評論：承認自己是個焦慮的槍迷。

Confessions of an anxious Arsenal fan
by GilbertoSilver

Gunnerblog Link

It’s all so simple. Win two games, and third is ours. Other teams’ results can do nothing about that single, unalterable fact. It should be utterly reassuring. And yet…
(贏下英超第三名)這並不困難。只要拿下兩場勝利，第三名就是我們的了。其他球隊如何也與我們無關，也無法改變我們的地位。結果應是如此。但是心中總覺得...


I must confess that I am an anxious Arsenal fan. If you’re a regular reader of the blog, that won’t surprise you: the enormity of wrenching third place from this most nightmarish of seasons, and the potential heartbreak of handing it back to Tottenham on the final day have combined to fray what little nerve I ever had. It seems it’s catching, too. Amusingly, after Newcastle and Spurs both picked up impressive wins in midweek, a reader tweeted me declaring the results were my fault, as I’d been giving out “negative vibes” all week. I question his reasoning, and yet apologise profusely.
我得承認自己是個焦慮的槍迷。如果你有經常看這部落格，這一點也不令人納悶：過去夢魘般的賽季以來一直為第三名掙扎著，甚至可能在最後一天把它讓給 Tottenham 而心碎，兩者讓我感到更加怒不可遏。看起來 Arsenal 拿下第三名是輕而易舉的。然事實卻充滿令人玩味的變數，Newcastle 和 Spurs 都在週中拿下了勝場。一名推特使用者說都是我的錯，因為我一直以來都傳達"負面的可能"。我問他原因，並向他道歉。

I appreciate the arguments against anxiety. We’ve only got to play Norwich and West Brom. The Canaries seem to have preempted their summer holidays, losing three on the bounce and conceding an average of almost four goals p/ game across those fixtures. West Brom, meanwhile, are also playing for nothing, and are led by a manager who has admitted to the press he would have preferred to resign in order to focus on his forthcoming responsibilities as England manager. On paper, these are distinctly winnable fixtures.
感謝有些評論是正面期待著結果。我們只要贏下 Norwich 和 West Brom 即可。金絲雀(Norwich)可以提前放暑假而輕鬆踢球，加上最近連輸三場且平均一場被進4球。West Brom 就算踢得差也無關降級，加上他們的主教練在記者會承諾會辭職，以專心領導英格蘭國家隊。理論上，這是穩贏的賽程。

The problem is that Arsenal have a habit of losing distinctly winnable fixtures. Even in the midst of our best run of the season, we managed to come unstuck against Wigan and QPR. Common perception is that we’ve stalled; our positive momentum halted by an unshifting metaphorical handbrake. We’re all looking nervously towards Robin van Persie, a figure whose form this season has been so stupendous as to take on a mythical quality. He, we all hope, is the Arthurian figure who can release the handbrake from the stone and set us on the roll again.
問題是，Arsenal 有著就算穩贏也會輸的壞習慣。即使季中我們拿下很棒的連勝賽果，卻在對上 Wigan 和 QPR 時鬆懈了。目前感受是我們已經停下來；就好像本來勇往直前卻拉起手剎車般。我們擔心著 RVP，他在本季如此地神奇，充滿著神祕般進球能力。我們期待著他如同亞瑟王，從石中解放目前停息的現象，再次燃起衝鋒的焰氣。

My panic reached its peak on Wednesday night. Whilst things have been in our own hands for a while now, I can’t help but hope for favours from others. Going in to the game, we knew that a draw between Chelsea and Newcastle, coupled with defeat for Spurs, would leave us needing to win just one of our two remaining games to guarantee third spot. At a certain point, it looked as if we might get our wish: Newcastle held a slender 1-0 lead at Stamford Bridge, as Bolton equalised against Tottenham. However, Papiss Cisse’s wonder goal and Bolton’s defensive collapse soon put an end to that. Spurs and Newcastle have now closed to within a point of us, and suddenly we’re under the cosh.
週三晚上是我擔心的一刻。雖然目前的掌控權在我們手裡，但我還是期許著外在的助力。在比賽前，我們都知道只要 Chelsea 和 Newcastle 戰平，加上 Spurs 輸球，這樣我們只要贏下兩場中的一場即可穩坐第三。在比賽當時，看起來可能成真：Newcastle 才進一球，Bolton 扳平 Tottenham。然而 Papiss Cisse 的世界波，Bolton 的防線崩潰，讓我們的期許幻滅。Spurs 和 Newcastle 現在僅落後我們一分，突然我們被鞭策著接下來非贏不可。

