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這篇是小牛板板友popstarkirby之前 (#1BUECFq4)提到有篇介紹Caron Butler的文章
原文為華盛頓郵報專欄作家Michael Lee於2008年所寫

在Caron out of season,未來動向不明之際。將此篇文章試翻一下,來記錄這位愛咬吸管的吸管男

Caron Butler Reuters Pictures.jpg
Caron Butler (Reuters Pictures)

The Great Escape
Wizards' Butler Overcame a Harsh Youth

By Michael Lee {vbar}
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 17, 2008

RACINE, Wis. The 17-year-old was home sick from school, napping away the effects of the flu, when he awoke to sirens and the chatter of a crowd gathering at the A&W restaurant across the street. Rolling over in bed, he peered through the blinds to see flashing lights and armed police officers, dressed in black, approaching.

威斯康辛州Racine市。17歲的男孩因病在家沒有到學校,受感冒影響正在打盹,因對街A&W restaurant警報器以及人群聚集的聲音而醒來。爬起床後,他透過百葉窗看到閃光以及身穿黑衣的武裝警察正靠近著

He had served nine months in jail because of a drug and weapons conviction, but that had occurred more than a year before. He had been clean since. What could this be about? Panicked, he did the only thing that came to mind: He pulled the covers over his head and pretended to be asleep.

他過去曾因藥物以及武器遭定罪,在監牢待了9個月,但那是一年多以前的事了。從那之後他就乾乾淨淨 (不碰那些)。那現在是怎樣?驚慌失措是心中唯一的感覺:他拉起床單,蓋過頭,假裝睡著

After the police broke down the front door and found him, they handcuffed him, struggling to get a cuff around the right hand he had broken playing basketball a few weeks earlier. They took him downstairs and planted him on a living room couch. Wearing a tank top, boxer shorts and a perturbed expression, he watched investigator Richard Geller and his officers scour the two-story yellow bungalow. Eventually, Geller found 15 grams of crack cocaine -- worth about $1,500 in Racine in 1998 -- hidden in the garage.

在警方破門而入找到他後,將他戴上手銬,手銬戴在幾週前因打籃球而骨折的右手則令他有些掙扎。他們帶他下樓並將他留置於客廳的沙發。穿著背心,四角褲以及忐忑不安的神情,他看著調查員Richard Geller與他的部下翻遍這棟兩層樓舊平房。終於,Geller發現了藏在車庫的15公克海洛因—1998年在Racine當地價值1500美元

"Bingo!" Geller shouted. "Jackpot! We got it!"

Geller喊著”我們找到了!”

It was at that moment that Caron Butler's life could have careened to a far different place: away from a successful college basketball career at Connecticut; away from the Washington Wizards and the five-year, $50 million contract he signed while crying in 2005; and away from being named to today's NBA All-Star Game for the second consecutive year.

那時可能將Caron Butler的人生帶向相當不同的地方:遠離在康乃狄克大學成功的籃球生涯;遠離華盛頓巫師隊以及2005年巫師與他簽下的5年5千萬美元合約;遠離獲選今天舉行的NBA全明星賽,他連續兩年獲選參加全明星賽

But Butler wasn't sent back to jail on what he called "one of the scariest days of my life." Instead, he was freed to continue his remarkable journey from youth prison in Wisconsin to Verizon Center because a police officer made a decision that changed a life.

但是Butler並未在他所謂”人生最恐怖日子之ㄧ”時被送回監牢。反而,因為一名警官做了一個足以改變他人生的決定,他獲得釋放,得以繼續他那不尋常的旅程,從威斯康辛少年監獄到巫師主場Verizon Center

"The graveyards and prisons are full of people that wanted a second chance," Butler said. "God put his hands on my life. He said 'I'm going to touch you so that you can touch others.' "

“墓園以及監獄充滿了想要第二次機會的人們” Butler說 ”上帝將祂的手伸進我的人生。祂說’我將會碰觸你,讓你可以碰觸其他人’”

* * *

Trouble From the Start

The rise of Butler, 27, from small-time drug dealer to NBA star began here, in this waterfront city of 80,000 just south of Milwaukee. "A lot of people judge your glory without knowing your story," Butler said one afternoon last fall, as he strolled around the neighborhood that created the man Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan calls "Tuff Juice."

