had a lot, but he was just a complete player. The guys at the top, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, they were known for triple-doubles. I think it's great that he'll be third all-time with them.

 

他就要成为历史上的第三了。最有趣的是Wilt（张伯伦）得到了这么多（三双），他可是个大块头，但他大部分时候都以得分手著称。他的三双并不著名，但显然他确实拿到了不少。Larry Bird也得了不少，但他也只是名全面的球员。最领先的球员，Magic Johnson和Oscar Robertson，他们才以三双著名。我想Kidd能在他们后面取得第三名的成绩是很伟大的。

 

It's a little surreal to see my point guard on the list with those guys, especially since, when I got here, he was like seventh on the list. He's just been racking them up and I'm glad to help him. If you look at all the points I've scored, a whole lot have come off of his assists.

 

看着我们的组织后卫和这些人一起出现在名单上有点超现实，特别是当我来到这里的时候，他大概还是名单上的第七名。他一直在超越对手而且我很高兴我帮助了他。如果你看看我得的那些分，好多都是来自于他的助攻。

 

When it comes down to getting that last rebound or assist for a triple-double, J always knows what he needs. It's easy in our arena because the stats are always up on the scoreboard, so he can check it out. The funniest thing is that we're trying to tip the ball up so that he can run and go get it, but that's what you do for your point guard.

 

当需要得到最后一个篮板或是助攻来完成三双的时候，J总是知道他需要什么。在我们的主场这很容易，因为技术统计总是在得分板上出现，所以他可以检查一下。最有趣的事情就是我们努力把球打向空中这样他就可以跑去拿到它，但这只是你为你的组织后卫做的。

When I’m not on the pitch, I play another kind of football, at home… You see, one of my favourite hobbies is Subbuteo. Do you know the one I mean? A green cloth, miniature players, flicking with your fingertip. I have a real passion for it, and I would go as far as to say that I’m also a collector of teams on a minor scale, both Italian and foreign ones. I search for them and I buy them, simply because I like to have a lot and to be able to line up more formations.

 

当我不在球场上的时候，我，在家里，玩另外一种足球。你知道，我最喜欢的爱好之一就是Subbuteo。你知道我说的是什么吗？一块绿色的布，微型球员，跟随你的手指运动。我确实对它有不少热情，而且我还要说我还是一个微型尺寸球队的收集者，不管是意大利球队或是国外球队。我寻找它们然后买下来，只是因为我想拥有很多，这样就可以组成更多的阵容。

 

I play as well. Moreover, I’ve already told you that I didn’t become a goalkeeper straight away, but that I had already begun my career, and that it was when I was twelve years old that I chose to go in goal. However, I still get an urge to use my feet, and not just my hands. That’s perhaps one of the reasons why I enjoy Subbuteo so much, because I get to put myself in the shoes of the defenders, midfielders and forwards.

 

我也动手玩。而且，我已经告诉过你我并不是一开始就是一位门将的，而是在我开始足球生涯以后才   确定下来的，那是我十二岁的时候才确定保卫球门的。不过，我依然还有用脚来踢球，而不是用手的冲动。这也许就是我为什么喜爱Subbuteo的原因，因为我自己可以担任后卫，中场和前锋各个角色。

 

Although I must admit, I get excited when I pull an amazing performance out of the bag with my miniature goalkeeper. You’ll think it strange, but Subbuteo is also useful when it comes to studying teams’ offensive techniques, for committing to memory the positions of the players on the pitch. I wouldn’t be surprised if coaches used it sometimes. To be honest, I’m mostly interested in enjoying myself and relaxing: win or lose, it doesn’t really matter either way!

 

不过我必须承认，我在我的微型门将在小球场上表现出色的时候会感到兴奋。你也许觉得那很奇怪，但Subbuteo在学习进攻战术的时候也是很有作用的，它可以用来记忆球员在球场上的位置。如果有教练使用它我也不会觉得惊奇。实话说，吸引我的主要是可以放松自己：不管胜利还是失败，这都没有关系！

Before we talk about the Juventus-Roma match, I’d like to share my thoughts with you having watched the Para-Olympics on TV. Having seen blind skiers going down the slopes, for example, it brought home to me the tremendous courage of these athletes, aside from their undeniable technical ability. Their synchronisation with the guide leading them, their ability to feel the right time to take a bend, and the trust they place in them, are awe-inspiring.

 

在我们谈论Juventus对Roma的比赛之前，我想分享一些我在电视上观看残奥会之后的想法。比如说，看着盲人滑雪者沿着山坡滑下来，除了他们不容置疑的技术能力，这些运动员还向我展示了很大的勇气。他们和带领他们的向导间的同步，他们对转弯时机的准确感觉，以及他们之间的信任，都是令人敬畏的。

 

I therefore think that television and the newspapers, with the exception of those following the event, have missed a great opportunity to give coverage to the Para-Olympics. It would have been a great awareness campaign, which has however not received enough coverage.

 

因此，从许多的反对意见中，我感觉电视和报纸，错过了一个很好的报道残奥会的机会。这本应是场精神竞赛，但却没有收到足够的重视。

 

It’s a shame, I personally feel proud of those athletes and their achievements; I can say that I have learned something really important from them – that with willpower it's possible to overcome any hurdle. There have been moments in which it didn’t even dawn on me that some of them were competing with physical disabilities.

 

这很丢人，我个人是很为这些运动员和他们的成绩感到骄傲；我可以说我从他们身上确实学到了重要的东西――意志力是可能克服任何障碍的。有些时候我甚至都没有意识到他们是带着身体上的残疾来进行比赛的。

 

Well done, very well done, and I mean that wholeheartedly. Regarding the match against Roma, I’m really glad that it is once again going to be a high-profile game. To tell the truth, I was in no doubt, having seen the strength of the Roma players, who are capable of moving up in the classification ranking with an impressive series of victories. We’re doing OK, particularly mentally, and we feel strong. I’m sorry Totti won’t be able to play, although I’ve seen for myself that he's making a speedy recovery, and that he’s already been kicking a ball around. He’ll be part of the World Cup, of that I’m sure.

 

干的好，干的真的不错，我是发自内心的这么说的。至于和Roma的比赛，我很高兴这又一次的成为了高水平的比赛。说实话，在看到Roma球员取得一系列胜利并在排行榜上上升的力量之后，我就绝不怀疑这点了。我们干的不错，特别是心理上，我们感到很强大。尽管我看到Totti正在迅速的恢复，但他不能上场我感到很遗憾，不过他已经开始随意踢踢球了。他会参加世界杯比赛的，我很确定这点。

I’d like to tell you a bit about my two great passions. My number one passion is dogs. For a few years now, two fantastic Labradors called Ugo and Leto have been part of my life. When my friends see me fooling around with them, they joke about the fact that they are the only kind of Labrador… lean and on top form. It’s true that I like to take them for a run, so that they enjoy themselves and play. In short, the dogs are athletic, like their owner. As well as being good for them, we enjoy ourselves, and really have a good time together. Since I got Ugo and Leto, my life has been a lot more worthwhile.

 

我想和你们讲讲关于我的两大爱好的东西。我的第一大爱好是狗。好几年以来，两只叫Ugo和Leto的拉布拉多狗已经成了我生命中的一部分。当我的朋友们看我和它们玩闹的时候，他们开玩笑说它们是特别的拉布拉多犬，很瘦但是状态很好。我真的喜欢带它们出去跑步，这样它们可以享受一下也可以玩一玩。简而言之，这些狗就像它们的主人一样，也是运动员。除了我对它们好之外，我们在一起也很享受，并且真的很开心。自从我有了Ugo和Leto之后，我的生活有了更多值得做的事情。

 

On that note, please allow me to appeal to those who abandon their pets: don’t, it’s cruel. They love you and would never betray you. With summer around the corner, these incidents are unfortunately all too frequent, so please avoid them and act responsibly.

