原文連結:
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/luis-severino-yankees-my-journey-to-the-bronx/
以下為小弟第一次翻譯，有錯煩請指正
You know what the best feeling in the world is?
你知道世上最美好的事是什麼嗎?
The best feeling in the world is waking up in the morning and remembering
that you’re a New York Yankee.
那就是你一覺醒來想起自己是個洋基隊球員
The morning after I pitch a good game and get a win for the Yankees in front
of our fans at the stadium, I almost always wake up thinking about how
incredible it is that I made it to where I am.
每當我在洋基球場的球迷面前投出一場好比賽，並為洋基拿下勝利，隔天早上起床時，我
幾乎總是想著我取得今天的地位是一件多麼不可置信的事。
Something that not a lot of people know is that me coming to play in New York
almost didn’t happen. I was almost a Colorado Rockie.
很少人知道我原本不是要到紐約打球的。我差點就成了落磯人。
Five years ago, I was 17 and living in the Dominican Republic. My family had
very little money, so the idea of signing with a major league team was
something that was on my mind every day. I had left home to go train at a
baseball academy in Bavaro, and would go to every MLB tryout I possibly
could.
5年前，我17歲時住在多明尼加。我們家很窮，所以當時我每天腦中都想著要和大聯盟的
球隊簽約。我離開家到巴瓦羅的棒球學院訓練，並盡可能參加每場大聯盟的測試會。
When my first offer came in, it was actually from the Marlins.
The guy from the team was like, “Hey, we like what you can do. We have a
contract and the money for you. It’s yours if you want it. Do you want it?”
第一支對我報價的球隊其實是馬林魚。他們大概是說:「嘿，我們喜歡你的球技。我們提
供了一份合約和錢，如果你想要就是你的了，想要嗎?」
I can’t tell you how bad I wanted to say yes.
我無法形容當時我多麼地想答應他。
In my mind I was like, Yes, I want it. I do. Give it to me, please. Right now.
當時我心裡想:是的!我想要，請立刻給我!
But my agent told me to be patient — that I could get more, that a better
offer would soon come in. I just needed to wait a little bit.
但我的經紀人叫我要有耐心，他認為更大份的合約就快要上門了。我只需要再等一下子。
That was really tough. Weeks and weeks passed. Then months. It was so hard to
be patient. I just kept thinking about all the things that signing money
could’ve bought for my family.
那是一段艱苦的日子。時光流逝，幾個月過去了，要有耐心真是不容易的事。我一直想著
簽約金能為我的家庭買到什麼。
When the Rockies came to me seven months later with a much better offer, it
felt like 10 years had passed. I didn’t want to wait anymore. I was ready. I
was going to become a Colorado Rockie. Everyone in my hometown was so happy
and proud. Some people even went out and bought Rockies hats.
7個月後，當洛磯隊提出了更大份的合約時，感覺彷彿過了10年。我不想再等待了，我準
備好了，我即將成為洛磯人。村裡的每個人既開心又驕傲，有些人甚至買了洛磯隊的球帽
。
But then, while we were in the process of finalizing the contract, something
happened that I wasn’t expecting.
然而，當我們在底定合約時，意想不到的事發生了。
The New York Yankees called and said they wanted to talk to me.
洋基隊打給我並表示想和我談個話。
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the time I was a little kid growing up in Sabana de la Mar, I loved two
things: baseball and the New York Yankees.
當我還是個住在薩瓦納德拉馬爾的小孩時，我愛兩樣東西──棒球，和洋基。
There was a small field right down the road from our house, so my father and
older brother would always walk there to play baseball with people from our
neighborhood. I’d tag along and watch. And around the time I was six, I
became really focused on playing the game and getting good. When I wasn’t on
the field, I’d be watching baseball on TV, just trying to understand the
sport and learn as much as possible.
從我家外面的馬路走下去就有一座小球場，所以我爸爸和哥哥以及鄰居們總是在那裡打棒
球。我會跟隨在後並看著他們打球。我大約6歲時，變得非常專注在比賽且越打越好。當
我不在球場上時，我會用電視看棒球，盡我所能地了解並學習這項運動。
I loved watching the Yankees back then. There was just something about that
uniform, and the pinstripes, and that logo, and … New York. And when I went
to the field, I’d sometimes try to be like the guys I saw on TV, or pretend
I was playing in Yankee Stadium.
那時候我喜歡看洋基隊的比賽。那件球衣、黑白條紋、隊徽和紐約都有種特殊意義。當我
在球場上時，我模仿我在電視轉播上看到的球員，或是假裝我在洋基球場打球。
I started out as a third baseman, if you can believe that, and an outfielder.