Butler (27歲)的崛起,從一個三流毒品交易者到NBA球星,是從這個密爾瓦基南方這個擁有8萬人的濱海城市開始。"許多人評斷你的榮耀卻不了解你的故事" Butler在去年秋天的一個午後,當他在住家附近溜達時這樣談到。那裡創造了這個讓巫師教練Eddie Jordan稱為”Tuff Juice”的男人

He grew up on Racine's south side, a neighborhood of decaying homes and dilapidated buildings, and played pickup basketball at a nearby community center. Aside from visitors to Wells Brothers pizza, this area doesn't draw many outsiders. It's sprinkled with a few corner convenience stores. Butler's favorite spot, a Mexican dive called La Tapatia, has just one table. A little store is attached, where you can buy a bottle of Pepto-Bismol with your burrito.

他在Racine市南邊長大,住家附近多是殘破房屋與建築,他在鄰近的社區中心裡鬥牛。除了觀光客來到Wells Brothers pizza外,這個區域並未吸引太多外地人。那裡有一些便利商店。Butler最愛的地點,則是一個只有一張桌子名為La Tapatia的墨西哥小餐館。La Tapatia那還有一間小店,你可以在買墨西哥捲餅時順便買瓶Pepto-Bismol (一種胃藥)

Racine is so small that Butler's neighborhood is less than six blocks from million-dollar, waterfront estates on Lake Michigan. But the peaceful waters couldn't match the lure of Hamilton Park, a patch of grass on 18th Street between Howe and Mead with a sparse playground that had little more than a slide, monkey bars and a seesaw. Back then, everyone would gravitate to the park, where Butler would always find large crowds, girls, and plenty of gang and criminal activity. Police eventually shut down the scene by buying one of the houses abutting the park, tearing it down and building a new one filled with surveillance cameras.

Racine市很小,Butler住家距離Lake Michigan海濱的百萬房產不到6個路口。但是那寧靜海灣比不上Hamilton Park的誘惑,一片位於18街的綠地介於Howe鎮以及Mead鎮間,該公園的遊樂場地僅有一個溜滑梯、一些單槓與一個翹翹板。每個人傾向來到這個公園,Butler在那總是發現大量人群、女孩們,與大量幫派和犯罪行為。警方最終藉由買下靠近公園的一間房子,拆毀它,重新建造一棟充滿監視器的房子來關閉此景象

When Butler's mother, Mattie Paden, would find him at the park, she would often resort to waving a bat at him to make him go home. But she worked two jobs, sometimes 80 hours a week, to support the single-parent home and was limited to chasing after him in the family's Mercury station wagon when she returned from work. It wasn't enough. Butler and six friends -- Greg West, James Barker Jr., Robert Nellom, Andre King, Andre Love and Antonio Strong -- constantly were in trouble for vandalizing property and fighting. Butler estimates that he was in juvenile court 15 times before age 15.

當Butler的母親Mattie Paden在公園找到他時,她經常揮舞棒子讓他回家。但是她做兩份工作,有時一個禮拜需工作80小時來支撐這個單親家庭,也限制她在下班後開著家用休旅車來追尋他。這樣是不夠的。Butler與他的六個朋友--Greg West, James Barker Jr., Robert Nellom, Andre King, Andre Love和Antonio Strong經常因破壞物品與打架惹出麻煩。Butler估計他在15歲前上過少年法庭15次

The Gangster Disciples, who controlled the park, made a strong recruiting pitch, demonstrating how dealing drugs yielded quick money. Butler's uncles and a few cousins were already dealing, so he had no trouble getting started.

控制公園的幫派,藉著示範交易毒品如何能快速賺到錢,招募到不少人。當時Butler的叔叔與一些表兄弟已經有在交易,所以他要開始 (毒品交易)並不會有任何困難

"We used to see the big dudes [drug dealers] come through, with their cars shining. We didn't have nothing," said West, who was known as Little Greg. "That's what drove us to it."

“我們過去常看到這些大人物 (毒品交易者)過來,開著他們的車子閃閃發亮。我們並非一無所有”被稱作Little Greg的West說 “那就是驅使我們的原因”

Butler made his first drug deal at age 11, pocketing $38. He would hide his gold watch and chains when he got home, and also had a newspaper route that served as a cover. Butler received newspapers at 3:30 each morning, delivered them and then hit the corner of 18th and Howe to sell crack before the sun rose.

