安东尼奥 — 唐纳德·特朗普总统周三晚上宣布，他将授予火球投手罗杰·克莱门斯总统自由勋章，称这位七次获得赛扬奖的投手“有史以来可能是最伟大的投手”。在圣安东尼奥的一次集会上，特朗普重申了他对克莱门斯进入棒球名人堂的呼吁。这一荣誉是被称为“火箭”的投手迄今尚未获得的，原因是人们怀疑他在为期24年的职业生涯中使用了类固醇，在此期间他曾效力于波士顿红袜队、多伦多蓝鸟队、纽约洋基队和休斯顿太空人队。
ANTONIO — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that he would award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to fireballer Roger Clemens, calling the seven-time Cy Young winner “maybe the greatest pitcher of all time.”Addressing a rally in San Antonio, Trump renewed his calls for Clemens to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. That’s an honor the pitcher known as “The Rocket” has yet to receive because of suspicions he used steroids during a 24-year career that featured time with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros.
“我们将授予他总统自由勋章，”特朗普说。“并且，与国会荣誉勋章一起，这是授予任何人的最高荣誉。”
“We’re giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said. “And, along with the Congressional Medal of Honor, it’s the highest award bestowed upon anyone.”
总统继续说：“他终有一天会进入名人堂，但他配得上这一荣誉。他是有史以来最伟大的运动员之一，也许是有史以来最伟大的投手。”
The president continued: “He’ll be in the Hall of Fame someday, but he deserves it. One of the greatest athletes, and maybe the greatest pitcher, of all time.”
他补充说，这枚勋章“比进入名人堂更进一步”。特朗普在其两届白宫任期内曾将此勋章授予多位运动员，包括高尔夫传奇人物泰格·伍兹、前达拉斯牛仔队四分卫罗杰·斯托巴克、著名洋基队终结者马里亚诺·里维拉以及前圣母大学橄榄球教练路易斯·霍尔茨。
He added that the medal “is a big step up from the Hall of Fame.”Trump has given the medal to various athletes during his two terms in the White House, including golfing legend Tiger Woods, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, famed Yankees closer Mariano Rivera and Lou Holtz, former coach of Notre Dame football.
他还曾 posthumously 将同样的荣誉授予埃尔维斯·普雷斯利，并在保守派广播主持人拉什·林博去世前一年将其授予他。
He’s bestowed the same honor on Elvis Presley posthumously and on Rush Limbaugh the year before the conservative radio host died.
周三的惊喜揭晓发生在特朗普演讲接近尾声时，演讲时长超过100分钟，现场观众的热情也有所减退。克莱门斯正参加该活动，总统将他叫上台，这位退役右投说：“嗯，我震惊了。”
Wednesday’s surprise revelation came near the end of a Trump speech that lasted more than 100 minutes, and with the crowd having lost some of its enthusiasm. Clemens was attending the event, and the president called him to the stage, where the retired right-hander offered, “Well, I’m stunned.”
“这显然超过了我职业生涯中所做的任何事情，”克莱门斯说。“能从这个人，这位总统那里得到它，我不会再想从其他总统那里得到它了。”
“This supersedes anything that obviously I’ve done in my playing career,” Clemens said. “And to get it from this man, this president, there wouldn’t be another president I’d want to get it from.”
克莱门斯出生于休斯顿，他说能在德克萨斯州宣布此事让他感到荣幸，并补充道：“你在谈论一个赢家。那就是个赢家。”克莱门斯和击球手巴里·邦兹以及许多其他广泛被怀疑使用兴奋剂提升表现的球星一样，在申请进入棒球名人堂的过程中多次被棒球作家拒绝。克莱门斯和其他人仍有其他途径最终可能进入名人堂，但这条路并不容易。
Clemens, who was raised in Houston, said he was honored that the announcement came in Texas and added of Trump: “You’re talking about a winner. That’s a winner right there.”Clemens, like slugger Barry Bonds and many other stars widely suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs, was repeatedly rejected by baseball writers in his bid for the Hall of Fame. There are other avenues where Clemens and others could eventually make it, but the road is not easy.
克莱门斯不是特朗普首次为其争取进入棒球名人堂的明星球员。去年，总统对已故的皮特·罗斯发布了一项死后联邦特赦，这促使美国职棒大联盟取消了对这位史上安打领袖的禁令。特朗普也曾呼吁将罗斯纳入棒球名人堂——迄今为止，同样未果。
Clemens isn’t the first star baseball player Trump has made a Hall of Fame case for. The president issued a posthumous federal pardon last year for the late Pete Rose, which led to Major League Baseball lifting its ban on the all-time career hits leader. Trump has called for Rose to be inducted in the Hall of Fame too — also, so far, unsuccessfully.