But my dad also began teaching me some pitching basics on the side. When I
was 10 or 11, he sat me down and went over how to throw a curveball. He
talked to me about spin, and rotation, and about where to put my fingers on
the ball. I was still really young, so it took me a while to get it, but I
remember just sitting there so excited to be learning how to throw a new
pitch.
你相信嗎?我一開始是個三壘手，也是個外野手。但我爸也教我一些丟球的基本知識。當
我10、11歲時他教我如何丟曲球、旋轉，以及我的手指要放在球的哪個位置。那時我還很
小，因此花了一點時間搞懂，但我記得我對於學習如何丟出每一球感到非常興奮。
The other big thing that my dad did for me was buy me my first Yankees hat. I
’ll never forget that day.
我爸為我做的另一件大事就是買了頂洋基帽。我永遠不會忘記那天。
At the time, none of us had any idea about my future. My dad just knew how
much I loved the Yankees, and that the hat would make me happy.
當時，沒有人知道我的未來如何。我爸只知道我有多麼喜歡洋基，以及那頂帽子能讓我開
心。
I wore that thing everywhere. And I made sure to keep it clean.
我到哪裡都戴著它，並保持它的乾淨。
I loved that hat. I really did.
我真的很喜歡那頂帽子。
As I got older, and worked more on my pitching, I got better and better. By
the time I was 15 I was pretty good at it, but I wasn’t throwing all that
hard. My first major league tryout was with the Atlanta Braves. I was 16, and
I threw 82 or 83. Around that time is when I went away to an academy to get
better training, but the bottom line was that I needed to throw harder if I
was going to get signed, and everyone around me knew it.
當我漸漸長大，更努力地練習投球，一切漸入佳境。我15歲時已經很強了，但還是投得不
夠強勁。我參加的第一場大聯盟測試會是亞特蘭大勇士隊辦的。當時我16歲，能催到82、
83英里。是時候回到棒球學院努力練球，我必須投得更好才能得到合約，而我周遭的人也
都知道這件事。
I didn’t have that much time, though. Sixteen is already pretty old to be a
prospect, and 17 and 18 were right around the corner. So I just tried to keep
working and go to as many tryouts as I could. For kids in the D.R., we will
do whatever it takes to get signed. We don’t care if we have to do five
tryouts in a week. You never know when you’re going to impress the right
person, and you never pass on an opportunity.
但我沒有時間了，對於一個新秀來說16歲已經很老了，而我卻將要17、18歲。所以我繼續
練球並盡可能參加每場測試會。在多明尼加，小朋友會無所不用其極得與球隊簽約。我們
不在意一週內參加5場測試會，你永遠不知道何時會遇到對的人，所以你不能錯過任何機
會。
I remember one time at the academy, they needed me to play first base and I
wound up getting hit with a ball on my left arm. I couldn’t move it, but I
had a tryout coming up in a few days. Some people were telling me not to go.
But I didn’t think twice. I just went and threw with my left arm against my
chest.
記得有一次在棒球學院，我被叫去守一壘，結果左手臂被球擊中。我無法移動，但幾
天後有一場測試會。有些人勸我別參加了，但我毫不猶豫的參加並在左手臂緊靠胸膛的情
況下投球。
You just do whatever you have to do, you know? But it’s not easy. And there
can be a lot of pressure on your shoulders. There are usually like 20 kids at
those tryouts who are just like you. They all throw hard and look very young.
So you sit there and watch all the other players throw, and it’s like, Oh,
my God, how is that kid throwing 97?
你知道嗎?你必須做你該做的事。但這並不輕鬆，心裡可能會承受很大的壓力。測試會上
也許有20個小孩和你一樣，他們都很年輕力壯。你坐在一旁看其他小孩投球時，心裡會想
:「我的天啊!為什麼他能丟到97英里?」
You have to somehow separate yourself from the pack. And to stand out in that
crowd, I kind of needed something to change for me quick.
你必須從眾多競爭者中脫穎而出。為了鶴立雞群，我必須試圖立即改變自己。
I needed a new plan.
我需要一個新計畫。
What I didn’t know at the time was that the new plan would involve putting
down the baseball and trying something pretty … different.
那時候我不知道的是，新計畫會讓我放下棒球，並嘗試一件非常特別的事。
One day, one of my coaches came to me with an idea.
有一天，我的一位教練給我個新主意。
You’re going to run for 30 minutes every morning, and then take a softball
and play catch with it and throw it as far as you can each time. Long toss.
No baseballs. All softballs.