Butler在他11歲時完成首次毒品交易,口袋進帳38美元。當他回家時他會將金錶與鍊子藏起來,他也利用每日送報工作作為掩護。Butler在每天早上3:30拿報,在太陽升起前,送完報紙並到18街以及Howe鎮的轉角賣海洛因

"You can take a kid to school all day; he's in school for eight hours, he [doesn't] see the immediate impact," Butler said. "You can stay out [on the corner] for four, five hours and make $1,500."

“你可以帶你的孩子到學校,讓他整天待在那裡;他在學校8小時,他沒看到直接的影響 (藉由學習對於日後的影響)”Butler說 “你可以在外面停留4、5個小時賺1500美元”

During his freshman year at Racine Case High School, Butler gave his locker combination to a friend and allowed him to store drugs there. That same day, he noticed four police officers walking the halls. They entered Butler's classroom and arrested him. Along with the drugs, they discovered an unloaded .32-caliber pistol in the locker. Butler also was carrying $1,200 in cash.

高一就讀Racine Case High School時,Butler將他的置物櫃組合鎖給他的朋友並允許對方在那儲藏毒品。某日一如往常,他注意到有四名警察在宿舍走著。他們進入了Butler的教室並且逮捕他。連同毒品,他們在置物櫃中發現了一把未上膛的點32口徑手槍。Butler身上也攜帶了現金1200美元

Butler, West, Nellom, King and Strong were questioned by police. Had he been convicted of the gun charge alone, Butler would have served a lighter sentence, but he also claimed ownership of the drugs to protect one of his friends. West says now the drugs did not belong to Butler. "He took the case," West said.

Butler, West, Nellom, King 與Strong遭到警方訊問。Butler因非法持有槍械被定罪,這是較輕的刑責,不過他仍宣稱擁有這些毒品來保護他的一名朋友。West說當時的毒品並不屬於Butler。”他全扛了”West說。

Butler's family tried to persuade him to divulge who had put the drugs in his locker so he could avoid jail. "I couldn't see myself doing that," said Butler, who still refuses to provide the name. "I wasn't going to tell on anybody that I was rolling with, so I had to man up.

Butler的家人試著說服他將放毒品於他置物櫃的人透露出來,好讓他免於被關。”我不能看著自己這樣做”仍拒絕提供名字的Butler說 “我不會說出跟我逗陣的任何人,我要像個男人”

"I was hustling. I was doing what I was doing, so when I got caught up like that, I had to bite the bullet. When you're out there selling poison, it's going to come back. That's karma, man."

“我很努力,我做我該做的,所以當我像這樣被抓到,我試著咬緊牙關。當你在外面賣毒品,有些事情終會回過頭來。那是因果,老兄”

He spent the first two months of an 18-month sentence at the Racine Correctional Institution, an adult facility, before being transferred to the Ethan Allen School for Boys in Wales, Wis., a razor-wire-enclosed campus for youngsters convicted of murder, burglary and selling drugs.

他18個月刑期的前兩個月待在關成人的Racine懲戒所,之後被換到位於威斯康辛州Wales 提供給男孩的Ethan Allen School。Ethan Allen School校園四周以刀片刺網圍起,為因謀殺案、竊盜案以及販賣毒品而被定罪的年輕人所設立

When Butler was relocated to Ethan Allen, his mother followed the prison bus in the family station wagon, weeping for the entire 57-mile ride north. "He was with me ever since birth," Paden said. "To have your child taken away from you, it was devastating. I almost went crazy."

當Butler要被移往Ethan Allen時,他的母親開著家用旅行車跟著囚車,在往北那段57公哩的路上一路哭著。”他從出生就跟著我” Paden說”讓妳的孩子被帶走真令人驚恐,我幾乎要瘋了”

Butler cried as he saw his mother trailing. The family already was reeling from the conviction of his uncle, Carlos Butler, who had been sentenced to 10 months in prison for a gun charge a few months before.

