中國少年美國高爾夫大師賽首輪表現搶眼大綱

The world of golf may have glimpsed its future Thursday in the form of Guan Tianlang, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Guangzhou, China.
週四，高爾夫球界或許從關天朗身上瞥見了自己的未來。這位14歲小將來自中國廣州，上初中二年級。

On a day when countless eighth graders across the country saw their orthodontists and fretted over potential dates for the middle school graduation dance, Guan calmly played in the world's Most famous golf tournament in a threesome that included Ben Crenshaw, the 61-year-old former Masters champion who is old enough to be Guan's grandfather.
當美國無數八年級學生還在看正牙醫生併爲中學畢業舞會的潛在約會對象而着急時，關天朗則在全球最知名的高爾夫錦標賽上平靜地揮杆。與他一同比賽的還有兩人，其中包括前大師賽冠軍、在年齡上足以當關天朗祖父的61歲的克倫肖(Ben Crenshaw)。

With a series of gutsy chips and clutch putts on Augusta National's pool-table slick greens, Guan notched four birdies and carded a 1-over-par 73, two shots better than Bubba Watson, the defending champion.
在美國奧古斯塔國家高爾夫球場的綠地上，關天朗以一系列大膽揮杆和擊球入洞的動作，抓下了四個小鳥球，交出73（+1）杆，比衛冕冠軍沃森(Bubba Watson)領先兩杆。

On the 18th hole, Guan stood over his 12-foot putt from the fringe and rolled it perfectly to the edge of the cup, then pumped his fist as it dropped into the hole.
在第18洞，關天朗反覆查看距果嶺邊緣12英尺的球后，將球完美地推到球洞邊緣，然後在球進洞時揮了揮拳頭。

'It must help to have 14-year old nerves,' said Crenshaw.
克倫肖說， 有14歲的膽量一定對打球有幫助。

The boy's father, Han Wen, gushed, 'He's always as good as he was today.'
關天朗的父親關漢文說，他的表現一直都像今天這麼好。

'One chip, one putt, that's his game,' said John Ho, an owner of Guan's home course in Guangzhou, Lion Lake Country Club. 'He's unbelievable.'
廣州獅子湖高爾夫球度假俱樂部(Lion Lake Country Club)的擁有者John Ho說，一削一推，這就是他的打法，不可思議。

There were other notable performances during the first day at the Masters. Australian Marc Leishman, a relative unknown, reeled off four birdies on the back nine to shoot a 66 and a share of the lead. Englishman David Lynn, a definite unknown, carded a 68, tying him with a 53-year-old Fred Couples for third place as twilight fell. Tiger Woods, the prohibitive favorite, shot a 70, the same opening round score he carded when he won the tournament in 1997, 2001 and 2002.
本屆大師賽第一天，其他人也有出色表現。不甚出名的澳大利亞人利什曼(Marc Leishman)在後九洞抓到四隻小鳥，拿下66杆，處於領先位置。籍籍無名的英國人林恩(David Lynn)以68杆的成績與53歲的卡波斯(Fred Couples)在夜幕低垂時並列第三。奪冠熱門老虎伍茲(Tiger Woods)交出70杆，與1997年、2001年和2002年他奪冠時的首輪成績一樣。

But the giddiest buzz surrounded a kid who will hustle back to China next week to catch up on the gossip at Guangzhou Zhixin Middle School.
但整場比賽人們議論最多的還是這個中國少年。他將於下週返回中國，他就讀的廣州執信中學目前也在熱議他的事蹟。

His par-saving putt on the fourth hole elicited roars, his birdie putt on 13 yelps. Guan barely cracked a smile.
關天朗第四洞的保帕推杆引發全場雷鳴般的掌聲，第13洞的鳥推更是引來尖叫不斷。整場比賽他都很少展露笑容。

What makes Guan all the more surprising is his country's ambivalence toward the sport. The Communist government doesn't want to embrace what it views as a rich-man's game. Officially, the construction of golf courses has been banned in China since 2004, but hundreds have sprouted since then, including many designed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Arnold Palmer.
關天朗的表現之所以讓外界如此意外，是因爲中國對高爾夫這項運動存在矛盾心理。中國政府不想欣然接受高爾夫，認爲這是富人運動。自從2004年以來，中國官方就禁止在國內建設高爾夫球場。但在那之後，中國各地仍雨後春筍般地冒出數百座高爾夫球場，其中很多是尼克勞斯(Jack Nicklaus)、福爾多(Nick Faldo)和帕爾默(Arnold Palmer)等名流設計的。

Of the estimated 600 golf courses in China are legal, only a few are legal. Government officials aren't supposed to golf. Some wear two gloves on a weekend outing to avoid the giveaway tanned right hand on Monday morning.
據估計，中國共有600個高爾夫球場，其中合法的僅有幾個。中國政府官員一般不去打高爾夫。一些人會在週末外出打高爾夫時兩手都戴上手套，以避免週一早晨上班時暴露出被曬黑的右手。

But golf is good both for tourism and for greasing the wheels of business that propel the world's second-largest economy.
但實際上，高爾夫既能促進旅遊業也能對推動中國經濟增長的商貿活動起到潤滑作用。Before Guan, the country had produced few world class golfers. Liang Wen-Chong is the only Chinese golfer to reach the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He played at the Masters in 2008 but failed to make the cut.
在關天朗之前，中國幾乎沒有世界級的高爾夫球手。梁文沖是目前唯一一名進入世界高爾夫官方排名(Official World Golf Rankings)前100名的中國人。他曾在2008年受邀打美國大師賽，但未能晉級。

