LeBron: I'm coming back to Cleveland

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers

BY LEBRON JAMES (AS TOLD TO LEE JENKINS)

Updated: Sat Jul. 12, 2014

Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.

bleed (v) 流血

overwhelming (a) 了不得的

drive (v) 驅使向前

inspire (v) 鼓舞

Remember when I was sitting up there at the Boys & Girls Club in 2010? I was thinking, This is really tough. I could feel it. I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating. If I had to do it all over again, I’d obviously do things differently, but I’d still have left. Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always think of Miami as my second home. Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today.

Boys & Girls Club: 政府的課後活動中心

tough (a) 艱難

to do it all over again: 重頭來過

raise (v) 培育

franchise (n) NBA球隊

I went to Miami because of D-Wade and CB. We made sacrifices to keep UD. I loved becoming a big bro to Rio. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did! The hardest thing to leave is what I built with those guys. I’ve talked to some of them and will talk to others. Nothing will ever change what we accomplished. We are brothers for life.  I also want to thank Micky Arison and Pat Riley for giving me an amazing four years.

sacrifice (n) 犧牲

I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted. I don’t want anyone thinking: He and Erik Spoelstra didn’t get along. … He and Riles didn’t get along. … The Heat couldn’t put the right team together. That’s absolutely not true.

I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.

press conference: 記者會

When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. ButMiami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.

on a mission: 負有任務

I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. But I have two boys and my wife, Savannah, is pregnant with a girl. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere exceptCleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.

free agency: 自由球員市場

To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom, who can be very tough. The letter from Dan Gilbert, the booing of the Cleveland fans, the jerseys being burned -- seeing all that was hard for them. My emotions were more mixed. It was easy to say, “OK, I don’t want to deal with these people ever again.” But then you think about the other side. What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react? I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?

tough (a) 嚴厲

booing (n) 噓聲

jersey (n) 球衣

to look up to: 景仰

grudge (n) 怨恨

to hold a grudge: 心懷怨懟

I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can’t wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates.

deliver (v) 達到承諾

thrill (n) 興奮

mentor (n) 導師

point guard: 控球後衛

But this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.

roster (n) 球員名單

calling (n) 使命

third-grader (n) 三年級小朋友

talent (n) 人才

In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.

earn (v) 賺取

I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home.

中譯

我歸屬的球隊受到眾人關注, 而成名之前, 我只是個來自俄州東北部的小鬼. 它是我行走, 跑, 流淚, 灑熱血之處. 它對我有特別的意義. 那裏的人看著我長大. 有時我感覺他們視我如己出. 他們的熱情讓我招架不住. 但也驅使我向前. 我要在我有能力的時候給他們希望. 我要在我有能力的時候激勵他們. 俄州東北(家鄉)對我的意義大過籃球. 四年前我還不瞭解這點. 現在我懂了.

還記得嗎? 2010年當時我坐在Boys & Girls Club, 心想, 這真是艱難的抉擇. 我感覺得到. 我正與某個我長期建立起的東西道別. 如果重頭來過, 我會用不同的方式, 但還是會離開. 邁阿密對我而言就像大學對學子的意義一樣. 過去4年造就今天的我. 我成為一個更好的運動員以及更好的男人.我從這個我一直很期盼效力的球隊學到很多. 我永遠會將邁阿密視為我第二個家鄉. 如果沒有在那兒的歷練, 沒法成就今天的我.

我到邁阿密打球是因為D-Wade與CB. 為留住UD我們做了些犧牲. 我樂意成為Rio的大哥. 我相信我們若團結便能創造奇蹟. 而我們也真的做到了! 最難拋下的是, 我與這些隊友建造的一切. 我已和其中幾位聊過, 並會再跟其他隊友聊. 沒有任何事會改變我門成就的一切. 我們是一輩子的哥兒們. 我並且要謝謝Micky Arison與Pat Riley給了我這精彩的四年.

我作這篇告白是因為我需要一個機會表白我自己, 不受打擾地. 我不想讓人以為: 他和教練Erik Spoelstra處不好. … 他和老闆Riles翻臉. … 熱火沒有向心力. 真是胡扯.

我不是在開記者會或是派對. 這個訪談結束後, 要回去工作了.

我離開克里夫蘭時, 我身負任務. 我想奪冠, 我們奪冠兩次. 邁阿密嘗過勝利的滋味. 但我的城市卻很久很久沒嘗過勝利的滋味了. 我的目標仍是盡可能贏得更多頭銜, 毫無疑問. 但對我最重要的還是為家鄉東北俄州帶回個獎杯.

我是一直相信我會回到克里夫蘭並在那兒持續我的職業生涯到最後. 我只是還不確定是何時. 球季結束, 我沒有考慮成為自由球員. 但我有兩個兒子, 太太Savannah還懷著一個女孩. 我便開始考慮, 在家鄉建立起家庭是什麼景象. 我考慮過其他隊, 不過我不願離開邁阿密效力其他球隊, 除非是克里夫蘭. 隨時間過去, 感覺愈來愈對. 這是讓我開心的決定.

下這決定我需要太太與母親支持, 母親對我很嚴厲. 騎士老闆Dan Gilbert的不友善的信, 其是球迷的噓聲, 被燒毀的球衣. --- 看到這些, 對她們而言是很難受的. 我的情緒比較偏混雜. 說 “OK, 我再也不要和這些人打交道.” 是很容易的. 但換角度想, 假使我是個孩子, 把某位球員當成效法的對象, 這位球員激勵我向上, 然後他就離開了? 我會怎麼反應? 我和DAN碰了面, 正面交鋒, 敞開心胸. 我們把所有講清楚. 每個人都會犯錯. 我也犯過錯. 我有什麼資格埋怨?

我不是在保證可以拿到冠軍. 我知道實現那有多難. 我們還沒準備好. 沒門兒. 當然我是很想明年就贏, 不過我是現實主義者. 這將會是漫長的過程, 比2010年當時還更漫長. 我的耐心會受到考驗.我明白. 我要面對一個年輕球隊與新教練. 我會當老大哥. 但我也會因團結起一個隊伍並幫他們達到一個他們沒想過達到的境界而非常興奮. 我現在將自己看成一個導師, 我很興奮可以帶領一些這群有才能的年輕人. 我認為我可以幫助Kyrie Irving成為聯盟最好的控球後衛之一. 提升Tristan Thompson與Dion Waiters的水準. 我等不急與我最喜歡的隊友之一Anderson Varejao重逢.

但這跟隊友與球隊無關. 我感覺在這裡我的召喚遠高於籃球. 我有帶領的責任, 用不只一種方式,而且我是很慎重看待它的. 邁阿密有我, 是會有所不同, 但在家鄉打球意義更大. 我希望東北俄州的孩子, 比如幾百位我透過我的基金會資助的Akron的三年級生, 明白沒有其他地方比在這裡長大更好. 可能其中一些人會大學畢業後回來家鄉, 成家或做生意. 那會讓我很欣慰. 我們社區, 處於這麼艱難的情況, 很需要人才.

在東北俄州, 沒有理所當然. 凡事靠爭取. 有流汗才結果實.

我準備好接受挑戰. 我要回家了.