「你接下來每天早上要跑步30分鐘，然後拿著壘球練習傳球，並盡你所能地把它丟遠。長
傳。不是棒球。是壘球。」
He didn’t say why, or what he was expecting to happen. He just told me to do
it.
教練沒有說為何要這樣做，也沒有說明他的目標。他只是叫我照他的話去做。
I was surprised. But, you know, what am I gonna do? He was my coach.
我感到驚訝。但是你懂的，我還能做什麼呢?他是我的教練呢!
So I did it. I didn’t ask any questions. I just did what he said for two
straight weeks before my next tryout.
我照著他說的做，沒有提出問題。我連續兩星期按表操課，直到下一個測試會。
Then, when I stepped on the mound at that tryout, I threw 92 right off the
bat.
於是我踏上測試會的投手丘，馬上飆出92英里。
Then 93.
接著是93英里。
Then 94.
然後是94英里。
I was shocked. I’d never been anywhere near those numbers in the past.
我被震懾了。我過去從未投得這麼快。
But it was no fluke. After that, my velocity just kept going up and up. By
the time the Rockies came to me with that offer, I was all the way up to 97.
And I also had a nasty slider.
但這不是曇花一現。在那之後，我的球速持續向上攀升。當洛磯隊向我報價時，我已經一
路飆到97英里，並且有著一顆犀利的滑球。
At that point, I knew I had a real shot. And when the Yankees matched the
Rockies’ offer, and it came time for me to decide where to sign, it wasn’t
a tough call for me at all.
在那時候，我知道機會來了。當洋基和落磯的報價擺在眼前，是時候要決定和誰簽約時，
這對我來說並不是個困難的抉擇。
But it was still a little bit funny telling everybody about it.
在和大家說到這個故事時我還是覺得很有趣。
I went back to my hometown after I signed with New York, and people were
still thinking that I was going to be a Rockie.
我和洋基隊簽約後，回到家鄉時，人們還以為我會成為一個落磯人。
When I met up with friends and family, I was more excited than I’ve ever
been in my life. I was practically shouting to everyone: “I am a New York
Yankee! I’m going to play in New York. I’m a Yankee!”
當我遇到朋友和家人時，這是我人生中最興奮的一次，我幾乎對著每個人大叫:「我是個
洋基人了!我要去紐約打球啦!我是洋基人!」
And they just sort of looked at me. They didn’t know what to do.
他們都不知所措的看著我。
Then, after I got all the blank looks, I heard the same thing, over and over:
接著我聽到他們重複說著同一句話:
Are you sure this time, Luis? It’s for real this time, right?
「路易斯，你確定這次是真的嗎?是嗎?」
All I could do was smile and laugh at that point.
這時，我只是開心地大笑。
I think maybe some of them were worried about having to buy a different hat.
我想有些人可能在擔心要再買一頂不同的球帽。
But I didn’t have that problem. The Yankees cap that Dad had bought me was
still as good as new.
但我並沒有這個困擾，爸爸買給我的洋基帽看起來還是跟新的一樣。
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robinson Cano was my guy back in the day.
當年Cano是我的偶像。
Don’t forget, I was a position player at first. So every time I watched a
Yankees game I’d see him play the field so smoothly, and then hit all those
home runs. It was incredible to me how good he was. Plus he was a Dominican
guy, like me, so it was fun to root for him and think about trying to get to
where he was.
別忘了，最初我是個野手。每次我看洋基隊比賽時會欣賞Cano流暢的守備，以及他轟出的
全壘打。對我來說他強到不可置信。而且他和我一樣是多明尼加人，所以跟隨他的腳步並
試圖追上他的成就是件有趣的事。
But I also loved a bunch of other Yankees. Posada, Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and
on and on. I watched all those guys so closely as a kid to see if I could
pick up any tips that I could use.
我也喜歡一大票洋基的球員，Posada、Jeter、A-Rod等等。在我還是小孩時我很仔細的看
著他們，希望能從中找到任何訣竅。
When I got to the baseball academy, my manager was a huge Yankees fan, so we’
d get together and watch every game on TV.
我在棒球學院的主任是個洋基鐵粉，所以我們常常一起看電視上的轉播比賽。
Then I’d go to bed at night and think about what it would be like to wear
the pinstripes and play in New York City.
我上床睡覺並想著穿著條紋衣在紐約打球是什麼種感覺。
As much as I loved the Yankees, though, my pitching idol was always Pedro
Martinez, another Dominican legend. It would be tough for me when Pedro was
pitching for the Red Sox and he’d go up against my Yankees.
雖然我如此的愛著洋基，但我的投手偶像卻一直是Pedro Martinez