當Butler看見母親跟在後面,他哭了。這個家族剛受到他叔叔定罪影響,Carlos Butler在幾個月前因非法持有槍械而被判刑10個月

Within his first month at Ethan Allen, Butler got into an altercation with a rival gang member from back home. Punished with 15 days in solitary confinement, he was forced to spend 23 hours a day in a 10-by-12, yellow brick cell, with a steel bed and a two-inch-thick mattress. His food was slid in through a small opening and he was granted an hour outside to clean himself.

於Ethan Allen的第一個月,Butler與對手幫派成員爭吵。被罰關禁閉15天,一天有23個小時需待在10*12的黃磚牢房,裡面有一個鋼床以及一個2英吋厚床墊。他的食物透過一個小開口滑進來,每天有一個小時離開牢房,外出盥洗

Butler decided that he'd never be in that position again. He read Bible verses his grandmother, Margaret Butler, had sent him. Butler said he was drawn mostly to 1 Corinthians 13:11, which reads, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

Butler決定再也不要處於這樣的狀態。他讀著他祖母Margaret Butler給他的Bible verses。Butler被哥多林前書第13章第11節所吸引,”當我是個孩子時,我說話像個孩子,認知像個孩子,想法像個孩子:一旦我成年後,我丟棄那些屬於孩子的事物”

One small window, sandwiched between steel bars, lit his room. Butler could peer out and see a basketball court.

夾在鋼製欄杆間的一個小窗戶照亮他的房間。Butler可往外窺探,並且看到一座籃球場

"God puts stuff in front of you for a reason," he said. "That was my ticket out."

“上帝將東西放在你面前都是有原因的”他說”那讓我脫離過去”

On the day he was released from Ethan Allen in August 1996, Butler, then 16, promised his mother that he'd never do anything to hurt her again. He also sought out his daughter, Camary, born less than a month after he was incarcerated. For Butler, who barely knows his father, it was another way to make amends.

1996年8月,從Ethan Allen被放出來那天,16歲的Butler向母親承諾再也不會做任何事傷害她。他也找著他的女兒Camary,Camary在他坐牢不到一個月後出生。對於幾乎不認識自己父親的Butler來說,那是進行補償的另一個方式

"One of the main things I wanted to do was be the best father I could be because I didn't have a father," he said. "I know that void hurt me."

“我主要想做的事情是盡我所能當一個最好的父親,因為我沒有爸爸”他說”我知道那可以避免傷害到我”

Butler's mother moved the family away from trouble, to a new home in midtown on Bluff Avenue. Eight days after Butler arrived there, he was getting a haircut on his porch when Andre King visited and asked him if he wanted to hang out at Hamilton Park. Butler, shackled by an ankle-monitoring device assigned to him after his release, told King that he couldn't leave the porch. Two hours later, Butler said, King was shot and killed.

Butler的母親從紛紛擾擾之中將家庭遷到Bluff Avenue城裡。Butler到達那的八天後,當他在陽台理髮時,Andre King來拜訪並問他要不要去Hamilton Park走走。在Butler被釋放後,腳踝戴著監控裝置,他告訴King他不能離開陽台。Butler說,King兩小時後遭槍擊身亡

"If I wasn't on the bracelet, I would've been right there with him," Butler said. "That stuff, it takes a fire out of you, makes you say, 'This is not for me no more.' " Less than two years later, James Barker Jr. also was murdered at Hamilton Park, shot twice in the chest. Butler remembers rushing from his home to find a bloodied Barker removing his jewelry and handing it to his weeping sister before being moved to an ambulance.

“如果當時我沒戴腳鍊,我就會跟他在一起”Butler說”那些都是警訊,讓你說著’我再也不要那樣子了’”兩年後,James Barker Jr.也在Hamilton Park遭到謀殺,胸部被開了兩槍。Butler想起當時從他家衝去找流著血的Barker,在Barker被送上救護車前將他的首飾拿下來,遞給Barker哭泣的姐姐

A job at Burger King was one of Butler's first steps toward a different life. His friends routinely heckled him for mopping floors and removing french fries from the piping hot grease. "They'd see me with heat bumps, laughing at me," said Butler, who now owns several Burger King franchises. "I said, 'I ain't got to watch my back out here.' I set the example."