 

说到这里，请允许我控诉一下那些遗弃宠物的人：别这样，这很残忍。宠物们爱你们而且绝不会背叛你。当夏天来临的时候，这样的事件总是不幸的发生的太频繁了，所以不要这样并且要对自己的行为负责。

 

Clothes are another of my great passions. I must admit, my favourite designer is Giorgio Armani, particularly when looking for smart suits. I can’t say that the opportunity to wear them arises all that often, but when it does I revel in it. However, I like to spend my free time in casual wear, particularly jeans and sweatshirts. Then there’s the shoes. We footballers are fortunate, we actually have all kinds of shoes, in every colour. We love showing them off, because shoes are also one of the tools of our trade…

 

服装是我另外一大爱好。我必须承认，我最喜欢的设计师就是Giorgio Armani，特别是选择正装的时候。我不能说我有很多机会穿这些衣服，但当有这样机会的时候我都很着迷。不过，我喜欢在空闲时间里穿休闲装，尤其是牛仔裤和运动衫。然后就是鞋子了。我们足球运动员是幸运的，实际上我们有许多各种颜色的鞋子。我们喜欢展示它们，因为鞋也是我们谋生的工具之一……

I completely agree with the new action against racism that has been adopted by FIFA. My team-mate Lilian Thuram, who has always been involved in this area, was at the meeting in Zurich where the measures were fixed. He told me about his excitement when this following initiative was officially sanctioned: clubs with fans who participate in racist chants or have racist banners in the stadium could be immediately punished by losing league points.

 

我对FIFA采取的对抗种族主义的新行动完全的赞同。我的队友Lilian Thuram――他以前经常被卷入这些事情――出席了在苏黎世举行的修订标准的会议。他告诉了我他在得知以下标准被官方确定的时候的兴奋：球迷参与种族主义歌曲或是在球场内打出种族主义横幅的俱乐部会被直接处以扣除联赛积分的处罚。

 

I wouldn't say that the problem of racism can be totally eliminated with these measures, but it does represent a concrete means of fighting against it. In my career I have met players from every country in the World, both playing with them and against them. At absolutely no time has the thought occurred to me that there could be any differences between us. The beautiful thing about football, and sport in general, is that it brings you into closer contact with diverse cultures, which helps you to understand that when all is said and done, we are all equal.

 

我不能说种族主义问题可以被这些标准彻底根除，但它确实展示了一种和它斗争的具体办法。在我的职业生涯中我遇到过来自世界上各个国家的球员，不管作为队友还是对手。认为我们之间有所不同的想法绝对没有在我的脑子里出现。足球的美丽，更概括说是体育的美丽，就在于它让你与不同的文化有更近距离的接触，这帮助你理解一个问题，不管什么时候，我们都是平等的。

 

All my support is with players of different skin colours who are often bombarded with insults by opposition fans. It can't be easy for them to have to overcome certain attitudes. Thuram has often said to me that racism and violence are two sides of the same coin, and I really believe that he is right. I would also like to point out though that fortunately in Italy the problem is not too widespread, and that cases of racism are fairly isolated. It would be a better situation, however, if these measures were enforced so that fans who offend are made to pay. Maybe then, they will think twice before resorting to racist behaviour again.

 

我支持那些被对手球迷侮辱的有不同肤色的球员。对他们来说克服这样的态度很不容易。Thuram经常对我说种族主义和暴力就像硬币的两面，我确实相信他是对的。我同样想指出尽管很幸运的在，意大利这些问题还并不普遍，而且种族主义也相对被孤立。不过事情还可以变的更好，如果这些标准可以迫使那些冒犯的球迷付出代价的话。也许到时候，他们就会在再次想采取种族主义行为之前三思而后行。

 

Before saying goodbye myself, I would like to send all my love to Demetrio Albertini, who said his goodbyes to football in a great game at the San Siro, in which so many champions took part. He too was a champion, and I think he will still have a very useful part to play in football. With his knowledge and intelligence he can do whatever he wants, whether it is as a coach or as a director. I am sure that we will meet each other again.

 

当我结束之前，我想向Demetrio Albertini献上我的祝福，他刚刚在圣西罗球场以一场伟大的，有无数冠军球员参加的比赛告别了足球。他也是一位冠军球员，我想他依然会在足球上发挥作用的。凭借他的知识和聪明，他可以做任何他想做的事情，不管是作为一名教练或是作为管理人员。我相信我们一定会再次见到对方的。

First of all I would like to wish Francesco Totti the very best of luck. On Sunday he picked up a bad injury during the championship away game to Empoli. I know what he’s going through: you suddenly feel like you’re on your own, powerless, at the mercy of fate. But once the anger and disappointment have subsided, you seek solace in your loved ones and you start to come round, imagining the moment you get back onto the pitch. Francesco is a fighter, he’s got a lot of charisma and with his willpower, I’m sure he’ll be back in time for the World Cup. Italy needs him, and we’re awaiting his return. I could tell him the following to encourage him to see the situation in a different light: some experiences help us develop, make us stronger, and once you pick up where you left off, you feel stronger than before. That’s how it was for me, and it will be the same for Totti.

 

首先，我要祝福Francesco Totti好运。他在周日对阵Empoli的比赛中受了重伤。我知道他的感受：你突然觉得不属于自己，在命运的支配下感觉无能为力。但一旦愤怒和失望平息，你会去向你的爱人寻求安慰，并开始恢复过来，憧憬着你回到球场的那一刻。Francesco是一位战士，他具有很高的影响力，我相信，凭借他的毅力，他一定会及时回来参加世界杯比赛的。意大利需要他，我们都在等待着他的回归。我愿意用以下这些来鼓励他，希望他能够以更积极的方式看待这个情况：有一些经历帮助我们进步，令我们更加坚强，一旦你能够在你跌倒的地方站起来，你会感觉比以前更加强大。这对我来说如此，对Totti也一样。

 

Secondly, I would like to share some of my sporting passions with you. As a child, before I decided to become a goalkeeper, my idol was Lothar Matthaeus, midfielder with Inter and the German national team: I liked how he played, as well as the fact that he shattered people’s preconceptions. As far as teams were concerned, I was a fan of Galeone’s Pescara, an unpredictable formation, different from the rest, although perhaps somewhat lacking in perseverance, but capable of feats which were regarded as being of the utmost difficulty.

 

第二点，我想和你们分享一些我对体育的感情。当我还是个孩子的时候，我还没有决定成为一名守门员，我的偶像是Lothar Matthaeus，Inter和德国国家队的中场球员：我喜欢他踢球的方式，并且事实上他用行动击碎了人们的偏见。至于球队方面，我是Galeone带领的Pescara的球迷，他们有一套不同于其它球队的不可预知的阵容，尽管在某种程度上欠缺稳定性，但却能够在被认为是最极端困难的情况下取得成功。

 

What about goalkeepers? Well, in the meantime I became a goalkeeper for all intents and purposes at the age of 12, straight after the 1990 World Cup which as staged in Italy. My idol was none other than the Cameroon number 1, Thomas N’Kono. An intrepid, showy, impressive goalkeeper, but at the same time an effective one: just when it looked as if he wouldn’t be able to stop the ball, he sprang with cat-like agility and caught it. His technique was regarded as somewhat rough around the edges, but what great reflexes and instinct! It was down to him that I became so captivated with the role. I’ve never looked back since. The job for him called for a small dose of “madness”, which was what I admired in my idols when I was a boy.

 

那关于门将方面呢？嗯，我是大概在12岁的时候下定了成为一名门将的决心，那是在1990意大利举办的世界杯之后。我的偶像绝对是喀麦隆的1号，Thomas N’Kono。一位无畏的，善于炫耀的，令人印象深刻的门将，但同时是一名有作用的门将：当看起来似乎他无法阻止来球的时候，他像猫一样敏捷的跃起并抓住了皮球。他的横向移动技术尽管在某些程度上被认为是很粗糙，但反应和本能却是那么的出色！就是他让我深深的被这个位置所吸引。我从此没有后悔过。他的位置总是需要少许的“疯狂”，这正是我还是个孩子的时候最钦佩偶像们的地方。

I’m really pleased since the newspapers are talking a lot about my blog lately: my aim was to “address” my fans, who are showering me with kindness and affection. It’s also thanks to them that I have managed to protect myself during difficult times. Actually, the injury, and particularly the effects it had on my state of mind are now pretty much dead and buried. As for those who maintained that Buffon would never be the same again, I’d be interested to hear what they have to say now.