To earn an automatic entry into the Masters, Guan won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship last November, by sinking a 5-foot par putt on the final hole.
關天朗去年11月在亞太高爾夫業餘錦標賽(Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship)問鼎冠軍，在最後一洞中，他用一個五英尺的推杆平了標準桿，獲得了入圍大師賽的資格。

After Guan qualified for the Masters, Ho, the Lion Lake owner, built a practice green with low-cut grass to match the speed of Augusta National's, and allowed only Guan to play on it. Too much use would ruin the delicate grass.
在關天朗獲得大師賽的資格後，獅子湖高爾夫球度假俱樂部的所有者John Ho用低切草建造了一個練習果嶺，達到與奧古斯塔國家高爾夫球場的球速，並且只允許關天朗在上面打球。過多人使用果嶺會破壞其嬌貴的草坪。

'This is about power for China,' said Ho. Plus, as word spreads that Lion Lake is Guan's home course, the club is bound to become more popular. 'It's going to be a lot more famous, especially with the kids.'
John Ho說，這麼做是爲了中國的實力。此外，獅子湖是關天朗的練球場的消息傳出後，俱樂部一定會更加受歡迎。John Ho說，它一定會更加出名，尤其是在小孩子中間。

Guan's father, who introduced his son to the game when he was a toddler, picks him up after school every day for the one-hour trip to Lion Lake. Guan practices there until dark, usually without a coach.
關天朗的父親在關天朗小時候就帶他認識了高爾夫球，每天放學接他去獅子湖打一個小時。關天朗每天練習到天黑，通常都沒有教練。

In Georgia, Guan has been eating lunch in the clubhouse, his mother said through an interpreter, and has been dining out with his family at night. About a half-dozen relatives and friends made the trip. One night they went to TBonz, the steakhouse chain. Another night they went to Shangri-La Chinese Cuisine.
關天朗的母親說，在佐治亞州，關天朗一直在俱樂部會所吃午飯，晚飯與家人在外面吃。大約六名親友陪他一起來參賽。他們有一天晚上去了牛排連鎖店TBonz。還有一天他們去了香格里拉中國餐館。

For breakfast Thursday, Guan ate a typical Chinese breakfast of potatoes with meat, rice and stir-fried eggs, showing no sign of nerves, his mother said.
他的母親說，週四的早餐，關天朗吃了典型的中式早餐，包括土豆和肉、米飯和煎蛋，一點也沒有顯得緊張。

Guan said he watched a little television Wednesday night and after a good sleep had only slight nerves as he approached the first tee. 'I hit a good shot and after that I felt comfortable,' he said.
關天朗說，他週三晚間看了一會電視，在好好睡了一覺之後，在接近發球區的時候只感到一點緊張。他說，我打了一杆挺不錯的球，接下來就感覺很舒服。

After bogeying the opening hole, Guan barely missed a birdie putt on the second. Then he pounded his drive on the 350-yard, par-four third hole within fifty yards of the flag and hit a wedge to within 10 feet.
在第一洞打出柏忌後，關天朗第二洞打出了一個小鳥球。在350碼的四杆球第三洞，他的第一杆之後，球落在旗杆爲50碼的範圍內，然後他又把球打到了距離球洞10英尺以內的位置。

Standing over his putt, a drive from the group following Guan's rolled up on the green. No matter. Guan took a breath and drained his putt. Shots like that soon had the Augusta galleries mangling his name in their throaty southern drawls.
該推球入洞了，關天朗吸了一口氣，完成推杆。奧古斯塔的觀衆席上很快響起南方特有的拉長調子爲他喝彩的聲音。

'Bite!' Jackie Crenshaw yelled as Guan's second shot on the seventh hole rolled toward the rough. Guan's best shot of the day came on the sixth hole, when he had to chip from a downhill lie onto a green that was sloping away from him. Guan bounced the ball off the hill just before the green, which slowed his ball just enough to leave him with a short putt to save par.
關天朗在第七洞的第二杆把球打入深草區之後，克倫肖大喊了一聲。關天朗最好的一杆是在第六洞。在進入果嶺之前，關天朗的球在球穴區前面的山坡彈了起來，使他可以短推交出標準桿。

Guan has no chance of winning the tournament. His drive usually doesn't travel more than 250 yards, making several of the course's long par-four holes too difficult for him.
關天朗沒有機會贏得大師賽。他的開球距離一般不會超過250碼，一些較長的四杆洞對他來說太難了。

And in all sports, teenage wonders sometimes falter with age. At 13, Michelle Wie, the U.S. golfer, was supposed to evolve into a player who could compete with men.
在所有運動項目中，少年神童往往在長大之後趨於平庸。美國的高爾夫運動員魏聖美(Michelle Wie)13歲時曾被認爲是一名可與男球手一爭高下的種子選手。

But as he battles Friday to make the cut at this year's tournament, Guan said he intended to enjoy himself.
但是，在他週五努力在今年的大師賽中得分高於規定數的同時，關天朗說，他決定要享受這次比賽。

Whatever happens, the mundane business of being a schoolboy lies immediately ahead. 'He definitely needs to go back and take exams,' said Jack Peng, a golf agent who is serving as an adviser to Guan's family.
無論怎樣，關天朗作爲學生還面臨着必須完成的學業。爲關天朗一家擔任顧問的高爾夫經紀人彭焱焱說，他當然需要回去參加學校的考試。