漢堡王的工作是Butler邁向不同人生的第一步。他的朋友常態性地詢問他擦地板以及從熱油中撈出薯條等事。”他們時常帶著情緒來看我、嘲笑我”現在擁有數間漢堡王的Butler說“我說過,我不會回頭看漢堡王之前的日子,我做出示範”

* * *

A Critical Decision

Richard Geller, 47, has been a member of the Racine Police Department for 24 years and last year he was honored with the department's award of excellence. The son of a Marine, Geller has spent practically all of his life in Racine. He considered attending law school at Western State University in California but instead chose a career in local law enforcement so that he "could give back to my community." Geller worked in the department's drug investigations unit during the mid-1990s, the most dangerous era in Racine's history, when it often had the highest per capita homicide rate in the state. "It was a time in the city's history that we're not sad to see in our rearview mirror," Racine deputy chief of police Art Howell said.

47歲的Richard Geller已經在Racine市警察局服務24年,去年他獲選局裡面的傑出警官獎。Geller是陸戰隊之子,他人生大部份時間幾乎都住在Racine市。他曾考慮就讀加州Western State University法律學校,後來反而選擇在當地執行法律,這樣他才可以回饋自己的社區。Geller在90年代中期在局裡面毒品查緝單位工作,那時期是Racine史上最危險的年代,殺人案率常常是全州最高。”在那時,我們從後照鏡看到什麼都不會難過” Racine警局代理局長Art Howell說

About 5 feet 10, slightly built, balding and with a salt-and-pepper mustache, Geller is far from a physically imposing man. But on that afternoon in January 1998, he had the power to play God with Butler's life.

大約五呎10吋,禿頭,留著salt-and-pepper鬍子,Geller外觀上並不雄偉。但在1998年1月的下午,他有權利扮演Butler生命當中的上帝

Geller, by then the head of the department's investigations unit, had received a tip that there was drug activity in the garage of the home Butler shared with his mother and younger brother, Melvin Claybrook. He secured the search warrant and organized the raid. "To be honest, I had no idea who we'd find in the house," Geller said recently.

身為局裡面搜查單位上司的Geller得到情報,在Butler、與他母親以及他弟弟Melvin Claybrook一同居住的房子裡面,將有毒品行為於車庫發生。他保存好搜索令,並組織好追捕的隊型。“誠實地說,我不知道在屋子裡會找到什麼” Geller前陣子這樣說。

The identity of the person who put the crack cocaine in the garage is unclear, but Butler is adamant that it wasn't him. Geller knew of Butler's criminal past but was unaware that he was a promising athlete. He confronted Butler after finding the drugs, and Butler denied knowing anything about them. With his burgeoning basketball career possibly in jeopardy, he told Geller, "I don't need this now."

將古柯鹼放在車庫的那個人身份未明,但是Butler很強硬地說不是他。Geller知道Butler的犯罪過往,但他並未察覺他是個前途一片大好的運動員。他在找到毒品後面對著Butler,而Butler否認對這些藥品有所知悉。他剛起步的籃球生涯可能會有危險,他告訴Geller”我現在不需要這個”

Since Butler was the only person at home during the raid, Geller could have arrested him by citing "constructive possession," which makes the person in a home liable for what is inside. If convicted, Butler could have received at least 10 years in prison, maybe more given his prior record, Geller said. "It would've been bad for me, period," Butler said.

既然Butler是圍捕行動期間唯一在家的人,Geller可以引用” constructive possession”將他逮捕,人們要對他家裡的一切負相關責任。Geller說如果定罪的話,Butler將在監牢中待至少10年,依據他的前科可能會判更久。”那段期間對我來說一直都很糟”Butler說

Butler's mother arrived while the officers were deliberating what to do with him, shocked to find police in her home after a trip to get flu medicine and soup for her son. Geller recalls her pulling him aside and begging him: "I promise you, if you give Caron a chance on this, you will never look back. You will never have to worry about him."

Butler的母親在警官們正在商量要如何處理時到達,她在外出為她兒子買感冒藥以及濃湯後相當震驚地發現有警察在她家。Geller回想起她將他拉到一旁,並且向他求情: “我向你保證,如果你給Caron一個機會,你將會越來越成功。你將再也不必擔心他”

A very pragmatic man, Geller said he prides himself on a meticulous approach to his job. He believes police work is much easier when you treat people correctly. "I'm not saying that Caron might not have been involved in something at that point, but in my gut, I was pretty confident the dope wasn't his. I had done my homework."