 

对于报纸上近日来对我博客的讨论我感到很高兴：我的目的是向我的球迷们进行“演讲”，他们向我展现了善良和友爱。我能够在我困难的时候保护好我自己，值得感谢的人里面也有他们。实际上，这次受伤，特别是它在我心理上的影响现在已经几乎消失和掩藏掉了。至于那些一直在说Buffon绝不会回到以前水平的人，我倒是对他们现在怎么说很感兴趣。

 

Actually, there is a difference; the rumours which have been started, such as for example that next year I’m off to Milan. However, this “gossip” does not get to me, I’m actually quite used to it, especially since, if it weren’t Milan, it would be another team. These commercial issues are always being brought up, and clearly my name keeps springing to mind. In actual fact I have a contract with Juventus until 2010 and I’m more than happy to honour it.

 

实际上，争论总是存在的：最近有了一些谣传，比如说我下个赛季要离开去Milan。但是，这些“闲话”并没有影响到我，实际上我已经对此很习惯了，就算不是Milan，也会有其它的球队出现在谣言里。这样的商业炒作总是存在的，很明显，我的名字经常会出现。事实上，我和Juventus的合同一直到2010年，并且我对享有这份光荣无比高兴。

 

Following the draw against Milan, which has meant Juventus could go for the league title (note: I said could, there’s still a long way to go), we’re currently focusing on the Champions League match against Arsenal, and on the best way to tackle this match, with the utmost determination over the forthcoming championship games, starting with the one against Mazzone’s Livorno; he’s the doyen of Italian coaches.

As for me, I’m really starting to feel it, almost a build up of the World Cup exhilaration. The season is coming to a crunch point and I’m on top form. I’ve “had so much rest” as a result of the injury, that now I’m raring to go and put in some hard work, and I feel unfazed by the pressure; quite the opposite, it’s spurring me on.

 

在和Milan的平局之后，似乎Juventus差不多拿到了联赛的冠军头衔（注意：我说的是差不多，接下来还有很长的路），我们当下要专注于冠军联赛和Arsenal的比赛，想出应付这场比赛的最好办法，带着对即将来临的冠军联赛比赛的最大决心，我们将要对阵Mazzone带领的Livorno队，Mazzone是意大利教练员中的前辈人物。对于我来说，我几乎已经开始感觉到将要到来的世界杯比赛的愉快心情。这个赛季已经到了关键的时刻，而且我正处于巅峰状态。由于受伤，我这个赛季已经“休息了好久”，现在我正急切的想在付出我的努力，我并没有对压力感到焦虑，恰恰相反，它正在鞭策我前进。

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Why I love March Madness

 

一年中最美妙的时节

――告诉你我为什么喜爱“疯狂三月”

 

Ruth Riley

Center, Detroit Shock

The Detroit Shock's Ruth Riley has had quite an eventful past few years. In 2001, the Indiana native was named the Naismith Award winner and led Notre Dame to its first NCAA Championship in women's basketball. After being drafted in the first round by the Miami Sol, Riley found her way to Detroit and helped the Shock go from the worst record in the league to winning the WNBA title in one season. In Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals, Riley scored 27 points en route to earning WNBA Finals MVP honors. In 2004, she realized a lifelong dream and helped the United States win Olympic gold in Athens.

 

作者：Ruth Riley，底特律震动队中锋

底特律震动队的Ruth Riley最近几年过的很不平凡。在2001年，这名印第安那人获得了奈史密斯奖并且率领Notre Dame得到了她们历史上第一个NCAA女子篮球的冠军。在选秀第一轮被迈阿密溶胶队选中之后，Riley转会到了底特律，并且帮助球队在一个赛季的时间里，从联盟最差战绩进步成了WNBA的总冠军球队。在2003年WNBA总决赛第三场中，Riley得到了27分，这帮助她获得了WNBA总决赛MVP的荣誉。2004年，她实现了毕生的梦想，帮助美国队在雅典赢得了奥运会的金牌。

 

 

This is definitely my favorite time of year in sports. There truly is nothing like March Madness!! The beauty of sports is revealed in this 64 team, winner-take-all tournament. It doesn't matter what school is on the front of your jersey or what your record was before you got there, everyone has the same chance to win.

 

这绝对是一年中我最喜欢的体育时刻。没有什么东西可以像疯狂三月一样的！64支队伍，一场定胜负的淘汰赛，体育的美丽在这里面显现。不管你球衣前印的是哪所学校，不管你来这里之前取得过什么样的成绩，每个人都有同等的获胜的机会。

 

What makes it so special?

 

是什么使它如此与众不同呢？

 

-Amateurism- these kids don't get paid, there are no bonuses for making the Tournament. The simplistic beauty of competition is demonstrated by the unity and passion that they play with.

 

非职业――这些孩子们没有工资，即使赢得锦标的话也没有奖金。他们一起打球时的团结和激情显示了竞技运动最原始的美丽。

 

-Equality- once you make the Tournament, every team has the same dream to win... and every team has a shot at that dream.

 

机会均等――你曾经赢得过锦标，但每支球队都有同样的梦想去获得胜利，每支球队都可以为梦想而奋斗。

 

-Story lines- each team has a compelling story of just what got them there, and every story is uniquely scripted by the different characters (players/coaches). We love the tales of players overcoming insurmountable obstacles to achieve greatness because these stories give us hope in our own lives.

 

故事情节――每支球队都有一段引人入胜的故事来讲述他们是怎么到达这里，而且每段故事都是由不同的人员（球员或是教练）原创的。我们喜欢那些球员们克服不可能战胜的困难最终取得伟大成绩的传奇故事，因为这些故事也给了我们自己生活的希望。

 

-Involvement- the NCAA tournament is a time in sports where fans feel like they are truly involved in the action. Part of it is because they get to fill out brackets with their favorite teams and follow the action with the friends. Everyone has their favorite team and the team that they love to hate!! So when filling out your bracket, do you put that team that you absolutely despise in the winner's bracket, knowing you have a better shot at getting the pick right, or do you credit that unheard of 13 seed team with the upset? Just so you can cheer even harder against your arch rival? It's that classic head VS heart dilemma.

 

投入――NCAA锦标赛是球迷们真正全心投入体育的时间。部分是因为他们找到了自己最喜欢的队伍，还可以跟随朋友们的行动。每个人都有他们最喜欢的球队和他们无比痛恨的球队！所以当你挑选你的球队的时候，你是不是明知道有更好的选择，但还是把你不看好的球队写在了胜者一栏中？或是你选择了一些在13支种子队中没有的球队，只是为了可以对着你的死敌更彻底的庆祝？这才是最经典的心的抉择。

 

So whether you are a diehard fan or simply looking for a dramatic tale to unfold, I hope you enjoy this year's tournament as much as I do!!

 

所以不管你是个顽固的球迷或是只是想找到一个将要展现的戏剧性的传奇故事，我都希望你能像我一样享受今年的锦标赛！

For me, the Champions League season against Werder Bremen kicked off on a bitter-sweet note. Sweet, in the sense that I have proven, even to detractors, that I was in good form; also, that I have regained my normal level of performance. Predictably, the German team’s forwards went on the offensive, and I think I have handled all the situations in which I have been caught up. But when you’re in the thick of it, and you find yourself in a three-goal passive, it’s hard to feel happy or satisfied. That’s why I feel ill-at-ease. At the end of the game we thought we had won, subconsciously allowing that to carry us along, and Werder made us pay the price. Whatever the case, all the necessary criteria are in place for turning the outcome around during the next encounter, we just need to make sure we have our wits about us this time.

 

对我来说，对阵Werder Bremen的冠军联赛记载了苦涩和甜蜜。甜蜜的是，就像我所证明的一样，甚至对于批评者来说，我状态也是很好的；同时，我已经重新找回了我的正常状态。不出意料的，德国球队的前锋全力进攻，我认为我很好的处理了我遇到的各种情况。但当最关键的时候，你却发现你被进了三个球，这很难令人感到高兴和满意。这就是我为什么感到不安。在比赛的最后阶段，我们认为我们已经获胜了，不自觉的就陶醉于这种感觉之中，然后Bremen让我们付出了代价。不管事情如何，一切事情的目标就是在下次遭遇时将结果扭转过来，我们只是需要时刻保持理智。

 

As for me, as I said, I’m proud of the way I performed. To be honest, since my comeback, I don’t feel I’ve fared too badly, which is also thanks to my team mates who have shielded my goal effectively. Nevertheless, for some unfathomable reason, certain “rumours” was still going round, and aspersions being cast on my private life, which have really got to me. My home-life with Alena was of more interest than my performance on the field. I hope that following the disputed heat in Germany, I’ve shown once and for all that Buffon is still the same Buffon, and that criticism will be directed at my performance on the pitch, and not at my life outside the game.

