序言
祀奉祂的神廟其上有著壁壘城牆，埋藏在高聳尖塔、懸掛腐朽織錦的大廳之下，其所在之處甚至比地城更深不可知。曾經統馭這座城堡的貴族將備受哀榮的死者禮葬在這隱蔽的地下墓穴裡，不獨保持死者的聖潔無犯，更欲拒盜墓者等禍害於其外。
- Jun 24 Tue 2008 19:53
Amber and Ashes Prologue
- May 25 Sun 2008 19:40
圍棋教育與日本竹子
《這一生都是你的機會》是我無意中在棋院櫃台發現的好書，其中這篇正巧跟長年以來棋院對於小朋友的圍棋教育理念不謀而合，看了真是心有戚戚焉！在這裡跟各位分享。以下引自 《這一生都是你的機會》第22封信，頁182-186。亞歷士‧羅維拉真是一個了不起的人！
- Apr 14 Mon 2008 23:37
鳥到爆的"SP" final
事先澄清SP是 Security Police的縮寫......不是Special的那個SP。這部片開頭幾集還不錯，但是最後一集真是我這幾年看過最鳥的日劇，爛到把我對這部日劇的評價改到不及格。
- Apr 07 Mon 2008 11:10
求婚大作戰
一年前的結局實在讓人X得要死，這次加上SP才是真正完整......要給評分的話，加上我對兩位男女主角的印象加成，會到98分吧：)
上個十年的最佳螢幕搭配是木村拓哉+松隆子，這個十年則非山下智久+長澤雅美莫屬啊！
- Mar 25 Tue 2008 17:03
北新分院簡介
最近寫部落格的風氣，在文章裡夾雜賞心悅目的照片，此篇看來不能免俗，就先來張可愛的建燁認真下棋照吧~~
拖稿拖了一個禮拜，最主要還是我自己寫東西需要醞釀情緒，就請張主編寬宏大量，原諒小弟吧~~:)
從第一次踏進棋院至今，已經有十四、五年了吧！換句話說，我的棋齡比起現在所帶的小朋友們年紀幾乎都大得多。看到第一次進棋院學棋的小朋友，思緒仍會忍不住回到當年踏進棋院，接受戴著深色眼鏡的陳老師測棋的那一刻。
雖然比起設立二十周年的總院來說，即將滿三歲的新店分院只是個小小孩，但這裡小朋友的活力跟努力，比起總院或是其他地方學棋的小朋友，可是絲毫都不遜色的唷！(下戰書，哈哈！)
初次造訪棋院，看到的應該是這樣的景色吧~~
左邊的海報是去年海峰盃新店分院的諸位得獎的勇士名單，今年還沒補拍門口的照片，我想這幾天拍好再放上來吧~~海報上面是招牌「仁華兒童圍棋補習班」，因為近幾年政府法令的關係，新店分院在設立時要以補習班為名，但當年尚未有「短期補習班設立及管理規則」之前，總院與其他分院還是一直以「中華兒童棋院」的名稱存在，而我本身也喜歡棋院的名稱。大概是棋院十多年來一點都沒有坊間補習班的商業氣息，棋院裡只有黑棋、白棋、棋盤、棋罐，和或許是棋院本身所散發出自然的沉靜氣氛。
棋院和別的補習班最大的不同點，就是有這樣一個地方。一天與可愛小女生馨元的媽媽閒聊，她無意中透露出「你們棋院跟外面不一樣耶~~可以讓小朋友看書、玩耍、休息，我在別的補習班都沒有看過……」
也許是我一直都沒有把棋院當做補習的地方吧！直到她提起，我才恍然大悟，原來在許多家長和小朋友的眼中，這個我十幾年來習以為常，棋院的傳統設計，竟然是如此可愛而富有特色。也難怪每每上課結束之後，半數以上的小朋友總會留在這裡看書，等到爸爸媽媽打電話催促才依依不捨地離開。
這裡是小朋友上課完畢出來的弈棋區，無論是練習、自行用功，還是與同儕朋友間的棋藝交流，都在這個地方。棋院裡的棋盤都是標準十九路，這一點看在來參觀的爸爸媽媽眼裡常會覺得不可思議─現在外面都有九路、十三路不等的小棋盤供初學的小朋友使用─而詢問，我的答案都是很一致的：「一開始使用十九路的標準棋盤的小朋友在學棋的過程裡，他的大局觀比起其他的小朋友會培養得更加快速而優秀。」畢竟學習圍棋最重要的是在棋盤以外的修養及對於事情的處理能力，而並不只是棋盤上棋子的死活，大局觀比打打殺殺更加重要吧！
棋院的棋罐是入門班和初級班小朋友最愛玩的「玩具」……我沒有講錯，真的是「玩具」。甚至到了研究班，還是可以看到手癢的小朋友不時拿起來，把玩棋院的「量斗棋罐」。喂喂！這些棋罐可是有「里斯」滴……嗯，是有歷史的，年紀都比你們大啊！現在已經買不到這樣的棋罐了，所以這幾天在問棋罐的小朋友，抱歉啦！
棋院還有一個很有趣的地方，在熱帶魚悠游的背後，是棋院的洗手間。第一次來棋院的小朋友，要找廁所怎麼樣都想不到會在那些魚的背後。 這應該說是設計太好，美化得太可愛了嗎？
在棋院學習兩年，感受到的是老師們指導學生的認真，與包容學生的寬大──想當年我可是出了名的大嗓門跟搗蛋鬼呢！現在看到活潑好動的小朋友，就不禁感念當時老師對我的包容。真的是直到自己當了老師以後，才會感受到老師不易為啊！
這裡是棋院的「重鎮」──櫃台，平常是行政阿姨的領土，小朋友是不可以進去的唷！但是還是常常看到一堆小朋友跑到裡面去「撒野」，喜歡小朋友的行政阿姨總是禁不起小朋友的苦苦哀求，讓他們到櫃台裡坐一下那個阿姨專屬的椅子，嘗嘗當行政阿姨的感覺。只是每次假裝是家長的老師到櫃台前，要向「假行政阿姨」問課程的事，怎麼一探頭人就不見了哩？
今天就先寫到這邊……過幾天再把新的補在後面，棋院的好玩實在一言難盡啊~~
- Mar 24 Mon 2008 19:09
風林火山各集標題
第一回 隻眼の男
第二回 さらば故郷
第三回 摩利支天の妻
第四回 復讐の鬼
第五回 駿河大乱
第六回 仕官への道
第七回 晴信初陣
第八回 奇襲！海ノ口
第九回 勘助討たれる
第十回 晴信謀反
第十一回 信虎追放
第十二回 勘助仕官
第十三回 招かれざる男
第十四回 孫子の旗
第十五回 諏訪攻め
第十六回 運命の出会い
第十七回 姫の涙
第十八回 生か死か
第十九回 呪いの笛
第二十回 軍師誕生
第廿一回 消えた姫
第廿二回 三国激突
第廿三回 河越夜戦
第廿四回 越後の龍
第廿五回 非情の掟
第廿六回 苦い勝利
第廿七回 最強の敵
第廿八回 両雄死す
第廿九回 逆襲！武田軍
第三十回 天下ヘの道
第卅一回 裏切りの城
第卅二回 越後潜入
第卅三回 勘助捕らわる
- Mar 22 Sat 2008 22:48
黃氏家訓
駿馬登程往異邦，任從勝地立綱常；
年深他境猶吾境，日久他鄉即故鄉，
旦夕莫忘親命語，晨昏須薦祖前香；
但願蒼天垂庇佑，三七男兒總熾昌。
嗯嗯......「年深他境猶吾境，日久他鄉即故鄉。」
言簡而意賅
- Mar 20 Thu 2008 09:46
Amber and Ashes Preview
- Mar 18 Tue 2008 20:54
萬水千山縱橫
萬水千山縱橫
關正傑
曲︰顧嘉輝 詞︰黃霑
＊萬水千山縱橫 豈懼風急雨翻
豪氣吞吐風雷 飲下霜杯雪盞
獨闖高峰遠灘 人生幾多個關
卻笑他世人妄要將漢胡路來限
＃曾想痴愛相伴 一路相依往返
誰知心醉朱顏 消逝煙雨間
憑誰憶 意無限 別萬山 不再返
＊
＃
萬水千山縱橫 獨闖高峰遠灘
- Mar 14 Fri 2008 21:47
ずっと一緒さ by 山下達郎
ずっと一緒さ
作詞：山下達郎 作曲：山下達郎
youtube link
- Mar 11 Tue 2008 20:34
迷霧帝國的光之回憶：《最後的帝國》
「迷霧帝國的光之回憶：《最後的帝國》」，轉載自「灰鷹巢城」
迷霧帝國的光之回憶：《最後的帝國》
MISTBORN: THE FINAL EMPIRE by Brandon Sanderson
2007 年十二月十日，將會是一個奇幻迷永遠記得的日子，因為在這一天，羅伯‧喬丹的出版社 Tor 正式宣布，「時光之輪」系列的最終篇《光之回憶》（A Memory of Light），將由布蘭登‧山德森（Brandon Sanderson）接手完成。這個全球暢銷三千萬冊，重新定義現代奇幻面貌的傳奇大系，總算不致因為作者病逝而無法劃下句點。
去年四月，喬丹在公開信中表示自己身染罕見絕症，同時強調與病魔奮戰到底的決心。全球讀者乍聞消息，難免深感扼腕，可是在嘆息之餘，見到喬丹驚人的意志力，不禁要相信這位奇幻文學的巨人，肯定會和他筆下的真龍轉生一樣，就算移山倒海也要和病魔拼個你死我活。若有誰能夠戰勝絕症，非他莫屬。
就在大家都信心滿滿，認為他的康復只是遲早的事，然後他就會以凱旋英雄之姿，寫下「時光之輪」完結篇的時候，喬丹的病情急遽惡化，在今年九月十六日離開人世，年僅五十八歲。這則噩耗不僅震驚奇幻界，更使得讀者期待多年的「時光之輪」結局隨之成謎。