Geller是個相當務實的人,Geller說他對於自己在工作上的仔細態度感到自豪。他相信如果你正確地對待民眾,警察的工作便顯得更加簡單。”我沒有說Caron在那個時間點並未牽扯其中,但在我情感上的反應,我十分有信心這些非法藥品不是他的,我完成了初步工作”

Geller's supervisor told him that he had enough for an arrest, but left the final decision up to Geller.

Geller的上司告訴他能進行逮捕,但最終決定權仍交給Geller

"If this had been a situation where I knew going in that Caron was the guy selling the dope -- that he was the responsible party -- I'm not going to lie to you, he would've been escorted out of that house," Geller said.

“如果我仍停留在知道Caron曾賣過毒品的情形下,而他也是需要負責的一方,我不騙你,他會從屋子被帶走”Geller說

He decided to let Butler go.

他決定放Butler一條生路

"I thought it was the right thing to do -- to see him go on the right path," Geller said.

“我認為當時做出了正確的事,看著他走對的路”Geller說

But Geller and his supervisor left Butler with a warning. "They told me, 'If you get in trouble again, anything to do with narcotics again, you're taking this case, too,' " Butler recalled. "I was like, 'You don't have to worry about that.' "

但是Geller與其長官給Butler留下警告。”他們告訴我,如果你再陷入麻煩,再做出任何與毒品有關的事,你還是得為此案負責”Butler回憶起”我當時的樣子就像’你不需要擔心那些’”

* * *

Discovering the Game

Butler had always dabbled in basketball, but he developed a hunger for the sport during his months at Ethan Allen, where he played pickup games to win Little Debbie snack cakes and frosted doughnuts. And he soon became a standout at Washington Park High School.

Butler總是浸在籃球裡,而他在Ethan Allen的數個月卻讓他培養出對於籃球的渴望,在那他藉著鬥牛贏得Little Debbie點心蛋糕與甜甜圈。接著他成為Washington Park High School的突出人物

Jameel Ghuari, director of the George Bray Community Center, persuaded Butler to play for his Amateur Athletic Union team. Ghuari, a community activist, coached Butler for three summers and later served as his mentor. He spent countless hours trying to convince Butler that basketball could be his means to a better life. It was a hard sell, Ghuari said. "He was still very influenced by his environment and those individuals who he hung around with," he said. "His mentality was still in the street."

George Bray社區中心主任Jameel Ghuari說服Butler打他的業餘隊伍。Ghuari,一名社區行動者,指導Butler三個夏天後,成為他的mentor (導師,在此指籃球方面)。他花了無數個小時試著讓Butler相信籃球是他迎向更好生活的方法。那很難推銷,Ghuari說。”他仍深受環境以及周圍的人影響”他說 “他的心還留在街頭”

His close friends noticed a change in Butler, though, after he attended the Spiece Run 'N Slam AAU Tournament at Purdue University in 1998. He led Bray Center to the tournament title and won MVP honors, besting teams featuring future NBA players Darius Miles, Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson and Dwyane Wade. "He was a totally different dude," West said. "He said, 'I got something to prove.' He wasn't the same person."

當他參加1998年在普渡大學舉辦的Spiece Run 'N Slam AAU Tournament後,他的好友注意到在Butler身上的改變。他帶領Bray Center贏得該項比賽並獲選MVP,這項比賽的歷年冠軍隊成員中包含了未來的NBA選手: Darius Miles, Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson 以及Dwyane Wade。”他變成另一個人”West說”他說’我可以證明一些事情’他不是同一人了”

Butler realized, finally, that he needed to leave Racine.

最終,Butler了解,他必須離開Racine市

He asked a local drug dealer, James "J-Fee" Harris, for nearly $5,000 to pay the tuition at Maine Central Institute, a prep school Ghuari recommended to Butler when his eligibility with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association expired before his senior season. "He said, 'Get off these streets,' and gave it to me," Butler said of Harris. "No strings attached."

他向在地藥品交易者James "J-Fee" Harris要了近5000美元來支付緬因中央中學 (Maine Central Institute)的學費,在Butler就讀高三之前,他在Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association的資格已過期,緬因中央中學則是Ghuari所建議的預備學校。Butler提及Harris,”Harris他說’從街頭離開’,並且將它還給我,無附加條件”

Harris is now imprisoned in Indiana.

