Experience Marat's love-hate relationship with the Russian media in this fascinating interview.
跟薩芬一起體驗他與俄國媒體複雜的愛恨關係

Sovetsky 運動雜誌 摘自 http://www.safinator.com
Sovetsky Sport" Moscow .

採訪於05年澳網奪冠之後
Sovetsky Sport
21 February, 2005


The best Russian tennis player Marat Safin: I am? surprised at myself!
薩芬說: 我自己都嚇了一大跳!!
Andrey Vandenko

When on 1 February the winner of the centennial Australian Open arrived from Melbourne to Moscow it seemed that Marat will spend a couple of days in Moscow, attend some social events, pay tribute to his native country and leave for Europe & America. The conditions to prepare for the ATP tournaments are better there. But Safin stayed in Moscow for an unexpectedly long time. And, which seems even more surprising, he knew how to keep his privacy, slipping off from the photo and TV cameras. No reports from the night clubs, no pictures from the discos as there were before. It became even alarming: has something happened, has our hero fallen ill? But the intelligence reported: everything is fine, Marat is doing well, he is training every day on the courts of an elite sports club. There we met Safin before he left for the tournament in Dubai.
在贏得百年澳網後﹐薩芬回到莫斯科﹐本來大家以為他會短暫停留﹐參加社交活動﹑回饋祖國然後再前往歐美﹐因為那邊的天候設備好﹐對準備未來賽事上比較有利。然而﹐薩芬卻意外地待了很長一段時間﹐更不可思議的是﹐他精於保護隱私﹐閃避媒體。我們不再像以前看到夜店的小道新聞或舞廳的玩樂照片。甚至﹐我們覺得有點緊張﹐難道發生什麼事了嗎﹐我們的英雄病了? 不過﹐根據可靠情報﹐事事都順利﹐MARAT 很好﹐他每天都在俱樂部訓練。我們在他前往迪拜之前於俱樂部跟他碰了面。

ON THE RUSSIAN MEDIA
有關俄國媒體

Congratulations Marat! You managed to make impossible possible.
MS: In our life everything is possible so don't waste the words, I get the idea. We can forget about Melbourne soon and calm down. Passed that, let's go on...
恭禧你﹐MARAT !! 你完成不可能的使命。
MS 生命中什麼都可能發生﹐所以不要浪費唇舌了﹐我瞭解你的意思。我們應早早把莫爾本忘掉泠靜下來。不管怎麼輝煌﹐都過去了﹐向前看吧 ....

I am not speaking about the Australian Open at all. Your victory there doesn't seem to me like something extraordinary. It was due a long time ago! We waited five years? after the US Open title. I am talking about something else: how did you manage to spend almost three weeks in Moscow without being noticed?
MS: So what are you wondering about? Yes, I hadn't stayed in Moscow for so long in a while but this time I decided beforehand that I'll fly home after the Australian Open. I didn't hide from anyone but didn't try to get noticed either.
我不只是談澳網而已。你在那裡的勝利對我而言並不是奇跡﹐早該發生了。00年美網後﹐我們已漫漫等待五年。我想聊的是別的事﹐在莫斯科三個禮拜﹐你怎麼都沒被發現呢?
MS 那麼﹐你又懷疑了什麼? 沒錯﹐有很長一段時候我沒辦法待在莫斯科﹐但這次我事先就決定好了﹐一旦澳網結束馬上就飛回來。我並沒有特別閃躲﹐當然也沒刻意引人注意。

I am afraid that my colleagues who received you at Sheremetyevo 2 hardly agree with that. Your quiet march past the cameras was pretty clear.
?MS: I had spent more than 24 hours on a plane. I think this explains everything.
恐怕我在S2電視台的同仁不同意喔﹐你回來時的快閃冷漠態度似乎作了很明確的表態。
MS 在飛機上已超過24小時了..我想不需多言已澄清一切。

But then you ignored the Tennis Federation's press conference. Tarpischev and Kafelnikov had to answer the questions instead of you.
MS: I didn't ask them to, and I hadn't promised anything. I did what I thought was necessary.
但是之後你也不理會網協的記者會。Tarpischev(DAVIS CUP 隊長 和卡費 得要幫你回答問題。
MS 我並沒要求他們舉辦採訪會﹐更沒有承諾會參加。我只做我自認份內該做的事

Payback for the Russian media for the critical articles during the last season that wasn't too successful at the beginning?
MS: I had no intentions of any payback or anything. What's the point? The journalists will write what they consider necessary anyway. They couldn't find me in Moscow, started to cling on to my girlfriend, write tales about Dasha.
這是對上一個賽季開始你成績不理想﹐媒體嚴厲批評的報復行為嗎
MS 我沒有任何報復的意思﹐那有何意義? 反正記者自有定見想寫哪些。他們找不到我﹐就開始八卦我的女朋友﹐達莎。