After a brief period of catastrophising, during which I began to cancel all my post-August appointments for Thursday nights, I consoled myself with the thought that in these end-of-season tussles for league positioning, the dynamic can shift very quickly. Look at the battle at the bottom: the favourites to join Wolves in the Championship seem to change on a week-by-week basis. This Saturday, Arsenal have a tremendous opportunity. Beat Norwich – as we know we must – and suddenly the pressure piles back on to the chasing pack. They would know that defeat on Sunday, when Newcastle face title-chasers Man City and Spurs travel to a relegation-threatened Villa, would leave us out of reach.
經歷過短暫的災難期後，也就是去年八月我取消所有週四晚上的會晤，自我安慰著英超季末會是激烈的排名競爭，每場比賽都影響重大。瞧瞧目前的降級區：會和 Wolves 一起降級的球隊每週都在變動。這週六，Arsenal 有著極佳的機會。擊敗 Norwich，非贏不可的比賽，且很快就會有被後面超前的壓力。當 Newcastle 對上 目前英超榜首 ManCity 而 Spurs 對上有降級壓力的 Aston Villa，他們也清楚要是自己輸了週日的比賽，就會難以追上我們。

There is no reason we shouldn’t do it. When you take a step back, talk of our ‘poor form’ is somewhat overblown. Yes, we haven’t won in three, and the defeat to Wigan was very disappointing, even taking in to account their recent giant-killing exploits. Draws against Chelsea and away to Stoke, however, are creditable results. At the Britannia, there were signs that the fighting spirit so crucial to our second half of the season resurgence is returning.
我們不能有藉口。若怯場畏縮，說什麼“狀態不佳”的藉口就太不應該了。當然，我們最近三場也沒有贏球，尤其輸給 wigan 更是令人失望，即便考量到 Wigan 最近有著“巨人殺手”的火熱狀態。接著平 Chelsea 和 Stoke，還算可以接受。在大不列顛裡，已有跡象顯示我們在下半場奮戰不懈的精神已經回歸。

We have all the ingredients to win both remaining games. Our first-choice back four is fit and in form. We have the league’s best player, and he’s back among the goals. And, as supporters, we have the reassurance provided by having been in this situation before, and come out on top – albeit with a little help from a dodgy lasagna and a certain Yossi Benayoun.
我們有著贏下兩場比賽的理由。後防四人全數回歸且狀態不錯。我們有全英超最佳球員，且最近也進球了。作為支持者，我們確信一直以來都能佔據著這位置，儘管我們還有著會閃躲的千層麵也就是 Yossi Benayoun。(???? 千層麵????)


The squad must know now that there is absolutely no margin for error. Spurs have had their dip, and are now right back in form. Newcastle’s dip came and went months ago, and they look like they could overturn anyone at the moment. The pressure is back on us now, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s when we were comfortably clear that we began to look a little complacent. Beat Norwich tomorrow, and the pendulum swings once again.
球員們得知道沒有犯錯的餘地。Spurs 的排名曾經跌下去，然現在以絕佳氣勢追了上來。Newcastle 在數月以前排名跌落，但也追上來，且氣勢好到可能擊敗接下來的比賽對手。現在壓力回到我們身上，但也不見得是壞事。我們先前在情勢漸佳時而自滿。所以，現在是時候奮力擊敗 Norwich，讓命運的鐘擺朝向我們吧。

Come On You Gunners. Please.
加油槍手們！