「Obsession Is Natural」- Kobe Bryant 談競爭時的心理狀態
從 NBA 的殺戮戰場上退役之後，我們大湖人名宿 Kobe Bryant 生活過的可以說是多采多姿，除了經營風險投資公司、飲料公司、自有品牌，第三個女兒也出生了。跟籃球有關的除了女籃之外，頂多就是受訪、上節目談論輪休和誰是 MVP 的看法。
直到 4 月 17 號，Kobe 終於又在球員撰寫文章的網站 The Players' Tribune 寫下了關於自己籃球的故事 -「Obsession Is Natural」。相較於我也翻譯過的「Zero」訴說的是走完後的總結，「Dear Basketball」講的是拾起籃球的初衷與熱忱，這篇更像是走在籃球路上與對手競爭的心理狀態。
看的我真是熱血沸騰。
原始文章可以點這裡，這邊中、英文就一起放了。
Obsession Is Natural 翻譯
On November 12, 1996, Allen Iverson dropped 35 on the Knicks in a win at the Garden.
1996 年的 11 月 12 號，Allen Iverson 在麥迪遜花園廣場拿下 35 分，擊敗了尼克。
On November 12, 1996, I played five minutes and finished with two points in a Lakers win at Houston.
同樣的 1996 年的 11 月 12 號，湖人在休士頓帶走勝利的比賽中，我只打了五分鐘，拿了兩分。
When I checked into my hotel room later that night and saw the 35 on SportsCenter, I lost it. I flipped the table, threw the chairs, broke the TV.
當晚返回飯店後，我在 SportsCenter 節目上看見 AI 攻下 35 分的消息，我怒急攻心，掀翻了桌子、摔碎了椅子，並砸爛了電視。
I thought I had been working hard.
我以為我已經夠努力了。
Five minutes. Two points.
五分鐘，得了兩分。
I needed to work harder.
我需要付出更多。
I did.
我也這麼做了。
On March 19, 1999, Iverson put 41 points and 10 assists on me in Philadelphia.
1999 年的 3 月 19 日，費城，Iverson 這次在我面前轟下 41 分、10 助攻。
Working harder wasn’t enough.
只是更多的努力是不夠的。
I had to study this man maniacally.
我必須癡狂的研究這個男人。
I obsessively read every article and book I could find about AI. I obsessively watched every game he had played, going back to the IUPU All-American Game. I obsessively studied his every success, and his every struggle. I obsessively searched for any weakness I could find.
我著魔似的閱讀我能找到關於 AI 的每篇文章與每本書，我著魔似的觀摩他任何一場比賽，連大學時的明星賽我都沒放過。我著魔似的從他成功與掙扎的經歷中學習。我著魔似的探尋著他每個可能的弱點。
I searched the world for musings to add to my AI Musecage.
我從世界上各種層面思索並將結論補充進我的「AI 模擬室」。
This led me to study how great white sharks hunt seals off the coast of South Africa.
這甚至讓我了解到南非海邊的白鯊是用多麼精妙的手法去獵殺海豹。
The patience. The timing. The angles.
耐心，時機，切入點。
On Feb 20, 2000, in Philadelphia, PJ gave me the assignment of guarding AI at the start of the second half. No one knew how much this challenge meant to me.
2000 年的 2 月 20 號，同樣在費城，「禪師」Phil Jackson 讓我在從下半場開始防守 AI，沒有人知道這項挑戰對我來說意謂著什麼。
I wanted him to feel the frustration I felt.
我想要他體會到我曾受過的苦痛。
I wanted everyone who laughed at the 41 and 10 he put on me to choke on their laughter.
我想要每個曾嘲笑我讓他攻下 41 分、10 助攻的人的笑聲戛然而止。
He would publicly say that neither of us could stop the other.
這場賽後他大概會公開表示，我們誰也無法阻止誰。
I refused to believe that.
但我拒絕接受這樣的宣稱。
I score 50.
我狂砍 50 分。
You score zero.
而你一分未得。
THAT is what I believe.
那才是我所渴望的。
When I started guarding AI, he had 16 at the half. He finished the game with 16.
當我開始防守 AI 時，他已經在上半場拿了 16 分。全場比賽結束後，仍然只是 16 分。
Revenge was sweet.
復仇是甜蜜的。
But I wasn’t satisfied after the win. I was annoyed that he had made me feel that way in the first place.
然而這場勝利並未讓我滿足。我仍對他讓我先感受到了失敗的滋味而煩躁。
I swore, from that point on, to approach every matchup as a matter of life and death. No one was going to have that kind of control over my focus ever again.
我發誓，自那時起，將場上每次對位看作生死攸關。再也沒有人能在我鎖定他之前影響到我。
I will choose who I want to target and lock in.
而是我來決定誰是下一個該被我獵殺的目標。
I will choose whether or not your goals for the upcoming season compromise where I want to be in 20 years.
我才是那個決定你是否有資格影響我 20 年後地位的人。
If they don’t, happy hunting to you. But if they do….
如果你不是，那這就只是一次例行公事。但如果你是那個獵物......
I will hunt you obsessively. It’s only natural.
我會著魔似地獵殺你。這就是我的天性。
