2020/07/22

(新聞翻譯)The Mongolian Rooney, the thief, and the fightback 蒙古版魯尼,詐騙,與反擊

 

 

News from BBC, by Owen Amos, 20 July 2020


On a cold, dark Mongolian morning, a teenager leaves his family's tent and heads to school through thick, smoky air.It's 06:00 and -20C (-4F). School 107, on the edge of the capital Ulaanbaatar, doesn't open for two hours. But Ochiroo Batbold has a key.

 

天色未亮、寒風刺骨的蒙古清晨,少年起身離開他的蒙古包,穿過空氣中漫布的白煙,前往坐落在首都烏蘭巴托郊區的「107學校」。現在是早上6點,氣溫僅僅零下20度(負4F)。距離學校開門的時間還有兩小時,但是少年,奧奇魯‧巴特伯德,有鑰匙可以進入。



 

The 14-year-old lets himself into the gym, turns on the lights, and gets to work, alone.He kicks a ball against a wall. He practises turn after turn. He runs and jumps and sweats and - bit by bit - he improves.As the clock nears 08:00, he gets changed, leaves the gym, and begins normal lessons. But in the classroom, he dreams about football.

 

14歲的奧奇魯獨自進入球館,打開電燈,默默開始訓練。他一遍又一遍地對著牆壁踢球,訓練跑步與跳躍,一點一點累積實力。時鐘來到8點,他換下衣服,離開球館,開始一天正常的課程。但在教室哩,奧奇魯仍然魂系著足球。

 

He wants to be a player. He wants to move abroad. And he wants his name in lights - or at least, on the back of his shirt.Amazingly, the offer comes sooner than he dreamed. But the offer - and the dream - is not what it seems.

 

他想當球員,想到國外發展。他想要他的名字變得家喻戶曉──至少,也要能綉在他的球衣背上。意外地,他的夢想很快就實現了,但卻不是當初想像的樣子。

 

Ochiroo Batbold was five when his family moved from Tov province to Ulaanbaatar. For provincial Mongolians, it's a common journey - there are more opportunities in the capital.Like many newcomers, the family moved to a ger district, where round tents sit among brick and mortar buildings. In the winter, chimney smoke would choke the freezing air.

 

奧奇魯5歲時,全家從托福縣搬到了烏蘭巴托。許多住在外郊的蒙古人都選擇遷往都市,畢竟在這首都,工作機會比較多。就像其他新搬來的住民一樣,奧奇魯一家住進一個蒙古包營區,擠身在水泥建築群中。冬天的時候,蒙古包的煙囪冒出陣陣濃煙,讓空氣變得冰冷又嗆人。

 

Football is not the main sport in Mongolia. The climate suits indoor games, so most boys wrestle and play basketball.But as a teenager, Ochiroo played Fifa on the PlayStation. His older friends introduced him to Manchester United and he became hooked.

 

足球在蒙古並不是主流,因為這兒的氣候更適合室內運動,所以大部分的男孩們都會去打搏擊或是參加籃球運動。不過年輕的奧奇魯喜歡打電動,他喜歡PlayStation裡面的Fifa遊戲。一個老手朋友推薦他曼徹斯特聯隊,從此之後奧奇魯就陷下去了。

 

He wanted to be like Wayne Rooney, so he started practising with a ball. And, when winter came, he spoke to his school caretaker, got the key and went to the gym every morning.Then - two years after he started playing - he joined a team. And, at the same time, a reality TV show.

 

他想成為像魯尼一樣的明星球員,於是他開始拿球起來練習。當冬天來臨,他向學校的管理員拜託借他鑰匙,讓他得以每天早上進球館練球。兩年過去,他成功加入一支球隊,同時,也登上了一支實境秀電視節目。

 

When businessman Enkhjin Batsumber grew up in Mongolia, basketball was the main sport. "For us it was Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls," the 37-year-old says."But I became a football fan because of my father - he is a big Chelsea fan. His generation is heavily influenced by the Soviet Union."

