2020年经济学人 迭戈·马拉多纳(1)

Diego Maradona--A boy and a ball

迭戈·马拉多纳——一个男孩和一个球

Diego Maradona, the best footballer of his generation, died on November 25th, aged¹ 60. Sent on an errand², or packed off to school, Diego Maradona didn't walk. He practised keepie-uppies, instep to thigh³ to backheel to head, with anything roughly round he could find. Scrumpled paper would do, or an orange, or a ball of rags. Tac-tac-tac, on and on and on. Then he hopped⁴ on his right foot, especially up the steps of the railway bridge, while his left foot tried out skills.

迭戈·马拉多纳，他那一代最优秀的足球运动员，于11月25日去世，享年60岁。被派去跑腿，或是把他打发到学校，马拉多纳并不是走路去的，他一边走一边练习颠球，从鞋面到大腿，到脚后踢到头，他会找寻所有差不多像圆形的东西，被弄皱的纸张也算，或是一个橘子，或者一团破布，哒哒哒，哒哒哒。然后他用右脚跳起来，特别是爬上铁路桥的台阶，而他的左脚则在练习技巧。

If no one was wanting him he would head for the waste ground of Villa⁵ Fiorito, one of the worst shanty-towns in Buenos Aires, but home to him, to have kickabouts with friends until night fell, or later. He wanted nothing from life but football. He could live on it. Then, perhaps, he might have enough money to buy a second pair of trousers to replace the tired old corduroys he always wore, winter and summer.

如果没有人想要他，他会前往菲奥里托别墅的荒地，那里是布宜诺斯艾利斯最糟糕的棚户区之一，但那里却是他的家，在那里和朋友踢球，直到夜幕降临，甚至更晚些。他生命中渴望的只有足球，他可以靠它生活。那么，也许，他可能有足够的钱买第二条裤子来代替他冬天和夏天总是穿的旧灯芯绒。

Little did he think that by 1986, after playing for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors in the first division, at Barcelona and at Napoli, as well as in the national side, he would be able to have all the fine clothes he wanted, as well as all the flash cars; and that he would be on a podium in Mexico City, as Argentina's captain, kissing and shaking the shining gold World Cup, hardly knowing what to do with it, except to keep it in his hands.

他没想到到1986年，在效力于阿根廷青年队和博卡青年队的甲级联赛、巴塞罗那队和那不勒斯队之后，还有在国家队，他可以拥有他想要的所有漂亮衣服，以及所有的闪光汽车；作为阿根廷队的队长，他将在墨西哥城的领奖台上，亲吻和摇晃着金光闪闪的世界杯，除了把它握在手中，他几乎不知道该怎么办。

1 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

2 errand   

n.差使（如送信，买东西等），（短程）差事

参考例句：

• I've come on a special errand.我是专程来办一件差事的。
• This is a formidable errand for me.这对我来说是个太艰巨的任务。

3 thigh   

n.大腿；股骨

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉伤了，疼得很。
• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。

4 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

5 villa   

n.别墅，城郊小屋

参考例句：

• We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
• We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。