原文:http://0rz.net/9a0Zu Alma mater in Virginia becomes his haven 对班蛙而言，维吉尼亚的母校就像是个避风港。 AUBURN HILLS --There's a special place Ben Wallace goes to be a normal guy. 【奥本山讯】有一个特别的地方，在那里，班蛙可以脱离他球星的名号，回复一般人的身 分。 No screaming fans, no demands on his time, or the other things that are involved with being a very recognizable Piston and NBA All-Star. 在那里不会有球迷在身边尖叫或在私人时间来打扰你这类的身为一个家喻户晓的NBA活塞队 球星得要面对的困扰。 Virginia Union, a small, private Division II university in Richmond, is Wallace's alma mater and his retreat. He kicks back, enjoys life and becomes just a guy named Ben who hangs around the gym for summer league games. 那个特别的地方叫做维吉尼亚联盟大学，位於维吉尼亚州李奇蒙市的第二区一间规模不大 的私立学校。它是班蛙的大学母校，同时也是他的避风港。在那里他可以把自己拉回到当 年那个在举办夏季联盟的体育馆前踌躇不前，名叫「班」的大男孩。 "I like that because it lets me be me," said Wallace, who finished his career at Virginia Union in 1996. "Those people know me, and my friends are there. Virginia Union is a very special place to me. I learned a lot there, and I take a lot of that with me today. No doubt, there's no place like it." 「我喜欢那里，因为在那里我总是感觉好自在，」1996年，班蛙刚从学校毕业时这麽说。 「那里的人都认识我，而我的好友们也都在那里。维吉尼亚联盟对我而言意义非凡。我在 那里学到很多东西，这些东西到了今天也一直在我身边。无疑地，这里是最棒的。」 Wallace and Virginia Union share an ongoing mutual love. He's one of the historically black school's highest-profile graduates, along with former NBA star Charles Oakley. Wallace is prominently featured on the school's Web site; he is pictured standing next to university president Dr. Belinda C. Anderson. 班蛙和他的母校互敬互爱。他是这间黑人学校校史上最着名的毕业生之一（另一位是前NBA 球星Charles Oakley，1985年毕业）。学校的网站有一栏特别介绍他。他的照片就摆在校 长Belinda C. Anderson博士之後。 He's kept Virginia Union as a priority too, sponsoring an annual scholarship for a member of the men's basketball team. Wallace's contributions also have allowed the school to purchase new equipment, and he helps in other unsung ways. 他也把维吉尼亚联盟摆在第一优先。他每年都赞助年度奖学金给男篮校队的成员。由於他 的慷慨解囊，让维吉尼亚联盟有钱可以添购新的设备。此外，在很多看不到的地方，班蛙 也帮了不少忙。 He stays in close touch with the basketball program, through friend and coach Dave Robbins. 他透过和他亦师亦友的Dave Robbins与维吉尼亚联盟的篮球事务保持密切的关系。 "Ben's never forgotten us, and we'll never forget him," said Robbins, who has won three Division II national titles with the Panthers. 「班蛙从没忘了我们，而我们也不会忘记他，」拿下三次第二区全国冠军的Robbins这麽说。 "This is a special place, because we're small, and we do the best we can with what we have. And I think that makes our players different; they have to work harder. 「这里是个特别的地方，因为我们学校并不大，但我们总是拼尽全力打出最好的表现。我 想，这就是我们为什麽与众不同的原因吧；因为我们非常拼命。」 "And obviously, that's what Ben's all about -- hard work." 「而很明显地，班蛙就是努力的代名词。」 Wallace's college experience was very different from teammates such as Rasheed Wallace (North Carolina), Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky) and Rip Hamilton (Connecticut). 至於班蛙大学时期的事蹟，和他那些早在大学时就声名显赫的队友相比就没什麽好说嘴的 了。（溪蛙：北卡；小王子：肯塔基；Rip：康乃迪克） They went to high-profile, cash-rich programs that come close to providing an NBA atmosphere. 他们享有球星级的待遇，而且球队的资源丰富，早早就体验了NBA的氛围。 Wallace's life at Virginia Union was quite different. And not much has changed for today's Panthers players. 班蛙在维吉尼亚的大学生活跟他们很不一样。而黑豹队的环境现在也还是跟以前差不多。 