 

從事經商的恩赫金‧巴桑伯回憶在蒙古長大的時候,籃球是最流行的運動。「對我們來說那就是芝加哥公牛隊的麥可‧喬丹。」他說。「但是我爸爸使我變成一個足球粉絲,他是一個超級切爾西鐵粉。父親那一輩深受蘇聯文化的影響。」

 

 

Enki was passionate about Mongolian football, but frustrated. There were no chances for young players, he thought, and fans preferred to watch the English Premier League."Really, nobody was interested," he says.

 

恩金對蒙古的足壇充滿熱情,同時也非常挫折。年輕球員沒有機會在蒙古嶄露頭角,而觀眾只喜歡看英國的英格蘭足球超級聯賽。「真的,沒人有興趣。」他說。

 

So, in 2013, he set up his own team - Bayangol FC. He needed help, so he contacted Paul Watson - an Englishman who had written a book about coaching in Micronesia, another football outpost.

 

2013年,恩金創建的自己的足球隊─拜彥谷 FC。他需要一些協助,於是他找上英國人保羅‧華生,因為保羅曾撰寫過一本書,探討如何在同為「足球處女地」的密克羅尼西亞為足球隊執教。

 

"He knew I was crazy enough to take something like that on," says Paul. After Paul flew to Mongolia in October 2013, the club auditioned for new players. The trials were filmed for a Mongolian TV show - Dream Team.

 

保羅說:「他(恩金)知道我對這種事情夠瘋狂。」201310月,保羅飛到蒙古,球隊開始徵召球員,並且把甄選拍成電視節目:「夢幻隊」。

 

One of those players was Ochiroo. He wasn't the most talented, but Enki and Paul liked his attitude. One morning, they drove to School 107 to see if he really did train at 06:00. "We drove through thick smoke, through the hills, freezing cold," says Enki. "And there he was - alone in the gym, practising against the wall, jumping on chairs. I will never forget it." Their decision was made. Ochiroo, aged 16, was in the team - and on the show.

 

奧奇魯也是甄選的球員之一。他並不是特別有天分,但是恩金和保羅都很讚賞他的勤奮。一天早上,恩金和保羅特地開車到107學校,看看奧奇魯是不是真的在清晨6點去練球。「我們開車穿過濃煙和山丘,天氣超冷的,然後看見他真的在那裡,一個人在球館對著牆壁練球,用椅子練習跳躍,我永遠無法忘懷。」恩金說。他們當下就決定錄用16歲的奧奇魯,並且讓他登上電視節目。

 

Bayangol were successful. They finished second in a breakaway league, and then moved to the official Mongolian system. After winning the amateur championship, they played in the second tier in 2015, and were promoted to the Mongolian Premier League. But at the celebration dinner, not everyone was happy.

 

拜彥谷是一支成功的球隊。他們在次級聯賽中打出亞軍,並且擠入正式的蒙古賽制。在拿下業餘盃冠軍後,2015年,他們打進第二級聯盟,並且得以晉升為蒙古超級聯賽的球隊之一。但是在慶功宴上,有一個人卻看起來悶悶不樂。

 

"Ochiroo was unusually withdrawn," remembers Paul. "And that's when he confided in us."

 

「奧奇魯有點異常畏縮,」保羅回憶:「然後,他開始對我們坦承。」

 

A US-based agent had approached Ochiroo on Facebook, offering a trial with the major US team, Los Angeles Galaxy. The agent said he required a fee, $6,000 (then £3,800), which the teenager had paid.

 

一個美國的球探透過臉書聯繫上奧奇魯,說有一個可以到美國知名的洛杉磯銀河隊踢球的好機會。球探說這必須先繳交6,000美元的報名費(3,800歐元),而年輕的奧奇魯也付款了。

 

"He said the agent had gone quiet, but he didn't know why," says Paul. "But we knew pretty much from the off."