其實我並不擔心「時光之輪」就此斷頭，也相信《光之回憶》終會問世，問題只在由誰接手。這絕對不只是商業利益的考量（基本上，就算整本書都是白紙，打著喬丹的名號，照樣可以賣一百萬本），而是攸關作者藝術成就的完滿和意念的傳承。就出版社的立場，則無論如何也要給書迷一個交代，他們之中很多人從 1990 年《世界之眼》推出時就成了書迷，陪伴這個系列走過十七個年頭。在前幾部作品步調緩慢、拖戲連連的時候，他們不離不棄，反而用行動來證明自己的忠誠，也使得「時光之輪」從第八集開始，全部登上紐約時報精裝小說排行榜冠軍。放眼當代奇幻文壇，沒有任何一個作家能有如此輝煌的銷售成績。
更何況，喬丹早就有了清楚的結局構思，也留下了大量的筆記和手稿，甚至在病中仍用錄音的方式記錄想法。他曾經「放話」表示，即使《光之回憶》寫出來長達一千五百頁，也一定要在此結束系列。除此之外，他還有三部前傳的計畫。要找人寫完《光之回憶》，絕對不缺材料，難在於如何駕馭這空前龐大的世界和繁複至極的劇情線。
由後人代筆的情形在國外屢見不鮮，例如去年才過世的英國動作派奇幻大師大衛‧蓋梅爾（David Gemmell）壯志未酬，留下重寫特洛伊史詩的三部曲完結篇《諸王殞落》（The Fall of Kings），最後便由妻子史黛拉接續完成，出版時夫妻同時掛名。另一種可能是找人幕後捉刀，寫手不具名（所謂的ghost writer），書仍然掛作者本名出版，例如「神鬼認證」系列作者陸德倫的諸多遺作。若是找來的寫手很大牌，那名肯定是要掛的，只是書名前面通常會加上原著作者，像是Robert Jordan's A MEMORY OF LIGHT by XXXX。
幾經長考，喬丹的遺孀海麗葉（Harriet Popham Rigney）挑中了布蘭登‧山德森，《諸神之城：伊嵐翠》的作者。消息一出，很多人直接反應：「為什麼是他？」畢竟山德森才出道兩年多，還是個三十出頭的小伙子，論資歷、講名氣，怎麼也輪不到他接手「時光之輪」這部堪稱現代奇幻扛鼎之作的史詩。
可是仔細想想，好像又不那麼意外：山德森可說是這幾年來竄起最快的奇幻新秀，他的世界建構和魔法系統創意驚人，文字流暢，人物精彩，頗受讀者和評論家肯定。《諸神之城》賣出十二國海外版權，讓他連續兩年入圍坎伯獎最佳新人。山德森有一支罕見的快筆，更是新世代奇幻作家擅用網路的最佳範例：他同時寫成人和青少年系列，還有餘力在網路上免費連載新作。他的網誌在多重平台聯播，網站上還有每一部作品的超詳細章節註解，有如 DVD 的導演講評，大幅提高網站的附加價值。
然而撇開世俗條件不談，我認為山德森雀屏中選的真正意義，在於奇幻寫作者的世代交替與薪火相傳。長江後浪推前浪，海麗葉這個決定，等於欽點山德森為喬丹接班人，其中的份量不言可喻。這可不像喬治‧馬汀之於丹尼爾‧艾伯罕（Daniel Abraham）的師徒情誼兼私交甚篤，於是前者在後者出書時奉送推薦文一則。由山德森來補完《光之回憶》，不論結果好壞（事實上我們可以確定成果必然招致兩極化的評價），已經是對他的能力（和潛力）最大的肯定，更是從一線奇幻新人直接躍升一線主流暢銷作家的票房保證。
倘若我們再細數這個事件的箇中原由，更會驚嘆命運的奇妙。《世界之眼》出版那年，山德森只有十五歲。他們的初次相遇，是在一家漫畫店的新書架上。這本厚達八百頁的小說，把山德森嚇得退避三舍，但他也對華麗的封面印象深刻。後來他還是把書買了回家，從此成了「時光之輪」書迷。每有新作問世，他總會立刻掏錢買精裝版，「已經成了一種儀式」。
多年以後，山德森在世界奇幻年會（World Fantasy Convention）上與高頭大馬，頭戴寬邊帽，拄著柺杖走路的喬丹擦身而過。雖然只是匆匆一瞥，他卻覺得這人有些眼熟，便問身旁的同好認不認得。「他喔？就是詹姆斯‧奧利佛‧瑞格尼二世啊！」眼看山德森毫無頭緒，他們才說：「他就是羅伯‧喬丹。」（瑞格尼是喬丹的本名）
在那次大會上，山德森結識了 Tor 出版社的編輯莫許‧費德（Moshe Feder），並給了他《諸神之城》的書稿。費德把稿子帶回家後，一擱就是半年。等他終於看了稿子而且驚為天人，急忙想要聯絡這位年輕新秀，不料山德森已經搬家，費德花了好一番功夫才尋得他的下落，馬上就開出條件，想簽下《諸神之城》。
山德森的經紀人約書亞‧畢姆斯（Joshua Bilmes）建議他不要立刻同意，應該用這份報價作「誘餌」，看其他出版社會否提出更高的條件。可是山德森一心只想成為 Tor 旗下作家，因為那是喬丹的出版社，對他來說，不啻奇幻文學的神聖殿堂。如今山德森已非十五年前漫畫店裡的小毛頭，而是即將踏上職業創作之路的奇幻尖兵，但喬丹的巨人身影依舊巍然矗立，他也仍然記得最初見到《世界之眼》的震撼與悸動。於是他接受了費德的條件。
一路寫來，山德森屢屢企圖「逆寫」「時光之輪」。他認為喬丹已經把奇幻冒險的典型發揮到極致，自己必須另闢蹊徑，而最好的方法就是解構和顛覆。喬丹的角色走遍千山萬水，於是他把故事舞台限制在單一城市。喬丹寫農夫變成國王，於是他筆下的王子一夕落魄，連平民都不如。喬丹寫光明與黑暗的終極對決和最後勝利，他則想像「假如邪惡勢力贏得最終勝利，世界會變成怎樣？」
這個命題，連同山德森對詐欺故事（heist story）的濃厚興趣，構成了「迷霧帝國」三部曲（The Mistborn Trilogy）的最初靈感，這也是他自《諸神之城》初試啼聲之後，格局更廣、野心更大的成熟之作。因緣巧合，我第一本讀完的山德森作品，就是本系列第一集《最後的帝國》（The Final Empire）。和去年發現《盜賊紳士拉莫瑞》（The Lies of Locke Lamora）一樣，我利用週末一口氣拼完六百多頁，心中充盈著喜悅與滿足，甚至一度感動得紅了眼眶。
我認為山德森在此克服了史詩奇幻三項先天的劣勢：進入困難、節奏緩慢、以及無法獨立閱讀。「進入困難」指的是一翻開書就迎面而來的各種自創名詞和背景設定，往往考驗讀者的耐心和對奇幻類型的接受度。換句話說，對非重度類型讀者極度不友善。「節奏緩慢」不需多加解釋，看一本八百頁的史詩奇幻，肯定比一本三百頁的驚悚小說慢得多，偏偏那多出來的篇幅可能全都是鉅細靡遺的場景或背景敘述。
「無法獨立閱讀」更是造成進入障礙的致命傷。推理小說由於案件各自獨立，每一本都可以視為完整個體，史詩奇幻則完全不行。一個三百頁完結的故事，可能一個週末下午就可以讀完；但一個兩千四百頁（每本八百頁的三部曲，這還只是個基本數字）的大長篇，卻得曠日廢時、殫精竭慮（時常要查對名詞表和註解）。
誠然，這兩個類型的趣味所在本來就大不相同，而「進入一個全新世界」也是閱讀史詩奇幻獨有的美好體驗，可是當我們考量到市場因素和進入門檻等問題，傳統奇幻（high fantasy）為何很難打進主流排行榜，推理驚悚卻輕而易舉，答案就很明顯了。這同時也解釋了為何這幾年來混合奇幻、恐怖、推理和羅曼史的跨界「都會奇幻」（urban fantasy）大行其道，即使初出道的新人都能在很短的時間內登上暢銷榜。
這正是《最後的帝國》難能可貴之處：山德森完全沒有在傳統奇幻的本質上做出任何妥協，也完全沒有刻意討好（那些對奇幻沒啥概念的）主流讀者。他的魔法設定依舊繁複而創意驚人，可是比起《諸神之城》易懂得多。他的角色說起來也不少，可是戲份輕重拿捏得當，主角的形象鮮明，配角也不難記，讀者不太需要時時翻回前面查閱人名。
他用一個「瞞天過海」式的詐欺案作為劇情核心，只不過賭注更大。到賭城大幹一票算什麼，山德森筆下的反賊英雄凱西爾要推翻屹立千年的最後帝國，盜走不死聖皇的國庫寶藏，作為叛軍薪餉的來源。是的，你的反應和他那票狐群狗黨一樣：他瘋了。如此誇張離譜，鬼扯到底的構想，凱西爾卻胸有成竹，行動的每一個步驟都信手拈來，最終說服了同伴，為他找來一批死士。
我們應該先說說這個世界的背景。還記得「假如邪惡勢力贏得最終勝利」的命題嗎？「迷霧帝國」的起點，就是多年以前的善惡決戰，良善一方的英雄歷經千辛萬苦，終於抵達傳說中的「登仙井」（The Well of Ascension），準備和黑暗勢力決一死戰。可是命運沒有站在他那邊，最後壞人一統天下，自稱「不死聖王」（The Lord Ruler），同時建立起「最後的帝國」（The Final Empire），即千秋萬代、永不崩塌之意，口氣狂妄到了極點。
