Chipper in awe of honors bestowed by Braves
By Mark Bowman
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Chipper Jones has had time to gain a better understanding of all that he accomplished during a storied playing career that concluded last year. His achievements have placed him in a category reserved for the greatest of greats and earned him the unique honor of drawing praise from the legends he idolized during his youth.
效力勇士隊20個年頭以來，Chipper Jones的貢獻有目共睹，他的成就讓他步入偉大之林、包含年幼時期的偶像也都對他表達讚許。
But while the Braves and the baseball world will forever recognize him as a legendary figure, he still seems to view himself as the young kid from Pierson, Fla., whose parents taught him to play baseball for the love of the game and not necessarily for the glory and riches it could bring.
勇士隊球迷以及整個棒球界都會永遠記得這位傳奇，縱然如此，Chipper仍視自己為當年那個佛州小夥子，打棒球乃是出於一股愛好，並非為了可能隨之而來的榮譽或是財富。
"I played baseball," Jones said. "It's not like I cured cancer or anything."
「我只是打球呀...別搞得好像我找出治療癌症的方法一樣。（XD）」Chipper說。
In the process of proving great while playing the game he loved, Jones also established himself as one of the most beloved players to don a Braves uniform. His popularity was legitimized yet again as fans from all over the country flocked to Atlanta this weekend to celebrate his career.
在成就偉大的過程中，Chipper也建立了他自身的價值，他是歷來最受愛戴的勇士球員之一，這樣的人氣，在這個週末、球團為Chipper舉辦的慶祝活動上全然體現。
（點圖可看Jones入選球隊名人堂儀式影片）
More than 1,300 fans packed a ballroom at Atlanta's Marriott Marquis on Friday afternoon to see Jones officially inducted into the Braves' Hall of Fame. Many of these same folks were also part of the standing room only crowd that saw Jones' No. 10 jersey retired during an on-field ceremony that preceded Friday night's game against the D-backs at Turner Field.
週五傍晚，超過1300人擠進了亞特蘭大的萬豪侯爵飯店，爭相目睹Chipper進入勇士名人堂的偉大一刻，當中許多人晚些也有見證勇士球團在Turner Field高掛Chipper 10號球衣的退休儀式。
"I'm a little sheepish," Jones said as he addressed the crowd during the luncheon. "I'm almost embarrassed, because I don't believe I deserve all of this. I really don't. I play baseball. I do one thing better than most of you all here. To get all of these accolades and to get all of this attention and to have all of this happen is really awe-inspiring to me."
在發表演說時，Chipper說他有點「羞赧」，因為「我不敢相信我竟值得你們為我做這些，，我說真的，我就只是打球而已，只是打得比你們大多數人都好點，能夠得到這些稱讚、能夠在此時攫取這麼多目光，這讓我心生敬畏。」
（點圖可看Jones退休儀式演說）
It seems perfect that Jones' No. 10 is the 10th jersey number to be retired by the Braves. His name and number will also fittingly rest along the second-level façade located along the left-field line, overlooking the third base position that he manned for most of the past two decades in Atlanta.
Chipper的10號球衣剛好也是勇士隊歷來退休的第十件球衣，巧合地完美無暇。而他的名字、背號也將會高掛在左外野邊線第二層看台上，俯瞰著Chipper20年來鎮守的三壘壘包。
Jones was happy that he kept his emotions in check when his number was unveiled as he sat on a stage with his parents, sons and other Braves dignitaries during the pregame ceremony.
賽前儀式上，當他的球衣被揭開時，和父母、兒子、以及其他勇士傳奇坐在一塊的Chipper顯得很開心，他的表情訴說了一切
"The hair on the back of your neck stands up," Jones said. "You get chill bumps. I made it a point not to look my mom and dad in the face, because if I did, I probably would have lost it. I take great pride that I made it through that whole thing without shedding a tear. It was tough."
