在美國呆了這么多年，姚明的英語已經(jīng)相當(dāng)流利。在采訪中姚明首先談到的就是外語學(xué)習(xí)問題，他說：

If you're going to learn a new language, you can't try to be perfect. You'll stop yourself from talking. You just have to let go(如果你打算學(xué)習(xí)一個(gè)新語言，那么你不要試著力求完美。這會讓你不敢說話，你需要大膽去說)。

姚明舉了個(gè)自己“大膽去說”的例子，他已經(jīng)可以用英語向裁判抱怨了：

I haven't done much trash-talking. But last year, I did complain about a call. Nobody could believe it. So I said, "I've spent a lot on English lessons. I want to get my money's worth." The official was laughing. My American strength coach says he liked me better before I could talk English (我并沒有說過太多垃圾話，但是上賽季，我曾經(jīng)因?yàn)橐淮未盗P而抱怨過，沒有人能相信我居然去抱怨，所以我說：“我花了很多時(shí)間學(xué)英語課，我想讓我的錢花得值。”結(jié)果裁判樂了。我的美國體能教練告訴我說他更喜歡不會說英語的我)。

當(dāng)然，在姚明自己的家里，他和妻子之間還是說中文的，只是有時(shí)候會夾雜英語：

Sometimes my wife and I mix Chinese and English words in the same sentence. We call it Chinglish(有時(shí)候，我的妻子和我會在一個(gè)句子里摻雜中文和英文，我們稱之為中式英語)。

在人民網(wǎng)翻譯的這篇采訪中，姚明還說了一句特主旋律的話：

“我的夢想在中國。”

難道姚明的傷病難愈，萌生退意?或者姚明只是在設(shè)想將來NBA生涯結(jié)束后回國開創(chuàng)新的事業(yè)?亦或是姚明只是在抒發(fā)愛國境界?記得姚明在《我的世界我的夢中》寫過他的三個(gè)夢想。很小的時(shí)候的姚明夢想是長大上大學(xué);后來少年的姚明學(xué)打籃球，夢想就是有一雙好球鞋;再后來的夢就很愛國但也不靠譜了：獲得2008年北京奧運(yùn)會的金牌。

我對照了Esquire采訪姚明的英語原文，姚明這一句有關(guān)“夢”的話是這樣說的：

I dream in Chinese.

原來姚明并沒說他的夢想在中國，而是說他用中文做夢，人民網(wǎng)無疑是在無意中誤譯了。這當(dāng)然絲毫無損于姚明的境界高度，他在采訪中很有責(zé)任感的說：

Sometimes it can feel like there are a billion people on my shoulders(有時(shí)候感覺就好像是10億人民壓在我的肩頭)。

Esquire的采訪原文：Yao Ming: What I've Learned

If you're going to learna new language, you can't try to be perfect. You'll stop yourself from talking. You just have to let go.

Sometimes it can feellike there are a billion people on my shoulders.

Friendship first,competition second. That's a very famous Chinese expression.

In America it's:Game is game. Friendship is friendship.

Fortune cookiesare a good idea. If the message is positive, it can make your day a little better.

The question of courageis something I've thought about for a long time. Tell me if I'm wrong, but courage is when a man in a difficult situation acts as if he truly believes he's right. And in the end, he is right.

When I was young,we were taught not to dunk. We were taught not to stand out from the rest of the team. It's different now. The young guys in China are new age. They want to show their stuff. But I am old-school. It was a big adjustment when I first came here to play at a camp. The coaches told me to dunk, but I would lay the ball in. Finally, the coaches made everyone else on my team run laps when I didn't dunk. I didn't want my teammates to be punished because of me. That's how I learned to dunk.

A good leadermust be fair.

There was a gamewhen I was perfect from the field. The 2001 season in China. Finals. But my team lost. So I guess it wasn't a perfect game.

I can't say exactlywhen it changed.But when I came into the NBA, I felt like I was challenging everyone I went up against. After a while, it felt like they were challenging me.

The alcohol in Chinais made of rice. It's strong. You know it's strong when you drink it. So you have an idea what it can do to you. But here, you have alcohol that doesn't taste very strong. So you think you can have many shots. You don't find out the truth until the next morning.

I haven't donemuch trash-talking. But last year, I did complain about a call. Nobody could believe it. So I said, "I've spent a lot on English lessons. I want to get my money's worth." The official was laughing.

My American strength coachsays he liked me better before I could talk English.

We don't havea tip culture in China. If you give a tip to an old waiter, he might feel like you don't respect him. But I think the younger waiters would take it.

When I gotmy first paycheck playing in China, I thought, I'm making money now! I'm independent! That first month I went broke. My next paycheck was two weeks away and I didn't have anything in my pocket. That was a good experience to have before coming to the NBA.

Our first emperor,Qin Shi Huangdi. Napoleon. Roosevelt. That would make a good table for dinner.

Powermeansdifferent things in different times. But the more I read, the more I think power is about intelligence.

Kobe's heartis as strong as his muscles.

Our honeymoonwas in Europe. One stop was Venice. Cost fifty dollars for a ride in the gondola. There was also the romantic package. Three hundred dollars. That gets a bottle of red wine and a man playing music. But I don't really drink red wine. And you can hear the music coming from the other boats. So the fifty-dollar package seemed like the way to go.

I dreamin Chinese.

One man cannot changethe entire game. Support is necessary.

Sometimesmy wife and I mix Chinese and English words in the same sentence. We call it Chinglish.

If I could getthe fortune cookie I wanted, it would say: No more injuries.

I felt that I twisted my anklewhen I fell down. If it was a regular-season game, I probably would have come out and told the trainer we need to look at it. But it was a playoff game against the Lakers. The first home game. I twisted it again in the third quarter. Then again in the fourth. I can't blame myself. No true player would want to leave the court in that situation. This was not about Chinese culture or American culture. It was about the culture of being a competitor.

The doctor told methe worst case: There's less than 1 percent chance that you can die during the surgery. That's a risk.

Sportsteach you how to be quick. Injuries teach you how to slow down.

They had to changethe angle of the ankle in order to release the pressure from one bone to another. There will be a lot of rehab. The best lesson my parents taught me was patience. I'm going to need it.