 

至于我自己，就像我说过的一样，我为我的表现而自豪。说实话，自从我复出以后，我从来没有感觉我恢复太慢，这也要感谢我的队友们有力的保护了我的球门。不过，由于一些不幸的原因，总有某些“谣言”一直在传播，而且还有一些对我私人生活的诽谤――这真的影响了我。似乎我和Alena的家庭生活比我在球场的表现更令人感兴趣。我希望在德国的这些争议之后，我可以明确的证明Buffon还是以前的那个Buffon，希望所有的批评都是对于我球场上的表现，而不是对于我比赛之外的生活。

 

Now that we’re coming to a crunch point in the season, what I need is to be able to focus as much as possible. We still have a good position in the championship, with a clear advantage as regards the other contenders, but the Champions League is a trophy we need to win, and we will fight tooth and nail to get our hands on it. Therefore we are going to channel all our energy into winning the Cup. We are aware that from this point onwards, whoever slips up will count the cost. We slipped up in Germany, and we paid the price there and then. But we won’t be making the same mistake twice; once bitten, twice shy.

 

现在我们将要进入赛季的关键阶段，我所需要的就是尽可能的集中精力。我们在联赛中还是处于一个很不错的位置，依然保持着对竞争者的明显优势，但冠军联赛是我们要赢得的比赛，我们将要拼命争取捧回奖杯。因此我们要将我们的全部精力转移到赢得奖杯上。我们意识到从今以后，只要有些许的疏忽就会付出代价。我们在德国大意了，于是我们当场就付出了代价。但我们决不会再次犯同样的错误：一次被咬，下次小心。

Looking On The Bright Side Of The Draw

Monday February 20 2006

By Philip Cornwall

 

往好的方面来看抽签结果

2006年2月20日，周一

作者：Philip Cornwall

 

Poor old Alan Shearer, hoping for Liverpool v Chelsea in the quarter-finals. At work on Saturday a colleague was hoping against hope that Newcastle would not make it to the FA Cup final, for fear of the reaction from the press, not least from the BBC.

The possibility of the sheet metal worker's son bowing out with a chance to convert all those Newcastle goals for a long-awaited trophy would send Lineker and co, plus most of the rest of the media, absolutely crazy.

 

可怜的老Alan Shearer，希望着Liverpool会和Chelsea在四分之一决赛中相遇。由于惧怕媒体的反应――不止是BBC――周六一位同事还对Newcastle无法进入足总杯决赛抱一丝希望。Newcastle已经为一座奖杯等待了很久，而现在这个金属片工人的儿子可能放弃一个扭转这样局面的机会，这会使Lineker和其他的媒体陷入完全的疯狂。

 

There remains the danger that Shearer's retirement will bring forth fawning on a scale not seen since the Queen Mother's death, but for the brown-nose overload we now need Shearer and Glenn Roeder to mastermind success in a tie that starts at Stamford Bridge.

 

Shearer的退役会带来自皇太后去世以来最大规模的溜须拍马，这样的危险依然存在，但不管马屁如何多我们现在需要Shearer和Glenn Roeder来出谋划策，来取得一场将要在Stamford Bridge球场进行的比赛的成功。

 

If they succeed and go on to the final, then perhaps more of that praise will be deserved, but the inability of the Corporation especially to give a fair appraisal of Shearer's faults and desire to give him a media career tarnish, for many, his undoubted achievements on the pitch.

 

如果他们成功晋级到决赛，那时或许他们应该得到更多的赞扬，但俱乐部的无能，特别是对Shearer所犯错误和野心的公正评价让他的媒体生涯失去了光泽，让他没有像在球场上那样取得不容置疑的成就。

 

Last season Newcastle did beat Chelsea in the Cup, albeit at St James' Park, so being of an optimistic disposition I will look on the bright side whatever the outcome.

 

上个赛季Newcastle确实在杯赛中击败了Chelsea――尽管那是在St James’ Park球场，所以怀着乐观的心情我会往好的方面看，不管结果怎样。

 

Liverpool are better bets to fall short of the final, after drawing away to a side they haven't beaten for a while. Last season Steve Bruce led Birmingham to a league double over the soon-to-be European champions; this season, his struggling side have drawn twice against the Reds.

 

Liverpool是更不被看好进入决赛的球队，因为他们抽到了客场挑战一只他们已经一段时间没有战胜过的球队。上个赛季Steve Bruce带领Birmingham在联赛中两次击败了当年的欧洲冠军，这个赛季，他的苦苦挣扎的球队也对红军取得了两场平局。

 

Such runs have to come to an end some time, though, and if I am forced to look on the bright side of this tie then it will be by saying that Liverpool are the most likely opponents to stop Chelsea.

 

尽管这样的连续纪录总会有结束的时候，但如果我非要去观察这场对阵的好的方面的话，我会说Liverpool是最有希望终结Chelsea的球队。

 

Sam Allardyce always struggles to look on the bright side. One reader wondered why I called him charmless - well, principally because of his tedious one-eyed whingeing about every decision that goes against Bolton combined with an inability to see those that go in their favour that lacks the guileless amusement provided by, say, Arsene Wenger's immortal punchline.

 

Sam Allardyce总是拼命往好的方面看。一位读者奇怪我为什么说他不吸引人――嗯，主要是因为他片面的对每一个不利于Bolton的决定叫苦，而且他似乎总也看不见那些缺乏公正却对他们有利的决定，这是Arsene Wenger的经典妙语。

 

Oh, and don't forget his attitude to African players and their continental championship. Or the fact that despite qualifications that would not get him a mention as a prospective coach of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland etc he is happy to play the nationality card rather than get on with achieving the trophies or top-four finishes that would give his claims some credibility if he was chasing the job in the eras when Ramsey, Revie, Greenwood and Robson were awarded it.

 

哦，别忘了他对待非洲球员和非洲杯赛的态度。事实是就算晋级他也不会在法国，德国，意大利，西班牙和荷兰等国家的教练候选名单中出现。他似乎更热衷于打国际牌，而不是努力获得奖杯或是以前四名结束赛季，这会使他有足够资本来宣称他在追求Ramsey，Revie，Greenwood和Robson的时代的成就。

 

Now Sam faces a replay at Upton Park then a visit to Aston Villa or Manchester City. Again, like Shearer, he will deserve a larger slice of credit if he pulls this off then wins his semi-final. And if he goes on to win a cup or two and steals that Champions League place then maybe he will be worth an interview at Soho Square.

 

现在Sam还要在Upton Park球场面临一场补赛，然后做客Aston Villa或是Manchester City。再一次的，像Shearer一样，如果他能赢得这个比赛并且通过半决赛的话，他会得到更多的信任。如果他能赢得一两个杯赛的锦标或是窃取一个冠军联赛的席位的话，他应该就能在Soho广场接受采访了。

 

The last tie sees Charlton play Middlesbrough, and Alan Curbishley meet Steve McClaren in what could in boxing parlance prove an England coach title eliminator. It may not be the most glamorous tie but it offers both sides a fantastic chance of a place in the semi-final. And if the worst comes to the worst and Liverpool and Chelsea get through, then, to look on the bright side, there is still the hope of them meeting each other in the last four.

 

最后一组对阵是Charlton对阵Middlesbrough，这是Alan Curbishley与Steve McClaren的对话，这将一场证明谁是英格兰本土教练冠军杀手的肉搏战。这也许不会是最有魅力的比赛，但对双方来说却是个赢得半决赛席位的绝好机会。就算事情倒霉到极点，Liverpool和Chelsea都晋级了，然后，往好的方面看，他们还有在四强中相遇的机会。

Saunders' defense was the key to victory as the East held the West to .455 from the floor and forced 24 turnovers which resulted in 31 points. In contrast, the East shot .505 from the field and committed 16 miscues.

 

Saunders的防守是取胜的关键，东部队将西部队的命中率限制在45.5%，并且通过西部队的24次失误得到了31分。与之相对照，东部队的命中率是50.5%而且只有16次失误。

By the way, I predicted the East victory in this space last week. I almost ate my words after the West erected a 21-point lead in the third period but the East wouldn't be denied a second straight win---both on the road---in the greatest basketball show on earth.

