贝克汉姆——世界足坛的不朽传奇

by Bill Saporito 译/铭之

他是那个日复一日坚持枯燥练习的“轮胎男孩”，他是唯一一位为四个国家赢得冠军的出色球员。他俊朗的外表为其赢来无数品牌代言，他的贝氏弧线足以令对手闻风丧胆。他曾因个人失误被推上舆论的风口浪尖，却最终凭借实力重新赢得万千公众的喜爱。也许，贝克汉姆无法成为公认的最佳球员，但他永远都是令人无法忘怀的一代巨星。

David Beckham may be the only athlete who can add glamour to Paris. But after helping to deliver recognition and the French championship to Paris St. Germain1）， soccers most famous global brand is hanging up his boots2）. They are not leather boots， but they are well-traveled and brimming with medals.

From Manchester United3） to Real Madrid4） to the Los Angeles Galaxy5） and A.C. Milan before landing finally in Paris， the 38-year-old sprinkled his football fairy dust everywhere. He earned league titles at Man U， Real， the Galaxy and PSG. His haul6） includes FA Cup7） and Champions League glory. He played 115 times for England， the most by any outfield player8）， singlehandedly getting that nation into—and out of， famously—the World Cup. In a statement Beckham said： “Im thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career， playing at the highest level.”

I can remember Beckhams first game in New York in 2007 after he joined the Galaxy. The game was at Giants Stadium， where the Red Bulls typically drew 12，000 to 15，000 fans. Becks nearly filled the joint9）， attracting 66，237 fans， a record， and played superbly in a 5-4 LA loss. But the MLS10） was the big winner. His signing by MLS Commissioner Don Garber and now-Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis gave the league the kind of caché it sorely needed. And even though Beckhams management team made a complete mess of his first year in LA， he would deliver to LA and the MLS everything they wanted： global recognition and an endorsement that the league could accommodate world-class players. The value of MLS franchises is increasing rapidly， and more top-shelf players are arriving every year， and Beckham deserves some of that credit.

Beckhams star power， his brand equity11）， his style leadership， exceeded his playing ability. His string of deals with the likes of Adidas， Sainsburys， Samsung， Pepsi， Gillette， H&M and others made him wealthy beyond any soccer player， long before his skills declined. He may have had as many hairstyles as he did goals， and as many tattoos as endorsements12）. His ego and machismo was plainly visible in the underwear ads he did. But it all belied13） a sometimes benign personality： when you talked to him he often seemed like just a guy trying to get on with it—and in that slightly squeaky voice that had none of the muscle of his body.

His quest for the limelight14） was not hurt by Mrs. Becks， Victoria Posh Spice Adams， the pop star turned fashion designer who brought her own mega-wattage into the marriage. It made them unavoidably photogenic15）， a royal celebrity couple. At the Olympic Games in London last summer， Becks wasnt judged good enough to play for Team Great Britain （which proved to be an Team Inept without him）， but he nevertheless was given a role in the opening ceremony—along with the Queen. It was fitting， because when England made its bid to host the Olympics， it sent Becks to make the pitch16）.

As a pure football talent， Becks was pretty good. A right-sided midfielder， he found stardom first at an early age at Manchester United， joining the team as a 16-year-old in 1991 and becoming a starter in the 1995 season alongside future greats such as Eric Cantona， Roy Keane and Paul Scholes. Becks announced himself to the greater football world the following season with a chip17） over the goal keeper—from midfield. It didnt end well at Man U， not after Sir Alex Ferguson18） kicked a boot at Becks after a bad performance， cutting his players head. Although Beckham now calls him a father figure， the kid left the family， for more glory， at Real Madrid for a $38 million transfer fee. A team known as Los Galacticos19） would seem a perfect fit for a brand like Beckham. But Spanish football didnt necessarily mesh with his style， even though he won the league with them in his last year.

Still， Beckham was a great entertainer—and oh， that right foot. It could mesmerize20） the crowd and panic the opposition. The man could launch missiles with it， 70-yard daggers across the field that veered back viciously， seemingly against the laws of physics. They are the kind of passes21） that players call a heavy ball， hit with such tremendous pace that onrushing forwards merely have to get a head or foot on to knock home. That foot could slit open defenses like they were overripe melons.

The beauty of the crosses22） could only be outdone by his free kicks， so incredible to watch. You remember the anticipation of the crowd and the anxiety behind the ball as those opponents line up to try to defend a Beckham free kick. They were nasty， swerving balls that defied the four-man wall of defenders 10-yards away， climbing over them as if lifted by some magical force and then diving for the corner， bending， bending away from some despairing goalkeeper. They were art forms. And they were Englands ticket to the World Cup. His strike against Greece in a 2001 qualifying game is still legendary.

And so is his worst moment： getting chucked from the World Cup match against the hated Argentina in 1998 for retaliation23）， a move that led to Englands losing the game on penalties24）. （Because England always loses on penalties.） The headline in Rupert Murdochs Sun， which normally features pictures of topless women， was this： No [Boobs] Today Lads， Just Beckham.