不死聖王壟斷了稀有礦脈 Atium 的唯一來源，藉此確保擁兵自重的貴族勢力效忠，同時在背後玩弄權術，使貴族忙於內鬥而不可能團結。另外他則用兇殘的手段鎮壓平民，不分國籍種族通通打為奴隸階級，通稱「史卡」（Skaa），並用盡一切方法消滅各民族原本的信仰、歷史和文化，甚至宣稱史卡和貴族乃不同種族，生理構造有著先天上的不同，並嚴禁兩族通婚。
聖王擊敗傳說中的英雄並建立帝國，世界隨之變遷，從此綠色不再，所有植物都轉為褐黃，天空永遠陰霾，並不間斷地下著灰燼（不是雨），彷彿是個浩劫過後的殘破世界。入夜之後，則是濃霧四起，籠罩大地。相傳夜霧之中有各種可怕的妖魔鬼怪，所以史卡人總在天黑後躲進家中，大門深鎖。
行走於這個「迷霧帝國」之中的魔法師，藉由服食微量的金屬粒子，進行自體燃燒而獲得力量。已知的能量金屬共有八種，相生相剋，分成四組，每組再分外顯和內隱二種屬性。例如錫可以提高感官敏銳度（內隱），白鑞則能大幅強化肉體的力量（外顯）；黃銅可以舒緩情緒（內隱），鋅則能煽動情緒（外顯）。 但最帥氣的還是鋼鐵這組：鐵能推、鋼能拉，只要附近有金屬，就可以產生類似磁極相吸或相斥的作用力，力道強弱則視金屬本身的體積或重量而定。倘若操控得當，就能像武俠小說裡面一樣飛簷走壁、凌虛破空；或者隔空取物、力舉千斤，有如絕地武士的原力。通曉此等迷霧之法的人非常稀少，絕大多數是貴族（其實也包括史卡人），通稱「迷霧術士」（Misting）。在他們之中，還有少數天賦異秉者能使用全部的金屬力量，他們就是「迷霧行者」（Mistborn）。
凱西爾本來只是迷霧術士，曾經大膽挑戰不死聖王，結果慘敗。他被打落礦坑死牢，在愛人被殺之後奇蹟似覺醒，變成霧行者，更成為史上唯一逃離黑暗礦井的人。如今他重回帝都路沙戴爾（Luthadel），準備展開復仇。
不過，《最後的帝國》更應該是史卡女孩小文（Vin）的故事。她從小跟著哥哥到處逃亡，居無定所，靠行乞或加入盜賊團為生，直到她被「阿凱」凱西爾發現具有霧行者異能，才投身反抗軍（或者該說是「詐騙帝國集團」），在其調教下逐漸駕馭各種金屬的力量。從小哥哥再三告誡她：「任何人都可能而且一定會背叛你，包括我。」後來他果真不告而別。於是小文不知「信任」為何物，戒心極重，對阿凱和那群弟兄休戚與共的革命情感，她感到迷惑，更無法理解。
而是那是一群多麼精彩的人！性情敦厚的達克森（Dockson）是阿凱最倚重的左右手，在他想出鬼點子的時候負責策劃一切的後勤和帳務。「微風」（Breeze）與「漢姆」（Ham）是最佳拍檔，前者是個講究衣著的紳士，最擅長操弄他人思緒好為自己服務；後者則是虎背熊腰的大漢，是個燃燒白鑞的「流氓」（thug, 這是白鑞迷霧術士的綽號），也是武藝高強的戰士，還喜歡跟微風爭辯哲學問題。怪老頭「黑梅」（Clubs）經營一家有如龍門客棧的木匠小店，其實是大隱於市的革命軍聚會所，他是個燒紅銅的「煙槍」（smoker），能夠升起魔力遮罩，保護附近的迷霧術士不被敵人偵測到，身邊還帶了一個操著奇怪方言的姪子「阿鬼」（Spook）。當然，還有跟阿凱從小吵到大的哥哥馬爾錫（Marsh），他是最厲害的「搜索者」（seeker），能燃燒青銅搜捕任何使用迷霧之法的人。
可是他們再怎麼身懷絕技，如何能和帝國的百萬大軍，還有不死聖王的蓋世神威抗衡呢？更別提直屬聖王管轄的鋼鐵判官（Steel Inquisitor），這群不知是死還是活的東西個個皮肉不笑，雙眼插著鋼釘，卻有著足以和霧行者匹敵的高強法力。還有各懷鬼胎的貴族家庭，他們富可敵國、權傾天下，各個擁兵自重，包括大批迷霧術士保鏢，對任何陰謀反叛行動都不會容情。
阿凱與小文這對師徒的命運，又會如何？阿凱必須再次行過死亡幽谷，潛入當年他與愛人被鋼鐵判官逮捕的聖王宮殿。小文則得學習信任，學習霧行者的十八般武藝，甚至假扮貴族仕女，打進上流社交圈刺探敵情。他們能否扳倒最後的帝國？得付出什麼樣的代價？
這個故事太長，我就此打住。我想這樣來形容《最後的帝國》：當我一邊聽著「伊莉莎白：輝煌年代」的電影配樂，一邊翻原文書查資料寫文章，看到那些熟悉的人名和他們唇槍舌劍的對話（看過《諸神之城》就知道山德森寫起對話可是個機車嘴炮大王），居然非常非常「想念」與他們一同冒險犯難的日子。是的，就像想念高中時代和死黨蹺課鬼混那樣的真實。這是我讀小說從來沒有過的感覺。
我想起去年收到一封畢姆斯轉來的信：
「好，你抓住我了。我叫布萊恩‧狄蘭伯爾（Brian Delambre），我是 Joseph-Beth & Davis Kidd 書店的小說採購。如果你沒聽過我們，請上我們的網站。我負責七家店的採購，其中最小的店就有兩萬五千平方英尺。我們最大的分店在萊辛頓市，當地有個超大的科幻/奇幻市場。相信我，總有一天你會親眼見識到的。
「我所謂被你抓住，是因為上星期看了《最後的帝國》，然後我就去買了《諸神之城》。哇塞！萊辛頓的科幻/奇幻市場是我一手建立起來的，而這兩本是我很久很久以來看過最棒的奇幻小說。我們會強推《最後的帝國》，而且我已經開始推薦《諸神之城》給店裡的每一個奇幻讀者。只要是在俄亥俄、肯塔基、賓州、北卡和田納西這五州，有什麼是我們的分店幫得上忙的，你儘管開口便是。
「謝謝你讓我度過美好的一週。」
多麼豪氣萬千的一封信！狄蘭伯爾信裡還說，他暫時不想邀請山德森去他們的書店，因為他要先建立起當地的讀者群，等名氣出來了，再把他找來，才不會場子冷不好意思。他利用午餐時間去巡店，當場就推銷了五本《諸神之城》出去。這種相挺到底的義氣，連我看了都為之動容，何況是山德森本人？
喬丹病逝後，山德森寫了一篇文章〈再見，喬丹先生〉悼念，他相信一定有很多寫手迫不及待跟編輯聯絡，想當喬丹傳人，接手寫完系列。山德森則覺得喬丹的死改變了很多事情，這個世界好像從此少了點什麼。沒錯，有人痛恨喬丹，認為他得為通俗奇幻的一切負面形象負責；也有人對喬丹推崇有加，認為他是唯一把奇幻「寫對了」的作者。
在山德森看來，倘若沒有喬丹的成功，許多年輕創作者的出版夢可能永遠難以實現，而喬丹也確實展現了奇幻書寫的恢弘格局和視野。最後他說：「你輕輕地走了，留下我們在原地顫抖。」喬丹總以風的意象作為小說開頭，他本人也像一陣風，悄悄地來，拂過萬事萬物，然後輕輕離去。
兩個月後，山德森接到海麗葉的電話，詢問他有無意願接手《光之回憶》。原來她看了《最後的帝國》，深受感動，當下就決定是他。
我想，我會永遠記得那個睡眼惺忪打開電腦，看到 Tor 新聞稿的清晨，也會一直想念「迷霧帝國」裡的冒險歲月，更會非常期待《光之回憶》的堂皇問世。我覺得無比幸運，親眼見證了這個薪火相傳的時刻。在這個終於轉冷的耶誕夜，我覺得熱血沸騰，很驕傲、很榮幸、很迫切想要再為奇幻做一點什麼。
相關連結：
Tor 新聞稿
出版者週刊報導
山德森專訪
山德森官方網站
後記：這篇文章寫了兩個星期，謝謝你耐心看完。我想請大家多多轉貼或轉寄這篇文章給自己的奇幻同好，說是幫山德森造勢也好、讓喬丹迷更期待完結篇也罷，也許只是用某種意味不明的熱血喚起沉睡已久的奇幻魂（？）。
- Mar 01 Sat 2008 08:30
The Evolution of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant
作者: drunken (aDistanceThereIs) 看板: Lakers
標題: [外電] The Evolution of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant
時間: Fri Feb 29 14:18:17 2008
在桃花源裡翻外電
感覺真好 XD
106:88
farmar生涯新高
來源: http://0rz.tw/033GZ
February 28th, 2008
The Evolution of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant: How a Leader Was Born
By David Neiman
One of the first feature pieces I ever wrote for the Washington Post was about Kobe Bryant. It was November 2002, the Lakers were coming off their third straight NBA title, and No. 8 – as he was then – was starting to emerge from the shadow of Shaquille O’Neal.