So you still were offended, Marat?
MS: Please understand: it's not difficult for me to give an interview but how can I speak to a representative of a paper that just yesterday poured mud on me? You have to respect yourself. We don't know the measure: today they love you to death, tomorrow they are ready to throw stones at you. In the West the approach is more balanced, we here still go from one extreme to another... In short, in Russia you better not stumble; here they will hardly support you, they rather hit you in the back. In any case, I understood long ago that after defeats it's better not to read the Russian newspapers, you'll get no positive emotions from them.
MARAT﹐所以你讓是被侵犯了
MS 請瞭解﹐我給記者採訪並不困難﹐但叫我怎麼面對一個昨天才對我抹黑的記者? 人要自重。我們已不再有分寸了: 今天他們愛你至死﹐明天卻反過來要對你丟石頭。至少在西方國方﹐他們比較平衡一點﹐而我們這裡老是從一個極端到另一個極端...總之﹐在俄羅斯﹐最好不要跌跤﹐鮮有人會雪中送炭的﹐他們寧願在背後捅你幾刀。從經驗我早已學到教訓﹐如果我輸球了﹐千萬別浪費時間讀俄國報紙﹐你會讓自己情緒更低迷。

Don't paint everything with one colour, there are different papaers...
MS: Yes, some small papers can badmouth Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf but serious newspapers like USA Today, Los Angeles Times, New York Times never allow such things. But here you often can't distinguish the yellow and the blue...
不要一概而?吧，也有不?的??...
MS 是阿，有些小???AGASSI和 GRAF的坏?，但??的?社像 今日美?(USA today)，洛杉???，??????不允??似的情?，而在?里，黑白?很?搞清楚

Again you accuse!
MS: But you mentioned it! The papers need sensations, big headlines "Bure parted with Kournikova, "Titov caught on doping", "Safin is dating the daughter of an oligarch". I understand, public people draw the increased interest, it's inevitable, you have to live with it. I categorically object to one thing - lies. I repeat, write what you want about me, only do not lie!
你又控訴了!!
MS 是你先提的。報紙喜歡辛辣的東西﹐比如大頭條 "BURE跟庫娃約會﹐TITOV吸毒﹐薩芬跟石油霸主的女兒在一起 "。我瞭解﹐大家對這些越來越有興趣﹐那不能避免﹐只能坦然面對。我只是特別對一件事反感﹐那就是謊言。讓我再次強調﹐你想寫什麼隨便你﹐但是不要撒謊!


But you yourself won't tell the truth, Marat.
MS: About what?
MARAT﹐但你自己不說實話的
MS 有關什麼?

About whom. Daria Zhukova.
MS: Yes, her father is a businessman, so what? I have enough wealth of my own. Yes, I have dated Dasha for two years already but I've had longer relationships before. What now?
有關誰﹐達莎阿
MS 對﹐她父親是個生意人﹐那又怎麼樣?我自己賺的錢很夠用了。沒錯﹐我跟達莎在一起兩年了﹐以前我還有更久的女友。所以現在你 想問什麼?

That's what I also want to ask - what now?
MS: If you are talking about a wedding, it's not in my plans for the time being. Look at my curls, how can I marry? You have to be sixty to make such a huge step, when the kids are grown up... I'm kidding. But seriously, right now Dasha is helping me a lot. Everybody needs a close person who understands, supports. What other details you need?
那就正是我想問的﹐現在呢?
MS 如果你是指婚禮﹐那不在我的計畫中。看看我一頭捲髮﹐我怎麼結婚? 你大概要到60歲﹐孫子都長大了才能踏出這一大步吧... 開玩笑的。說真的﹐達莎幫我很多﹐每個人都需要一個瞭解支持自己的人。還有什麼細節你想問呢?

ON SECLUSION
有關與世隔絕

I noticed you have many pendants around your neck? Don't they bother you?
MS: They are amulets. Fans sent the leaf. It seems to be from ivory. So far I have been lucky with it. I don't take it off. The ring from "The Lord of the Rings" I bought myself. It's like black magic. The golden plate with the text from the Koran in Arabic was given to me by a Moroccan Muslem.
我發現你頸上有很多項練﹐不會麻煩嗎
MS 他們是護身符。球迷送那片葉子﹐好像是從象牙製作的﹐從戴它之後我一直很幸運﹐所以沒拿下它。戒指是我自己買的﹐源自"指環王 (魔戒)" ﹐好比是黑色的魔法般。金牌是一個摩洛哥穆斯林送我的﹐背後刻有阿拉伯文的可蘭經。

Are you religious? Do you fast?
MS: As much as possible, although it doesn't go along with sports well... But this is a topic I would not like to get into. I am not ready pose for society pages. At this stage tennis is the most important for me so I prefer to keep the conversation about it. And to talk to whom I want to, when and where I want to. If a Moscow newspaper wanted an exclusive story, they could have sent a correspondent to Australia, there were press conferences after every match. Please, ask questions, write the interviews, publish... No, it was more comfortable to wait until I return to Moscow, and then accuse me of arrogance when I refuse to discuss with everyone interested what happened a month ago in Melbourne and how it was.
你有信仰嗎? 你齋戒?
MS 我盡可能照作﹐從事運動行業是有點難...不過﹐這是我想談的話題。我還不到什麼社會典範的﹐目前網球是我的重心﹐所以我希望能多聊聊網球﹐跟我想聊的人聊﹐我想去哪裡﹐什麼時候去都是自己作主。如果莫斯科報紙想來個獨家﹐他們可以送特派記者到澳洲去﹐每一場比賽後都有採訪會的。拜託﹐問問題﹐作專訪﹐發行...不是﹐你們什麼也不做就在這裡等我回來﹐而當我不想再討論一個月前的賽事經過﹐便惡劣地譴責我傲慢無禮。