 

顺便说一下，我上周在这个Space上预测东部会取得胜利。在第三节西部队竖立起21分领先的时候我几乎想收回我的预测，但东部队是不会拒绝连续第二次在客场取得这场最伟大的篮球表演的胜利的。

I told you so---defense wins it for East

Saunders in paradigm shift

我告诉过你――东部靠防守取胜

Saunders的范例手段

 

Joaquin Henson

Journalist/Broadcaster, Philippines

A popular Philippine sports columnist and broadcaster for more than 30 years, Joaquin Henson has covered five NBA Finals on site for Philippine TV. NIcknamed "The Dean" for his scholarly approach to the game, Henson has also received several awards, including the first-ever Olympism Award from the Philippine Olympic Committee for excellence in journalism.

 

HOUSTON. They don't usually play defense in the NBA All-Star Game where the accent of play is offense by tradition.

 

休斯顿报道：球员们在全明星赛上是不常防守的，全明星赛在传统上就是注重进攻的比赛。

 

But last Sunday night at the Toyota Center here, the East rewrote history and put on a gritty display of hard-nosed defense to eke out a 122-120 win over the West.

 

但上周日晚上在丰田中心，东部队重新书写了历史，他们显示了他们的坚韧，顽强的取下了一场对西部队的122比120的胜利。

 

Leading the charge were East coach Flip Saunders' reliables from Detroit---Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups who provided the defensive push that eventually broke the West's back.

 

领衔东部队的是Flip Saunders的Detroit亲信――Ben Wallace，Rasheed Wallace，Rip Hamilton和Chauncey Billups，就是他们展现了他们的防守并且最终打倒了西部队。

The MVP trophy, however, went to Cleveland's wunderkind LeBron James who poured in 29 points, 13 in the third period when the East trimmed a 21-point deficit to three. James' selection was true to form because in the All-Star Game, offense is still what fans enjoy the most.

 

但是，MVP奖杯归属于神奇小子LeBron James，他得到了29分，其中有13分是在第三节得到的，东部队也在那一节将21分的落后缩小为3分。选择James是正确的，因为在全明星赛上，进攻依然是球迷最喜欢的。

Saunders took over as the Pistons coach from Larry Brown this season and has so far done a masterful job on the bench. Detroit is the league's leading team with a 42-9 record. Next in line is Dallas at 41-11.

 

Saunders这个赛季从Larry Brown手中接过了活塞队的教鞭，并在教练席上完成了大师级的工作。Detroit以42胜9负的成绩领先全联盟，排在后面的是41胜11负的Dallas。

If the NBA ended its regular season today, making the playoff cut in the East would be, in order, Detroit, Miami, New Jersey, Cleveland, Indiana, Milwaukee, Washington and Philadelphia and in the West, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, San Antonio, the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

如果NBA今天结束常规赛的话，东部进入季后赛的球队，按顺序将是Detroit，Miami，New Jersey，Cleveland，Indiana，Milwaukee，Washington和Philadelphia，西部将是Dallas，Phoenix，Denver，San Antonio，Los Angeles Clippers，Memphis，New Orleans和Los Angeles Lakers。

Saunders, who turns 51 on Thursday, was unceremoniously kicked out as Minnesota coach in the middle of last season. The Timberwolves were in a state of confusion with a 25-26 record and although Saunders wasn't to blame, he was made the convenient scapegoat. Minnesota's loss turned out to be Detroit's gain.

 

Saunders将在周四度过他的51岁生日，他在上个赛季中间被Minnesota草率的开除了教练职位。森林狼队那时这处在混乱中而且仅拿到了25胜26负的成绩，尽管这并不是Saunders的责任，但他确是最方便的被当做了替罪羊。Minnesota的损失最终被证明是Detroit得到了大便宜。

In the press conference after the All-Star Game, Saunders paid tribute to the East players for rolling up their sleeves, getting down to business and playing tough defense in repulsing the West. He said the effort down the stretch made the difference as the East preserved a 10-point lead with 3:29 to go to edge the West by two.

 

在全明星赛后的新闻发布会上，Saunders称赞东部球员卷起袖子，认真对待比赛而且靠强大的防守击败了西部队的表现。他说最后阶段的努力造成了最后3分29秒里的差距，东部在这段时间领先了10分，而西部仅取下了两分。

With the game on the line, Saunders called on Allen Iverson to play the point instead of his Detroit quarterback Billups. He assigned James on Tracy McGrady and Dwayne Wade on Kobe Bryant. Rasheed Wallace was the center and the only East player to log all 12 minutes in the period. Vince Carter was the fifth cager on the floor for Saunders.

 

在关键时刻的比赛中，Saunders派Allen Iverson担任控球后卫，而不是他在Detroit的控卫Billups。他派James防守Tracy McGrady，Dwayne Wade防守Kobe Bryant。Rasheed Wallace担任中锋，而且他是东部唯一一个打满最后12分钟的队员。Vince Carter是在场上的第五名球员。

The lineup appeared to be unwieldy, what with four guards on the court. But Saunders gambled on quickness to get the jump on the West, defensively. The trick worked.

 

先发队员似乎并不实用，他们中有四个后卫。但Saunders却赌博般的用快速的防守来防守西部队。这个办法奏效了。

Saunders said with the score tied at 120-all, time down to 16.6 seconds, he picked Iverson to take the last shot instead of James because of his speed advantage over Steve Nash. The Answer had an open look but missed a 15-footer. Then, from out of nowhere, Wade grabbed the offensive rebound and sank a floater.

 

Saunders说道当时间还剩16.6秒，比分打成120平时，他选择了Iverson来执行最后一投，而不是James，因为Iverson相比Steve Nash有速度优势。答案扯开了空当但却投失了一个15英尺的跳投。然后，不知从哪冒出来的，Wade抓下了进攻篮板并且补篮成功。

Wade's crucial rebound was the ultimate irony because the West controlled the boards from start to finish. The West wound up with 68 rebounds to the East's 49 and hauled in more offensive boards, 25-11.

 

Wade的关键篮板是最后的讽刺，因为西部队自始至终控制着篮板球。西部队以68个篮板球领先东部的49个，在进攻篮板上更是以25比11领先。

There was still a lot of time for the West to equalize or win the game outright with a triple. Saunders knew West coach Avery Johnson would set up either T-Mac or Bryant for the final stab so he reminded James and Wade to stay home from the inbounds pass.

 

西部队依然还有很多的时间来扳平比分或是直接以一个三分球拿下比赛。Saunders知道西部队教练Avery Johnson会选择T-Mac或是Bryant中的一个来执行最后一投，因此他将James和Wade留在了球场上。

The ball went to McGrady who uncorked a 20-footer that missed badly. He insisted James clipped him and there should've been a foul called. The ball fell short of the target and appeared to have been deflected. Kevin Garnett, who had just checked in for Ray Allen, plucked down the rebound to give the West another chance. Bryant got the ball. Only seconds earlier, he buried a difficult 20-foot fadeaway to knot the count.

 

球给了McGrady，他将一个20英尺的跳投投的很偏。他坚持说James碰到了他而且应该被吹犯规。球没有达到目标而且似乎是被干扰了。刚刚替换Ray Allen上场的Kevin Garnett抓下了篮板，给了西部队又一个机会。Bryant拿到了球。就在几秒中之前，他刚刚投中了一个很困难的20英尺的后仰跳投扳平了场上比分。

All game long, there was a concerted West effort to give McGrady every chance to shine so he could walk away with the MVP trophy before the Houston homecrowd. Bryant unselfishly gave up shots to pass to T-Mac.

 

在整场比赛之中，西部队都商定似的将每个出彩的机会都让给McGrady，来让他可以在休斯顿主场观众前拿走MVP奖杯。Bryant无私的放弃了投篮机会并把球传给了T-Mac。

But as the clock wound down, Bryant knew it was up to him to bail out the West. Alas, the East knew that, too. Three defenders crowded Bryant on his dribble and he lost the handle under pressure. Defense did it in the end as if scripted by Saunders. Bryant, incidentally, finished with eight points, seven rebounds and eight assists in 26 minutes.