在我一開始幫華盛頓郵報寫專欄的時候, 我寫的就是Kobe.
那是大概2002年11月的事了, 湖人剛剛慶祝完他們的三連霸.
那個8號的小子(對.. 他那個時候是8號)也開始從大鯊魚的影子下冒出頭來.
As part of the story, I asked Phil Jackson to compare Kobe with Michael Jordan. The fact that I posed the question gives you a sense of how I – and many other people – perceived Bryant at the time.
為了寫那個專欄, 我訪問了禪師, 我要求他拿Kobe來跟那個人比比.
你光看我提出的要求, 就大概能知道我(還有很多其他人)那個時候對Kobe的想法.
Phil, as one might have expected, offered what I saw as a politic response:
“A lot of people throw . . . Michael’s cape on Kobe, and it’s not fair to either one of those players,” said Jackson. “Yet they both have this competitive standard that everybody can recognize, a competitive level they carry themselves with on the court.”
禪師還是老樣子, 給了很有禪機的回應:
"很多人喜歡把那個人的外套硬掛在Kobe身上, 這對他們2個都不公平."
"可是就像大家都看得出來的一樣, 他們2個都有那股鬥心,
那股在場上不服輸的鬥志"
The comparisons might not have been fair. Still, in 2002, people were constantly making them, and to a large degree — and I was not the only one who held this viewpoint — Kobe was the cause.
雖然那個比較並不公平. 可是, 在2002年, 大家都很喜歡挑這個話題說.
而且大家有這種看法的很大一部分的原因就是Kobe.
As I wrote back then (and I promise to stop quoting myself after this):
下面這段是我那個時候寫的(我保證, 這段之後我就不會節錄自己的文章了):
Since leaping from high school to the NBA, he has been routinely hyped and rejected as the second coming of Michael Jordan. For much of that time, Bryant has not only tried to live up to the comparison, but perhaps, encouraged it.
打他剛從高中跳級進入NBA之後, Kobe就不斷的被拿去跟那個人比較, 也不斷的被否定.
很長一段時間, Kobe不但試著去符合別人的比較, 甚至還很歡迎這種看法.
The fact is that whether by coincidence or conscious effort, the similarities between Bryant and Jordan’s mannerisms are unmistakable. The steady, loping strides as Bryant drives the ball upcourt, tongue wagging; the backward strut, head nodding, after he buries a jump shot; even the timbre and rhythm of his speech when he addresses the media are all vintage Jordan. And with Bryant’s new bulk, the physical similarity between the two — they are the same height and virtually the same weight — is impossible to ignore.
不知道是湊巧還是故意的, Kobe跟那個人的感覺相似度實在讓人難忘.
Kobe伸著舌頭.帶球過場那穩定圓滑的步伐. 球進了之後點著頭, 往後退的樣子.
甚至是對外接受訪問的時候都讓人看得到濃濃的那個人影子.
在Kobe增重之後, 一樣的身高,也有著幾乎一樣的體重. 他們連體格上都相似得讓人無法忽視.
At age 24, Kobe was remarkably like Jordan — and somehow, not him, akin to a musical prodigy, capable of playing any sonata the seasoned concert pianist could, yet somehow, lacking the intangible quality that distinguished the genius from the flawless imitator.
Kobe那個時候24歲, 那個人的影子似乎永遠跟著他, 可是, Kobe不是他.
就像可以模仿任何有經驗的鋼琴演奏家的新進音樂家, 雖然相似, 不過天才和
完美模仿者之間那種摸不到說不出的差距, 你還是可以感覺得出來.
At the same time, there seemed to be no “real” Kobe Bryant. He said all the right things in ads for shoes and Sprite, yet even in one-on-one interviews, one never got the sense of him, of a voice and personality that made you feel, “Ah, now I’m speaking to Kobe Bryant.” It felt more like you were talking to someone “playing” the next Jordan. Something was missing, and there was little to suggest that it would ever be found.
同時, Kobe也讓人看不到真正的他. 他在球鞋和雪碧廣告說的話聽起來都是自己的心裡話.
可是, 就算在一對一的專訪裡, 你也沒辦法找到"阿.原來這就是Kobe"的任何脈絡.
就像你在訪問的是正在扮演那個人接班人角色的感覺. 你感覺不到他的存在,
而且好像我們一輩子也沒機會找得到.
Six years later, things are radically different.
6年後, 一切都不一樣了.
THE BEGINNING
一切的開始
To me, Kobe’s evolution from star mimic to true superstar was catalyzed, strangely enough, by his arrest on rape charges in Colorado prior to the start of the 2003 season.
對我來說, Kobe從模仿的傢伙到真正球星的進化, 正是在他2003年球季剛剛開始,
在科羅拉多因為疑似強暴而被逮捕之後, 才真正開始的.