You are speaking like we have kangaroos instead of cows on our pastures, and you can take a train from the Kazan train station to this Australia of yours.
MS: I thought we were talking not about some small papers from Monino or Balashikha but about papers that can afford trips abroad...
你說得好像我們這裡就有袋鼠﹐而不是飼養牛﹐彷彿我們有本事可以從KAZAN 坐火車到澳洲找你似的
MS 我們講的是有能力負擔的大報紙﹐而不是像Monino或 Balashikha 這種小報紙

OK, we cleared the issue with the journalists more or less but you also ignored Shamil Tarpishev, who offered a small celebration in your honour.
MS: Again, I'm choosing for myself what to do and when. I didn't need any celebration at the moment. I spent a month in Australia and flew home to relax and catch my breath before joining the race again. You say: celebration, but for me, it's work where I can't rest or relax. There would have been a bunch of people and nearly everyone would have wanted something from me. I would have had to smile politely to the guests whom I didn't invite, to listen to the speeches, answer the questions. Can you answer why do I need it? No? I couldn't too.
OK﹐對於記者的看法我們多少瞭解了﹐但你怎麼解釋連 DAVIS CUP 隊長幫你辦PARTY你也不參加呢
MS 再說一次﹐我決定自己何時﹐何地要做什麼事。我不需要什麼慶祝活動﹐在澳洲常達一個月﹐我飛回來只想喘息一下後再出發比賽。你認為是 慶祝﹐但對我而言﹐那是工作﹐因為我在會場無法休息或放鬆。一定會有很多人參加﹐而每個人都要從我這裡挖到些東西。我得對一堆我不熟的會眾不斷作出禮貌性的微笑﹐聽演講﹐回答問題。你能告訴我為什麼我要參加這種慶祝會? 不﹐我不需要。

ON COMPANY
有關陪伴

Were you at least at the granddad's birthday?
MS: How? I was in Australia at the time.
至少你會為爺爺慶生吧
MS 怎麼辦得到? 那時我人在澳洲

Sorry, I mean the other granddad, the all-Russian - Boris Yeltsin. He turned 74 on? 1 February.
MS: Straight from the airplane to go to Boris Nikolayevich's dacha? Cool! As much as I would have wanted I could not be in two placed at the same time. No, we did not meet this day but later I was at the ceremony where the scholarships were awarded from the Foundation of the 1st President of Russia to our talented tennis players aged 14 to 18.
喔﹐抱歉﹐我指的是另外一個大爺爺﹐俄羅斯爺爺-葉利欽﹐他2月1號74歲了。
MS 直接從飛機上趕到那裡嗎? 如果有本事的話﹐我真希望能兼顧。我並沒在那日為他慶生﹐但之後我參加第一?總統網壇新秀獎學金基金會的典禮了。

Did you speak to Boris Nikolayevich?
MS: Yes. We didn't say anything special to each other, we didn't discuss the world politics. He wasn't at work, I wasn't at work, we spoke about everyday things. It's not the words that matter here, it's the communication itself. It's an honour even to say hello to such a person.
你有跟他交談嗎
MS 是的﹐我們並沒有談什麼特別的事情﹐也沒討論政治。他休假﹐我也在休假中﹐我們只是閒話家常罷了。談什麼內容不重要﹐交流溝通本身才是重點。光是跟這樣的人物打招呼便是很榮幸的事了。

Besides the meeting at the top level, were there any other public appearances?
MS: Do restaurants count? I have to eat somewhere, right? I prefer "Korchma", "Pushkin", "Tzarskaja ohota"... There are nice places in Moscow to relax with friends. A couple of times played ice hockey at CSKA. First time with my dad and his friends, later with younger guys. Visited sauna regularly.
除了這些高檔次的會議﹐你還有公開出席其他活動嗎
MS 去餐廳吃飯算數嗎 ? 我總要吃東西吧﹐是吧。我特別喜歡"Korcham","Pushkin","Tzarskaja ohota"....莫斯科有不少跟朋友放鬆的好地方。有時候我會去CSKA玩冰上曲棍球。第一次是跟我爸爸和他朋友﹐之後與其他年輕的朋友去。我也固定會去三溫暖。

Who kept you company?
MS: Different people. When the plans coincided I was always glad to meet with Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Bure, Sasha Mostovoi... There are enough dignified people. I respect great athletes.
誰陪呢
MS 不同人。如果大家行程相同﹐我喜歡找 Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Bure, Sasha Mostovoi... 夠多有修養的朋友了。我一直崇敬偉大的運動員。

ON FUTURE
有關未來

Can you stand well a drastic change of climate?? It was over 30 degrees Celsius in Australia.
MS: I am steeled. So far my system can take it. I like our winter in general. With snow, frost...
你能忍受天候的變化嗎? 澳洲可是30幾度呀
MS 我很強壯﹐到目前為止﹐我都適應得不錯。當然我喜歡俄國的冬季﹐霜與雪...

Are you a mountain-skier?
MS: No, I didn't learn skiing as a child and now I am afraid to experiment because of the injuries. When I'll quit tennis, maybe then. in a couple of years, in short...
你滑雪嗎
MS 沒有。小時候沒學過﹐現在我因為傷病的顧慮不敢嘗試。如果我退休了﹐也許我會玩玩看吧。再過幾年吧...