 

但时间所剩不多，Bryant知道西部队的命运就在他身上了。唉，但是东部队也了解这点。三名防守队员在Bryant运球时围住了他，并导致了他在压力下失去了对球的控制。就像Saunders宣称的一样，最后还是防守赢得了比赛。顺便提一下Bryant，他在26分钟内拿到了8分，7个篮板，8次助攻。

Only two players failed to score. Pau Gasol was scoreless in three tries but collected a game-high 12 rebounds in 14 minutes. Ben Wallace missed a field goal and two free throws in 24 minutes. Big Ben compensated with eight rebounds, two assists and three steals.

 

只有两名球员没有得分。Pau Gasol三投未中但却在14分钟内拿到了全场最高的12个篮板球。Ben Wallace投丢了一球和两个罚球。大本钟用8个篮板，两次助攻和3个抢断作为补偿。

McGrady would've been the MVP if the West won. He fired 36 points, including 4-of-10 treys. On the downside, T-Mac had no rebound and flubbed 5-of-7 free throws.

 

如果西部取胜，McGrady会成为MVP的。他拿下了36分，包括三分球10投4中。但不好的是，T-Mac没有篮板球而且在罚球线上浪费了7次机会中的5次。

 

原文来自football365.com

 

Bring On A Liverpool-Chelsea Quarter-Final

Monday February 20 2006

By Philip Cornwall

 

来场Liverpool对Chelsea的四分之一决赛吧

2006年2月20日，周一

作者Philip Cornwall

 

Sadly, FA Cup weekend was overshadowed by awful misfortune on the pitch and gross stupidity off it: Alan Smith's injury in Manchester United's defeat at Liverpool, the reaction of a minority of home fans to that, and the hooliganism at Stoke v Birmingham. But besides wishing Smith all the best, let's for now stick to what was a dramatic weekend of action, from Peter Crouch's latest rebuff to his critics on Saturday lunchtime to Micah Richards's late, late equaliser on Sunday evening, even if what could have been the shock of many a year didn't quite come off.

 

令人伤心的，周末的足总杯赛被球场上的悲伤和球场下的糊涂事冲淡了很多：Alan Smith在Manchester United输给Liverpool的比赛中受伤了；少数主场球迷对他的反应；以及在Stoke与Birmingham中的足球流氓。除了祝福Smith一切顺利，我们现在还是专注于周末的戏剧性情节吧，从周六中午Peter Crouch又一次回应了对他的批评到周日晚上Micah Richards在最最后时刻的扳平，这是几年来不会再出现的神奇场面了。

 

Remember, you read it hear first on Friday: “What of the other ties? Chelsea will start as slight favourites against Colchester at Stamford Bridge.”

 

记住，你周五在这里看见到的：“另一场平局可能吗？Chelsea在Stamford Bridge对Colchester的比赛只被略微的看好。”

 

Joe Cole took them to victory in the end, but Phil Parkinson's side had every right to bask in their achievement of forcing Jose Mourinho to call on his even-bigger-name substitutes after players such as Shaun Wright-Phillips, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien could only produce barely deserved parity.

 

Joe Cole最终给Chelsea带来了胜利，但Phil Parkinson的球队有足够的权力去享受他们的伟大成就，他们的努力使Jose Mourinho甚至需要派遣上比Shaun Wright-Phillips，Didier Drogba和Michael Essien更大牌的替补，而这些大牌几乎没有表现出应当赢得比赛的能力。

 

It was nice to see Mourinho so generous in his praise of the opposition and the Cup itself: "They came to win, not to draw 0-0, and their crowd was unbelievable. They believed it was possible. This is the only country in the world where that would happen." (Though there is a dig in there at teams who go to the Bridge and play for a point - it wouldn't be Jose without a subtext.)

 

看到Mourinho如此慷慨的表扬对手和杯赛是件美妙的事情：“他们来这里是为了获胜，而不是仅仅想取得一场零比零而已，他们的观众也是难以置信的。他们认为这有可能，这是世界上唯一一个会发生这样事情的地方。”（尽管有太多的队来这里为一分而战――Jose的话总有潜台词。）

 

The ultimate victory belonged to the billionaires but so do the problems, three days before Barcelona arrive to play on the cabbage patch. Colchester, like Chelsea, are on an all-time high but the expectation at Layer Road is somewhat less.

 

最终的胜利还是属于了亿万富翁，但是问题也跟着来了，三天之后他们就要在这片菜地上迎战Barcelona了。Colchester，像Chelsea一样，总是那么情绪饱满，但是Colchester的野心总是少一些。

 

Barcelona, who've had stumbles of their own of late, were in imperious form on Saturday night, beating Real Betis 5-1 - the same Betis whose victory over Chelsea pushed the Blues into runners-up spot in their Champions League group.

 

Barcelona，这只近来自身磕磕绊绊的球队，在周六晚上展现了专横的状态，他们5比1击败了Real Betis――就是这只Betis曾经在小组赛中取胜蓝军并把他们拉到了小组第二。

 

After Chelsea saw off Everton in their fourth-round Cup replay and Barcelona's domestic slips, I could sense a real Treble chance. One win doesn't iron out all the worries, but the return of Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho has certainly restored order at the Nou Camp while Chelsea have been unimpressive of late and not always winning regardless.

 

在Chelsea足总杯重赛中战胜了Everton，Barcelona在国内联赛意外失足之后，我却感受到了三重机会。一场胜利不能消灭所有的疑虑，但Samuel Eto’o和Ronaldinho的回归绝对会在Nou Camp建立新的秩序，而且Chelsea在近来的比赛中总是不令人信服，他们不能毫无争议的取得胜利。

 

If it wasn't for the woeful state of the pitch you could say the teams will enter the tie on a level playing field.

 

除了球场上令人遗憾的结果，你可以说两队在球场上的表现应该是平局。

 

Chelsea's win, only secured once game opponents ran out of steam, was one of several barely merited successes for Premiership sides against lower-division opposition: Newcastle against Southampton, Middlesbrough at Preston, Birmingham at Stoke. Only Brentford, who never gave up but were always struggling after conceding so early at Charlton, don't really have a right to think they deserved more.

 

Chelsea的胜利――是一次让对手泄气的比赛――只是英超球队对阵低级别球队的不令人信服的胜利中的一场：Newcastle对Southampton，Middlesbrough做客Preston，Birmingham挑战Stoke。只有Brentford，这只从未放弃，却受制于开场不久的丢球而输给Charlton的球队，没有权力说他们应该取得胜利。

 

None the less we have a quarter-final draw containing only top-flight sides, 10 of them after Micah Richards's last-gasp equaliser at Villa Park.

 

我们还是要迎来由顶级球队参加的四分之一决赛了，在Micah Richards在Villa Park最后时刻攻入扳平一球后剩下的队伍是10只。

 

All the England candidates survived, even if Stuart Pearce did so by the narrowest of margins thanks to his side's poor finishing and, like Sam Allardyce, faces a replay to secure a quarter-final place.

 

所有的英格兰国家队主帅候选人都幸存了下来，即使Stuart Pearce是得益于他们糟糕的前锋线，而Sam Allardyce，要面对一场重赛才能确保四分之一决赛的席位。

 

As of Monday lunchtime they will know their potential opponents. The matches are important enough whatever comes out of the hat, but it was hard to disagree with Alan Shearer when he said what draw he wanted to see.

 

周一中午他们就可以知道他们可能的对手了。无论对阵如何比赛都已经是足够重量级了，但确实不得不同意Alan Shearer说的他想要见到的结果。

 

He didn't mention Newcastle but asked for Liverpool v Chelsea, which would open up three-quarters of the draw. It would guarantee that one place in the final will go to one of the eight teams who have won one trophy (Middlesbrough's 2004 League Cup success) between them in a decade. If not a head-to-head, then two away draws for the big two would at least make life difficult.

 

他并没有提到Newcastle但却希望Liverpool对阵Chelsea，这会给其他四分之三的球队打开条路。这可以保证一个决赛席位会属于这八只在近10年一共仅赢得过一个冠军（Middlesbrough2004年的联赛杯冠军）的球队。即使不是直接相遇，两个客场也至少会令两家大俱乐部觉得头疼了。

 

Arsenal's stumbles have given plenty of sides a glimpse of the Champions League places. Their Cup exit and the Liverpool v United pairing have offered Bolton, West Ham and a load more a dart at major silverware. The latter hopes could be enhanced by the quarter-final draw and if someone, anyone, takes that chance then like Colchester's performance it will be good not just for them but for English football and for the Cup in general.