The distasteful nature of that event notwithstanding, it had the effect of obliterating the contrived, plastic, clean-cut image of Kobe that existed at the time. Every major sponsor either dropped or suspended their deals with him. Overnight, he went from NBA poster child to persona non grata, a basketball savant assailed by the public on all sides for his conduct off the court.
先不論那件事有多麼肥皂, 它還是把那個時候乾淨, 跟假人一樣的Kobe形象扯下來的原因.
他每個主要的贊助商不是抽掉了贊助, 就是暫時停止活動.
一夜之間, 他從NBA天之驕子, 被貶成了爹不疼媽不愛路人還要吐口水的罪人.
The notion of being the next Michael Jordan — and granted, I’m speculating here — was likely far from the forefront of his mind.
他那個時候心裡的想法(對, 我是用猜的), 我想最不重要的就是能不能
跟那個人相提並論了.
In a 2003 column entitled, “Is Bryant’s best behind him with the burden he carries?” USA Today columnist Jon Saraceno wrote:
2003年, 有篇叫"Bryant會不會被這件事毀掉"的報導是這樣說的:
This season will test Bryant like no year, or defender, has. The mounting anxiety on him will make every night feel like a seventh game. Maybe Bryant thinks resuming his occupation will be good therapy, but I wonder what will happen before, during and after games.
這季對Kobe的挑戰會是他面對過的敵人裡面最難纏的, 沒有任何球季還是對手可以相提並論.
心裡面不斷累積的焦慮讓他每場球打起來都感覺像是系列賽第7戰.
也許Kobe認為繼續打球就是最好的良葯. 可是我關心的, 是他場上下的全部時間.
I imagine that even posh four-star hotels can feel like prisons to a celebrity under siege. Bryant may never serve a day behind bars, but that doesn’t mean he won’t understand what Alcatraz was like, even if his solitary confinement includes room service and a cluster of bodyguards.
我想就算舒服的4星飯店對正在被圍攻的明星來說都像監獄一樣.
Kobe沒有坐過一天的牢, 可是, 我想就算他的牢飯是旅館送上門的好吃料理,
也沒人會懷疑他過的是惡魔島(在舊金山, 以前有名的監獄, 現在是景點)般的生活.
And can you imagine the catcalls from fans on the road in places such as Sacramento, Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas and, of course, Denver?
而且, 你能想像在國王76人波士頓小牛當然還有丹佛客場球迷說的話會有多難聽嗎?
“Playing the game of basketball is not difficult for me,” he said. “Going through what we’ve been going through is difficult.”
他說:"打籃球不難, 難的是我們現在過的生活"
The column concluded with this sentiment:
這篇文章是這樣結尾的:
Regardless of the outcome, I can’t help but wonder if this young man, whose life once seemed so idyllic, can ever be the same player or person.
不管最後判決怎麼樣, 我都不知道這個曾經是天之驕子的年輕人, 以後還可不可以跟什麼事都沒發生過一樣的打球甚至是過生活.
I don’t know.
我不知道.
I’m not sure Kobe does, either.
我想就連Kobe自己也不知道.
Saraceno was right. The Kobe Bryant we knew — or didn’t really know — was gone, and the question was, who would replace him?
Saraceno(上面節錄文章的作者)說得沒錯. 那個我們認識(其實不算太認識?)的Kobe已經不存在了. 重要的是, 現在的他是怎麼樣的人?
A WINNER IN PURGATORY
浴火重生的贏家
The 2004 season saw the end of the Kobe-Shaq era, and what followed it was a period that, it seems to me, perfectly reflected Kobe Bryant, the player. Ostensibly, he was the new leader of the team, yet it quickly became clear that No. 8 had no real experience leading a team. His impressions of leadership reminded me of his impressions of MJ — he said all of the right things, but you still found yourself thinking that he’d rather be playing with two replicas of himself than four other players. His first season, Los Angeles finished 34-48. The following two, the Lakers exited the playoffs in the first round.
2004年球季為OK連線畫下了休止符. 之後的湖人過了跟他們當家之前一樣的日子.
Kobe成了這新球隊的當家, 很快的, 大家也把他沒有帶隊經驗的情況看得一清二楚.
他對扮演球隊領導者這個角色的做法, 就像當初扮演那個人的情況一樣.
他說的都很好聽, 可是, 看起來他寧願跟2個自己同隊,也不想要有4個隊友.
他當家的第一個球季, 湖人戰績是34-48. 接下來的2季, 湖人都在季後賽第一輪被掃地出門.
Interestingly enough, as these years were passing — and I have to admit, I hadn’t thought about this until now — Kobe seemed less and less like he was affecting Michael Jordan. All of the physical tics seemed to vanish.
有趣的是, 經過了那些年之後(我承認, 直到現在我才注意到), 他越來越不像那個人的影子了. 那些外觀上的相似度也不見了.
Instead, as Los Angeles turned in multiple subpar seasons, Bryant began to cultivate a profound disdain for losing possibly unmatched by any basketball player in the world, past or present — with the exception, ironically, of Michael Jordan — and in time, that disdain transformed into anger.
取而代之的, 是你除了在那個人身上, 再也沒看過的, 那種討厭輸的心情.
在湖人交出幾個不及格的成績單之後, 那種心情, 變成了憤怒.
In the summer of 2007, that anger boiled over, and Kobe Bryant demanded a trade. Not long after, in a parking lot in Orange County, he unleashed a profanity-laden tirade against teammate Andrew Bynum.
2007年, 憤怒到了沸點, Kobe放話要求被交易.
不久之後的某天, 在某個橙縣的停車場, Kobe髒話連篇的對人抱怨他的隊友, Andrew Bynum.
My initial response to both acts was disbelief. How could he lash out like this against a franchise that stood by him unhesitatingly through his entire ordeal in Colorado? On the one hand, it seemed like the height of betrayal, and to a degree, it still does.
我剛剛聽到這個消息的反應, 除了不相信還是不相信. 他怎麼可以這樣回報那個在科羅拉多時間對他不離不棄的球隊? 這簡直就是背叛的N次方.
Looking at it another way, however, these seem like the first genuine acts — misguided, though they were — of an emerging leader. And what we were hearing, for the very first time, was Kobe Bryant finding his voice.
不過從另一方面來看, 這也是他第一次做回了自己, 這是他第一次以球隊領導者的身分, 做出了抱怨.
It was impossible to know that at the time, but in the months that have passed, Kobe Bryant’s actions have proven exactly what kind of player, teammate and employee he truly is. His effort has been unparalleled — he is currently playing with a dislocated finger, and will be for the duration of the season, yet he continues to be unstoppable at both ends of the floor. While he was wrong about Bynum and his teammates — before his injury, Bynum was playing phenomenally, and the quality of Los Angeles’ bench has been one of the stunning stories of the 2007-08 season — one could convincingly argue that Kobe’s trade demand and tirade were what shook up the Lakers franchise.
雖然那個時候一點也感覺不出來, 可是在幾個月後, 我們終於真正的了解到Kobe到底是一個什麼樣的球員, 什麼樣的隊友, 什麼樣的員工.
他做出的貢獻沒人比的上, 就算現在抱著那個錯位的手指打球(而且還要一直這樣打完球季), 不論在攻守兩端, 都沒人擋的住他.
雖然他對Bynum還有其他隊友的看法是錯的(受傷前Bynum打的超霸, 湖人板凳也是07-08球季受矚目的黑馬之一), 可是不可否認的, Kobe的要求打醒了湖人.
A LEADER IS BORN
一個領導者的誕生
The popular take in early MVP conversations is that Kobe deserves it. I agree, but not for the reasons cited by columnists like the Los Angeles Times Bill Plaschke. To Plaschke, Bryant is finally making his teammates better, and thus, should get the award:
最近大家都說Kobe是MVP大熱門. 我同意, 可是跟其他專欄作家的原因不一樣.
像LA Times的Bill Plaschke, 他認為Kobe這季終於讓隊友變得更好, 所以,他應該是MVP:
He doesn’t scream at his teammates so much anymore. He doesn’t ignore them during moments of frustration anymore.
他已經不像以前一樣, 老是對隊友大吼了. 他也不再因為失望而無視他們.
He has helped turn Sasha Vujacic into a weapon, and Farmar into a pest, and, man, considering he once wanted the guy traded, he has been huge in the development of Andrew Bynum.
他讓公主成了有力的武器, 讓Farmar無所不在, 雖然當初他要求交易Bynum,可是他也是讓Bynum成長的原因之一.
In Plaschke’s column, Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson agrees:
在Plaschke的專欄裡, 湖人的禪師同意:
“You can see the emphasis in Kobe’s game to get other people involved and to make the rest of his teammates better,” Jackson said.