Only?
MS: I just said it so. We'll see. Until 30 I'll probably play but hardly after that. Enough. It's better to retire in time. Life is so short that I would like to have time to try myself in something else besides tennis also.
只有幾年嗎
MS 我剛剛才提到﹐未來就知道了。30歲大概我還會打球﹐之後機會應該不大﹐夠啦。要在最佳的時機急流勇退。生命苦短﹐我期許自己在網球外也能多方嘗試其他的事物。

And in what direction could that be?
MS: I'm still looking, but it's obvious I have to be involved in business. One has to live from something.
有沒有方向了?
MS 我還在尋找﹐但很確定地﹐我會找事情做。人活著就要有事做。

You suppose the earned twelve million bucks won't be enough for a comfortable life?
MS: Yes, I have money but it's not about the amount. I have to find something that will interest me. It only seems so that you can take the interests and lie under a palm tree. Any normal person would go insane after two months of such a life! I definitely won't be able to idle for a long time.
是因為賺來了一千兩百萬美金還不夠過優渥的生活嗎
MS 我是有些錢﹐但不是那個金額。我必須找到自己的興趣。聽起來好像你能躺在棕櫚樹下﹐又能享受興趣。一個正常人如此無所事事兩個月都會發瘋吧! 我是沒辦法長時間懶散不做點事的。

Did you hear about the Team Russia program?
MS: It's necessary to support talented children! I think that's my duty. How many boys and girls are roaming the streets now, searching for something? Many of them have neither past nor future. They don't all have to join the sport, but they need to do something useful, to not to become drug-users or criminals. Good people helped me in my day, and I haven't forgotten it.
是否曾耳聞 俄羅斯培育計畫
MS 一定要援助有天賦的孩子們! 那是我的使命。有多少男孩女孩在街上閒晃﹐尋找生命意義阿。很多沒有過去﹐更談不上未來。他們不一定要從事運動﹐但必須要活得有意義﹐不要淪落成毒販或罪犯。

On the subject of help, it's well known that at 14 you joined the tennis school in Valencia, but it gets somehow forgotten that before that you applied to Bolletieri? academy in the States two years earlier.
MS: That trip ended in nothing. They refused me, saying that they didn't see potential. Like, nothing can be done out of me.
提到援助﹐大家都知道你在14歲時前往瓦倫西亞訓練。可是很多人忘了在12歲時﹐你曾申請美國Bolletieri 學院。

Were these Bolletieri's words?
MS: Yes, he selected the so-called elite group personally, he did testing twice and said I had no chance to be accepted in his academy. Dad and I packed and came back.
這是 Bolletieri 說的嗎
MS 是的﹐他選擇所謂的精英群﹐親自己測試兩次﹐之後告訴我﹐我不可能入學。爸爸跟我聽完收拾行李就回來了。

Was it a big let down?
MS: I was disappointed. I was first in my age group in Russia. On the other hand, I wanted all the more to prove that I can get good results.
那是不是個大打擊
MS 我很失望。在俄羅斯﹐我是同年次的第一名。當然﹐我也想在別的地方能得到肯定

Did yours and Bollitieri's paths cross later?
MS: Yeah, a few years back we met and he offered his excuses for his mistake.

之後有跟 Bottetieri 碰過
MS 嗯﹐幾年之後我們遇到﹐他為自己的錯誤以一些藉口解釋

Was it pleasant to gloat?
MS: On whom? Bolletieri knows nothing about tennis. When I was 12, I was hurting, but I soon understood what kind of a man he is.
當時是否為他的窘態暗自高興
MS 為誰? Bolletieri 根本不懂網球。當我12歲時﹐我真的很受傷﹐但很快我便知道他是什麼樣的人了

What kind of a man?
MS: A businessman and a very high-profile publicitist. Beside the tennis academy, he owns academies of golf, football, baseball, riding... And it's all funded by his pupils' rich parents. You listen to Bolletieri, he raised Pete Sampras, Agassi, Courier, Seles, Becker, Haas... Everyone in the world! How can you not pay to such an outstanding coach? They go to him from all over the world and don't know that Bolletieri's a former commando who's never played tennis himself...
是什麼樣的人
MS 一個精明的生意人﹐善於公關的知名人物。除了網球學院﹐他還經營高爾夫﹑美式足球﹑棒球 等。這都是他那些有錢學生的父母贊助的。你聽 Bottetieri說﹐他栽培過山普拉斯﹑阿加西﹑科瑞爾﹐莎莉斯﹐貝克爾﹐哈斯...所有人都是他那裡來的!! 你怎麼可能不掏錢給如此優秀的教練? 小孩們從世界蜂湧而至來求他指導﹐根本不清楚他原本是個突擊隊員﹐自己完全不打網球的

So your real tennis school was in Spain?
MS: I was given a chance, and I took it.
因此你真正的網球學校在西班牙
MS 有幸我得到機會﹐並把握住了。