He rode buses for hundreds of miles to get to road games. The Panthers try not to stay overnight, to save money, even if it means a 10-hour, round-trip bus ride. 他们要坐上巴士，开上几百公里的路去别的学校打客场比赛。为了省钱，他们尽量不在外 过夜，打完比赛就直接回家，即使来回得开上10小时。 They play at Barco-Stevens Hall, a building once famous -- or infamous -- for not having adequate heating or air conditioning. 他们在一度「赫赫有名」的Barco-Stevens会馆球场打球－－或者应该说是有名的烂－－因 为它的空调老是时好时坏。 Barco has the character of an old-school "barn." The weight room, nicknamed "The Cage," was cramped and musty. Barco球场有一间老学校特有的「车库」－－一间既狭小又老旧的重量训练室，人们给它取 了个绰号：「鸟笼」。 Barco has received some recent renovations but still retains its charm. 球场最近做了些翻修，不过它那特有的魅力倒是保留了下来。 "I think it's good not to have much, like we did," Wallace said. "You're grateful for everything you've got. You don't expect anybody to give you anything. 「我觉得不要改太多比较好，最好是像我们那时候一样，」班蛙说。你会学着对你拥有的 东西心存感激，不会去奢望有人给你什麽帮助。 "You know that being there means you've got to work for everything you get, with no special treatment. And that's good. That teaches you to be independent, grow up and be a man." 「你会知道，那里的每样东西都得靠自己努力争取，不会有特别待遇。那样（的做法）很 好，它会教你学习独立、成长，并变成一个真正的男人。」 Robbins said Wallace was different from the start. He was a transfer from Cuyahoga (Ohio) Community College, coming to Virginia Union for his junior and senior seasons. He wasn't the Wallace of today, with big-muscled and a sky-high Afro. Robbins说，班蛙的与众不同从他刚入校时就看得出来了。他在俄亥俄州的Cuyahoga社区学 院念完一年级以後才转来维吉尼亚联盟，之後就在这待到毕业。那时的他和现在差很多， 既没有惊死人的肌肉，也没有留着恨天高的阿福柔头。 "He would be in the gym or The Cage all the time, and it didn't matter if it was 100, 110 degrees," Robbins remembered. "And I never heard him complain about anything." 「他每天的生活不是练球就是去『鸟笼』里做重训。有时候里面的温度甚至高达华氏100- 110度，」Robbins回想起班蛙大学时练球的情形。「但是我从来没听他抱怨过。」 Robbins laughs, remembering a time when Wallace's unassuming nature went a bit too far. 一想到班蛙那谦虚到有点过份的老实个性，Robbins笑了出来。 "We don't have a lot of money, but we want the kids to have nice practice shoes. So we make sure they get like two, three pairs a year," Robbins said. "One day, I look down in practice and I see Ben, with his soles flapping on his worn-out shoes. 「我们球队没什麽钱，但我们还是尽量让孩子们都能有几双好的练习鞋可以穿。所以我们 尽可能确保他们每个人每年都能拿到个两三双，」Robins说。「有天我望向他们的脚，看 到班蛙的鞋子正张开嘴巴对着我笑。」 "I said, 'Young man, I think you need some new shoes. Why didn't you say something?' 「我说：『年轻人，我想你需要换双新鞋罗！你怎麽不来跟我们说呢？』」 "Ben just replied, 'Yeah, I guess I could use some.' He never ever asked me for a thing. He just kept quiet and played." 「而班蛙只说：『嗯，也许我是该换双鞋了。』他从来不会主动跟我要这要那的。他总是 安静地认真打球。」 Wallace finished his career with a strong senior season. He averaged 10.5 rebounds, 12.5 points and 3.6 blocks. The Panthers made it to the Division II Final Four with a 28-3 record. 班蛙用壮观的数据为他大学最後一年划下句点。平均10.5个篮板、12.5分和3.6阻攻。黑豹 队该年以28胜3负的战绩跻身第二区的季後赛，并打进四强决赛。 And though Wallace is now a big NBA star, Virginia Union still feels like home. 虽然班蛙现在已经是个NBA的超级巨星了，但是维吉尼亚联盟依旧能给他家的温暖。 Said Robbins: "I tell Ben he's part of two families -- his and ours -- for the rest of his life." Robbins说：「我跟他说，这一生你永远都会有两个家－－一个是你自己的家，另一个则 是我们。」 ------------------------------------------------ 抱歉这麽晚才PO上来(昨晚有事耽搁...) 有错请指正 我会再改的 --

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