>>So I arranged an interview with Akiyama at Seibu Stadium, and thanks to a translator named Kota Ishijima -- who greeted me with, "Did you bring any copies of the News? I miss reading it, man" -- I was able to get some really honest answers.
>>
所以我在整理了一段在西武球場對秋山的訪問，感謝翻譯石島的幫忙—「他問我需不需要給你一份這段訪問新聞的拷貝？我忘了去看了。」--使我能夠得到一份最翔實的回答。
>For one thing, Koji really wanted to play in the major leagues
>
>For another, he knew it would never happen.
>
就某種意義而言，幸二真的想挑戰大聯盟，但是，他知道這是不可能實現的。
>"If I was younger," said Akiyama, who was 30 at the time, "I would try to do it because I'd want to see how I stand up against the best in the world. But I'm not even my best anymore, and my contract won't allow me to go. Some day, you will see Japanese players in the major leagues; I have no doubt, because a lot of players talk about going to a place where they will be more free to express their individuality."
>>
秋山說：「如果我還年輕」，此時他三十歲了，「我將會努力嘗試去挑戰，因為我想知道我如何去面對全世界最棒的。但是現在我已經不是最棒的狀態了，而且我的契約也不允許我去挑戰，但終有一天，你將會看到日本選手在大聯盟發光發熱。我一點也不懷疑，因為已經有一群選手正在談論著，想要到一個能夠讓他們自由自在的展現他們特色的地方。」
>>At the time, Japanese baseball was so very conservative and serious -- known for its pre-game regimen of drills and sweat and its in-game philosophy that all players shall work in harmony, and that no one player should stand out from the group.
>>
在此時，日本式的野球球風仍然是相當保守嚴謹的—可以從他們賽前仍要依照規定的一個口令一個動作來操練，以及他們的比賽哲學要求每個選手必須要對團隊協同合作，以及不讓任一個選手有在團體中有突出的個人表現中看出。
>>I thought of Akiyama as I followed Ichiro Suzuki through his first few weeks in the major leagues. I'm not sure I'd say Ichiro is what the players would call a "style-master," but he's got swagger. When he picks up a ground ball in right field, he'll stare in at the runner as if to say, "Where you goin?" And while he's been careful of what he's saying to the press, his teammates told me he does not lack one bit for confidence.
>>
當我隨同玲木一朗度過他在大聯盟的頭幾週時，我想起了秋山。我無法完全確定我說過的，一朗是一個「風潮引領者」型的選手，不過他確實做到了。當他在右外野接到一個落地的球時，他會凝視跑者，好像在說「你想去哪？」。當他小心翼翼的實現他的自我要求時，他的隊友們告訴他他不需要喪失任何一點自信。
>>So I asked him if he wanted to come to the U.S. for the same reasons that Akiyama spoke of -- namely, to show off his skills and his personality. "No, I expressed myself in Japan, that was never a problem," Ichiro said through a translator. "The reason I wanted to come here is because my fans wanted to see me take on a new challenge. Playing in Japan was not so interesting anymore."
>>
所以我訪問他他為何想要到美國打球的理由，是不是如我之前向秋山訪問的一樣—「那就是展現自己的球技及風格」。他說「不是的，我已經在日本表現我想要的了，所以那不是問題，」一朗透過翻譯員說「我真正想要來到這裡的理由，是因為我的球迷希望我得到新的挑戰。在日本打球已經沒有什麼樂趣了。」
>>Ichiro's first month has been very interesting. So interesting, in fact, you have to wonder how long it will be before the next Japanese position player follows in his footsteps.
一朗的第一個月令人感興趣。事實上，很令人感興趣的是，你會很想知道在多久之後下一個日本選手會追隨他的腳步。
>>Somewhere, I'm sure, Koji Akiyama is smiling
>
但是我相信，秋山幸二一定在某個地方微笑著。