Basketball is never out of place in modern China. As a matter of fact, the sport in the land of Confucius is almost as old as the sport itself.
在近現代中國，籃球運動從未與這個東方大國格格不入。實際上，籃球在這片孔子故土上的歷史，與這項運動本身的歷史幾乎同樣悠久。
After years of development, the Chinese version of the NBA was born. One of the players coming from this league was a Chinese giant by the name of Yao Ming.
經過多年的發展，中國版的NBA——CBA在中國誕生。這個中國球星的搖籃曾培育出日后成為NBA第一中鋒的姚明這位國際巨星。
With an estimated fan base of 450 million, China's basketball market has shown huge potential to become the biggest in the world.
憑借約4.5億的受眾人群，中國的籃球市場已顯露出成為世界第一大市場的巨大潛力。
Basketball Today
今日的籃球運動
Basketball is currently one of the most popular sports in China, and has the biggest number of people involved with the game.
籃球是當下中國最受歡迎的體育運動之一，且擁有最廣泛的參與人群。
An estimated 300 million Chinese people play basketball — roughly equivalent to the entire population of the United States, according to the Chinese Basketball Association.
據中國籃球協會的統計，在中國，有約3億人參與籃球運動，這幾乎等于全美整個國家的人口。
It is the most popular sport among Chinese youth.
在青少年中，籃球是最受歡迎的運動。
Since 1987, when the National Basketball Association (NBA) first gave broadcasting rights to China Central Television (CCTV) free of charge, it has cultivated an estimated fan base of 450 million. Megastars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett are household names in the country.
自1987年，美國全國籃球協會將NBA的轉播權免費授予中央電視臺以來，NBA在中國已培養出約4.5億受眾。科比?布萊恩特、勒布朗?詹姆斯和凱文?加內特等NBA球星在中國可以說是家喻戶曉。
With exposure to the NBA, more and more kids play with NBA-style cockiness and wear Adidas, Nike and Reebok shoes and clothes.
隨著NBA的品牌不斷深入人心，越來越多的青少年模仿NBA球星那樣打籃球，同時還身著阿迪達斯、耐克和銳步的運動裝備。
Beijing over the last 10 years has slowly opened basketball to outside influences, in much the same way it has opened other strategic industries to foreign investment. The government has gradually allowed corporations like Nike and the NBA to play an increasingly greater role in developing the market and the basketball talent.
在過去的十幾年里，就如同其他一些產業對外資敞開大門一樣，中國也逐步放開了籃球產業對外資的準入門檻。如耐克和NBA等外商投資企業逐漸在中國市場中占有越來越大的份額，并參與到中國籃球人才的培養當中。
In January 2008, the NBA established the entity NBA China, an affiliate with local operations and management. Since then, NBA China has built its business aggressively through a broad media play, along with sponsorships, promotions, events and an arena-management venture.
2008年1月，NBA在中國設立了NBA中國公司，負責中國本土的運營。自此，NBA中國公司通過與媒體建立廣泛的合作，贊助、推廣、舉辦賽事和籃球場館運營等活動迅速地在中國建立起自己的商業帝國。
China's basketball market has shown huge potential to become the biggest in the world.
中國籃球市場已顯露出成為世界No.1的巨大潛力。
A Historical Perspective
歷史的審視
Long before the NBA arrived, missionaries and revolutionaries helped make the game ubiquitous here in China.
早在NBA進入中國以前，西方的傳教士們就已使籃球這項運動在中國廣受歡迎。
Introduced to China over a century ago by YMCA missionaries just a few years after the game's 1891 invention in Springfield, Massachusetts, basketball has seeped into the fabric of Chinese lives.
100多年前，就在1891年籃球這項運動在美國的斯普林菲爾德被發明出以后的短短數年里，基督教青年會的傳教士們就將其引入了中國。這項運動自此滲透到了中國人民的日常生活當中。
Some of the first groups that embraced basketball in China were college students and Western-minded scholars.
第一批接納籃球運動的中國人多為在校大學生和較為西化的學者。
In the 1920s, the game was very popular among urban students.
20世紀20年代，籃球在中國都市里的學生們中甚為流行。
In 1935, basketball was declared a Chinese national pastime.
1935年，籃球被宣布為全國性的娛樂活動。
At that time, members of the Red Army was encouraged to play basketball for lifting spirits and exercise.
那段時期，中國紅軍的戰士們被鼓勵用打籃球的方式來振奮精神，強健體魄。
Until the NBA arrived in early 1990s, basketball had come to feel so intrinsically Chinese, most people did not even associate it with America.
直到90年代初NBA來到中國以前，籃球在中國扎根如此之深，以至于多數中國人都沒有將這項運動與美國關聯在一起。
（作者厲振羽，系國際主流媒體雙語體育專欄作家、中國日報網特約專欄作家）