And now it will be no boots， just Beckham the celebrity and Beckham the soccer executive. Hes signed a deal to be the ambassador for Chinas professional league， which has been beset by corruption scandals. Becks to the rescue25）. If that doesnt work out， as part of his deal with MLS he has the option to invest in an expansion team26）. And there happens to be one being put together in New York City， which just might be big enough for a guy with global football ambitions and celebrity to match.

大卫·贝克汉姆可能是唯一一位能够为巴黎增光添彩的运动员。但是在为巴黎圣日耳曼足球俱乐部带来赞誉和法国冠军之后，这位足球界最赫赫有名的世界级球星却打算挂靴了。这双靴子不是皮靴，但它们走遍了四方，盛满了奖牌。

从曼彻斯特联队到皇家马德里足球俱乐部，再到洛杉矶银河队和AC米兰，最后抵达巴黎，38岁的贝克汉姆将他的足球魔力传遍了世界各地。他为曼联、皇马、银河队和巴黎圣日耳曼赢得了联赛冠军。他斩获的荣誉包括英格兰足总杯和冠军联赛荣誉。他曾115次代表英格兰队上阵，是所有非门将球员中出场最多的一位。他曾凭一己之力带领英格兰队打入世界杯；也曾众所周知地因一己失误使英格兰队在世界杯上惨遭淘汰。在一次声明中，贝克汉姆说道：“我感谢巴黎圣日耳曼给了我继续征战比赛的机会，但我觉得，趁着球技处于最高水平，现在是时候结束我的职业生涯了。”

我还记得贝克汉姆加入银河队之后于2007年在纽约参加的第一场比赛。比赛在巨人体育馆举行。在这里，红牛队的比赛通常能够吸引12，000～15，000名球迷。而小贝的出场让体育馆几乎座无虚席，吸引了66，237位球迷，创下新高。虽然洛杉矶银河队以4比5落败，但小贝的表现却极为出色。不过，美国职业足球大联盟才是大赢家。贝克汉姆与美国职业足球大联盟总裁唐·加伯以及现任阿森纳首席执行官的伊万·加齐迪斯签约，使大联盟拥有了其急需的秘密宝藏。尽管贝克汉姆的管理团队把他在洛杉矶的第一年弄得一团糟，但他还是为洛杉矶银河队和美国职业足球大联盟带来了他们想要的一切：全球赞誉，以及对该联盟也能招纳世界级球员的认可。美国职业足球大联盟特许经营权的价值旋即飙升，每年都有更多的顶级球员加盟，而贝克汉姆可谓功不可没。

贝克汉姆的明星影响力、品牌资产、时尚领导力皆超越了他踢球的能力。在他球技下滑之前很久，他就与阿迪达斯、桑斯博里、三星、百事、吉列、H&M等品牌签署了一系列代言协议，这使他比任何足球球员都富有。他换过的发型大概和他进球的次数一样多，他的文身数量大概与他做过的广告代言一样多。他的自负与男子气概清楚地展现在他所做的内衣广告中。但这完全掩盖了他时而流露出的和善性格：你与他交谈时，他往往看上去就是一个努力去做事的家伙——在他略显尖细的嗓音中，感觉不出他一身肌肉的强悍。

他寻求公众的关注，在这方面小贝夫人对他没有丝毫的妨碍。从流行明星变身时尚设计师，“时髦辣妹”维多利亚·亚当斯将其超强的光芒带入了这桩婚姻。这不可避免地让他们成为一对王室成员般的上镜夫妻。在去年夏天的伦敦奥运会上，小贝被认为能力欠佳，不足以代表英国国奥队出战（事实证明，少了小贝的英国队是一支无能的球队），但他得到了开幕式上的一个角色——紧随女王之后出场。这么安排很合适，因为英国在申办奥运会时就是派小贝大力宣传的。

作为一个绝对的足球天才，小贝相当不错。作为中场右路球员，他年少时就在曼彻斯特联队初步奠定了自己的明星地位。1991年，年仅16岁的他加入曼联，并在1995年的赛季和埃里克·坎通纳、罗伊·基恩、保罗·斯科尔斯等未来巨星一起成为参赛选手。在之后的赛季中，小贝在中场用一记飞跃守门员头顶的撮球向更广阔的足球世界宣告了自己的到来。但小贝在曼联的结局并不好，特别是在亚历克斯·弗格森爵士因其表现不佳而将一只球靴踢向他之后——那只靴子撞破了小贝的头。尽管贝克汉姆现在称弗格森为父亲般的人物，但这个孩子当时还是离开了那个大家庭，去寻求更多的荣耀，以高达3800万美元的转会费加入皇马。这支被公认为银河战舰的明星队简直是为贝克汉姆这样的大腕量身打造的。但是西班牙足球并不一定与他的风格相契合，尽管他在皇马的最后一年与团队共同赢得了联赛冠军。

虽然如此，贝克汉姆依然是个伟大的表演者——而且，噢，那只右脚。它可以令观众神往，令对手恐慌。这个男人可以用右脚发射导弹，让其像匕首般横穿球场70码（编注：约64米），突然猛地转向——看上去简直违反物理定律。这种传球就是球员口中的重球，以如此惊人的速度踢出，猛冲的前锋只需探下头或伸下脚就能轻松破门。这只脚可以撕开对手的防御，就像劈开熟透了的西瓜一般。