ON COACH
有關教練

以下談到PETER LUNDGREN ﹐恕因太長也因他們在前一陣子確定分手﹐所以此部分我略過﹐有興趣者自己閱讀吧
因為標題是他對媒體的想法﹐所以我對他的 "想法"部分比較感興趣
Many noticed that your game took a turn for the better after Peter Lundgren had started coaching you.
MS: True. I needed just that kind of a man, and I was searching for him for a long time. I heard it many times that it's my quarrelsome temper. Like, because of it nobody can work with me. Since I was 18 I was told constantly that I'm wasting my talent, missing the train... After Peter appeared, I started to play more consistently, started winning, and instantly there were speeches that finally Marat has matured, become more serious. Those are words of people who know very little about tennis. It's not my temper that's the problem. The problem is a deficit of really good coaches in our sport. They're all accounted for, hunted for. Good specialists who used to be players don't want to submit their life to another, to step in the shadow of another, to travel full-time yet again, spending a lot of time in airports and hotels. These people earned good money during their careers, what can they achieve by repeating the past? They need additional ambitions. But Peter's interested in that, he coached Rios for 2 years, then Federer for 7 years. I was on the tour with Denis Golovanov. He's my best friend from childhood, we even used to play doubles, know and understand each other perfectly, but for the work I needed something else. The results dropped... When I learned that Lundgren parted with Federer, I made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Lundgren said in his interview that he hadn't done anything extraordinary, merely helped you to find motivation to take pleasure in playing.
LUNDGREN 說其實他沒施什麼魔術﹐只是幫你提昇動力﹐享受比賽

MS: I never made it a secret that my problems were of psychological origin, that's why as far as 4 years back I thought seriously about quitting tennis, quitting sport. What held me from it was that I didn't know what to do next. I convinced myself not to rush. Yes, Peter has helped me and we extended our contract till the end of the year. Imagine: during the season I play 25 tournaments and win, say, 5. That means that in the rest I lose. On different stages, but lose all the same. There are not many sports where losses happen so often. Football team which loses 20 matches a season, will crash into 2nd or 3rd league. I stay at the top, obviously but constantly get smacked by my opponents. Besides, our contest is an individual one, you play man-to-man. In football, say, you can write a loss off on keeper's mistakes, or inept strikers, or wrong tactics chosen by the coach; in tennis you've no one to blame but yourself. Several straight losses can cause complexes which you can't get out of by yourself. Then you start to lose it: smash racquets or swear on court...
MS 我從來不否認自己的問題來自心理層面﹐也因此四年前我曾認真考慮要退役﹐甚至其他的運動。我留下來﹐因為當時真的不知何去何從﹐我說服自己不要急。PETER 幫我很多﹐我們延長合約到今年底。想像這樣的情景﹐我參加25項賽事﹐然後只贏5個。那表示其餘的都輸掉了。在不同的舞台﹐但都是輸了。沒有太多運動像網球一樣﹐你常要面對輸球的殘酷。足球隊就算一季輸了20場﹐還是可能進入2﹐3 名。我的排名一直蠻前面﹐但常常被對手痛宰﹔另外﹐我們的比賽是個人的﹐足球﹐如果輸球你可以怪很多人﹐但是網球﹐你只能怪自己打不好。連續的措敗會擊潰一個人的士氣﹐讓你無法抽離﹐一厥不振。然後﹐你繼續輸球﹐在場上摔拍 咒罵...


Did Peter teach you some of nordic restraint?
MS: I'm 25, my personality is set and you can't change it. If I appear to be calmer, it means that I learnt to control it better, not to let the steam to blow up. Of course we all change through the years. Maybe, some time I needed to throw racquets, swear aloud or talk about myself in third person. There'd be nothing without that. That's my life, no one knows it better than me, that's why I'm so amused by the outside expert's opinions. TV commentators in particular are guilty of that - always raring to give an advice.
PETER 教你北歐人的自制祕方嗎
MS 我25歲了﹐人格特質早已形成無法改變。如果我看起來比較冷靜﹐只表示我學著多控制一些﹐不使自己失控。當然﹐隨著時間我們或多或少會改變。也許有時候我得摔幾支拍子﹐大聲發誓﹐或自言自語﹐就如此而已。那是我的生活﹐沒人比我瞭解自己﹐所以讀到專家的評論我總想笑﹐特別是電視評述員﹐總愛給自以為是給建議


Do you listen to them?
MS: The commentators or the advice? I never watch my matches on video but I am informed about who and what is telling. My friends tell me... Firstly, there is a common culture. in the civilized world commentators don't speak during play, in Russia obviously not everybody has heard about it. I take it calmly when people discuss tennis as they see it and even teach me how to hit the ball or receive a serve. They have to say something on TV and there might not be enough clever thoughts for three hours. Good, it's your vision of the game, you can tell about it. I just don't understand why you have to tell about things outside the court? With whom I sleep, what I eat... Are they trying to get new spectators?
你聽進去嗎
MS 評述員﹐還是他們的建議? 我從不看自己比賽的錄相﹐但是別人會告訴我誰說的﹐又說了些什麼﹐我朋友會告訴我...第一﹐世上有個共通文化﹐文明世界裡的評述員在心賽中間是不該講話的﹐但在俄羅斯好像不是人人都知道這個道理。當他們談論﹐甚至教我該怎麼抽球或接球﹐我平靜地接受。反正在電視上﹐他們總得說些什麼﹐但是又沒本事在三小時內都說聰明的話。很好﹐那是你個人對球賽的看法﹐你盡管講。這些就算了﹐但我不懂為什麼場外的事他們也如此熱衷? 我跟誰上床﹐我吃什麼東西...他們想找另一群新觀眾不成?

