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ST. LOUIS -- The more time that passes, the more the Cardinals' 2007 season will be remembered in simple black-and-white, defined by a number -- the 78 wins, or more vividly the 84 losses, tallied by a team that had won three straight division titles.
對一支連續三年拿下分區冠軍的球隊，2007年紅雀隊以78勝84敗的成績畫下了一條黑白分明的分野。
For those who were there, however, the perception will always be different. This was no ordinary season. Rarely has a team taken so many blows and gotten up so many times. The goals -- a playoff appearance and ultimately a World Series title -- never changed, but the lens through which it is all viewed most assuredly did.
對於身處其中的人，感覺一定特別不同。這不是一個普通的球季，很少有球隊可以這樣大起大落。雖然進入季後賽及拿下世界大賽冠軍的目標從未改變，但現在見到的卻大不相同。
"It seems like something would happen, and we'd get back on our feet, and then something else would happen and knock us back down," said closer Jason Isringhausen. "We know what we went through as a team, and I think we can still be proud of what we accomplished, with what we've been through."
終結者Jason Isringhausen說：「一度我們回到競爭行列，但一些事情使我們退出了錦標的爭奪。我們知道球隊經歷過的事情，我也一直對我們所完成的成就及經歷的的事情感到驕傲」
Historically, success in St. Louis has not been judged on a sliding scale. It was not in 2006, and it will not be in 2008. There is no grading on a curve for a franchise with 10 world titles and 17 pennants. If you won, you were a success. If your season ended before October, you were not successful.
歷史上，紅雀隊不會以成績進退步來判斷成功與否。2006年不是，2008年也不會。對一支拿下十個世界大賽冠軍及17個分區冠軍頭銜的球隊，我們不會以球隊戰績的增減來評分。獲勝代表成功；如果球季在十月份球結束，這個球季就是不成功的。
This time around, though, the definitions were a little different. While no one was satisfied with a losing season and a distant third-place finish, the degree of difficulty on this particular campaign stands out.
雖然定義有些不同且今年的比賽特別的艱難，但沒有人對失敗的球季及第三名作收感到滿意。
"I think this was a long one," manager Tony La Russa said. "It just never seemed like there was anything that was going easy for us. You woke up early, stayed up late. You're always trying to work through something for the team."
總教練La Russa說：「我覺得這是個漫長的球季，一切對我們來說都很不容易，雖然我們從早到晚為球隊努力工作。」
The loss of friend and teammate Josh Hancock in a fatal April car crash stands above everything else, but it wasn't the only punch in the stomach that this club took.
Hancock在四月的一場車禍喪命，失去這位朋友及隊友的重要性不言可喻；但這還不是球隊唯一的不幸。
Projected eighth-inning reliever Josh Kinney underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in March, and La Russa was arrested for DUI in Spring Training as well. Ace Chris Carpenter pitched a single game in April before being shut down. In July, he underwent reconstructive elbow surgery. The end of April brought Hancock's death, and the Cardinals understandably played in a fog for weeks afterward.
預定擔任第八局後援投手的Knney在三月的時候動了Tommy John手肘手術，La Russa在春訓的時候則是因為酒醉駕駛被捕。隊上的王牌Carpenter在四月份投了一場比賽後就沒再出場了，七月的時候也動了手肘重建手術。四月底Hancock的死訊似乎暗示了紅雀隊未來幾個星期誨暗的命運。
Infielder/outfielder Scott Spiezio left the team in August to receive treatment for substance abuse problems. Outfielder Juan Encarnacion was struck in the face by a foul ball, ending his season, drastically damaging his vision and threatening his career. Rick Ankiel, one of the brightest spots of the season, was linked to human growth hormone purchases in a story in the New York Daily News.
八月份的時候Spiezio因為物品濫用的問題離隊接受治療，Encarnacion則是被界外球擊中臉部，嚴重損壞他的視力甚至可能危及職業生涯。Ankiel是本季表現出色的球員支一，但在〝紐約每日新聞報〞的報導中，他卻與購買人類生長賀爾蒙扯上關係。
And still they soldiered on. In early September, the Cardinals pulled within a game of first place in the National League Central. A win in their series opener in Arizona would have put them in first. Instead, they lost that night -- and each of the following eight games, falling out of contention.
即便如此，紅雀隊還是屹立不搖。在九月初在國聯中區與第一名的位置甚至拉近到只剩一場勝差。只要紅雀隊在與響尾蛇系列戰的開幕戰獲勝，就可以站上首位。然而紅雀輸了，甚至在後來的八場比賽也是，因此他們退出了競爭的行列。
Getting so close is a tribute to an undermanned ballclub. Falling short was another heartbreak.
對於人力如此不足的球隊可以如此接近首位已經算是難能可貴；但功虧一簣更令人心碎。
"It's been a tough year because of injuries and how we've been playing," said Albert Pujols, "but I'm more disappointed that we didn't get that opportunity to get in the playoffs when we were only one game out and we hit that wall right there. That hard stretch where we lost nine games in a row. That was pretty tough."
Pujols說：「因為傷病及我們打球的模式使得這一年過得很掙扎。但我還是對我們不能進季後賽感到很失望，特別是當我們只差一場且正在對冠軍衝擊的時候。我們連輸了九場，這真是令人感到棘手。」
When the Cardinals slumped in September, they didn't slump because of frustration, distraction, tragedy or turmoil. They slumped because they weren't quite good enough. The offense lacked several key components, and the starting pitching was never what it needed to be after Carpenter went down.
九月份紅雀隊成績的下滑不是來自於前述的挫折、分心、悲劇和變動。攻擊方面缺乏幾個關鍵的元素，先發投手群在失去Carpenter後也沒有達到預期的標準。紅雀隊就是不夠好。
As the season becomes a memory, the Cardinals organization begins looking ahead to 2008, and legitimate questions exist as to whether '07 was a blip or a bellwether. The club's win total has declined for three straight years, which must concern the brain trust.
隨著球季過去，紅雀隊高層開始展望2008年賽季。07年的失利是否只是個雜音或是未來黑暗期的喪鐘呢？連續三年球隊戰績下滑肯定可以給高層一些警示。
So they begin looking forward and assessing what they have. Adam Wainwright, who emerged as an impact pitcher, will front a rotation that will likely see a significant makeover. Whether the offense is turned over as well remains to be seen.
所以他們開始向前看，並且評估球隊所擁有的資源。強力先發Wainwright將是輪值的頭號戰將，但先發輪值肯定會大改造。至於攻擊方面的改變則還要再觀望球隊的意思。
But the goal always remains the same. Even coming off a losing season filled with headaches and heartaches, when the Cardinals look at 2008, they have the same expectation they had for 2007.
球隊的目標從來不會改變。即便在這個充滿失望的球季後，2008年紅雀隊的目標還是與今年相同。
"The only thing that matters is whether you win the championship or not," said David Eckstein. "That's the bottom line. You can say a team had a great year or a bad year, but if they don't win a championship, it really doesn't matter."
Eckstein說：「唯一重要的是你是否贏取冠軍頭銜。這是判別基準。你可說這支球隊今年很差或很好，但要是他們沒有拿到冠軍，這一切都不重要了。」All rights reserved
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