Young Japanese Baseball Players Take Home Special Prize: Dirt
日本年輕棒球選手獲贈「泥土」安慰獎
High school baseball players in Japan, some in their final year, missed their 2020 play season because of COVID-19 cancellations.
由於新冠病毒導致棒球比賽被取消，日本高中棒球選手（其中一些選手已是最後一年）錯過了2020年的賽季。
But the players have not been forgotten, at least not by Japanese professional baseball. The famed Hanshin Tigers team is honoring about 50,000 young baseball players with a gift to remember their lost season: a small amount of dirt.
但這些球員並沒有被遺忘，至少沒有被日本職業棒球遺忘。著名的阪神虎隊向大約5萬名年輕棒球選手贈送了一份紀念錯失賽季的禮物：一撮泥土。
But, that dirt comes from Koshien Stadium, a beloved playing field in a country that is filled with fans of the nation's most popular sport.
但是，這些泥土來自甲子園體育場，棒球是日本最受歡迎的運動，球迷眾多，而該球場是一個備受喜愛的運動場地。
Koshien is in Nishinomiya, Hyogo state. Every year, more than 3,000 teams battle through local and state competitions in an effort that ends at Koshien, the championship of high school baseball. Many famous Japanese professionals have played on the field there, including Ichiro Suzuki, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Matsui.
甲子園體育場位於兵庫縣的西宮市。每年都有超過3000支球隊通過地方和州的比賽入圍在甲子園舉行的冠軍爭奪賽。包括鈴木一郎、松坂大輔和松井秀喜在內的許多著名的日本職業球員都曾在這個球場上拼搏過。
Losing at Koshien hurts, of course. But, there is a great tradition that helps ease the pain. Every time a team loses, each member gathers a handful of dirt from the field to take back home and keep forever.
無緣甲子園體育場固然令人惋惜。但是，一項偉大的傳統或許有助於彌補這份遺憾。每當一支隊伍淘汰，隊員們都會從地上捧起一撮泥土帶回家，並永遠保存下來。
On a recent day, however, it was a few Hanshin Tigers players digging up dirt at Koshien, which is also home to that professional team.
然而，在最近的一天，阪神虎隊的一些球員在甲子園體育場挖出了一些泥土，該體育場也是阪神虎隊的主場。
The Tigers are putting the dirt into clear balls to be attached to key chains. Then, the team will send them to the thousands of high school baseball players.
阪神虎隊的隊員把土放進透明球內，以便拴在鑰匙鏈上。然後，球隊將把這個禮物送給了數千名高中棒球運動員。
Across the ball, are the words: "2020 102nd Koshien" and images of a ball, bats and the sports center. The key chains are set to ship in August, when the championship usually begins.
球上寫有一行字：「2020 102nd Koshien」，以及一個棒球、球棒和甲子園的圖像。鑰匙鏈將於8月份分發出去，也就是錦標賽開賽的時間。
Hibiki Kawamato is a player for Iwamichisuikan High School in the western state of Shimane. He told the Associated Press he was excited about getting the gift, as The Tigers are his favorite team.
川內喜彥是西部島根縣巖井町高中的一名球員。他對美聯社表示，受到這份禮物他十分激動，因為阪神虎隊是他最喜歡的球隊。
The game means so much to him. "When I get a hit when the team really needs it, I get praised by everyone," he said. "I'm going to play baseball till I die."
比賽對他來說意義重大。他說：「當團隊需要擊球時，我擊中了，大家都來祝賀。」「棒球於我，至死方休。」
Akihiko Tanimoto is a social studies teacher who works with the team. He said the players were still working out hard, and the cancellation served as a lesson to not quit in the face of difficulties.
田本秋彥是一名社會研究教師，他與球隊一起工作。他說，選手們仍在努力訓練，取消比賽是一個教訓，告訴我們要迎難而上。
"Koshien was our goal, but it was not the purpose of why we play high school baseball, which is about not giving up until it's over," he said in a telephone interview.
他在電話採訪中表示，「甲子園是我們的目標，但卻不是我們高中棒球的目的，我們的目的是不到最後一刻，絕不言棄。」
The school has made it to the Koshien summer tournament 10 times.
這所學校已經參加了10屆甲子園夏季錦標賽。
The history of the dirt-gathering tradition is not fully known. But it dates back many years.
收集泥土的傳統可能大多數人不太了解。但這一傳統已經延續很多年了。
The winning team also gathers dirt, but later, after the final award ceremony.
獲勝的隊伍也會收集泥土，不過是在最後的頒獎儀式後進行。
Many Tigers players have come through the Koshien championship series. They understood the pain when the dream of play there was stolen.
許多阪神虎隊的球員都贏過甲子園錦標賽。他們深諳在甲子園比賽的夢想被偷走的痛苦。
"We all pondered what we could do for them, and I think it holds special meaning that we did this for them together as a team," said outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. He took part in the Koshien tournament while at PL Gakuen high school.
「我們都思考能為他們做些什麼，我覺得，作為一個團隊，為他們做這件事有著特殊的意義。」外野手福堂康介說道。在PL學園高中時，他參加過甲子園錦標賽。
"I want them all to stay optimistic," said Fukudome, formerly of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox.
曾效力於芝加哥小熊隊、克利夫蘭印地安人隊和芝加哥白襪隊的康介表示：「我希望他們保持樂觀的心態。」
I'm Pete Musto.
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