Over the past eight years, I have had the pleasure of interviewing basketball star Yao Ming three times. I first sat down with him in 2002, just before he was scheduled to leave for the United States to play in the NBA. Although he had been the first round draft pick that year, he still felt a sense of ambivalence about how his new life in the US would turn out.

在过去的八年间，我有幸三次采访姚明。2002年我第一次采访他是在他赴美之前。他已经进入当年NBA选秀的第一轮，仍然对自己在美国的新生活即憧憬又担忧。


The second time I interviewed him was during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He had returned as a hero, but knew he and his teammates needed to step up if the nation was to get a medal in the competition.

第二次采访他是在08年北京奥运会。作为篮坛英雄归来的姚明，仍然清醒地知道，中国要想笑傲奖坛，自己和队友们仍需努力。


The last time we met, Yao was unable to walk without crutches.

最后一次见到他时，他只能依靠拐杖走路。


I have watched the wide arc of Yao's career and wondered what it means for the development of Chinese basketball. It boils down to these five major points.

我已经目睹过了姚明宽泛的职业生涯，同时也在思考其对中国篮球的意义。概括说来，主要有以下五点：


Firstly, Yao's physical growth. Back in 2002 Yao was a shy, lanky 22 year old. Over the years his body has filled out to match his position as center. Now that he is out of action, it is even bigger.

第一，姚明的体力。2002年时他还是一个害羞、瘦长的22岁年轻人。然而几年来他已经锻炼成一个真正的中锋巨人。他不打篮球后，体格更加健壮了。


Second, is Yao's transformation from first round draft pick to team owner of the Shanghai Sharks, where he started his career.

第二，他的成功转型。从NBA第一轮选秀中崭露头角，到回到自己刚起步的地方，上海鲨鱼队，并且当上老板。


Third, as a young player he earned little, now he earns over $52 million a year. He knows that all too often his fellow NBA players go broke just 3.5 years after retiring. Yao told me these young players suddenly start to earn enormous salaries, but have no training in how to manage their fortunes. I asked him what he had done to avoid such a situation.

第三，他之前赚钱不多，然而现在每年收入超过五千两百万。他知道很多NBA球员都在退役3.5年后宣告破产。他曾经告诉我，这些年轻的球员突然间就赚到大钱，却没有及时学会如何理财。我也问过他是如何试图避免这个局面的。


"When I first started out I was only earning about 10 yuan ($1.46) a week, with an occasional 700 yuan bonus for winning a game I quickly spent that whole bonus."

“一开始我每星期只赚10块钱（1.46美元），有时候打赢比赛会有700块奖金，我总是很快就花光这些钱。”


But Yao's parents taught him how to save his money, in the traditional Chinese way. They insisted he put his earnings in the bank, and to use his savings cautiously. He followed his parents' advice closely until last year when he decided to spend big and invest in the Shanghai Sharks.

但他父母教会他积蓄，这也是中国的传统理财方法。他们坚持让姚明把工资存进银行，并谨慎用钱。他一直很听父母的话，除了去年他决定花大手笔投资鲨鱼队。


Fourth, is the emotional journey Yao has experienced, from being a struggling basketball player to being an icon and father of a baby girl, in a few months' time.

第四，是他的情感历程。从默默无闻的小球员到国民偶像，随后又在几个月的时间中体会到了作为一个女婴的父亲的欣喜若狂。


Thirty years ago journalists predicted the day when the son of two local basketball stars would become the bright hope of Shanghai basketball. Today, the media is pinning the same hopes on the daughter of Yao and his wife, also a former basketball player.

30年前记者们预计上海一对篮球运动员夫妇的儿子会成为上海篮球运动的希望。而今，媒体也开始将同样的希望寄予姚明和叶莉的女儿
。

Yao told me about his excitement of becoming a father; especially when he first heard his daughter's heartbeat on the monitor.

姚明对我谈过他的激动心情，尤其是他第一次通过仪器听到自己女儿的心跳时。


This is a much-needed positive experience for Yao, who has been battling injuries for the past two years.

对于在过去的两年一直与病痛做斗争的姚明，这是一次必需而积极的情感体验。


This endless surgery is taking its toll on Yao. He even thought about giving it all up and retiring, so he asked his doctor if he did not have surgery would he be able to play basketball with his child? The doctor answered, he would not even be able to walk. Hence he decided to go forward with surgery.

多次手术给姚明带来了很大创伤。他甚至想过就此放弃，然后退役，所以他曾问自己的医生，如果他不接受手术，以后还能不能和自己的孩子打篮球。医生说他会连走路都成问题。于是他最终决定坚持手术。

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