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Somewhere this morning, there's some pint-sized kid, shooting baskets on some dimly-lit outdoor court, his arms barely able to lift the basketball, willing the ball toward the rim.
一天早上，一个略显矮小的小孩在某处光线暗淡的室外篮球场投着篮，他的手臂仅能刚好举起篮球，用意志力将球投向篮筐。
He is doing this repeatedly, some shots carom off the backboard, some ricochet off the front of the rim, and others trickle through the hoop.
他反复地做这个动作，一些投篮飞到了篮板后面，一些投篮打到了篮筐前沿，其他投篮慢慢地从篮网中滑下。
Basketball used to be a big man's game. Those unusually tall kids always were asked if they played basketball. Shorter kids didn't get asked that question.
从前，篮球通常是大个子们的游戏。这些与众不同的高个子孩子们经常被问及他们是否打篮球。人们却从不会问矮小的孩子们这个问题。
They are supposed to pursue some other sport. Short kids play baseball, right? Maybe football? But basketball? There is a ceiling.
他们理应从事一些其他的体育项目。矮个子小孩打棒球，对吧？或许足球？但篮球嘛？要达到身高限度才行。
Twenty years ago, that kid at the schoolyard was Isaiah Thomas and he was constantly told there would be a ceiling to his basketball dreams.
20年前，在操场上打球的那个孩子叫做以赛亚-托马斯，他一直被人告诫他的篮球梦终会破灭。
Too short to play varsity basketball, he scored 51 points in a state semifinal game and averaged 40 in the tournament.
别人说他因矮而不能打校队比赛，但他在一场州半决赛中砍下了51分，并在锦标赛中场均40分。
Too short to play Division 1 basketball, he signed with the University of Washington, where the 5-foot-9-inch (with high tops) Thomas was the No. 8 all-time scorer despite playing just three seasons.
别人说他因矮而不能打NCAA的一级联赛，但他加盟了华盛顿大学。尽管只打了三个赛季，5英尺9英寸（穿鞋身高）（不到一米八）的托马斯便排在了华盛顿大学队史得分榜的第八位。
Too short to play in the NBA, he was a 2011 second-round pick by the Sacramento Kings, where he started most of his rookie season, despite being the final pick in that draft.
别人说他因矮而不能打NBA，但他在2011年选秀大会上第二轮被萨克拉门托国王队选中。虽然他是那届选秀大会上最后一个被选中的球员，他在新秀赛季的绝大部分比赛中首发出战。
Too short to be a superstar? He was named to the All-Star team last season with the Celtics.
因矮而不能成为一名超级球星？上赛季为凯尔特人队效力的他进入了全明星阵容。
And finally, too short to be an elite scorer?
最后，因矮而不能成为精英得分手？
Try Friday night, when he scored a career-high 52 points, including a team-record 29 in the fourth quarter, in the Celtics' 117-114 win over the Miami Heat at TD Garden.
看看星期五晚凯尔特人队在北岸花园球馆以117比114击败迈阿密热火队的比赛吧，他得到了生涯新高的52分，包括创队史纪录的第四节单节29分。
Thomas is the shortest player in the NBA. But he always has been the shortest player somewhere. He wears that perceived slight on a daily basis.
托马斯是NBA里最矮的球员。但他在任何地方都几乎是最矮的球员。他每天都被人轻视着。他已被那些仅因他身型而怀疑他的人们说服。
He is convinced those who doubt him only doubt him because of his size. And he knows those detractors will be relentless because it will always be an issue. Thomas is done growing.
他也知道这些诋毁者们会无止尽地存在着，因为他的身高的确会是个永恒的问题。托马斯不会再长高了。在他剩余的职业生涯里，他都会是一名身高5英尺9英寸的后卫。
He will be a 5-9 guard the rest of his career, a 5-9 man the rest of his life, and it infuriates him when outsiders say "you're too short to be that good."
在他剩余的人生中，他都会是一个身高5英尺9英寸的男人。而当外人说“你太矮了，不可能变得那么优秀”时，他总是会勃然大怒。
"The only reason is I'm 5-9," he said. "That's why they don't talk about me like they do all the other guys. But I'm fine with it."
“唯一的理由就是我身高只有5英寸9英寸，”他说道，“这就是为什么他们对我有着不同于其他任何球员的谈论。但我已经释怀了。”
Thomas's 52-point game is the fourth-highest in Celtics history, trailing only Larry Bird (60 and 53) and Kevin McHale (56).
托马斯的52分是凯尔特人队历史上第四高的单场得分纪录，仅次于拉里-伯德（60分和53分）和凯文-麦克海尔（56分）。
Thomas's 29-point fourth was the most in Celtics history by 5 points. His nine 3-pointers tied Antoine Walker's club record.
托马斯在第四节得到的29分为凯尔特人队历史之最，高于原纪录5分。他的9记三分球追平了安东尼-沃克的队史纪录。
"Congrats Isaiah on a great performance," Walker said in a text message to the Globe. "Never thought it would be another Celtic to get my record."
