空气中混杂着各种气味：

　　and the smell champagne and sweat-soaked hockey gear.

　　雪茄的烟味、香槟的酒味以及曲棍球鞋的汗味。

　　On the wall was a hand painted banner:

　　其中一面墙上挂着手工书写的横幅：

　　"Embrace the Struggle!"

　　“勇于拚搏”。

　　In the center of the room,

　　巨人队的主教练唐海耶斯站在房子中央，

　　the Giant' coach, Don Hay, stood misty-eyed.

　　眼睛里闪烁着胜利的喜悦。

　　"I'm just so proud of these guys," he said.

　　“我为这些小伙子自豪，”他说，

　　"Just look around the locker room.

　　“只要在更衣室看看，

　　There isn't one guy who didn't buy in wholeheartedly."

　　你就会知道没有谁不是全身心地投入比赛。”

　　Canadian hockey is a meritocracy.

　　加拿大的曲棍球汇聚了世界上最优秀的运动员。

　　Thousands of Canadian boys begin to play this sport at their "novice" level, before they are even in kindergarten.

　　在加拿太，很多刚刚进入幼儿园的小孩，便已经处于曲棍球“入门级”的水准。

　　From that point on, there are leagues for every age class,

　　此后，不同年龄阶段，有不同级别的赛事。

　　at each of those levels, the players are sifted and sorted and evaluated,

　　每个级别的比赛都会对运动员进行详细的审査评估，

　　with the most talented separated out and groomed for the next level.

　　青少年联赛又分成了四个级别。

　　By the time players reach their midteens,

　　超过15岁的运动员可以参加青少年联赛，

　　the very best of the best have been channeled into an elite league known as Major Junior A,

　　青少年A级联赛比B级联赛高一级，

　　which is the top of pyramid.

　　而甲A联赛是这个金字塔式联赛的最高一层。

　　And if your Major Junior A team plays for the Memorial Cup,

　　如果你能在甲A联赛中冲击纪念杯赛，

　　that means you are the very top of the very top of the pyramid.

　　那意味着你站在了最高一层的制高点。

　　This is the way most sports pick their future stars.

　　这是很多体育运动培育未来之星的重要方式。

　　It's the way soccer is organized in Europe and South America,

　　欧洲和南美培养足球运动员

　　and the way Olympic athletes are chosen.

　　以及奥运会挑选运动员都是这种模式。

　　For that matter, it's not all that different from the way the world of classical music picks its future virtuoso,

　　事实上，传统音乐体制音乐人才的选拔，

　　and the world of ballet picks its future ballerinas,

　　世界芭蕾人才的挑选，

　　and the way that our elite educational system picks its future scientists and intellectuals.

　　培养科学家和知识群体的教育体制，他们的人才培育方法也如出一辙

　　You can't buy your way into Major Junior A hockey.

　　你自己也许无法“买通”通往曲棍球甲A联赛的道路。

　　It doesn't matter who your father or mother is, or who your grandfather was, or what business your family is in.

　　但你的父母能做到，你的祖父能做到，或者你的家族能做到。

　　Nor it is matter if you live in the most remote corner of the most northerly province in Canada.

　　即使你生活在加拿大最北边省份最偏远的一个角落，都有可能“买通” 这条道路。

　　If you have ability,

　　假如你具备曲棍球运动的潜质，

　　the vast network of hockey scouts and talent spotters will find you.

　　散布各地的曲棍球球探就肯定能发现你，

　　And if you are willing to work to develop that ability,

　　假如你有志于投身这项运动，

　　the system will reward you.

　　这种联赛模式也一定会回报你。

　　Success in hockey is based on individual merit,

　　球员的成功取决于其个人的价值，

　　and both of those words are important.

　　对球员的相关评价自然就相当重要，

　　Players are judged on their own performance,

　　但对球员的评价最终还是取决于他的成绩和能力。

　　not anyone else's,

　　而不是他人的成绩。

　　and on the basis of ability,

　　或者是能力问题，

　　not some other arbitrary fact.

　　和其他无关的依据。

　　Or are they?

　　事实果真如此吗？