Who, besides Lundgren, is on your team? I heard you hired a fitness trainer from Israel?
MS: Kowalsky was my consultant for a few weeks, then we parted. Now I got back to my old fitness trainer from Valencia, bring him over periodically when I need to improve my fitness. You need a man who writes good programmes and forces you to follow them. Sometimes I can get lazy, start pitying myself, slacking. Also I have a personal masseur. First, he was an American, now Thai.
除了LUNDGREN 外﹐團隊成員還有誰。我聽說你從以色列聘雇了一位體能訓練師。
MS 我曾向Kowalsky 討教幾個禮拜﹐之後分開了。現在我再度跟瓦倫西亞的體能訓師合作﹐固定地帶著他巡迴以增進體能。我需要一個善於計畫並執行的人才﹐因為有時候自己會偷懶﹐開始自怨自艾﹐鬆鬆散散的。我還有一個私人按摩師﹐以前是個美國人﹐現在是泰國人。

Sounds Exotic.
MS: You understand: I don't need what's offered at the beaches of Phuket... It's important to consider the individual. Some players like hard massage before the match but I get apathetic after that, my muscles lose the tone. But these are such nuances that fans don't need to know I guess.
聽起來很有異國風情
MS 你要知道﹐我不是要那種普吉島海灘的觀光客享用的玩意兒...考慮到個人的需要是重點。有些球員喜歡在比賽前大力按摩﹐對我則是反效果﹐肌肉會感覺鬆馳。不過﹐這些小細節大概粉絲們沒有興趣吧﹐我猜 (JS : 不會﹐我很有興趣知道滴)

Because your surroundings are international it's easier for you to speak English than Russian?
MS: When you are in the States for a month it's difficult to switch, foreign words come into your native language. But don't think that I do it on purpose or have become completely daft by the sport, forgotten Russian. No, I know the grammar, I have graduated from a secondary school.
因為你的環境關係﹐所以你比較習慣在公開場合講英文而非俄文
MS 當你在美國一個月後﹐要轉變是有點不習慣﹐外國語反變成母語了。但千萬別誤會我故意如此或者因為此運動變得愚蠢﹐而忘掉俄語。當然不是﹐我懂文法﹐也有高中的學歷。

You also entered a university?
MS: Yep. We study, study...
你好像還進大學?
MS 是阿﹐我們就是念書﹐念書的...(JS: 這我以前真的不知道說......)

Isn't it taking too long?
MS: Where to rush? To be honest I don't know what's the use from my studies. What will the university degree on physical training give me? If I decide to work as a coach I'll find students without the diploma, and can explain how to divide physical exercises, hit forehands, avoid cramps or, for instance, raise blood haemoglobin levels. It's obvious that in seven years as a professional athlete I have learned more than the university professors can tell you. I don't want to insult them.
不會念太久了嗎
MS 急什麼呢。講實話﹐我不知道念這個學位要幹嘛。一個生理訓練的大學學位能給我什麼? 如果我想當教練﹐不用學位也可以指導學生﹐也能講解各種體能訓練﹐打正拍﹐如何避免抽筋或者﹐怎麼提高血紅素等等。很顯然地﹐當了七年的職業選手我學得遠比大學教授還多...我無意侮辱他們。

Besides the coach and the masseur, are there other people accompanying you at the tournaments?
MS: For what? To entertain? I don't like clowns, I find them repugnant.
除了教練和按摩師﹐還有人陪你比賽嗎
MS 什麼用途? 取悅我嗎 ? 我不喜歡小丑﹐他們令人厭惡。

Do people cling on to you?
MS: Sometimes it's difficult to explain to a person that I don't need his services. My parents taught me to be polite but sometimes it's difficult with especially unreasonable people. A few years ago there was a moment when I felt that I questioned the people around me. I was afraid that they are after self-profit. Then I understood: you can't leave questioning everything and relaxed. Now I have some friends, we are completely open to each other, respect each other. That's what I look for in a friendship.
有些人會纏著你嗎
MS 有時候﹐要告訴一個人我不需要他幫忙真的很難。我父母親從小教導我要有禮貌﹐但對一些不理性的人的確不容易辦到。幾年前﹐我發現我對周遭的人都懷著質疑的態度﹐我害怕他們只一味追求個人利益。後來我漸漸明白﹐如果事事存疑﹐你會活得很累。現在我有不少朋友﹐我們對彼此完全坦白﹑尊重﹐我尋求的是這種友誼。

ON SISTER
有關妹妹

What presents did you get on your 25th birthday?
MS: Don't know if you believe it but I don't wait for presents. Moreover, I ask people not to give me any presents. I don't know where it comes from. Maybe from Spain where I got pocket money 15 dollars a week and had so many desires. Seventeen years old, you know... On the other hand, everyone needs to go through a stage of life without money. Then you value every penny more. If you get everything easily you take it easily too, let it go easily. The most important thing that money gives is freedom.
25歲生日你有什麼禮物
MS 我不知道﹐如果你真的相信我﹐我不等待禮物的﹐而且我請求朋友不要送我禮物﹐我總忘記是哪來的。也許在西班牙﹐當我只有15塊零用錢時﹐我有很多慾望。你曉得﹐只是17歲的男孩子...從另一角度說﹐每個人也應該經歷貧困的日子﹐如此才能更懂得惜福感恩。如果凡事皆垂手可得﹐你也不太會去珍惜。錢最大的用途﹐是可以獲取自由。