Harris目前被關在印第安那州

Butler spent two years at MCI in tiny Pittsfield, Maine, to repair the academic transcripts damaged by his incarceration and to polish his skills on the court.

Butler花了兩年在緬因州Pittsfield小鎮的MCI修補因坐牢而受影響的成績,並鍛鍊球場上的技巧。

Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun was familiar with Butler's past but never had any concerns while recruiting him. Coming from South Boston, Calhoun said, he could "sympathize with the streets a bit. With Caron, all you had to do was meet him. He was one of the best people I've ever coached."

康大教練Jim Calhoun熟悉Butler的過去,但在招募他時未曾擔心。來自南波士頓的Calhoun說他可以”些許了解街頭生活,對於Caron,你只需要去與他會面。他是我教過最好的人之一”

After leading Connecticut to the round of eight in the NCAA tournament and scoring 32 points in a loss against eventual champion Maryland, Butler declared for the NBA draft following his sophomore season. The Miami Heat selected him 10th in 2002. He was traded twice in his first three seasons -- to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Wizards -- and says Washington has become a second home for him.

Butler大二時帶領康大打進NCAA Great 8,並在輸給該年冠軍馬里蘭大學一役得到32分,之後宣布參加NBA選秀。邁阿密熱火於2002年第10順位選他。他的前3個賽季被交易兩次,到了洛杉磯湖人隊以及巫師隊,並說華盛頓是他第二個家

He lives in Centreville with his wife of more than two years, Andrea, and their 3-year-old daughter, Mia. His two other children, Camary, 12, and son, Caron Jr., 7, live in Racine. Butler provides financial support and visits them when he goes home in the offseason. He bought his mother a home on Lake Michigan in the northeast section of Racine, the city Butler refuses to abandon.

他跟妻子Andrea,與三歲女兒Mia住在Centreville。他的另外兩個孩子,12歲的Camary以及7歲的Caron Jr.住在Racine市。當休季他回家時,Butler提供金錢方面的協助並探視孩子們。他在Racine市東北區的Lake Michigan買了棟房子給他母親,Butler拒絕斷掉與Racine市的關係

In the absence of the injured Gilbert Arenas, Butler has taken a greater leadership role and is having his best season as a pro, despite an injury that will keep him from playing in today's game. Butler still keeps memories of his friends close to him, though. After scoring 29 points in a win against Toronto on Dec. 1, Butler walked out of the locker room, slipped a newspaper out of his suit and smiled.

在Gilbert Arenas因傷缺席時,Butler扛起領導者的角色並打出職業生涯最佳一季,雖然今天的球賽他因傷無法上場。而Butler仍保有關於他麻吉們的記憶。在12月1日對多倫多得29分贏球後,Butler走出locker room,放下他身上的報紙,微笑著

"Guilty," Butler said as he rolled up the paper and gripped it tightly. The day before, a jury had found Davion Davis of Racine guilty of shooting and killing another one of Butler's friends, Robert Nellom, in May 2006 at the Two Six Two Lounge, just a few blocks from Hamilton Park.

“很內疚”Butler將報紙捲起並緊緊握住時這樣說。這天之前,陪審團認為Racine市的Davion Davis射殺Butler另一位朋友Robert Nellom有罪,事情發生在2006年5月,Hamilton Park幾個block之外的Two Six Two Lounge

Last August, a fourth member of Butler's original group of friends, Antonio Strong, also was shot and killed.

去年八月,Butler的朋友裡的第四位成員Antonio Strong遭到槍殺

"You see all that and you see people before they die, it's a question you ask yourself, like 'Why did God spare me like this, when I was out doing the same thing?' I can't stand going home and having to bury one of my friends. This gotta stop," he said.

他說“所有事情你都看到了,你在人們死前看著他們,你會問你自己一個問題,例如’當我做著同樣的事情時,上帝將我留下’我再也忍受不住回家、安葬我的朋友,必須停止了”

"I just try to live life, live it the right way, live every day like it's your last. Seeing all the crazy stuff in the world, you've got to truly, truly take advantage of the time you're given here."