「相當讓人緊張啊...」Jones說，「我刻意不要看我父母，倘若看了...或許我會哭了也不一定，整個儀式進行的過程我一滴淚都沒有掉，我還蠻自豪的（XD），這並不容易。」
Down the right-field line, the Braves have placed the retired numbers of their legends from yesteryear -- Hank Aaron (44), Warren Spahn (21), Eddie Mathews (44), Phil Niekro (35) and Dale Murphy (3). The left-field line has been reserved for the legends of the glorious 1990s -- Greg Maddux (31), Tom Glavine (47), John Smoltz (29), Bobby Cox (6) and now Jones.
其他的勇士隊傳奇，被銘刻在右外野邊線上，阿倫、Spahn、Mathews、Phil Niekro、Dale Murphy；左外野則是屬於勇士隊光榮90年代的傳奇們－－Maddux、Glavine、Smoltz、Cox，以及Jones。
"This is the era that Braves Country for the last 25 years has related to,"Jones said. "I find it kind of special that I'm the last face on that wall from those teams of that decade."
「整個城市過去25年來與這些人息息相關，相當特別的是，我是這些人、這個偉大時代中，最後一個褪下戰袍的。」
During the afternoon festivities, Jones was entertained by a video that included David Wright, Jeff Francoeur, Smoltz and Adam LaRoche roasting him with comical one-liners. Jones also added to the laughs when he recognized former Braves owner Ted Turner, who has not attended many of these events since being inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2000.
慶祝活動中一支特別的影片讓Jones看得很開心，影片中有Wright、Francoeur、Smoltz、LaRoche，認出前老闆Ted Turner時，Jones笑得更開了。
"It was a lot more entertaining when you were here," Jones said while looking at the eccentric Turner.
「（你還在這時）那時更是有趣。」Jones看著Turner說到，自從00年進入勇士名人堂後Turner絕少出現在類似場合上，這次也不例外。
Some of the best compliments provided during the luncheon came from Aaron and Cox, who was the Braves' general manager who selected Jones with the first overall selection in the 1990 First-Year Player Draft and then served as his manager in Atlanta from 1993-2010.
餐會過程中，最高潮莫過於阿倫以及Cox的到來，Cox在1990年業餘選秀上選了Chipper，那時Cox是球隊的GM，93～10則是總教練。
"Chip, I just want to say what a thrill it was for me to be with you all of those years," Cox said. "I miss the clutch hitting. The one thing I really miss about Chipper Jones is the way he ran the bases. He reminded me of Mickey Mantle when he did run those bases. The other thing I miss a lot is as a third baseman coming in on those chopped balls and those bunted balls and barehanding them. Brooks Robinson, I thought was great at that. But I'm going to put you ahead of that when you get to the Hall of Fame."
「Chip，我只想說，過去這些年來，有你真好！」Cox說，「我懷念那些關鍵時刻總能神來一棒的精采表現，我也很懷念你跑壘的姿態，這讓我想起Mickey Mantle。我也相當懷念，作為一個三壘手，你總能處理好各種來球，不管是強勁滾地球、或是應對短打時第一時間單手傳一壘刺殺。『人間吸塵器』Brooks Robinson很偉大，然而當你入選名人堂時，我將會把你放在他的前面。（我認為，你比他更偉大）」
Cox also paid Jones tribute by saying that he was sure that his longtime third baseman was clean while playing his entire career in the steroid era.
Cox也對Jones雖然身處禁藥年代，卻能出淤泥而不染，表達最高敬意。
"I'm sure that Hank and Chipper have many things in common," Cox said. "But one thing I do know that they did have in common was that they did not need any help during their careers. They did it all on their own."
「我確信阿倫跟Chip許多面向上都很相似，其中，他們的一切功績，都是靠雙手打下來，不需要透過別的東西幫助，他們靠自己。」
Aaron echoed this sentiment and also took time to compliment Larry Wayne Jones Sr. and his wife, Lynne, for the way they raised the boy who would become a Braves legend. Jones' parents and his four sons were all in attendance to hear these words spoken by a man many consider to be the greatest to ever play baseball.