 

「他說球探之後就消失了,他不知道為什麼。」保羅說:「但是我們一聽就明白。」

 

When the "agent" approached Ochiroo, the teenager wanted to ask Paul's advice."But the way these guys operate, they tell the player not to tell anyone - especially their club," says Paul. "If you tell the club, they say, they'll stop you leaving."

 

其實在「球探」剛聯繫上奧奇魯時,他就想問問保羅的意見。「但是這些傢伙會使用話術,告訴球員不能告訴任何人,尤其不能告訴球隊的人,因為他們會想阻止你離開球隊。」保羅說。

 

So Ochiroo was scammed. Even worse, his family - who borrowed the money using their ger as collateral - faced losing their home. "Basically," says Enki, "they put everything on the line."

 

奧奇魯被騙了。更糟的是,那些錢是他的家人用蒙古帳抵押借來的,如今他們可能因此而失去家園。「可以說他們已經全部堵下去了。」恩金說。

 

Five years on, Ochiroo says "desperation" led to him falling for the scam. "I wanted to believe anyone who could help me," he says, via Enki translating. "It was a decision based on emotion."

 

五年過去了,奧奇魯說,是「極度的渴望」讓他掉進陷阱。「我願意相信任何給我一絲希望的人。」他說,恩金幫他翻譯:「那是一個衝動的決定。」

 

After telling Paul at the restaurant, they went back to the Englishman's flat. "He was in tears, telling us all the details," says Paul. "It was pretty dreadful." Once the scammer got his money, he stopped replying to Ochiroo. But, after the teenager said another player wanted a trial in LA - and was prepared to pay - the scammer replied.

 

在慶功宴後,他們回到保羅的公寓。「他哭得淅瀝嘩啦,把細節全盤托出。」保羅說:「真的很慘。」騙子一拿到錢,就再也沒有回覆奧奇魯。不過當奧奇魯說,有另一位球員也準備好報名費要去參加洛杉磯的甄選,他又出現了。

 

Paul called him. The scammer answered, but was cagey. Paul got an LA address, which he reported to the police, but nothing happened. In short, the money was gone.

 

保羅打給騙子,對方有接電話,但卻應答得很含糊。保羅得到一個位在洛杉磯的地址,他回報給警方,然而就此沒了下文。簡單地說,錢不見了。

 

Ochiroo was not the first player to be scammed by a fake agent. There are countless stories, and the players' union, Fifpro, has often warned about it. But that was no consolation to Ochiroo - or his family. "It was a huge blow," he says. "It seemed unreal."

 

奧奇魯不是第一個被假球探騙錢的球員,數不盡的類似案例經常在發生,國際職業足球聯合會(Fifpro)早已警告過很多次。但這對奧奇魯和他的家人來講一點安慰作用也沒有。「這真的是一個巨大的打擊。」他說:「簡直不像真的。」

 

Although the trail was cold, Paul was determined to get Ochiroo his money back. "He's one of those kids - you can't help but love him," says Paul. "But also, when you take on a club like ours, you feel very responsible for them [the players]."

 

儘管線索渺茫,保羅還是決定要幫奧奇魯找回他的錢。「他就是那種,你無法不愛上他的小孩。」保羅說:「而且,當我扛下這支球隊,我就覺得我有責任照顧好這些球員。」

 

Paul set up a fundraiser, asking the football community to cover the Mongolian's "life-changing" losses. The football community responded - and bit by bit, the money came in. After London's Evening Standard covered the story and Paul appeared on TalkSport's Hawksbee and Jacobs show, the total was reached - with help from Mongolia's Manchester United supporters' club.

 

保羅設立了一個募款基金,希望足球界能共同幫助這位蒙古球員度過人生難關。而足球界也回應了,慢慢地,開始有捐款投入。就在倫敦晚報報導這個故事,以及保羅上了浩克必和雅各的運動訪談節目後,蒙古的曼聯隊粉絲紛紛給予幫助,募款達標了。

 

Ochrioo's home was saved. But despite that, the tricked teenager considered giving up football. So what happened next?

