The Celtics are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season, and Jayson Tatum's trajectory¹ is a significant reason for that optimism. The Celtics have emerged as a relatively² conflict-free collection of rising stars, with Tatum and his uncommon³ poise⁴ representing the epitome⁵ of their potential.

凯尔特人是本赛季赢得东部冠军的热门球队，杰森·塔图姆的提升便是一重要因素。一群完美契合的潜力新星团队造就了现在的绿军，探花塔图姆和他超乎常人的自信，便是这群年轻人无限潜力的缩影。

The challenge will be how to continue his progression on a team with so many talented veterans who need shots too. Tatum is in a hurry to be great, but he might have to wait his turn on a roster⁶ that already features Irving and Hayward.

但问题在于，在一支已经拥有这么多有天赋的球星的球队中，球只有一个，他又将以什么方式继续练级。Tatum急于成为一名伟大的球员，现基于欧文和海沃德为主力的花名册上，想先上场？不好意思，可能还得排上一号。

He was not born that way. Tatum's unflappable demeanor⁷ has been cultivated by two vigilant⁸ parents, both college athletes, who raised Jayson separately but who were united in molding their son's future. Yet even they could not have envisioned how quickly his maturation process would need to accelerate.

他并非天生如此。塔图姆镇定自若的举止是他警觉的父母培养出来的，他们都是大学生运动员，虽说分开抚养着杰森，但他们携手一同塑造了儿子的未来。然而，他们却没有预料到，他成长之路所需的推进力，有多强劲。

In rapid succession, he was asked to become an integral part of a contending NBA lineup, became a father before his 20th birthday and now has to live up to the sophomore⁹ NBA hype that has landed him coveted¹⁰ endorsements¹¹ that include Gatorade, NBA2K, Fanatics¹² and Beats.

很快，他便获需求，成为竞争激烈的NBA阵容中不可或缺的一部分，在20岁生日前成为人父，如今还得面对大量NBA的炒作，这也让他获得了令人垂涎的代言，包括佳得乐、NBA2K、运动电商Fanatics和Beats公司。

NBA

The bull's-eye on his back looms¹³ large as Cavs coach Ty Lue declares he has "no ceiling offensively" and Irving claims he can be a "generational player."

骑士队教练泰·卢宣称他“进攻上没有上限”，欧文也声称他可以成为“时代性球员”，这让他对自己有了的充满了期待。

Out on the court, he doesn't even bother to glance down the other end to see what No. 23 is doing. He met LeBron as a boy, and the photo of the two of them is a treasured possession. But their latest encounter is business.

在球场上，他会不厌其烦地扫视另一端，看看23号在做什么。他还是小男孩的时候就遇见过勒布朗，他们两人同框的照片便是珍贵的财产。但是他们最近的相遇会是在赛场上。

Tatum has grown so much in one NBA season yet knows he has miles to go, on and off the floor. "Sometimes when I'm in my room," he says, "I still have moments where I'm 20. I've probably watched [the dunk on LeBron] a million times."

塔图姆在一个NBA赛季内便有了如此大的成长，但他知道自己还有很多路要走，无论是在场上还是场下。“当我在房间里的时候，我可能已经看过（我还是20岁的时候在勒布朗头上的那记劈扣）一百万次了。"他如此说道。

He knows that it's winning, not highlights, that gets you places. His life is hurtling along faster than he imagined, but the kid insists he can handle it.

他清楚，让你获得一席之地的是胜利，而不是那些高光时刻。他的生活节奏比他想象的要快，但是这个孩子坚称他能应付。

"I'm not afraid," Tatum declares, "of anything."

塔图姆宣称:“我无所畏惧。”