Dear Basketball

⊙ By Kobe Bryant ⊙ 翻译：蓝蓝

今年的奥斯卡最佳动画短片是一部让很多人感慨万千的作品—它的灵感来源是美国篮球巨星科比·布莱恩特创作的退役宣言长诗。短片由顶级动画团队采用故意“做旧”的质朴风格打造而成，在短短四分钟里讲述了科比与篮球相爱一生的动人故事……

Dear Basketball,

From the moment I started rolling my dad’s tube socks and shooting imaginary gamewinning1)shot [ʃɒt] n. [篮]投篮shots in the2)Great Western Forum 大西部论坛球馆，NBA老牌球馆之一，曾是洛杉矶湖人队的主场。Great Western Forum, I knew one thing was real: I fell in love with you. A love so deep, I gave you my all, from my mind and body, to my spirit and soul.

As a six-year-old boy deeply in love with you, I never saw the end of the3)tunnel [΄tʌn(ə)l] n. 隧道，也指通往篮球场的球馆通道。tunnel. I only saw myself running out of one. And so I ran. I ran up and down every court after every loose ball for you. You asked for my4)hustle [΄hʌs(ə)l] n. 奔忙，奋斗hustle, I gave you my heart, because it came with so much more. I played through the sweat and the hurt, not because challenge called me,but because YOU called me. I did everything for YOU, because that’s what you do when someone makes you feel as5)alive [ə΄laɪv] adj. 活着的，有生气的alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream, and I’ll always love you for it. But I can’t love you6)obsessively [əb΄sesɪvlɪ] adv. 狂热地，着迷地obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the7)pounding [΄paʊndɪŋ] n. 重击（声）pounding, my mind can handle the8)grind [graɪnd] n. 苦差，苦干grind, but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye. And that’s OK. I’m ready to let you go.

I want you to know now, so we both can9)savor [΄seɪvə] v. 尽情享受，品尝savor every moment we have left together.The good and the bad, we have given each other all that we have. And we both know, no matter what I do next, I’ll always be that kid with the rolled-up socks, garbage can in the corner, five seconds on the clock, ball in my hands. Five, four, three, two, one.

Love you always,

Kobe

这是一封声情并茂的感人情书，没有特别华丽的辞藻，也没有特别“炫技”的长句，只有科比发自肺腑的真情告白。在这封不到三百字的短信里，科比以他心中那个永远的小男孩为主线，在过去的回忆与现在的辉煌中不断穿插，将全文连接成一个有机的整体。同学们可以将这封信多读几遍，学习如何在抒发感情时做到言之有物，最后将全文背诵下来。

参考译文

亲爱的篮球：

从我将老爸的直筒袜卷成一团，幻想着自己在大西部论坛球馆投出制胜球开始，我就明白了一件事：我爱上你了。这份爱是如此深厚，我为之付出了一切，从心灵到身体，从精神到灵魂。

作为一个深爱着你的六岁男孩，我从没想过这段路也会有尽头。我只看到自己跑出通道，于是我跑了起来，每场比赛都在场上不停奔跑，追逐着每一个脱手的球。你需要我拼尽全力，我总会全心投入，因为这需要的不仅仅是尽力。我为打球流尽血汗，一身伤病，并不是因为听到了挑战的召唤，而是因为你在呼唤我。我所做的一切都是为了你，因为你给了我真正活着的感觉。

你给一个六岁的孩子带来了湖人梦，为此，我将永远爱你。但是我不能再这么迷恋你了，这是我的最后一个赛季。我的心脏还能怦怦直跳，我的意志还能坚持下去，但我的身体知道，是时候说再见了。没关系，我已经准备好跟你说再见了。

我想现在就告诉你，这样一来，我俩都能好好珍惜余下的每一分每一秒。无论是好的，还是坏的，我们已经为对方倾尽所有。我俩都知道，接下来无论我去做什么，我永远会是那个拿着筒袜卷的孩子——他瞄准了角落里的垃圾桶，进攻时间还有五秒，手里拿着球……五、四、三、二、一。

永远爱你的

科比