阿倫回應了Cox這段話，並且讚美Larry Wayne Jones Sr.、Lynne Jones夫婦（Chipper 的雙親），讚美他們養育出這麼一個了不起的勇士傳奇，Jones的雙親與他的四個小孩都有出席、都親耳聽到，許多人視為是棒球史上最偉大的阿倫的稱許。
"Hank Aaron acknowledged my parents," Jones said. "That's crazy. He was looking me in the eye and I was blushing. I can't imagine what my mom and dad were doing."
「阿倫居然對我父母致意，這實在太瘋狂了...他直視我的雙眼，霎時間我臉紅了，我無法想像我父母所做的一切有多麼了不起。」
Like so many, they were likely reminiscing about all the great moments experienced over the past two decades. Jones made his Major League debut two years later, and then after returning from the first of two major knee surgeries, he became a mainstay in Atlanta's lineup at the start of the 1995 season.
如同許多退休球員一樣，Jones也回憶起他的生涯，被選上後，兩年過後Jones在大聯盟初登場，在動了第一次膝蓋手術後，95年伊始，他成為了勇士隊的支柱。
Two decades later, Jones still vividly remembers the awe he felt when he was brought into the Braves' clubhouse for the first time in 1990. Just a few weeks removed from the end of his high school career at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla., he found himself shaking hands with Murphy and other players he had only previously seen on television.
事隔20年了，Jones仍清楚記得第一次被帶到勇士隊的球員休息室，那時他才剛高中畢業而已，沒想到居然可以跟Dale Murphy以及其他球員握手，先前他只在電視上看過他們。
"Murph was a god to me," Jones said. "I was looking straight up at Murph. I was like, 'My goodness, he is huge.' Then Ronny Gant gets up and he's Popeye.I'm thinking to myself, 'I'm not in this class. I've got a lot, a lot of work to do.'"
「於我來說，Murphy地位之高就有如神祇一般，看到他時，我心想﹔『挖靠，他好大支』，接著Ronny Gant出現了（剛睡醒？），他的身材就跟大力水手卜派一樣.....那時我覺得我跟他們差好多，不是同一個等級的，我必須要非常、非常努力才行。」
Somewhere in the midst of winning an National League MVP Award and earning eight All-Star selections, Jones reaped the benefits of his efforts. He is the only switch-hitter in Major League history to hit at least .300 and compile more than 400 home runs.
他的努力有了成果，生涯贏得一座國聯MVP、入選過八次明星賽，更是史上唯一打擊率達到0.3、並且轟超過400發全壘打的兩打者。
Jones also stands with Stan Musial, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig as the only players in Major League history to record at least 2,500 hits, 1,500 walks, 1,500 runs, 500 doubles, 450 home runs and 1,500 RBIs while hitting .300 with a .400 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage.
Jones也與Stan Musial、魯斯、Ted Willians、Lou Gehrig等傳奇比肩，成為史上唯五生涯敲出過2500安、選到1500次保送、得1500分、500支二壘打、450轟、1500打點的打者，Jones生涯打擊三圍0.303/0.401/0.529，相當了不起。
With these numbers in mind, it is easy to see why Cox, Aaron and so many others are already looking forward to the summer of 2018, when Jones becomes eligible to receive baseball's greatest honor of being enshrined in Cooperstown.
看看這些數字，無怪乎Cox、阿倫等人都認為Jones在2018年一取得票選資格後，就能被選進名人堂。
"All you want to do as a person is to feel like you walk away from something feeling like you left that mark," Jones said. "Today is one of those days."
「身而為人，最想做的莫過於試圖留下些什麼、並且與之道別，」Jones說，「好比今天就是如此。」
（圖：網路；譯：火光飛舞；未經本人同意，不得以任何形式轉載）
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