In basketball, China is generally recognized as the strongest nation in Asia. It finished 12th in the last Olympics, and earned the eighth place in the world in the previous two Olympic Games. China's level of play is improving swiftly, and some believe the nation will be one of the top four teams in the world in about ten years.
一般说来，中国被认为是亚洲的篮球霸主。在上一届奥运会中，中国男篮获得第12名，而在前两届奥运会中，均排名世界第8位。中国男篮的水平在最近10余年里进步很快，甚至有美国篮球教练认为，中国男篮在今后的10余年里能够进入世界四强之列。
Team China: A Growing Force
中国男篮：一支不断进步的新生力量
China has traditionally been the No.1 basketball power in Asia, winning the FIBA Asia Championship 15 out of 19 times from 1975 to 2011.
中国是亚洲的传统篮球强国，自1975年至2011年间，在期间的19届亚洲男篮锦标赛中，15次夺得冠军。
Outside of Asia, the Chinese National Team has struggled against top-flight teams. Although China had shown they can beat top European teams, its performance in the 2012 London Games was lackluster.
走出亚洲，在对阵世界一流球队时，中国男篮国家队往往显得非常吃力。虽然，中国男篮曾击败过欧洲的顶级强队，但其在2012年伦敦奥运会中的表现却乏善可陈。
In the Athens 2004 Olympics, China advanced to the final eight after a 67-66 win over defending world champion Serbia and Montenegro. At the 2006 FIBA World Championship, China also earned two victories against Senegal and Slovenia, two basketball powers.
在2004年的雅典奥运会中，中国队以67:66的比分险胜卫冕冠军塞黑队，晋级八强。而在2006年的世界男篮锦标赛中，中国队曾击败塞内加尔与斯洛文尼亚这两支世界劲旅。
Brian Goorjian, a renowned Australian basketball coach who has worked closely with the Chinese players, believes that China's the level of play is improving swiftly.
澳大利亚著名篮球教练布莱恩·戈尔（Brian Goorjian）曾与中国球员有过近距离的接触与合作，他认为，中国男篮的水平提高很快。
"In the last five years, I've seen a huge change in the development of Chinese players," said Goorjian. "The Chinese are getting experience from outside and taking it seriously."
“在最近的这些年里，我看到了中国篮球运动员身上巨大的进步和改变，”戈尔说道。“中国运动员们从与各国球队的交锋中吸收了很多经验，并认真总结教训。”
Some even think China will be one of the top four teams in the world in about ten years.
美国前国家队主教练迈克·克莱泽维奇（Mike Kryzewski）甚至认为，中国男篮在今后的10年里能够进入世界四强。
"They're a good team and they'll continue to get better," said Mike Kryzewski, former head coach of the U.S. Olympic team, when commenting the Chinese National Basketball Team. "They have too many resources and the passion to become better."
“他们是一支出色的球队，并且他们的水平会继续不断提高，”克莱泽维奇在评价中国男篮国家队时说。“他们有太多的丰富资源与热忱。这将使他们不断进步。”
2008 Olympics: The Dream Collision
北京奥运会：群星璀璨的“梦幻对决”
In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, China's basketball team had an outstanding performance.
在2008年北京奥运会中，中国男篮表现出梦一般的绝佳水准。
China was in the "group of death" with the United States, Spain and Greece. It showed grit and made it to the quarterfinals.
中国队深陷“死亡之组”，与美国、西班牙和希腊三支世界一流强队同处一组，但最终仍杀入了八强。
China nearly beat Spain, the defending Olympic champion. The game went into overtime with Spain prevailing 85-75 in the end. The legendary Yao Ming fouled out after scoring only 11 points. He was 4 for 12 from the field and had four turnovers.
中国队险些击败2004年雅典奥运会冠军西班牙队，比赛最后进入了加时赛，并最终以85:75西班牙队获胜结束。在这场比赛中，超级巨星姚明仅得了11分，就因犯规超过规定次数被罚下场。他12投4中，且有4次失误。
The highlight of the 2008 Olympic basketball games was the showdown between the host nation China and the superpower United States.
整个北京奥运会篮球比赛的最精彩部分当属东道主中国队与世界超级强队美国队之间的对决。
Before the home crowds in the capital city, with superstar Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, Yi Jianlian and Sun Yue in the lineup, this version of the Chinese National Team was the strongest in history and billed as the Chinese "Dream Team".
占尽天时地利人和的中国队拥有姚明、王治郅、易建联和孙悦四名超级球星，为史上最强大的阵容，被冠以“中国梦之队”的美誉。
The United States also dispatched its best troops possible. The Dream Team VIII consisted of such big names as Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Jason Kidd and Carmelo Anthony, and the list goes on and on...The All-star U.S. team was considered by some to be even stronger than the original Dream Team and also the strongest in history.
美国同样组建了一支由全美最出色球员组成的“梦之队”，包括科比·布莱恩特（Kobe Bryant）、德怀恩·韦德（Dwyane Wade）、勒布朗·詹姆斯（LeBron James）、贾森·基德（Jason Kidd）和卡梅隆·安东尼（Carmelo Anthony）等声名赫赫的超一流巨星。这支美国全明星队的阵容甚至被一些人认为比1992年巴塞罗那奥运会的那支梦一队还要强大，是史上最强大的美国“梦之队”。
It was a "dream collision" for the basketball fans.
对广大篮球迷而言，这两支“梦之队”的相遇是一场“梦幻对决”。
In the "collision of giants", China looked spectacular, leading the scoreboard in the first 20 minutes. At six minutes in the second quarter, the score was 29 to 29. But after that, China got blown out behind double digits and lost it 101-70.
在这场“中美巅峰对决”中，中国队的表现堪称精彩绝伦。在比赛的前20分钟里，中国队一直领先美国队。在第二节比赛进行到第六分钟时，比分为29:29。但在此以后，中国队还是因实力相差悬殊而最终以70:101负于美国队。
The China-U.S. basketball game was billed as one of the marque events of the Olympics and one of the most important sporting events in Chinese history.
这场“中美巅峰对决”堪称北京奥运会中最精彩的比赛之一，同时也被认为是中国历史上最有分量的体育比赛之一。
There was an estimated 1 billion Chinese watched the game on television, in addition to the 18,000 people who watched the game live at Wukesong Arena.
据估，除有约18000人在五棵松体育馆现场观看了这场比赛外，还有数亿中国人在电视上观看了这场“梦幻对决”。
（作者厉振羽，系国际主流媒体体育专栏作家、中国日报网特约专栏作家）
来源：人民网