 

Arsenal的步履蹒跚给了许多其他球队觊觎一个冠军联赛席位的机会。他们在杯赛中被淘汰和Liverpool与United过早相遇给了Bolton，West Ham以及其他一些球队一个夺取冠军的机会。他们的希望值在四分之一决赛抽签之后还可能升高，而且如果有的队――任何一只队――抓住了这样的机会并且有像Colchester一样的表现的话，这不但对他们自己，而且是对英格兰足球和杯赛都是个好事情。

Hello, friends! I know that what I wrote in my last article about how I spend my free time aroused some interest in you, so I have decided to tell you a bit more about me and my life off the field. Well, one of my of my great passions is the computer – I spend really quite a lot of time in front of the screen, surfing the net. I mostly visit sites to do with sport, and not only those dedicated to football. I like track and field athletics a lot, as my parents practised it at a high level and therefore an interest in it has been passed to me, even though I discovered when I was as young as six that my great passion was football.  My mum and dad were shotput champions, while my sisters are great volleyball players and when they come to see me (which is often), we talk about our similar experiences playing sport.

 

嗨，朋友们！我知道我上一篇关于怎么度过我的空闲时间的文章唤起了你们的兴趣，所以我决定再多告诉你们一些关于我和我在球场之外的东西。嗯，我最大的热情之一就是电脑了――我确实在屏幕前花掉了好多时间，上网冲浪。我通常浏览一些关于体育的网站，但不仅限于足球。我非常喜欢田径，我的父母是很好的田径运动员，所以我继承了这个兴趣，尽管我在六岁的时候就知道我最大的热情是足球了。我的父母是铅球冠军，我的姐姐是个出色的排球运动员，当他们来看望我时（他们经常来的），我们就谈论一些体育方面的相似经历。

 

Another of my passions, I must confess, is cooking – good cooking. Obviously I don't want to overdo the eating too much, but a nice plate of risotto with Parmesan, or a ragout with penne pasta, which are my favourite dishes - I won't give them up easily! In general, though, I prefer starters, and in this sense my experience at Parma had an influence on me.

 

我必须坦白，我的另一大爱好就是烹饪――出色的烹饪。很明显我并不想在吃上过分关注，但一盘有干酪的意大利调味饭或是有Penne面的炖肉可是我的最爱――我是不会轻易放弃它们的！总体来说，我喜欢名列前茅，而在Parma的一段经历铸就了我的这种性格。

 

I also enjoy reading newspapers and a few novels, but above all I try to spend all the time I can with my girlfriend, Alena. What are we doing for Valentine's Day? A candlelit dinner, of course. Where, though, I can't tell you...

 

我也喜欢读报纸和一些小说，但最重要的，我尽我可能的把时间用来陪我的女朋友，Alena。我们情人节干什么了？当然是一顿烛光晚餐，在哪？这我可不能告诉你……

The midweek championship meet has to some degree taken what has been thought of as the match of the year, between Inter and Juventus, from under the spotlight. The game will be held on Sunday evening at Milan’s “Meazza” stadium. This is the match of the year because everyone sees it as critical to winning the league title, since according to the pundits, a single win by Inter could reopen the title fight. Naturally, I'm hoping for a win for Juventus, although we should not assume that the opposition is no longer capable of moving up in the ranking. Nevertheless, it would be a huge blow to the championship table.

 

这周在Inter和Juventus之间进行的意大利德比在某种程度上被认为是年度之战，也早已成为了焦点。比赛将会于周日晚上在Milan的Meazza球场进行。这是年度之战，因为大家都把它看做是冠军的分界点，根据专家们的观点，如果Inter获胜的话将会重新开启冠军争夺。自然的，我希望Juventus能取胜，尽管我们不能认为对手不再有能力在排行榜上上升，但是，这依然会是冠军争夺中的巨大优势。

 

While we await the outcome on the field, I can talk about how I prepare for these meets which can decide the season. Above all, I treat the match as if it were a final. It is important to focus one’s mind on the event itself, and not the possible outcome. To look on the competition as though it were the final: this naturally causes heightened tensions, although by this I mean positive tension, which can and must be converted into positive energy, adding to the competition.

 

当我们准备球场上的比赛的时候，我可以来说说我在这种决定一个赛季的比赛前是怎么来准备的。首先，我把这场比赛看做是决赛。重要的是将思想集中于事情本身，而不是可能的结果。将比赛看做决赛，这自然会带来高度的紧张，不过在这里我说的是积极的紧张，可以并一定会转化成积极的能量，为比赛服务。

 

That’s the case as far as training is concerned. As for everything else, I spend the day listening to music and watching films on TV. That is what I do to relax, particularly having been with Juventus all these years, during both international and national Cups. I’ve learnt how to handle the stress of the competition. Also, the great thing about playing as part of a prominent team is the chance to play in so many crucial matches. The one on Sunday evening against Inter is one of those matches which any player would love to be part of, because of the adrenaline and sense purpose it brings to a whole week’s work. With a packed stadium, the league title up for grabs, the clash of so many champions, I can’t wait to get out onto the pitch.

 

刚才是关于训练的一些东西。至于其他事情，我在比赛当天会听音乐和在电视上看电影。这是我用来放松的事情，特别是在Juventus的这几年，不管是国际比赛还是国内杯赛。我已经学会了如何应对赛事的压力。同时，加入一只卓越的球队的好处就是经常有机会参加至关重要的比赛。周日对Inter的比赛是每一个球员都想参加的比赛，因为这是验证一周努力的时候了。在爆满的球场里，全力争取联赛锦标，冠军球队的碰撞，我已经等不及要踏上球场了。

The quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia saw Inter, Udinese, Palermo and Roma go through to the semi-finals. As far as teams leading the field in the championship are concerned, apart from us, Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina have been knocked out. This shows that in football, as well as the team’s physical condition and its technical values, motivation makes a huge difference. Naturally, that is not to say that Juventus was not striving for the Coppa Italia, since our club (and therefore team) has always set its sights as high as possible, always aiming to come out on top in each competition. In fact, having lost at home against Roma, we managed to secure a win on the difficult ground of the Stadio Olimpico, driving home the message that Juventus is never defeated. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough, although we fought to the last.

 

意大利杯四分之一决赛结束了，Inter，Udinese，Palermo和Roma最终进入了半决赛。至于联赛中领先的几只球队，除了我们之外，Milan和Fiorentina也已经被淘汰了。这说明在球场上，就像身体状况和技术水平一样，进取心也会造成结果的截然不同。当然，这并不是说Juventus没有在杯赛中尽力，因为球队总是把眼光放的尽可能的高，所以我们总是在每项赛事中都要争取第一。事实上，在主场输给Roma之后，我们很努力的在Olimpico球场力克Roma，这表明Juventus并不是失败者。不幸的是，尽管我们奋斗到了最后一刻，但这还不够。

 

However, it is sometimes the case that formations, for one reason or another, do not manage to achieve their potential in a championship, focusing on international Cups or on the national Cup. Udinese, Palermo, to some extent Inter and even Roma are clear examples: they are excellent teams which have encountered problems along the way, problems which they managed to overcome in the Coppa Italia, with swift actions.

 

但是，出于某些原因，有些时候阵型在国际比赛和国内的杯赛中并不能达到在联赛中的水平。Udinese，Palermo，某种程度上说Inter甚至Roma都说明了一点：他们都是很不错的球队，他们遇到了困难，但在意大利杯上快速的做出了反应，克服了这些困难。

 

There’s a good fight in store, since all four are confident and determined to come out on top. In addition, all four are still trying to win the Champions or UEFA Cup, therefore the final winners will to a large extent depend on the general conditions at the time. On paper only Inter and Roma appear to have a better chance of beating their opponents, and could play each other in the final, but let’s not play down the “longing” of Udinese and Palermo. The field is still open, which is testament to the fact that in Italy, rivalry reigns supreme, and it is here that forecasts may be turned on their heads. This is why Juventus allows no gaps in its defence in the championship, and does not let its guard down: the season is still far from over.

