NBA Star Unveils Own Likeness - 布魯克林籃網 Brooklyn Nets

NBA star unveils own likeness

By MELISSA SAMAROO
Correspondent


DAYTONA BEACH -- The idea of going back to high school permanently
is enough to make anyone cry.

基本上，光是永遠地留在自己的母校，就已經足以使得任何人感動得痛哭
流涕了。


NBA star Vince Carter is no exception. Surrounded by friends and
family, Carter got emotional at the unveiling of a new sculpture
of himself at Mainland High School on Saturday.

當然對超級巨星 Vince Carter 來說也不例外，在親人以及朋友的擁護之
下，他在母校 Mainland High School 為自己的雕像揭幕，在那一刻，他
感到非常地激動。


"This didn't have to be done for me," Carter said. "I appreciate
that people appreciate what I do for others."

「他們可以不這麼做的。」Carter 說道，「總之...我非常感激人們對那
些我（為別人）做的事感到認同。」


Carter got choked up as he spoke to the crowd about his charity
work. Though rain poured and the day was chilly, the crowd was
patient as Carter stopped to compose himself. Supporters yelled
"Take your time!" and "We love you!" as the Mainland alumnus
tried to express what he was feeling.

當 Carter 對著人群闡述他的慈善事業時，一度哽咽了。雖然風雨交加而
且天氣頗為寒冷，但在場的支持者仍耐心等著 Carter 整理自己的情緒，
當這位傑出校友試著表達他的感受時，他們大喊著「別緊張，慢慢來！」
「我們愛你！」等來表示他們的支持。


"Rookie of the Year, the contracts -- they mean nothing," Carter
continued. "To see all these people here in the rain, enjoying me
up here acting like a little baby, that makes it worth it."

「最佳新秀、頂級合約....這些都不重要，」 Carter 繼續說道，「看到
這麼多人，在這樣的大雨中，陪著一個像個小孩的我....這一切都太值得
了。」


The sculpture, a gift to the school from Carter's mother, Michelle
Carter-Scott, was placed in front of Mainland's new gym. Crafted
by Nebraska sculptor John Lajba, the piece includes a near-life-size
bronze figure of Carter standing across a granite footbridge from
two teenagers.

這個雕像 ─ 來自 Vince 母親的禮物 ─ 被放置在 Mainland新建的體育
館前，是由尼加拉瓜洲的巧匠 John Lajba 所完成的，這個比例接近真人
的雕像站在花崗石製的人行橋上，就好像 Carter 真的站在那兒一樣。


Inscribed on the footbridge are the words: vision, hard work,
balance, teamwork and perseverance. Labja worked with Carter-Scott
to make sure the sculpture expressed a message that was important
to her son.

人行橋上刻著「vision」、「hard word」、「balance」、「teamwork」
、「perserverance」等字樣 （願景、努力、協調、團隊合作、堅忍不拔
）， Labja 依照 Vince 母親的指示，想盡辦法讓這個雕像能夠傳達出對
她兒子來說很重要的訊息。


"It's about teenagers knowing they matter, and that we understand
their potential," Lajba said.

Lajba 說道：「這是為了讓年輕人相信自己的價值，而我們都知道他們擁
有無限的潛力。」


After the unveiling, Carter said he was pleasantly surprised.
"My mom did it all. I had no idea," he said. After seeing it, he
said more than one face was recognizable.

在揭幕典禮之後， Carter 說他感到非常驚喜。「這是我媽弄出來的玩意
兒，我事前根本就不知道。」看著自己的模樣，其意涵遠勝於一個表情所
能表達的。


"It does look like me," he said. "And the boy is my brother, when
he was younger."

「這看起來真的非常像我，」他說道，「而這個小男孩則是我弟，在他更
小的時候。」


Among the people who braved the gray day to celebrate with Carter
were Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey; Bill Guthridge, a former
University of North Carolina basketball coach who coached Carter;
and Mainland boys basketball coach Charles Brinkerhoff.

這些不畏於惡劣天候陪著 Carter 的人有 Daytona Beach 的市長Glenn
Ritchey、北卡大學前任教練 Bill Guthridge、以及 Mainland 的籃球教
練 Charles Brinkerhoff。


Brinkerhoff said Carter's $2.5 million donation for a new athletic
center helps Mainland's students every day.

Brinkerhoff 說 Carter 為新體育館所捐的 250 萬美元大大地幫助了這些
Mainland 的學生，他們每天都可以感受到 Carter 的恩澤。


"Now, the kids don't have to stay out late for practice," Brinkerhoff
said, explaining that he has enough space in the new gym for multiple
teams to practice at once. "We tell the kids 'do your homework.' Now
they actually can have some time in the evening to do it. It helps
the teachers and coaches to do what we do."

「現在這些孩子們不必為了趕不及來練習而待在外頭了，」brinkerhoff
解釋因為新的體育館有足夠的空間讓很多支隊伍同時進行練習。「我們告
訴這些孩子們『做好你的功課』，現在他們在晚上真的有事情可做了，這
幫助了老師和教練們都能辦到我們所做的事。」


To further help the students, Carter announced he is challenging
all Mainland graduates to make a one-time donation of $50. The
money will be put in a scholarship fund to send deserving Mainland
seniors to Daytona Beach Community College for two years.

為了給予這些學生更多的幫助， Carter 呼籲所有 Mainland 畢業的學生
都能捐出 50 元美金，而這些錢將會作為 Mainland 的獎學金，足以提供
所有的畢業生進入 Daytona Beach 社區大學就讀兩年的費用。


"I want to prove you don't have to be an NBA star or a millionaire
to make things happen," Carter said.

「這麼做是為了證明這些事並不是只有 NBA 明星或是百萬富翁才能辦到的
，每個人都有能力做這樣的事情。」 Carter 這麼說道。



原文：http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/
EastVolusia/evlEAST03020407.htm

(懶得縮網址麻煩大家自己連一下。 XD)

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