來源 https://reurl.cc/2b4LN6
Can basketball heal South Sudan?
Luol Deng, a star in America, has high hopes for the game
Jan 9th 2021
籃球救得了南蘇丹嗎?羅爾．丹恩寄與厚望
THE PEOPLE of South Sudan are among the tallest in the world. That helps
explain why several of them have had stellar careers playing basketball
abroad. One is Luol Deng, a former all-star in America’s National Basketball
Association (NBA). Mr Deng, who retired in 2019 after 15 seasons on the
hardwood for the Chicago Bulls and other teams in the NBA, took over as coach
of South Sudan’s national team in November. Now he is using the sport to try
to mend his war-torn motherland.
南蘇丹人的平均身高在全球是名前矛的，這說明了為什麼他們相對容易在籃球上取
得亮眼成就。羅爾．丹恩就是其中之一，效力公牛隊其間曾入選明星賽，在15年的
征戰後，選擇高掛球鞋。退休後接任南蘇丹國家隊教練，而他希望用籃球這個運動
來重建這個被戰火蹂躪的家鄉。
In December, for the first time in its history, South Sudan won enough games
to qualify for the African basketball championship, known as AfroBasket. That
is no small feat for a team that is relatively new to international
competition. For five of the ten years that South Sudan has existed as a
country, it has been beset by civil war. Of its 12-member squad, all but one
player grew up abroad.
很快地，南蘇丹取得足夠的戰績，並首度取得非洲籃球錦標賽的資格賽的門票，這
對剛揮軍國際賽不久的南蘇丹國家隊而言是個得來不易的成就。過去十年間，就有
五次因為內戰而未能成軍，而如今，他們這隻青年軍不但成績出色，12 位球員中，
更有11位是來自本土所訓練出來的球員
The war has directly led to the deaths of almost 200,000 people, and perhaps
caused twice as many deaths indirectly through hunger and disease, according
to a study in 2018 by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine. Mr Deng, who also funds the national squad, hopes it will
help bring the country together and change its image abroad. “We’re doing
something that’s bigger than basketball,” he says. “There are people that
are depressed and hungry and struggling… That two-hour game gives them pride
to keep going.”
南蘇丹的內戰造成20萬人死亡，估計因內戰帶來的飢荒及疾病至少40萬人死亡。而丹恩
先生出錢出力成立的國家隊，希望這些成就而夠帶領南蘇丹這個國家團結，讓世人看到
我們的改變，他說:我們不僅僅是打籃球，國內的平民百姓飢餓受苦，生活充滿絕望，
希望藉由籃球帶給國家希望，帶給人們信心。
The young minister of youth and sports, Albino Bol Dhieu, is a believer. He
hopes that what has been “spoiled by politics can be fixed by sports”. He
plans to build a sports complex and at least one basketball court in each of
the country’s ten states and three administrative areas. Quite how he will
pay for this is not clear. The government’s budget set aside the equivalent
of just $5.3m, or less than 1% of spending, for his ministry. By contrast,
nearly $130m was allocated for security.
南蘇丹的青年及運動部長，就是頭號信徒。部長計畫在各州蓋運動場，然而錢從哪裡來
是個問題，政府預算不多，大部份都花在國防安全上
With its recent performance the national team has risen a remarkable nine
places (to 98th) in the rankings of the International Basketball Federation,
known as FIBA, the sport’s global governing body. Locals hope that when
AfroBasket tips off in August, it will provide more than just national pride.
They hope that the team’s success will inspire young men to put down their
guns and start shooting hoops. ■
憑藉著近期的好表現，南蘇丹的FIBA排名上升了9個名次來到98名，當地人希望今年8月
非洲錦標賽開打時，國家隊的成功不僅為南蘇丹帶來榮耀與驕傲，他們更希望告訴戰場
上的年青人，不要再打人了，來打球吧。