"你看得出來, Kobe現在多努力的想讓隊友進入狀況, 讓他們變的更有力"
Earlier in the year, I argued that the entire notion of “making one’s teammates better,” at least as far as it’s commonly meant, is nonsense, the NBA equivalent to giving an NFL quarterback too much of the credit or blame for winning or losing. Yes, Kobe’s teammates are better, but it’s not because he’s suddenly passing them the ball where he wasn’t before. A season ago, he gave them the ball plenty.
今年前段的時候, 我曾經說過, 那所謂的"讓隊友更好"根本就是無稽之談.就像NFL說不論輸贏都是四分衛的原因.
對, Kobe的隊友是比以前好了, 可是那不是因為他突然開始願意傳球. 上季他就給過隊友多到翻的機會了.
They’re better because for the first time, they’re matching his effort.
他們變得更好, 是因為第一次, 他們願意追上Kobe的努力.
They’re better because Sasha Vujacic is making open threes where he missed them all last year. They’re better because Jordan Farmar isn’t a rookie, is stronger, and has a much better sense of the pro game. They’re better because Derek Fisher is giving Los Angeles and Kobe trustworthy veteran leadership. They’re better because Lamar Odom is healthy and thriving, now that he’s free of the pressure of being the second scoring option. They’re better because Andrew Bynum is a freak of nature. And they’re better because, in what I refer to as the Immaculate Transaction, they somehow picked up Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for nothing.
他們變好了, 是因為公主不再是上季那個大空檔百投不進的傢伙.
他們變好了, 是因為Farmar不再菜, 變得強壯了點, 也對比賽有了比較多的認識.
他們變好了, 是因為漁夫給了湖人和Kobe一個可以信任的老球皮.
他們變好了, 是因為老二終於比較健康, 而且不再有當老二的壓力.
他們變好了, 是因為Bynum是個天生的怪物.
他們變好了, 是因為在那個完美的交易裡, 他們用雜魚向灰熊換來了耶穌.
Kobe’s teammates are playing better, and because of that, he has more confidence in them, and looks for them more often. In turn, Kobe’s growing confidence emboldens his teammates to play even better. It’s a two-way street. If you don’t believe me, watch what Kobe does on a night when no one else can find their shot (which is now unlikely, given the Lakers’ multitude of weapons). I guarantee you that the man who makes his teammates better would still shoot 40 times.
Kobe的隊友打的不再像雜魚, 也因為這個原因, 他對他們更有信心, 也更常找空檔給他們.
而Kobe對他們的信心, 也讓他們打的更好. 有來就有往.
如果你不相信我, 找個Kobe隊友百投不進的比賽(現在很少見了, 湖人武器現在這麼廣), 我保證那個讓隊友更好的傢伙還是會出手40次.
If you want to credit Kobe Bryant with something, credit him with putting his reputation on the line to light the proverbial inferno under the entire Lakers franchise. Credit him for continuing to push everyone, from players to coaches to management to ownership, to demand nothing less than what he demands of himself — every last ounce of effort in the pursuit of a championship.
如果你要讚美Kobe, 至少稱讚他有那個把自己的形象付之一炬也要打醒湖人球團的勇氣.
稱讚他不斷的以對自己的要求來要求大家, 要求他的隊友, 他的教練, 甚至是管理部門, 要求他們為了冠軍而努力.
And that, to me, is what ultimately makes him worthy of an MVP award. It’s also a clear indication that Kobe Bryant, a leader in his own right, has arrived.
這, 對我來說, 就是他應該是MVP的原因. 這也是Kobe的時代來臨的明顯證明.
IN RETROSPECT
回顧
Thinking back to that 2002 feature I wrote, I think that I — just like Phil Jackson suggested — had unfair expectations of Kobe Bryant. Yes, he did seem like more of a Jordan emulator than the superstar he has involved into; then again, he was 24 years old. Most 24 year-olds, whether or not they have superhuman athletic or intellectual or musical abilites, have an underwhelming sense of who they are. We, as sportswriters and fans, are applying the same grossly critical eye to LeBron James now. In a decade, we’ll all look back and laugh.
回想2002我寫的那個文章, 我想我, 就像禪師說的, 對Kobe有不公平的期待.
是, 他那個時候的確比起現在的球星樣, 更像那個人的影子. 不過, 他那個時候才24.
大部分24歲的孩子, 不管他們有沒有超人般的運動能力/智力/音樂能力, 都不能很明確的了解自己.
我們這些體育記者和球迷, 現在也用一樣噁心的批評眼光看著LBJ. 10年後, 我們回想現在會笑死.
To me, Kobe Bryant circa 2008 is transforming into every bit the player and leader that Michael Jordan was, and I think this season will bear that out.
2008時期的Kobe已經不管身為球員或是領導者, 都進化成不輸給那個人的傢伙. 我相信這球季會是見證人.
Who is the best of all-time? Does it matter, really? In his prime, MJ left you in awe every time he stepped onto the floor. Kobe is the same way now.
誰才是天下第一人? 說真的, 重要嗎???? 在那個人的巔峰時期, 每次他上場都能讓你帶著驚訝回家. Kobe現在也一樣.
A jazz musician once told me that he began his career imitating a hero because, “It’s better to sound like somebody than nobody.”
曾經有個爵士樂手跟我說, 他之所以以模仿起家是因為"像個有名的人總比讓人記不得好."
In time, of course, that musician — like Kobe Bryant — became a
somebody as well.
那個樂手, 後來也跟Kobe一樣, 成了大家記得的名字之一.
David Neiman is a freelance sportswriter who has worked for the
Washington Post, Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times, Lakers Magazine,
and other award-winning publications. He is also the president of
Athlete Interactive, a web development company for professional
athletes.
(這邊介紹作者, 不翻了)
標題: [外電] The Evolution of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant
時間: Fri Feb 29 14:18:17 2008
在桃花源裡翻外電
感覺真好 XD
106:88
farmar生涯新高
來源: http://0rz.tw/033GZ
February 28th, 2008
The Evolution of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant: How a Leader Was Born
By David Neiman
One of the first feature pieces I ever wrote for the Washington Post was about Kobe Bryant. It was November 2002, the Lakers were coming off their third straight NBA title, and No. 8 – as he was then – was starting to emerge from the shadow of Shaquille O’Neal.
在我一開始幫華盛頓郵報寫專欄的時候, 我寫的就是Kobe.
那是大概2002年11月的事了, 湖人剛剛慶祝完他們的三連霸.
那個8號的小子(對.. 他那個時候是8號)也開始從大鯊魚的影子下冒出頭來.
As part of the story, I asked Phil Jackson to compare Kobe with Michael Jordan. The fact that I posed the question gives you a sense of how I – and many other people – perceived Bryant at the time.
為了寫那個專欄, 我訪問了禪師, 我要求他拿Kobe來跟那個人比比.
你光看我提出的要求, 就大概能知道我(還有很多其他人)那個時候對Kobe的想法.
Phil, as one might have expected, offered what I saw as a politic response:
“A lot of people throw . . . Michael’s cape on Kobe, and it’s not fair to either one of those players,” said Jackson. “Yet they both have this competitive standard that everybody can recognize, a competitive level they carry themselves with on the court.”
禪師還是老樣子, 給了很有禪機的回應:
"很多人喜歡把那個人的外套硬掛在Kobe身上, 這對他們2個都不公平."
"可是就像大家都看得出來的一樣, 他們2個都有那股鬥心,
那股在場上不服輸的鬥志"
The comparisons might not have been fair. Still, in 2002, people were constantly making them, and to a large degree — and I was not the only one who held this viewpoint — Kobe was the cause.
雖然那個比較並不公平. 可是, 在2002年, 大家都很喜歡挑這個話題說.
而且大家有這種看法的很大一部分的原因就是Kobe.
As I wrote back then (and I promise to stop quoting myself after this):
下面這段是我那個時候寫的(我保證, 這段之後我就不會節錄自己的文章了):
Since leaping from high school to the NBA, he has been routinely hyped and rejected as the second coming of Michael Jordan. For much of that time, Bryant has not only tried to live up to the comparison, but perhaps, encouraged it.
打他剛從高中跳級進入NBA之後, Kobe就不斷的被拿去跟那個人比較, 也不斷的被否定.
很長一段時間, Kobe不但試著去符合別人的比較, 甚至還很歡迎這種看法.