 

接下来的比赛将会很精彩，因为四只球队都很自信而且很有决心取得最后的胜利。另外，这四只球队还在努力赢得冠军杯和联盟杯，因此最后的胜者将很大程度上取决于比赛时的情况。理论上说Inter和Roma似乎比对手强一些，似乎他们将在决赛中会师，但我们不能轻视充满渴望的Udinese和Palermo。球场上什么都有可能发生，意大利也相信“比赛至上”，所以才会有这样那样的预测。这也是为什么Juventus不允许在联赛中有任何闪失，也不能松懈：因为赛季还远没有结束。

Buffon日记翻译好了，今后自然会更新，下一步计划：NBA的一些评论，还有一些有些深度的足球文章，就是背景啊文化之类，不知道有没有人看，自娱自乐为主……

Dear friends,

This "diary" is being launched to coincide with the New Year - which will be a particularly important one as the World Cup is being held in Germany. The first part of 2005 was an amazing time for me, winning the "scudetto" (the Italian League Championship) with Juventus and then qualifying for the World Cup with the Italian national team. This was doubly satisfying, and on a sporting level it repaid all the many sacrifices I'd made to ensure I was always up to the task and capable of dealing with the situation. But, for me, the year which has just ended turned out a really special one in another way, because I met the love of my life, Alena, who has been at my side for six months: she is far more than just the wife of a celebrity - she's really quite something in her own right*. This has made me happy and given me peace of mind, helping me make it through the difficult times.

 

亲爱的朋友们：

这个日记随着新年一起和大家见面了，由于将要在德国举行的世界杯，今年将显得特别重要。2005年的前半部分对我来说是非常好的，我在Juventus赢得了意甲联赛的冠军，帮助意大利队取得了世界杯的资格。这是双重的喜悦，从竞技层面上来说这是对我一直以来努力的回报，我一直在努力完成任务并处理所有的状况。但，对我来说，刚结束的一年在另一方面来讲对我真的是很特殊的一年，因为我遇到了我生命中的真爱：Alena，我们已经在一起6个月了，她绝不仅仅是一个名人的妻子，她真正有她自己的一些东西。她令我很快乐，给予我心灵上的平静，帮助我度过了困难的时期。

 

And difficult times there have been - in 2005 I also had to swallow the bitter pill of one of the worst misfortunes of my career, which had a serious influence on the start of the new football season, both with Juventus and with the Italian national side. Now, fortunately, I'm feeling much better, I'm on the way back to a full recovery and I'm looking to the future with optimism. During my long layoff my team mates were amazing and the team I'm getting ready to rejoin in the championship is a perfectly oiled machine running at full throttle, a Juventus side with a real hunger to win the title again. And I feel sure that the Italian national side will have the same hunger to show what it can do at the very highest level in Germany. I know Lippi well, he and Capello are quite alike in terms of their characters because they are always "hungry", they never give up, they know how to motivate and keep up the pressure on the players, helping them to think like winners. It's no coincidence that both whether it's with Juve or with the "azzuri", they place great emphasis on a strong squad, on unity, on technical resources and also on the moral of the players. This is the case both in long competitions like the league championship and in shorter ones like the World Cup - everyone has to give 110% if the team is going to be successful.

 

困难时期就是：在2005年我吞下了职业生涯中最大的不幸所带来的苦果，这严重的影响了这个赛季的开始阶段――不管在Juventus和意大利国家队都是这样。幸运的是，现在我已经感觉好多了，我就要彻底恢复了，并且对未来保持很乐观。在我长期缺阵的时间里，我的队友们发挥的异常出色，而且我要回归加入的这支球队是一支磨合的非常出色的加足马力的冠军队伍，这是一支对卫冕冠军无比渴望的Juventus。意大利对也有同样的渴望，他们要在德国证明他们是世界最高水平。我十分了解Lippi，他和Capello在性格方面很相似，因为他们总是很“饥渴”，从不放弃，并且他们知道如何激励球员并对他们保持压力，使球员们有冠军般的信心。他们两人在Juve和国家队都建立了一支强大的队伍：团结一致，技术精湛，士气高涨，这绝不是巧合。无论是在长期的竞争――像是联赛――或是短期的比赛――像世界杯――这都很重要，如果球队要取得成功，那么每个队员都要付出110%的努力。

 

I hope that I'll be in top form for Germany 2006 and the best way of achieving this is to start getting back to my best with Juventus. I can't wait to leave the bad times behind me, to get back onto the pitch, to once again breathe in the atmosphere you can sense at really big matches, with adrenaline pumping in my veins. Being out for so many months was really tough, partly because I've been lucky and it's not something I'm used to, so I've built up an incredible amount of energy, and now I want to use all that energy to help both Juventus and the Italian national side. I'll be doing it not just for myself but also for the fans who have always given me such wonderful support.

 

我希望2006年在德国我能达到最佳状态，而达到这一点的最好的方式就是重新回到Juventus。我已经等不及要把那段不好的日子抛在身后了，等不及重新回到球场，重新感受到大赛时候的紧张气氛了，我的肾上腺素已经开始分泌了。离开了这么多月确实很艰难，可能是我一直都很幸运，所以我不习惯这样，我已经积累了大量的能量，现在我要用这些能量来帮助Juventus和意大利国家队。我会这样做的，不止是为我自己，也为了一直支持我的球迷们。

After the trying time during the Coppa Italia, at last I have once again breathed the heady atmosphere of the championship. It felt amazing. Among other things, being on the field has confirmed the thoughts I had when I was watching Juventus from the outside: the truth is we can make it all the way. That's not to say that we will, but we will put everything into every goal scored, both in Italy and abroad.

 

自从上次在意大利杯上小试身手之后，我终于又可以呼吸到追逐冠军的激烈气氛了。这种感觉很奇妙。与其他事情相比，重新回到球场使我坚定了我在场下观看Juventus表现的时候就有的想法：我们自始至终都在稳步前进。这并不是说我们一直会这样，但我们会尽全力的去进更多的球，不管是在意大利国内还是在欧洲赛场。

 

It should be remembered that my team-mates have coped brilliantly without me. There are no rivalries between us, and we do not compete with each other: I'm not happy about being back on the bench, but I feel better and want to regain the respect of everyone, from Capello to Lippi. To tell the truth I have never been let down, everyone has been on hand during this unhappy time, but Capello is right: it is on the pitch that you show you deserve the job and the affection. It is there that I feel most at ease, where I am best able to express myself.

 

我们一定要记住，在我不在的日子里，我的队友们表现的非常出色。这之间没有矛盾，我们也没有竞争关系：坐在板凳上我不会开心，但如果我能重新获得大家的信任――不管是Capello还是Lippi――那我会感觉好很多。实话说我从来没有如此失落过，每个人都在这段令我不愉快的时间内有所表现，不过Capello说的对：球场上的表现才能说明你是否应得这份工作和这样的尊敬。在球场上，我感觉最放松，因为在那里我可以用最好的方式来表现我自己的能力。

 

I don't deny that I have received offers from the big European clubs, but I have never felt tempted to leave Italy. Being with Juventus is in itself the highest point a player can achieve. I saw Cassano and Vieri leave for Real Madrid and Monaco, but their cases were different: they had no reason to stay. I, on the other hand, feel that Juventus is part of me, I have a very long contract and the chance to go on winning. I have no reason to want to be anywhere else. That is why I am determined to give it everything I have. I believe in the club and the team, and I believe in our fans. Myself and my team-mates would like to give them something important before the world championships. Everyone says we could have already taken the league title, but they do it deliberately to try to put us off, and to try and capitalise on the slightest weakness in us. This is a trap which we as members of Juventus will not fall into, and we will remain focused until the end of the season.

 

我不否认我收到了很多欧洲大俱乐部的邀请，但我从不被这些所诱惑。为Juventus效力本身就是一个球员所能达到的最高境界了。我知道Cassano和Vieri离开去了Real Madrid和Monaco，但他们的情况有所不同：他们没有继续待下去的理由了。与此不同，我感觉Juventus已经是我的一部分了，我有一份长期合同并且还可以继续争取胜利。我没有理由去其他地方。这就是我为什么下定决心付出我的全部。我信任我们的俱乐部，我们的球队，我信任我们的球迷。我和我的队友们想在世界杯前为球迷们送个大礼。大家都说我们已经把联赛冠军收入囊中，可我知道他们在故意拖延我们的脚步，他们正在尝试放大我们轻微的弱点。这是个陷阱，但Juventus的球员们不会上当的，我们会继续集中精力直到赛季结束。