 

奧奇魯的家園保住了,但是這位曾經熱血的年輕球員,卻開始想要放棄足球。發生了什麼事呢?

 

"After the scam, I lost all belief," says Ochiroo. "But after the fundraising - and the comments from people who helped - it gave me my belief back." With his faith restored, Ochiroo played for Bayangol in the 2016 Mongolian Premier League - but the team were relegated. And, when Bayangol came fifth in the second tier in 2017 - and then disbanded their senior team - it seemed like Ochiroo's career had slowed to a halt.

 

「被騙之後,我整個都沒有信心了。」奧奇魯說:「但是大家為我募款,還有他們的鼓勵,讓我又找回初衷。」恢復信念的奧奇魯,繼續為拜彥谷球隊踢球,然而卻在2016年的蒙古聯賽被降級了。2017年在二級聯盟,他們只拿到第五名的成績,並且解散了他們的資深隊伍。看上去,奧奇魯的球員生涯已經遇到瓶頸。

 

But, after missing the 2018 season through injury, Ochrioo signed for UB City - a new, wealthy team and one of the five or six Mongolian clubs who pay their players.

 

不過,歷經2018年因傷缺席賽季之後,奧奇魯被UB市足簽下來了,那是一個又新、又富有的球隊,也是在蒙古少數五、六支有給薪給球員的足球隊伍。

 

In 2019, they were champions of Mongolia - with Ochiroo appearing five times. Two weeks ago he played in the Mongolian Super Cup. When the virus allows, UB City will play in the pan-Asian AFC Cup. It may not be the English Premier League; it may not be Manchester United. But Ochiroo's name is on the back of the champions' shirt.

 

2019年,他們成為蒙古盃的冠軍(奧奇魯總共上場五次)。兩週前,他們在蒙古超級盃比賽,等新冠肺炎一解封,他們就會去打環亞盃足賽。雖然奧奇魯的明子不是出現在曼聯隊上,但至少,是綉在他自己的冠軍球衣背上。

 

"It's actually incredible when you think about it," says Paul. "It's no mean feat to play for the best team in any country. And you can't imagine a worse-case scenario for development than kicking a ball around on your own, in a freezing cold gym.

 

「想想真的是不可思議。」保羅說:「要在一個國家最強的球隊裡打球,真的很不簡單。而且你絕對無法想像他當初竟然是孤獨一個人,在冷到快結凍的球館裡練球。」

 

 

"There is a really inspirational message - not only for kids who've been tricked, but for anyone growing up with little opportunity, and little obvious route."It may not be the Disney, Manchester United version. But it's pretty special to play for the best team in your country."

 

「這個故事非常激勵人心,不只對那些懷抱熱情的孩子,而是對所有在機會受限、前途渺茫的環境下成長的孩子而言。」「即使不是像曼聯版的童話故事那樣浪漫,能夠在自己國家中最厲害的球隊打球,已經非常了不起了。」

 

Ochiroo - who is known as Wazza, after Wayne Rooney - still dreams of playing abroad, and of playing for his country. Many things have changed since those solo sessions in School 107 - but the ambition is the same.

 

奧奇魯,現在也被稱為「小魯尼」,仍然冀望著可以到海外發展,也期望為自己的國家踢球。那個曾在107學校的孤獨練習的身影,現在已經有很大的轉變,不變的是一樣的野心。

 

"I want to thank everyone who helped me along the way," he says. "I will do everything I can not to let you down, and will do my best until the end." And with that, he heads off for training - a professional, a champion, and a footballer who wouldn't lose to a thief.

 

「我想謝謝一路上幫助我的人們。」奧奇魯說:「我會盡一切努力不讓他們失望,盡我所能直到最後。」一說完,他轉頭前往訓練,這位專業、頂尖的職業足球員,永遠不會被一個騙子球探打敗。

 

 


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