The fact is that whether by coincidence or conscious effort, the similarities between Bryant and Jordan’s mannerisms are unmistakable. The steady, loping strides as Bryant drives the ball upcourt, tongue wagging; the backward strut, head nodding, after he buries a jump shot; even the timbre and rhythm of his speech when he addresses the media are all vintage Jordan. And with Bryant’s new bulk, the physical similarity between the two — they are the same height and virtually the same weight — is impossible to ignore.
不知道是湊巧還是故意的, Kobe跟那個人的感覺相似度實在讓人難忘.
Kobe伸著舌頭.帶球過場那穩定圓滑的步伐. 球進了之後點著頭, 往後退的樣子.
甚至是對外接受訪問的時候都讓人看得到濃濃的那個人影子.
在Kobe增重之後, 一樣的身高,也有著幾乎一樣的體重. 他們連體格上都相似得讓人無法忽視.
At age 24, Kobe was remarkably like Jordan — and somehow, not him, akin to a musical prodigy, capable of playing any sonata the seasoned concert pianist could, yet somehow, lacking the intangible quality that distinguished the genius from the flawless imitator.
Kobe那個時候24歲, 那個人的影子似乎永遠跟著他, 可是, Kobe不是他.
就像可以模仿任何有經驗的鋼琴演奏家的新進音樂家, 雖然相似, 不過天才和
完美模仿者之間那種摸不到說不出的差距, 你還是可以感覺得出來.
At the same time, there seemed to be no “real” Kobe Bryant. He said all the right things in ads for shoes and Sprite, yet even in one-on-one interviews, one never got the sense of him, of a voice and personality that made you feel, “Ah, now I’m speaking to Kobe Bryant.” It felt more like you were talking to someone “playing” the next Jordan. Something was missing, and there was little to suggest that it would ever be found.
同時, Kobe也讓人看不到真正的他. 他在球鞋和雪碧廣告說的話聽起來都是自己的心裡話.
可是, 就算在一對一的專訪裡, 你也沒辦法找到"阿.原來這就是Kobe"的任何脈絡.
就像你在訪問的是正在扮演那個人接班人角色的感覺. 你感覺不到他的存在,
而且好像我們一輩子也沒機會找得到.
Six years later, things are radically different.
6年後, 一切都不一樣了.
THE BEGINNING
一切的開始
To me, Kobe’s evolution from star mimic to true superstar was catalyzed, strangely enough, by his arrest on rape charges in Colorado prior to the start of the 2003 season.
對我來說, Kobe從模仿的傢伙到真正球星的進化, 正是在他2003年球季剛剛開始,
在科羅拉多因為疑似強暴而被逮捕之後, 才真正開始的.
The distasteful nature of that event notwithstanding, it had the effect of obliterating the contrived, plastic, clean-cut image of Kobe that existed at the time. Every major sponsor either dropped or suspended their deals with him. Overnight, he went from NBA poster child to persona non grata, a basketball savant assailed by the public on all sides for his conduct off the court.
先不論那件事有多麼肥皂, 它還是把那個時候乾淨, 跟假人一樣的Kobe形象扯下來的原因.
他每個主要的贊助商不是抽掉了贊助, 就是暫時停止活動.
一夜之間, 他從NBA天之驕子, 被貶成了爹不疼媽不愛路人還要吐口水的罪人.
The notion of being the next Michael Jordan — and granted, I’m speculating here — was likely far from the forefront of his mind.
他那個時候心裡的想法(對, 我是用猜的), 我想最不重要的就是能不能
跟那個人相提並論了.
In a 2003 column entitled, “Is Bryant’s best behind him with the burden he carries?” USA Today columnist Jon Saraceno wrote:
2003年, 有篇叫"Bryant會不會被這件事毀掉"的報導是這樣說的:
This season will test Bryant like no year, or defender, has. The mounting anxiety on him will make every night feel like a seventh game. Maybe Bryant thinks resuming his occupation will be good therapy, but I wonder what will happen before, during and after games.
這季對Kobe的挑戰會是他面對過的敵人裡面最難纏的, 沒有任何球季還是對手可以相提並論.
心裡面不斷累積的焦慮讓他每場球打起來都感覺像是系列賽第7戰.
也許Kobe認為繼續打球就是最好的良葯. 可是我關心的, 是他場上下的全部時間.
I imagine that even posh four-star hotels can feel like prisons to a celebrity under siege. Bryant may never serve a day behind bars, but that doesn’t mean he won’t understand what Alcatraz was like, even if his solitary confinement includes room service and a cluster of bodyguards.
我想就算舒服的4星飯店對正在被圍攻的明星來說都像監獄一樣.
Kobe沒有坐過一天的牢, 可是, 我想就算他的牢飯是旅館送上門的好吃料理,
也沒人會懷疑他過的是惡魔島(在舊金山, 以前有名的監獄, 現在是景點)般的生活.
And can you imagine the catcalls from fans on the road in places such as Sacramento, Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas and, of course, Denver?
而且, 你能想像在國王76人波士頓小牛當然還有丹佛客場球迷說的話會有多難聽嗎?
“Playing the game of basketball is not difficult for me,” he said. “Going through what we’ve been going through is difficult.”
他說:"打籃球不難, 難的是我們現在過的生活"
The column concluded with this sentiment:
這篇文章是這樣結尾的:
Regardless of the outcome, I can’t help but wonder if this young man, whose life once seemed so idyllic, can ever be the same player or person.
不管最後判決怎麼樣, 我都不知道這個曾經是天之驕子的年輕人, 以後還可不可以跟什麼事都沒發生過一樣的打球甚至是過生活.
I don’t know.
我不知道.
I’m not sure Kobe does, either.
我想就連Kobe自己也不知道.
Saraceno was right. The Kobe Bryant we knew — or didn’t really know — was gone, and the question was, who would replace him?
Saraceno(上面節錄文章的作者)說得沒錯. 那個我們認識(其實不算太認識?)的Kobe已經不存在了. 重要的是, 現在的他是怎麼樣的人?
A WINNER IN PURGATORY
浴火重生的贏家
The 2004 season saw the end of the Kobe-Shaq era, and what followed it was a period that, it seems to me, perfectly reflected Kobe Bryant, the player. Ostensibly, he was the new leader of the team, yet it quickly became clear that No. 8 had no real experience leading a team. His impressions of leadership reminded me of his impressions of MJ — he said all of the right things, but you still found yourself thinking that he’d rather be playing with two replicas of himself than four other players. His first season, Los Angeles finished 34-48. The following two, the Lakers exited the playoffs in the first round.
2004年球季為OK連線畫下了休止符. 之後的湖人過了跟他們當家之前一樣的日子.
Kobe成了這新球隊的當家, 很快的, 大家也把他沒有帶隊經驗的情況看得一清二楚.
他對扮演球隊領導者這個角色的做法, 就像當初扮演那個人的情況一樣.
他說的都很好聽, 可是, 看起來他寧願跟2個自己同隊,也不想要有4個隊友.
他當家的第一個球季, 湖人戰績是34-48. 接下來的2季, 湖人都在季後賽第一輪被掃地出門.
Interestingly enough, as these years were passing — and I have to admit, I hadn’t thought about this until now — Kobe seemed less and less like he was affecting Michael Jordan. All of the physical tics seemed to vanish.
有趣的是, 經過了那些年之後(我承認, 直到現在我才注意到), 他越來越不像那個人的影子了. 那些外觀上的相似度也不見了.
Instead, as Los Angeles turned in multiple subpar seasons, Bryant began to cultivate a profound disdain for losing possibly unmatched by any basketball player in the world, past or present — with the exception, ironically, of Michael Jordan — and in time, that disdain transformed into anger.
取而代之的, 是你除了在那個人身上, 再也沒看過的, 那種討厭輸的心情.
在湖人交出幾個不及格的成績單之後, 那種心情, 變成了憤怒.
In the summer of 2007, that anger boiled over, and Kobe Bryant demanded a trade. Not long after, in a parking lot in Orange County, he unleashed a profanity-laden tirade against teammate Andrew Bynum.
2007年, 憤怒到了沸點, Kobe放話要求被交易.
不久之後的某天, 在某個橙縣的停車場, Kobe髒話連篇的對人抱怨他的隊友, Andrew Bynum.
My initial response to both acts was disbelief. How could he lash out like this against a franchise that stood by him unhesitatingly through his entire ordeal in Colorado? On the one hand, it seemed like the height of betrayal, and to a degree, it still does.
我剛剛聽到這個消息的反應, 除了不相信還是不相信. 他怎麼可以這樣回報那個在科羅拉多時間對他不離不棄的球隊? 這簡直就是背叛的N次方.
