The world of sports is a tough field to pursue at the best of times. All of the athletes on this list set goals and achieved them in an era when society made an awful deal about their race and gender. Those factors were used to shut them out of competitions, but in spite of the obstacles they faced they proved that nothing can douse their competitive spirit and love of their games. If these athletes had admitted defeat, where would the world of sports be today?

体育世界是一个竞争的领域，要去追寻最佳状态。当社会对他们的性别和种族存在歧视的时候，以下名单中所有的运动员设立并实现这些目标。但是尽管他们面临重重困难，那些原本可能拒他们于竞争之外的因素，恰恰证明了没有什么能够幻灭他们的竞争精神以及他们对体育比赛的热爱。如果这些运动员屈服于失败，那么今天的体育世界会怎么样呢？

10. Curt Flood

10. 科特· 弗兰德

Though St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Curt Flood lost a U.S. Supreme Court case against Major League Baseball in 1972, his actions ushered in the era of the free agent. Refusing to let the Cardinals trade him at the end of the 1969 season, Flood challenged the MLB about the reserve clause, which stipulated that a team owns a player for life until their release or trade. Flood was fully aware of the repercussions for his career, but knew the case would benefit other athletes.

尽管1972年圣路易红雀（St. Louis Cardinals）的中外野手科特· 弗兰德输了美国最高法院对美国职棒大联盟（MLB）的起诉，但他的所作所为开辟了自由球员时代。在1969年赛季结束的时候，弗兰德拒绝让红雀对他进行“交易”，他向MLB的保留条款发起挑战（保留条款规定球队终生拥有球员直至将其释放或交易）。弗兰德完全知道这个案子会对他的职业生涯产生巨大影响，但是他也知道这会有利于其他运动员。

The lost Supreme Court case was not a lost cause, however. In 1976, through collective bargaining, two pitchers became free agents when they agreed to play one season with no contract. Flood overcame a rough post-baseball life of alcoholism, debt and a failed marriage to receive the NAACP Jackie Robinson Award in 1992.

然而，输了最高法庭的案子并非一件失败的事情。在1976年，通过集体谈判，两名投手成为自由球员，他们同意不签合同打一个赛季。弗兰德度过了一段坎坷的棒球后时代，他克服了酗酒、经历了还债和一段失败的婚姻，最终于1992年获得全国有色人种协进会（NAACP）杰基·罗宾森奖（Jackie Robinson Award）。

9. Joe Louis

9.乔·路易斯

Joe Louis was the first African-American athlete to receive crossover appeal in mainstream America, earning reverence from black and white people alike. His astounding wins as a heavyweight champion got him the name "The Brown Bomber," a man who, no matter what a boxing match or life threw at him, always rebounded. He even famously overcame his only boxing defeat with German fighter Max Schmeling in a much-publicized 1938 rematch. To many Americans, this rematch represented the United States overcoming Nazi Germany.

乔·路易斯是第一位受到美国主流社会欢迎的美国黑人，同时受到黑人和白人的爱戴。作为一名重量级冠军，他惊人的胜利为他赢得了“褐色轰炸机”的美誉。在1938年公开复赛中，他甚至仅用一回合就击倒德国拳手马克斯·施姆林（Max Schmeling），从此闻名遐迩。对于大多数美国人来说，这场比赛意味着美国战胜了纳粹德国。

Growing up in poverty, Louis started training at around 10 years old. Though he was the top boxing champion from 1937 to his 1949 retirement, Louis maintained his characteristic integrity, which instilled dignity in a sport long riddled with brutal violence and gambling.

出生贫寒，路易斯10岁左右开始训练。尽管他在1937年至1949年退役期间一直是顶级拳击冠军，路易斯一直保持着正直的品质，向一项充斥着残暴和赌博的运动灌输尊严。

8. Billie Jean King

8.比利·简·金

With her tireless crusade for women's equality in sports, Billie Jean King greatly leveled the playing field. She launched many organizations for women athletes including a sports magazine, a sports foundation and a professional women's tour. Her numerous accomplishments include six Wimbledon singles championship wins. However, the turning point in her life and women's sports was when she accepted a challenge to play against one-time Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs. In 1973 at the Houston Astrodome, the 29-year-old King defeated 55-year-old Riggs in straight sets in what became known as the “Battle of the Sexes.”