“恭喜以赛亚贡献了一场伟大的表演，”沃克在给《波士顿环球报》的短信中说道，“从未想过会有另外一名凯尔特人追平我的记录。”
Although Thomas was thrilled at his accomplishment, excited about setting records with such a history-filled franchise, flattered that his teammates would dump an ice bucket on him (and his youngest son) in the locker room, he expected this greatness. And he's serious about that.
尽管托马斯对于自己的成就感到十分激动，尤其是在这样一支充满历史感的球队里创下纪录。在更衣室里，队友们把冰桶里的冰水倒在他身上（还有他最年轻的儿子），这使他感到无比欣喜，他期待自己能成为这样的伟大。对此他十分认真。
"For me, it feels normal, though," he said. "When I do score or I put the numbers up that I do, I give credit to my teammates and this organization for believing in me, but it feels normal.
“尽管对于我来说，这感觉很平常，”他说道，“当我得分或有着惊艳的数据时，我会把功劳记在我队友和这支球队身上，感谢他们相信我，但这感觉很平常。
Everything I've always done in my whole life I felt like I worked that hard for it.
我觉得我人生中做过的所有事都归功于我曾为此努力过。
It's never felt like, 'Hey, I'm 5-9 and doing this.' When I'm out there I feel like I'm 6-4, just the same height as everybody else.
我从未感觉过，'嘿，我才5英尺9英寸高，却达到了这样的成就。'当我走上球场时，我感觉我有6英尺4英寸的身高，和其他人一样高。
was different but everything else, it feels somewhat normal."
“（星期五）是与众不同的，但其他的都与平常并无二致。”
Thomas spent the first four years of his career seeking an opportunity, seeking acceptance. The NBA not so long ago was a regimented league.
托马斯在他职业生涯的前四年里都在寻求一个机会，寻求一个认可。NBA在不久以前还是个很传统老派的联盟。
Thomas was the size of a true point guard, so he should play point guard.
托马斯的身高属于控球后卫范畴，所以他应该打控球后卫。
Smaller players who are more accomplished scorers than distributors were disparaged in this league once upon a time.
过去，在这个联盟里，得分能力比分球能力更精通的矮个球员都受到了藐视。
It took until years after he retired — when a generation of little men, including Thomas, changed perception — for fans to truly appreciate Allen Iverson.
在他退役多年以后——当属于小个子的时代（包括托马斯）改变了人们的认知时——球迷们才真正欣赏艾伦-艾弗森。
During his prime, he was considered a selfish, score-first, ball-dominant player.
在他的鼎盛时期，他被视作为一名自私、以得分为第一选择的球霸型球员。
Now he is considered a master scorer who put the 76ers on his back and carried them to the NBA Finals. Thomas did not record an assist Friday for the first time this season.
如今他被视作为一名大师级别的得分手，一个人扛着76人队前行，并带领球队打进了NBA总决赛。在星期五的比赛中，托马斯本赛季第一次没有送出助攻。
On this night, he needed to score. The Celtics looked tired and ragged. There was little energy. They were lamenting their loss to Cleveland on Thursday. The Celtics needed to be saved.
在那个夜晚，他需要得分。凯尔特人队看起来十分劳累和筋疲力尽。球队缺少活力。他们仍处在星期四输给克里夫兰的悲痛之中。凯尔特人队需要有人站出来拯救他们。
And Thomas's cape fit perfectly. Boston has been a perfect fit for him. The two needed each other.
而托马斯完美切合这支球队。波士顿也一直是他完美的栖息之所。两者需要彼此。
The Celtics needed a star and Thomas needed a team that believed he could be a star. He truly felt nobody in his past did, not the Kings, not the Phoenix Suns.
凯尔特人队需要一名球星，而托马斯需要一支相信他能够成为球星的球队。他真切地认为他的老东家国王队和菲尼克斯太阳队都从未信任过他。
So he has embraced the Boston community. He has become a fixture here because of his charitable work with children.
所以他欣然融入了波士顿的社区。由于他在儿童慈善事业上的努力，他已成为了这里不可或缺的人物。
In the most sincere way, Thomas still views himself as a kid, and not just because of his size. He still views himself as an underdog.
托马斯仍十分诚挚地把自己看作是一个孩子，而这并不是因为他的身高。他仍把自己看作是落魄者。
He still clearly hears his doubters, and the words are piercing and motivating.
他仍清晰地听到质疑声，那些话语是如此地伤人却又催人向前。
He is still that kid hanging around Curtis High School practices as a seventh-grader, seeking a chance to play with the big boys.
他仍是那个在柯蒂斯高中闲荡训练的七年级小朋友，寻求着一个与大孩子们打球的机会。
Perhaps now he will finally receive the acceptance he has been seeking, maybe now he will be regarded as more than just 5 feet 9 inches.
或许如今的他终于得到了自己一直在寻求的认可，或许如今的他不再会仅被视为身高5英尺9英寸的球员。
But maybe if he did, he wouldn't play with that chip, that edge. That's what defines him.
但如果他以前就得到了别人的认可，或许他就不会带着这样的身高缺陷继续自己的篮球生涯并达到如今的水平。这就是他的定义。
And it's in the NBA and for the Celtics. That's not real."
“我以前得过50分，”托马斯说道，“但那跟（星期五）当时的感觉完全不同。我在NBA做到了这点，作为一名凯尔特人队球员。这感觉，很不真实。”
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