When could you start spending, Marat?
MS: Difficult to say. I bought my first apartment when I was 19. In Valencia. Small, modest but my own. Bought a car. Old red Volkswagen Golf. It was not much younger than me, without conditioning, one door jammed, but it moved so that was the main thing. later when the real money came I wanted everything and immediately. But soon, at 20 I understood that I can have practically any material thing I want and calmed down. It's very important to feel in time the independence from things. Now I have an apartment in Monte-Carlo, but it's not a huge apartment, it's a 30 sq m studio. Why have more when this is enough at the moment? I don't care what car I drive, I mean the label. It just has to be comfortable and safe. Yeah, I had a Ferrari once, tried a lot of other cars, in Monaco now I have my Porsche but in Moscow it's better to drive a jeep. By the way, I have a coupe Mercedes here too, a gift for the Davis Cup win. I myself wouldn't have bought it.
MARAT﹐什麼時候開始能隨心所欲花錢
MS 很難說。19歲時我在瓦倫西亞買了第一套公寓﹐小小的﹐但是屬於我自己的空間﹐買了一個老VW GOLF紅色車﹐那車沒比我年輕多少..沒空調﹐一個車門壞掉﹐但能開就好了。之後﹐我開始賺多了﹐慾望隨之大增﹐不只要多﹐而且想立即擁用。很快地﹐在20歲時﹐我發現物質上我什麼也不欠了﹐追求的熱度變冷了下來。能不為物質所駕馭是很重要的﹐什麼時候該放該收。現在我有在蒙特卡羅有一套房子﹐不是大房子﹐30平方呎的套房。為什麼要追逐超越自己需求的東西嗯? 我已不在乎開什麼車﹐我指的是廠牌。車子不外乎要舒適﹑安全﹐是阿﹐我曾買過法拉利﹐也試過很多車﹐在蒙特卡羅我開 PORSCHE﹐但在莫斯科﹐一輛吉普車反而較方便。喔﹐因為贏得DAVIS CUP﹐所以也有幾台BENZ﹐我自己是不會花錢去買的。

Did you help Dinara?
MS: When I had extra money I bought my sister's contract from her sponsor so she didn't belong to anybody and could do what she herself wanted. Now Dinara is working with my manager and is feeling great. Maybe the victory in Paris also came because of that. The first big tournament win in her life. I hope it won't be the last one.
你幫助妹妹嗎
MS 有餘錢時﹐我買下妹妹贊助商的合約﹐所以她不用受到限制﹐可以自由發展。現在妹妹也跟我的經紀人合作﹐關係很好。也許巴黎的成功也緣自於此﹐這可是她生涯第一個大勝利﹐當然我希望她能再贏更多。

You follow the progress of our girls?
MS: I try. Although I have no TV in Moscow. I mean, I have no cable. Only video works.
你也關注俄國女子網球嗎
MS 有時間我會﹐雖然我在莫斯科有一台電視﹐但沒有裝設線路﹐只有錄相的東西可看。

Can you explain why the Russian girls are doing better than guys?
MS: I don't want to insult the girls but it's easier to get to the top there. There is a group of strong players and after them the rest of the field. in Men you have to pass many stages to get to the top, and the level of the majority of players is pretty even. You have to put in a lot of effort, work hard for at least five years to reach something. Unfortunately our guys are not too studious. I spoke to them, everything seems so unserious. Instead of working they find reasons to idle.
可解釋為什麼女小發展地比男子好嗎
MS 我不想對女孩們不敬﹐但她們要進頂尖比男子容易。有一群實力的球手﹐其他的是另一個層次。在男子網壇﹐你得經過重重考驗才能爬上去﹐而球員的素質是很平均的。你必須努力不懈至少五年才能有所收獲。不幸地﹐我們的男孩們一般都不太勤奮﹐我跟他警告過﹐他們太吊兒啷噹了。不努力就罷﹐總找藉口懶散。


Interesting, are your and Dinara's characters similar?
MS: She grew up in a family, I live on my own since the age of 14. But my sister has the same problem: unless she will find pleasure in the game, the results won't come.
聽起來很有意思﹐那麼你跟妹妹的個性相似嗎
MS 她跟我同個家庭長大﹐我從14歲開始自立。不過妹妹跟我同樣的問題﹐除非她享受球賽﹐否則結果就打不好。

In your opinion, about whom do the parents worry more nowadays?
MS: Which hand does a man value more - right or left? I don't know how to answer such questions.
你認為﹐父母現在比較需要擔心誰呢
MS 手心手背都是肉﹐你要怎麼選? 我不知如何回答這種問題。