Looking at it another way, however, these seem like the first genuine acts — misguided, though they were — of an emerging leader. And what we were hearing, for the very first time, was Kobe Bryant finding his voice.
不過從另一方面來看, 這也是他第一次做回了自己, 這是他第一次以球隊領導者的身分, 做出了抱怨.
It was impossible to know that at the time, but in the months that have passed, Kobe Bryant’s actions have proven exactly what kind of player, teammate and employee he truly is. His effort has been unparalleled — he is currently playing with a dislocated finger, and will be for the duration of the season, yet he continues to be unstoppable at both ends of the floor. While he was wrong about Bynum and his teammates — before his injury, Bynum was playing phenomenally, and the quality of Los Angeles’ bench has been one of the stunning stories of the 2007-08 season — one could convincingly argue that Kobe’s trade demand and tirade were what shook up the Lakers franchise.
雖然那個時候一點也感覺不出來, 可是在幾個月後, 我們終於真正的了解到Kobe到底是一個什麼樣的球員, 什麼樣的隊友, 什麼樣的員工.
他做出的貢獻沒人比的上, 就算現在抱著那個錯位的手指打球(而且還要一直這樣打完球季), 不論在攻守兩端, 都沒人擋的住他.
雖然他對Bynum還有其他隊友的看法是錯的(受傷前Bynum打的超霸, 湖人板凳也是07-08球季受矚目的黑馬之一), 可是不可否認的, Kobe的要求打醒了湖人.
A LEADER IS BORN
一個領導者的誕生
The popular take in early MVP conversations is that Kobe deserves it. I agree, but not for the reasons cited by columnists like the Los Angeles Times Bill Plaschke. To Plaschke, Bryant is finally making his teammates better, and thus, should get the award:
最近大家都說Kobe是MVP大熱門. 我同意, 可是跟其他專欄作家的原因不一樣.
像LA Times的Bill Plaschke, 他認為Kobe這季終於讓隊友變得更好, 所以,他應該是MVP:
He doesn’t scream at his teammates so much anymore. He doesn’t ignore them during moments of frustration anymore.
他已經不像以前一樣, 老是對隊友大吼了. 他也不再因為失望而無視他們.
He has helped turn Sasha Vujacic into a weapon, and Farmar into a pest, and, man, considering he once wanted the guy traded, he has been huge in the development of Andrew Bynum.
他讓公主成了有力的武器, 讓Farmar無所不在, 雖然當初他要求交易Bynum,可是他也是讓Bynum成長的原因之一.
In Plaschke’s column, Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson agrees:
在Plaschke的專欄裡, 湖人的禪師同意:
“You can see the emphasis in Kobe’s game to get other people involved and to make the rest of his teammates better,” Jackson said.
"你看得出來, Kobe現在多努力的想讓隊友進入狀況, 讓他們變的更有力"
Earlier in the year, I argued that the entire notion of “making one’s teammates better,” at least as far as it’s commonly meant, is nonsense, the NBA equivalent to giving an NFL quarterback too much of the credit or blame for winning or losing. Yes, Kobe’s teammates are better, but it’s not because he’s suddenly passing them the ball where he wasn’t before. A season ago, he gave them the ball plenty.
今年前段的時候, 我曾經說過, 那所謂的"讓隊友更好"根本就是無稽之談.就像NFL說不論輸贏都是四分衛的原因.
對, Kobe的隊友是比以前好了, 可是那不是因為他突然開始願意傳球. 上季他就給過隊友多到翻的機會了.
They’re better because for the first time, they’re matching his effort.
他們變得更好, 是因為第一次, 他們願意追上Kobe的努力.
They’re better because Sasha Vujacic is making open threes where he missed them all last year. They’re better because Jordan Farmar isn’t a rookie, is stronger, and has a much better sense of the pro game. They’re better because Derek Fisher is giving Los Angeles and Kobe trustworthy veteran leadership. They’re better because Lamar Odom is healthy and thriving, now that he’s free of the pressure of being the second scoring option. They’re better because Andrew Bynum is a freak of nature. And they’re better because, in what I refer to as the Immaculate Transaction, they somehow picked up Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for nothing.
他們變好了, 是因為公主不再是上季那個大空檔百投不進的傢伙.
他們變好了, 是因為Farmar不再菜, 變得強壯了點, 也對比賽有了比較多的認識.
他們變好了, 是因為漁夫給了湖人和Kobe一個可以信任的老球皮.
他們變好了, 是因為老二終於比較健康, 而且不再有當老二的壓力.
他們變好了, 是因為Bynum是個天生的怪物.
他們變好了, 是因為在那個完美的交易裡, 他們用雜魚向灰熊換來了耶穌.
Kobe’s teammates are playing better, and because of that, he has more confidence in them, and looks for them more often. In turn, Kobe’s growing confidence emboldens his teammates to play even better. It’s a two-way street. If you don’t believe me, watch what Kobe does on a night when no one else can find their shot (which is now unlikely, given the Lakers’ multitude of weapons). I guarantee you that the man who makes his teammates better would still shoot 40 times.
Kobe的隊友打的不再像雜魚, 也因為這個原因, 他對他們更有信心, 也更常找空檔給他們.
而Kobe對他們的信心, 也讓他們打的更好. 有來就有往.
如果你不相信我, 找個Kobe隊友百投不進的比賽(現在很少見了, 湖人武器現在這麼廣), 我保證那個讓隊友更好的傢伙還是會出手40次.
If you want to credit Kobe Bryant with something, credit him with putting his reputation on the line to light the proverbial inferno under the entire Lakers franchise. Credit him for continuing to push everyone, from players to coaches to management to ownership, to demand nothing less than what he demands of himself — every last ounce of effort in the pursuit of a championship.
如果你要讚美Kobe, 至少稱讚他有那個把自己的形象付之一炬也要打醒湖人球團的勇氣.
稱讚他不斷的以對自己的要求來要求大家, 要求他的隊友, 他的教練, 甚至是管理部門, 要求他們為了冠軍而努力.
And that, to me, is what ultimately makes him worthy of an MVP award. It’s also a clear indication that Kobe Bryant, a leader in his own right, has arrived.
這, 對我來說, 就是他應該是MVP的原因. 這也是Kobe的時代來臨的明顯證明.
IN RETROSPECT
回顧
Thinking back to that 2002 feature I wrote, I think that I — just like Phil Jackson suggested — had unfair expectations of Kobe Bryant. Yes, he did seem like more of a Jordan emulator than the superstar he has involved into; then again, he was 24 years old. Most 24 year-olds, whether or not they have superhuman athletic or intellectual or musical abilites, have an underwhelming sense of who they are. We, as sportswriters and fans, are applying the same grossly critical eye to LeBron James now. In a decade, we’ll all look back and laugh.
回想2002我寫的那個文章, 我想我, 就像禪師說的, 對Kobe有不公平的期待.
是, 他那個時候的確比起現在的球星樣, 更像那個人的影子. 不過, 他那個時候才24.
大部分24歲的孩子, 不管他們有沒有超人般的運動能力/智力/音樂能力, 都不能很明確的了解自己.
我們這些體育記者和球迷, 現在也用一樣噁心的批評眼光看著LBJ. 10年後, 我們回想現在會笑死.
To me, Kobe Bryant circa 2008 is transforming into every bit the player and leader that Michael Jordan was, and I think this season will bear that out.
2008時期的Kobe已經不管身為球員或是領導者, 都進化成不輸給那個人的傢伙. 我相信這球季會是見證人.
Who is the best of all-time? Does it matter, really? In his prime, MJ left you in awe every time he stepped onto the floor. Kobe is the same way now.
誰才是天下第一人? 說真的, 重要嗎???? 在那個人的巔峰時期, 每次他上場都能讓你帶著驚訝回家. Kobe現在也一樣.
A jazz musician once told me that he began his career imitating a hero because, “It’s better to sound like somebody than nobody.”
曾經有個爵士樂手跟我說, 他之所以以模仿起家是因為"像個有名的人總比讓人記不得好."
In time, of course, that musician — like Kobe Bryant — became a
somebody as well.
那個樂手, 後來也跟Kobe一樣, 成了大家記得的名字之一.
David Neiman is a freelance sportswriter who has worked for the
Washington Post, Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times, Lakers Magazine,
and other award-winning publications. He is also the president of
Athlete Interactive, a web development company for professional
athletes.
(這邊介紹作者, 不翻了)
- Feb 20 Wed 2008 19:19
Amber and Iron B1P1
翻譯 (3)