“我只想試著過生活,以正確的方式過活,每一天就像最後一天般活著。看看世上所有令人瘋狂的東西,你真的真的需要善用你的時間”

In September, Butler gave away about 700 coats to children at Gilmore Middle School in Racine after doing the same thing at a different school a year earlier. He also has given away bicycles and held a basketball camp. Such efforts led Racine Mayor Gary Becker to proclaim June 8 "Caron Butler Day." Emotional during much of the ceremony, Butler finally broke down, openly weeping upon receiving a plaque from Becker.

九月,Butler贈送約700件外套給Racine市Gilmore Middle School的孩童,一年前他在其他學校做過相同的事。他也贈送腳踏車並舉辦籃球營。這些努力讓Racine市市長Gary Becker將6月8日訂為Caron Butler Day。此典禮的過程讓人感動,Butler的情感最後失去控制,從Becker手中接到徽章時,Butler流下眼淚

After the coat giveaway, Butler walked through his old neighborhood. Drivers passing by honked or shouted, "CB!" Butler waved and shouted back.

贈送外套之後,Butler散步經過他的老鄰居。開車的人們經過時按喇叭或大叫”CB!”Butler揮揮手並喊回去

"I was [doing] some wild stuff out here," Butler said, pausing on the corner of 18th and Howe. "I walk this corner so proudly because I came from this block. I skipped school to be out here. My history is right here. Some things have changed [for me] from a growth standpoint and a money standpoint, but I'm still humble.

“我曾在這做過一些荒唐事”Butler停在Howe鎮18th街轉角這樣說著。”我是如此自豪地在這轉角走著,因為我來自這個block。我翹課外出來這,我的歷史就在這。從成長以及錢的觀點來看,有些事改變了我,但我依舊謙卑

"I'm going to do whatever I can in my ability to not mess this up. . . . You try your best to do positives, do the right thing, influence kids not to go down the path you went down. When are people going to learn? You don't always have to be the same as you once was. That's why they call it mature. People change. People grow up."

“我將會盡我能力避免弄糟這些…你嘗試盡自己全力去做些正面的事情,做些對的事情,影響孩童讓他們不要重蹈你的覆轍。人們何時才會開始學習?你不用總是與過去一樣。這就是人們所說的成熟。人們改變。人們長大”

In the years following his decision to set Butler free, Geller's colleagues often expressed their disapproval, believing Butler would never reform. The shouts that he would regret his decision eventually quieted to whispers, Geller said.

Geller決定釋放Butler後的這些年來,他的同事時常表達他們的不贊同,深信Butler永遠不會改過自新。那些覺得他會後悔所做決定的聲音,最後也越來越小聲,Geller說

Geller runs into Butler's mother every so often in Racine and the two are on good terms. Geller and Caron have not spoken since that day. A few years ago Geller's wife, Heidi, bought him an autographed picture of Butler and it now sits on his desk. He often attends Milwaukee Bucks games and last month when they played the Wizards, he and Heidi were in the stands with their son, Sawyer, 10. Sawyer is only allowed to wear two NBA jerseys, the one worn by Bucks star Michael Redd and the one worn by the player his father could have arrested a decade earlier.

Geller常在Racine遇到Butler的母親,兩人也處得不錯。Geller與Butler自那天之後就未曾交談過。幾年前,Geller的太太Heidi買了張Butler的簽名照片給Geller,那張照片目前躺在Geller的抽屜中。他常常去看密爾瓦基公鹿隊的比賽,上個月當他們迎戰巫師時,Geller跟Heidi帶著他們10歲的兒子Sawyer站著看比賽。Sawyer是唯一被允許穿兩件NBA球衣的人,一件是公鹿球星Michael Redd穿過的,另一件是十年前他父親可逮捕的球員所穿過的

"The good that has come out of it has benefited this community a whole lot more than Caron's arrest would have," Geller said. "There is the thought, once a thug, always a thug. That isn't true. I've come to learn that."

“當時那決定對於社區的助益,遠大過Caron被逮捕”Geller說”人們常有個觀念,曾做過壞事的人,總還會做壞事。那並不正確。我已從中學到。”


無論CB是否會繼續穿著小牛球衣,都祝他早日康復!
                                                                                
Let's Go Mavs !



 
註1: 板友REXDJ提到a salt-and-pepper mustache是灰中帶白的鬍鬚的意思

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