比利·简·金不懈从事争取女性体育平等的改革运动，大大促进了竞技场上的女性平等。她为女性运动员创办了许多组织，包括一家体育杂志社，一个体育基金会以及一场职业女运动员的巡游。她一生功勋无数，包括6次温布尔顿（Wimbledon）单打冠军。然而，她的一生和她开始女子运动的转折点要从她接受温布尔登网球锦标赛一度的冠军波比·里格斯（Bobby Riggs）的挑战之后算起。1973年，在休斯顿天文馆球场（Houston Astrodome），29岁的金直接战胜了55岁的里格斯，上演了一场著名的“性别之战（Battle of the Sexes）。”

7. Jesse Owens

7.杰西·欧文斯

The first American athlete to win four gold medals in one Olympics, Jesse Cleveland was born James Cleveland Owens in 1913. He became known as “Jesse Owens” instead of going by “J.C.” when a school teacher thought he said “Jesse” during a classroom roll call.

杰西·欧文斯，第一个在一次奥林匹克竞赛中获得四枚金牌的美国运动员，出生于1913年，原名詹姆斯·克利夫兰·欧文斯（James Cleveland Owens）。开学点名时，他的老师以为他说的是“杰西”(Jesse)，他开始被称作杰西·欧文斯（Jesse Owens），不再叫作“J.C. ”。

Owens' record-setting track and field career began in high school, when he set national records in the long jump and the 100 and 200-yard dashes. He shattered more track and field records while attending Ohio State University. The pinnacle of his career was the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, when he garnered four gold medals in track and field. Gerald R. Ford granted him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976. Owens died from lung cancer complications in 1980. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal.

欧文创纪录的田径生涯始于高中，从他创造了跳远和100、200码（1码=0.9144米）短跑的国家记录开始。进入俄亥俄州立大学之后，他创造了更多的田径记录。1936年德国柏林夏季奥运会是他职业生涯的巅峰，他获得了四枚田径金牌。1976年杰拉尔德·鲁道夫·福特（Gerald R. Ford）授予他总统自由勋章。1980年，欧文死于肺癌并发症。1990年，乔治·赫伯特·沃克·布什（George H.W. Bush）授予其国会金质奖章。

6. Charlie Sifford

6. 查理·斯福德

In spite of his significant role in breaking the racial barrier in the Professional Golf Association (PGA), Charlie Sifford said he wasn't trying to make a historical statement, but simply wanted to play the game he loves. "I just wanted to play golf, you know?" he told Fox Sports. "That's all there was to it."

尽管斯福德对打破职业高尔夫球手协会（PGA）的种族障碍起着重要的作用，他说他并非想名垂青史，他只是想参与自己热爱的运动而已。 “我只想打高尔夫，你知道吗？”，他告诉福克斯体育台，“这就是我所有要做的事情。”

Sifford honed his golfing skills as a young caddy in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he practiced on the green after work. In 1952, Sifford received an invitation to play in the Phoenix Open after boxer Joe Louis passed on the invitation from the PGA. As an African-American in those days, he received much mistreatment during his career. Sifford's career highlights include winning the UGA National Negro open five times prior to winning his first PGA Tour. He was the first black individual to get inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.

在北卡罗来纳州夏洛特市的时候，斯福德还是一个年轻小球童，工作之余他在绿茵茵的球场上苦练球技。1952年，斯福德接受到一份由拳击手乔·路易斯从职业高尔夫球手协会递过来的邀请函，邀请他参加菲尼克斯公开赛。那时，由于非洲裔美国人的身份，他在职业生涯中受到了许多不公正的待遇。斯福德职业生涯中的亮点包括5次乔治亚大学全国黑人公开赛的冠军以及之后他赢得第一个美巡赛（PGA Tour）。2004年，斯福德成为第一个被列入世界高尔夫名人堂的黑人。

注：本文转载自前十网，译者：杉杉