能够超越这种横传之美的只有他自己的任意球，那看上去简直不可思议。你会记得，当对手筑成人墙试图防守贝克汉姆的任意球时，观众有多么期待，足球后面的对方球员又多么焦虑。这种难以应对的弧线球藐视十码（编注：约9米）之外防守队员排成的四人人墙，从其头顶一跃而过，仿佛是被某种神奇的力量提起，然后径直扎向球门角落，远远绕开某个绝望的守门员。这是艺术形式。这是英格兰进入世界杯的门票。在2001年的资格赛中，他的一记任意球绝杀希腊队，至今仍被颂为传奇。

他最糟糕的时刻同样如此：在1998年世界杯对阵仇敌阿根廷队的比赛中，他因为报复对方而被罚下，这一举动导致英格兰队在点球时输掉比赛（因为英格兰队总是输在点球上）。鲁珀特·默多克集团旗下的《太阳报》通常都会刊登上身赤裸的女郎照片，这是该报的一大特色。但这次，报纸头条写着：伙计们，今天没有[乳房]，只有贝克汉姆。

而如今，也不会有足球战靴了，只有名人贝克汉姆和足球老板贝克汉姆。他已经签署了一份协议，担任中国职业联赛的形象大使，这个联赛一直以来都受到腐败丑闻的困扰。小贝将来挽救这一局面。如果此事不成，作为他与美国职业足球大联盟的协议的一部分，他可以选择投资成立一支特许扩编的新球队。恰好纽约市有一支球队正在筹办，对于一个具有全球足球雄心和相应知名度的人而言，这可以算是足够大的平台。

1. Paris St. Germain：巴黎圣日耳曼足球俱乐部（简称PSG），其球队在历史上两次获得法国足球甲级联赛冠军，并获得过一次欧洲优胜者杯的锦标。

2. hang up ones boots：（足球运动员）挂靴，停止足球生涯

3. Manchester United：曼彻斯特联足球俱乐部（简称曼联），是英格兰足球史上最为成功的俱乐部，在欧洲赛场上共获得三次欧洲冠军杯冠军、一次优胜者杯冠军和一次欧洲超级杯冠军。

4. Real Madrid：皇家马德里足球俱乐部（简称皇马），是位于西班牙首都马德里的足球俱乐部，前称马德里足球队，是现今欧洲乃至世界足坛最成功的俱乐部之一。

5. Los Angeles Galaxy：洛杉矶银河队，是美国职业足球大联盟（MLS）的球队之一。

6. haul [h??l] n. [喻]经努力获得的数量

7. FA Cup：英格兰足总杯（The Football Association Challenge Cup），简称“足总杯”，是由英格兰足球协会命名并主办的一项男子淘汰制足球杯赛，也是世界上历史最悠久的足球比赛。

8. outfield player：不是守门员的运动员

9. joint [d???nt] n. 〈口〉公共场所

10. MLS：美国职业足球大联盟（Major League Soccer），筹建于1993年，分为东西两大联盟，是美国最高等级的职业足球联赛。

11. brand equity：品牌资产

12. endorsement [?n?d??（r）sm?nt] n. （明星、名人等）为商品等做的代言和宣传

13. belie [b??la?] vt. 掩饰；使人（对于某事物）产生错误的或不符合实际的想法

14. limelight [?la?m?la?t] n. 公众注意中心；著名

15. photogenic [?f??t???d?en?k] adj. 适合拍照的，上照的，上（电影）镜头的

16. make a pitch （for）：为……作宣传

17. chip [t??p] n. [足] （踢过对方队员头顶传给本方队员的）撮球

18. Sir Alex Ferguson：亚历克斯·弗格森爵士（1941～），世界上最著名和成功的足球教练之一，因其对英国足球的巨大贡献，1999年在白金汉宫被英国王室授予爵士爵位。

19. Los Galacticos：银河战舰，是用以形容西班牙皇家马德里足球俱乐部的称号。该称号源于皇马整齐划一的白色队服以及2000年开始组成的超豪华阵容。银河战舰通常被分为两期，第一期以齐达内、罗纳尔多、菲戈、劳尔、卡洛斯、贝克汉姆、欧文七大巨星为代表，第二期以卡西利亚斯、卡卡、C罗、阿隆索、本泽马等球员为代表。

20. mesmerize [?mezm?ra?z] vt. 迷惑；迷住

21. pass [pɑ?s] n. 传球

22. cross [kr?s] n. （足球的）横传

23. retaliation

[r??t?li?e??（?）n] n.

报复；以牙还牙

24. penalty [?pen（?）lti] n. 罚点球（任意球的一种）

25. to the （sb.s） rescue：为营救（某人）；为救助（某人）

26. expansion team：〈美〉（职业球队的）特许扩编（指从协会购得特许权后可以从其下属其他球队招募队员而扩建或新建球队）