ON EVERYDAY LIFE
有關日常生活

I noticed that mother stopped travelling to the tournament with you.
MS: I asked her. It's more difficult to play when your family is around. You get distracted, start to look for them in the stands, to worry. The pressure overwhelms - it's twice as bad to lose in front of your family. That's why I can't play at the Kremlin Cup. the spectators demand a good result but because of the nerves you hit the ball out or net the ball. Especially if while serving someone shouts: "Russia!". Like the whole country is behind you. So I am very grateful to my parents but it's better when they watch? my matches on TV. The main thing is that dad with mom understood: I and my sister won't get lost in this life. Just recently I bought them an apartment, now they are renovating it, designing. Pleasant worries.
我發現媽媽不再跟你巡迴了
MS 我請求她休息的。在家人面前打球壓力更大﹐你會分心﹐有時會轉頭到包廂看他們﹐不自覺會擔憂。這壓力太可怕了﹐在家人面前輸球是兩倍的難過。這就是為什麼克杯我老打不好﹐觀眾期望我表現﹐但因為緊張所以不是打出界就是掛網。尤其是當我要發球時﹐有人會大喊"俄羅斯 !" 好像整個國家都在祈盼似的﹐我很感激他們﹐但比賽時還在電視前看吧。父母親很確信一點﹐我跟妹妹都不會迷失﹐知道自己在做什麼。最近我買了間公寓給他們﹐現在他們煩惱怎麼裝修才好﹐是種愉快的煩惱就是。

Do you yourself have an apartment in Moscow?
MS: I am also renovating, at the moment I use a rented apartment.
你在莫斯科也有個公寓?
MS 那也正在裝修﹐目前是租屋而住。

You don't want to move out of town?
MS: Everything at its time. At the moment it's more comfortable for me to live in the city centre.
你不想搬離市中心嗎
MS 每件事都有時機﹐目前我住在市區比較舒服。

Do you bear a grudge against your countrymen who some years ago stole your BMW and broke into your parents' apartment?
MS: Not everyone can become a banker, famous artist or musician. Some people earn their living stealing. Everyone has his own business. What's the point to bear a grudge against these people? I am concentrating on other things. I already got from tennis everything I wanted. I was No. 1 in the world, won the Grand Slam tournaments, held the Davis Cup above my head. Yes, I want to win some more but it can't be an aim itself, otherwise you'll burn out. It has happened to many people. In order not to repeat their mistakes I don't get too excited, I calmly go forward, and we'll see what will happen.
之前有人偷了你的BMW愛車﹐潛進父母公寓竊取財物﹐你對國人這種行為是否不悅
MS 不是每個人都能當銀行家﹑藝術家或音樂家。有些人是以偷竊維生的﹐每個人有每個人的生活方式。我為什麼要對這事耿耿於懷? 我要專注於其他事情﹐從網球我已得到我想要的物質生活﹐曾經世界第一﹐也有兩座滿貫﹐舉起DAVIS CUP 獎杯。是的﹐我想要贏更多比賽﹐但不能變成唯一的目標﹐否則會耗盡熱情的。很多人都有類似的經驗﹐為了不重蹈覆徹﹐我試著不要得失心過重﹐平靜地向前走﹐展望未來。

ON FEDERER
有關費德勒

Is it real to take down Federer?
MS: Difficult. He's a universal player almost without any weaknesses. Maybe I'm stronger physically, but his feel of the ball is exceptional.
你真的打敗費德勒了?
MS 相當困難。他是全面型的球員﹐近乎完美。也許身材上我比較健壯﹐但他的球感真的是無話可說。

Maybe throw Federer off balance with some small tricks?
MS: He's very nervous during matches, but he wouldn't show it. Tricks are not welcome among us - there are strict rules. Only mutual respect. Of course, sometimes a player can get out of line, but it's healed pretty fast.
也許運用一些小技巧來取勝
MS 他比賽是很緊張的﹐但絕不顯現出來。我們並不喜歡耍技倆﹐比賽有嚴格的規定。我們只是互相尊重。當然有時一個球員會失控﹐但很快就會復原了。


With fines?
MS: Not necessarily. The etiquette violator can get boycotted, that's worse.
你指罰款嗎
MS 不盡然。大家會抵制偽善式的犯規﹐因為那是更糟的。

What did Federer say in your ear in Melbourne?
MS: Wished me happy birthday, wished luck. The usual. He's a polite man, although some others shake your hand after a loss but don't look you in the eyes. You need to learn how to lose. I learned.
在墨爾本時﹐費德勒在你耳邊說了什麼
MS 說生日快樂﹐祝我幸運﹐很平常的事情。他是個相當有禮貌的人﹐很多球員在輸球後跟你握手卻不正眼看你...你要學著怎麼接受失敗﹐多年來我也學了。

After Dubai, there's a DC tie against Chile in Moscow. What are your impressions?
MS: They're serious opponents, Olympics champions. They're training in Sweden. A lot will depend on conditions, on the surface that we'll choose.
在迪拜之後﹐俄國將在莫斯科面對智利。你有什麼想法
MS 他們是可敬的對手﹐有奧運金牌。現在正在瑞典訓練﹐很多取決於臨場情況﹐不過我們決定使用什麼場地。

Any preferences?
MS: The faster the better.
有什麼偏好嗎
MS 越快越好

Will you get revenge for Athens?
MS: I explained already: I try not to look back. It's better to look forward. That way there's a better chance to surprise yourself and the others.
你會為雅典復仇嗎
MS 我解釋過了﹐人不要想過去。往前看吧﹐你總能找到機會給自己和別人驚喜的。


Translated by Natasha.. thanks very much!!