Why 3s, not dunks, now reign at All-Star
为什么现在是三分大赛而不是扣篮大赛统治全明星赛
By Ethan Sherwood Strauss From ESPN.com
The dunk contest used to be All-Star Weekend’s signature event, even if the league never quite got a handle on how to orchestrate it. The dunk, after all, is basketball’sclassic, galvanizing moment of athletic expression.
扣篮大赛历来都是全明星周末的标志性项目，即使联盟从来没有精心地去编排。扣篮毕竟是篮球运动员所表现的经典、刺激的时刻。
Basketball is changing, though, and we see it reflected in the anticipation for All-Star Weekend. There’s buzz over a 3-point shoot out involving Stephen Curry,Klay Thompson,Kyle Korver, James Harden, Kyrie Irving,J.J. Redick,Wesley MatthewsandMarco Belinelli.The dunk contest? Dinner plans aren’t being canceled to watchMason Plumleejumpingin public.
虽然篮球运动在不断地变化，我们看到这些变化首先会在全明星周末上体现出来。有着史蒂芬·库里、克莱·汤普森、凯尔·科沃尔、詹姆斯·哈登、凯里·欧文、J.J.雷迪克、韦斯利·马修斯和马科·贝里内利（译注：2014年三分球大赛冠军）参加的三分球大赛让人们议论纷纷。扣篮大赛吗？看梅森·普拉姆利跳的话，晚餐计划都不会被取消。
You can chalk up the gulf in star power between All-Star Saturday's marquee events as a matter of the dunk contest’s safety concerns, prospect of humiliation and general mismanagement over the years. That’s part of theexplanation, to be sure. There’s another factor here, though: raw athleticism-- i.e., the ability to jump --is less of what defines a perimeter player these days.
你可以归咎于在全明星周末星期六的项目参赛球星能力的巨大差距，由于参加扣篮大赛的安全性考虑、前景不利以及这些年来管理的疏松。这无疑是一部分原因。另一个因素是这些年来纯粹的运动天赋像是弹跳能力，在定义一个外线球员能力上越来越不重要。
The game is far different than when Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 points a game in a dominant 1987-88 MVP season while shooting .182 from behind the arc.
比赛远不同于迈克尔乔丹主导的场均37.1分同时三分命中率18.2%，获得MVP的1987-1988赛季。
It’s different these days because the rules are different.When the NBA had illegal defense, space in the paint was legislated into the game.Defenders weren't allowed zone coverages according to where a player might drive.This all changedafter 2002, when illegal defense was nixed and coaches such asTom Thibodeauflooded the strong side to prevent scorersfrom driving.
现在由于规则的不同而有所不同。当NBA有了防守犯规，油漆区就被加入到比赛中。防守球员是不能允许覆盖球员可能冲击的区域的。在2002年这些否发生了变化，当防守犯规被叫停，教练像是汤姆·锡伯杜筑起一道防守来防止得分球员的冲击。
Now teams have to carve out their own by spreading defenses with as muchshooting as possible. Someone like Korver might be a bench player in thenot-too-distant past. These days, he’s an integral part of a great team and afringe All-Star candidate. In that aforementioned Jordan season, the leagueaverage on 3s attempted by a team was 401. Last season, that average was 1,766.The long ball is no longer a goofy novelty; it's the lifeblood of a teamoffense.
现在球队必须通过尽可能像投篮一样多地强调防守来加强自己。在并不遥远的过去，像科沃尔这样的球员可能会是一个替补球员。现在，他是一只伟大球队不可分割的一部分，也是一名可能成为全明星替补的球员。在之前提到乔丹所处的赛季，联盟每队平均的三分出手为401.上个赛季，达到了1766次。远距离投篮不再是什么新奇的事物而是一只球队进攻的命脉。
I recently asked Curry if the buzz over the contest shows how the game haschanged. “Yeah, I would say so," he replied. "Because, obviously, alot of teams are successful from outside, shooting the 3 ball, being reallysuccessful at it, turning that into wins.”
我最近问过库里如果这个让人热议的比赛显示了比赛是如何改变的。“是的，我也会这么说，”他回答道，“很显然，很多球队在外线的表现很成功，他们很擅长投三分，并将此转化成了胜利获得成功。”
That’s about the size of it. For as much as retired players warn of “living anddying by the 3,” the 3-pointer wins games. More than that, it wins titles.
这取决于它的重要程度。因为很多退役球员警告过“生也三分，死也三分”，但事实上三分投手会帮助球队拿下胜利，甚至帮助球队拿下总冠军。
“You don’t want to vacate the paint entirely," Curry continued, "but to consistently shoot from outside, use it as a threat, it’s really tough to guard, and I think the Spurs won championships off of that concept and it’s proven to be successful.”
“你完全不会想将内线腾出来，”库里继续说道，“但持续地从外线投篮，用它作为威胁，这真的很难防守，我认为马刺上赛季拿下总冠军已经证明了三分球会带来成功。”
Dunks are still loved and can still change a game in a big way. High flyers such as Blake Griffin,Russell Westbrook and LeBron James still have a lot of currency in this league.It’s just that the game is less defined by the dunk and more defined by a softer kind of triumph.
扣篮依旧被热爱，依旧是改变比赛的一个重要方式。像是布雷克·格里芬、拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克和勒布朗·詹姆斯这样的扣将仍旧在联盟中占据重要的地位。只是比赛更少地用扣篮来定义而是更多的用一种柔和的胜利来定义。
It’s personified by Curry, someone who looks about as physically imposing as your average golf pro (for the record, Curry is an excellent golfer), lofting 3s over a defense’s futile efforts at intimidation.His skill set has more to do with winning than it would have in the past. Fansare drawn to what’s ultimately successful.
看起来像一名一般的职业高尔夫球手一样强壮的身体，无视防守投出三分，这正是库里的化身。他的技能组合比起以前更能赢得比赛。球迷们也被最后的胜利所吸引。
As Curry says, this year’s contest should be “one of the funner parts of the night.”
就像库里说的，今年的三分大赛会是当晚有趣的部分之一。
He then catches himself: “Funner’s not a word. [That’s] pretty bad.”
他突然补充到：“有趣不是一个词，而是指这太糟糕了。”
Maybe not, but with the way 3-point shooters are redefining the game, it mightindeed be more fun.
也许不是,但三分射手以他们的方式重新定义比赛，这确实可能是更有趣的。
翻译如有不当之处，望各路大侠不吝赐教。
