贏家和輸家

WINNERS AND LOSERS

As a high school coach, I did all I could to help my boys win their games. A dramatic incident, however, changed my thoughts on victories and defeats.

It was a basketball game between New Rochelle and Yonkers High and I was appointed as the referee. New Rochelle was coached by Dan O’Brien, and Yonkers by Les Beck. The gym was crowded, and the noise made it impossible to hear. The game was well played and closely contested. The Yonkers were leading by one point as I glanced at the clock and discovered that there were only 30 seconds left to play.

The Yonkers, in possession of the ball, passed off and shot —but it missed. New Rochelle got the chance, caught the ball and shot. They got it in! I looked at the clock and saw that the game had been over. I had not heard the final buzzer because of the noise. I checked with the other referee, but he could not help me.

I went over to the timekeeper, a young man of seventeen or so, and he said, “The buzzer went off before the final point was made.” I had to tell Coach O’Brien the sad news. “Dan,” I said, “the time ran out before the final basket. The Yonkers won the game.”

His face clouded over. The young timekeeper came up. He said, “I’m sorry, Dad. Time ran out before the final basket.”

Suddenly, like the sun coming out of a cloud, Coach O’Brien smiled, “That’s okay, Joe. You did what you had to do and I’m proud of you.”

Turning to me, he said, “I want you to meet my son, Joe.”

【日積月累】

◇dramatic adj. 戲劇性的；生動的

◇appoint v. 約定，指定，任命

◇referee n. 裁判員

◇buzzer n. 蜂鳴器，汽笛

◇timekeeper n. 計時員

【參考譯文】

贏家和輸家

作為一個高中教練，為了讓自己的球隊打贏比賽，我會竭盡全能。但是一個戲劇性的小事件改變了我對成敗的看法。

那是一場新羅切爾高中對決楊科斯高中的籃球賽，我受任為裁判。新羅切爾隊的教練是丹奧布蘭，而楊科斯隊的是雷斯貝克。體育館擠滿了人，喧嘩聲讓人什么都聽不清。比賽很精彩，雙方勢均力敵。楊科斯隊領先1分的時候，我瞟了一眼時鐘，發現只剩30秒了。

控球的楊科斯隊傳球后投籃，但球沒進。新羅切爾隊有了機會，他們搶到球，然后投籃。球進了！這時我一看鐘發現比賽時間已經完了。因為太吵我沒聽到蜂鳴器的最后一次報時。我問另一個裁判，但是他也幫不上忙。

我去找計時員，那是一個17歲左右的男孩。他說：“在最后一個球進之前蜂鳴器就響了。”我得把這遺憾的消息告訴奧布蘭教練。“丹，”我說，“在最后進球前就沒時間了。楊科斯隊贏了這場比賽。”

他的臉一下子掉了下來。那個年輕的計時員走了過來。他說：“真遺憾，爸爸。在最后進球前就沒時間了。”

突然，好像太陽從云層后走了出來，奧布蘭教練笑道：“沒關系，喬伊。你做了你該做的事，我為你感到驕傲。”

然后他轉向我說：“我想跟你介紹下我的兒子，他叫喬伊。”

【人生啟迪】

這個時代充斥著惡性的競爭和利欲熏心的人們，“贏”字至高無上。但是故事的小主人公卻堅守本職，誠實剛正，實在是難能可貴。在他高尚的誠信面前，勝負已顯得微不足道。