譯/莊蕙嘉
嘲笑湖人老態的網路迷因逗樂詹姆斯
LeBron James has seen the memes and read the punch lines.
詹姆斯看過那些迷因且讀了笑哏。
"The narrative about our age," he said, "I kind of laugh at it. I actually do really laugh. I'm not just saying that."
「這些內容都在嘴我們的年齡」，他說，「我有點發噱。事實上我真的有笑，我不是說說而已。」
The Los Angeles Lakers are old. They are the NBA's Traveling Wilburys, an aging rock star collective hoping to produce one more chart-topping album. Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan have more mileage between them than a 2003 Honda Civic. Carmelo Anthony, 37, recalled first getting to know James, 36, when they were high school standouts — way back in the previous millennium. At 32, Russell Westbrook is comparatively spry.
洛杉磯湖人隊老了。他們是美國職籃NBA的「漂泊合唱團」，一個老邁搖滾明星的組合，期望再出一張排行榜冠軍專輯。霍華德和德安德魯喬丹的哩程數比一輛2003年本田喜美還多。37歲的安東尼回想初識現年36歲詹姆斯時，兩人是高中球星，而那已是上一個千禧年的往事。相較之下，32歲的衛斯布魯克有活力多了。
"I don't think it's going to be like peanut butter and jelly to start the season," James told reporters ahead of training camp. "But that's all part of the process."
「我不認為開季會一帆風順。」詹姆斯在訓練營開始前告訴記者，「不過這都是過程的一部分。」
In his own small way, James reinvented himself, too, by slightly slimming down at this august stage of his career.
詹姆斯也以他的小方法改造自己，在他職業生涯年高德劭的階段瘦一點。
"He's made the decision to come back a little bit leaner," Rob Pelinka, the team's general manager, said. "And I think that's going to translate in his explosiveness and his quickness."
「他決定以苗條一點點的狀態回來」，湖人隊總經理佩林卡說，「我認為這將轉化在他的爆發力和速度上面」。
Westbrook, a former league MVP, spent last season with the Washington Wizards before he was traded to the Lakers in August. Westbrook called it a "blessing" to be playing in Los Angeles, where he grew up.
得過最有價值球員的衛斯布魯克，上個球季為華盛頓巫師隊效力，今年8月被交易至湖人。衛斯布魯克說，能在他長大的洛杉磯打球是種「賜福」。
"I think it's because we both understand and know what it takes in order to win, and obviously LeBron knows what it takes to get to that next level," Westbrook said.
「我認為，因為我們兩個都知道並了解贏球需要什麼，顯然詹姆斯也清楚更上一層樓需要什麼。」衛斯布魯克說。
But the aging process is undefeated, and there are obvious concerns about the Lakers' durability. James, so indestructible for much of his career, has been hampered by injuries in recent years, and Davis limped through the team's abridged playoff appearance last season. For his part, Pelinka sought to downplay the suggestion that the Lakers were brittle by citing the example of Tom Brady, who, at 44, is still quarterbacking football teams to Super Bowls.
但老化的過程難以克服，外界對湖人的續航力也有顯而易見的憂慮。生涯大部分時間都堅不可摧的詹姆斯，近幾年傷痛纏身，戴維斯上個賽季也因傷在季後賽出場時間大減。佩林卡以44歲的美式足球四分衛布雷迪仍能帶隊拿下超級盃冠軍為例，企圖淡化湖人戰力脆弱的聯想。
Amid the doubts and the questions about the Lakers, Anthony can make out a path that leads to a championship ring, which would be his first. There were moments in his career, he said, when he considered the possibility of teaming up with James, one of his closest friends. The opportunity never materialized. Perhaps neither player was ready for that to happen, Anthony said.
在有關湖人的懷疑和疑問中，安東尼有能耐闖出一條通往冠軍戒之路，也將是他的第一枚。他說，生涯中數度考慮和密友詹姆斯同隊的可能性，但從未實現。安東尼說，也許兩人都沒做好準備。
"But here we are now," he said. "Timing is everything."
「不過我們現在是隊友了。」他說，「時機比什麼都重要」。
