Michael and Me [II]

Nowadays, so many kids come into the league with arrogant[1] attitudes, thinking that their talent is all they need to succeed. By contrast, there's a certain humility[2] in Michael's willingness to take on the difficult work of making himself a more complete player. For me, one of the signs of Michael's greatness is that he turned his weaknesses into strengths.

许多初入NBA的年轻球员仅仅把天赋看作是通先向成功的关键。与他们相反，乔丹更加看重后天的努力，不断努力完善自我。
arrogant[1]adj 傲慢的；自大的
humility[2]n 谦恭，谦逊

Another of the qualities I most respect in Michael is his demeanor[1] on the court. There are so many young players who play with anger, taunting[2] one another and beating their chests after a dunk. These guys are chiefly interested in ego[3] gratification.

许多年轻球员在球场上只顾自我表现，但态度并不友好。
demeanor[1]n 行为；举止；风度
His demeanor has always been that of a perfect gentleman.
他的态度一向是温文有礼的。
taunt[2]vt 嘲弄；讥笑；辱骂
ego[3] n. 自我, 利已主义, 自负

Michael's model for on-court decorum[1] was Julius Erving. The only time I've ever seen Michael go jaw-to-jaw with another player was in a 1992 playoff[2] game against the Knicks. Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and Xavier McDaniel were trying to knock the stuffing out of[3] Scottie Pippen, and Michael got into[4] Ewing's face about it. Michael wasn't crowing[5] about a spectacular play or trying to build himself up by tearing[6] someone else down. He was just standing up for[7] a teammate. It was a courageous[8] act of leadership.

乔丹在球场上的行为很得体。 他在唯一的一次与人对峙中，也表现地很有尺度。
decorum[1]n 高雅的举止；得体的行为
playoff[2]n 季后赛
knock the stuffing out of[3]（打斗时）使……无招架之力
got into[4]发作
crowing[5]公鸡叫
tearing[6] v. 扯下, 拆卸, 逐条驳斥, 诋毁
standing up for[7] 维护；拥护；支持
courageous[8]adj 勇敢的；无畏的
a courageous deed 勇敢行为

Being Michael's coach has been an unmitigated[1] joy. But even more important than our professional relationship, I consider Michael to be a friend. It's undeniable[2] that Michael has been elevated to an exalted[3] status in our culture - you can hardly turn on the TV without seeing him endorsing some product or other. But through it all, he remains an authentic[4] person, not taken in by his own celebrity[5].

尽管乔丹几乎成为一个时代的标志，但他还是一个真实的人。
unmitigated[1]adj 十足的；没有减轻的
undeniable[2]un-不＋deny否认＋ -able能的 adj 无可争辩的；优秀的
exalted[3]adj （地位）高的，高贵的
authentic[4]adj 真的；真正的
celebrity[5] n. 名声, 名人

Every season, he makes himself available to dozens of children who belong to the Make-A-Wish foundation - children with fatal[1] diseases. Imagine how difficult it is to approach these kids with cheer and goodwill. Yet in a totally sincere way, Michael puts them at ease, lets them have a laugh and makes it possible for them to enjoy basketball.

他更热心与儿童慈善事业。
fatal[1]adj 致命的；毁灭性的

After Michael retires, I only hope that the young players who will come to the fore[1] - players like Grant Hill and Kobe Bryant - will be influenced by Michael's demeanor and by his sense of unselfish competitiveness. More than his championship rings, I hope this will be Michael's legacy[2].

我希望乔丹的接班人把他的精神发扬光大。
come to the fore[1] 出名；崭露头角
legacy[2]n. 遗赠(物), 遗产(祖先传下来)