The Good, The Bad and The Marat

網壇裡的優等生﹑劣等生及什麼都不是的薩芬

October 23, 2006

Joel Drucker

(JS 這篇英文不難﹐卻格外難翻﹐不知為什麼﹐我翻得很彆扭﹔大概是原文有些美國背景的東西及不少隱喻式(metaphor)的寫法﹐翻成中文時讓我很傷腦筋。我覺得是很有意思的一篇﹐而且是十月底才出的﹐是專為明年MARAT第一次參加聖荷西公開賽而寫的…. 偶能力有限﹐真的很難完全翻出作者原意﹐也沒時間去想太多或修改….大家包涵啦。看懂英文的﹐建議看原文吧。)

I’m looking forward to Marat Safin’s San Jose debut. It’s always interesting to see how a big name handles his first-ever appearance at a tournament. In Safin’s case, that SAP Open effort will be compounded by the factors that have for nearly a decade made him one of the more beguiling characters. In a sport of individuals, he is even more so.

我十分期待薩芬第一次參加的聖荷西公開賽﹐觀察一個大明星首度亮相的表現總是很有意思的。對薩芬這個特立獨行的球員而言﹐ 在SAP公開賽會擦出什麼火花﹐而薩芬近十年來令人迷惑不解的個人特質也使比賽的結果增添懸念。像網球這樣個人式的運動﹐他的角色更是鮮明炫惑。

It’s never certain with Safin if it’s best to start assessing him by what he does off the court or on it. Let’s start outside the lines. Safin often gives off every indication that away from tennis he heartily enjoys the ample financial and lifestyle rewards that accompany wealth and fame attained at a young age. Whether dining with a large group of friends, casting his eye on one of the many women who have captured his fancy or strolling through the luxurious hotels he occupies while on tour, Safin is exquisitely boyish, rather charming in his odd pursuit of happy feelings and the awareness of their toll on his tennis. Pushed into tennis by his mother, shipped off to Spain to refine his game, Safin is at once a lifelong tennis devotee and an anguished rebel. “I never chose anything in my life,” he once told me, “so how can I be expected to make the right decisions? Live and learn, right?”

無論薩芬在場上及場外做什麼﹐那都不是評斷他的依據。就從場外開始談起好了﹐薩芬總不諱言他十分享受少年成名所帶給他的巨額財富和生活方式。不管是跟一群好友聚餐﹑和愛慕的女人眉來眼去﹑或者下榻於高檔的豪華飯店﹐薩芬總是非常天真任性﹐即使明知未來可能會有可怕的代價﹐他還是在所不惜地及時行樂。在母親的望子成龍敦促下﹐小薩芬獨自被送往西班牙訓練﹐之後隨即成為終生熱愛網球的球手﹐然而也始終是痛苦掙扎的叛逆小子。他曾經告訴我" 我一生中從來無法自己選擇﹐那麼你如何期待我做出正確的決定呢? 只能隨著歲月成長一邊學習﹐不是嗎? "

While at one level Safin is the ultimate example of the kid who is damned by being told how talented he is, his recognition of his shortcomings humanizes him. Yet when the Safin machine is humming, it purrs with everything that makes contemporary tennis a remarkable showcase of athleticism. Power oozes from his every pore, most notably from Safin’s massive serve and a backhand so efficient that it earns a rare term ascribed to a two-hander: elegance. For a man 6’ 4”, Safin is also exceptionally agile, moving with ballerina-like grace and the fluid steps of a man who has indeed endured many hours of nuanced footwork drills. These multi-faceted qualities are rare in a tennis player, and have earned him two Grand Slams, victories punctuated by wins over such heavyweights as Pete Sampras (a straight-set whupping in the 2000 U.S. Open final) and Roger Federer (a scintillating five-set semi at the 2005 Australian).

雖然從某一個層面來說﹐薩芬是個很極端的例子﹐沉醉於對他過人天賦的讚嘆幾乎寵壞了這個小孩﹐然而對於自己缺失的認知卻也顯現他平凡的另一面。不過﹐當薩芬火力全開時﹐他所展現給世人的是現代網球耀眼奪目﹑豐富華麗的運動技藝。他的活力四射﹐最讓人津津樂道的是強力的發球及絕世的雙手反拍﹐甚至被喻為 “優雅的反拍” ﹐通常只用來形容單反的形容詞。以六呎四的高大身材而言﹐薩芬可謂出奇地靈活﹐跑動敏捷流暢優美﹐如同芭蕾般賞心悅目﹐而這些精彩球技的背後是長時間辛苦地移位訓練所換來的。很少球員擁有如此多面向的技術﹐而也因此為他贏來兩座大滿貫--兩次均擊敗當代霸主﹐如2000年美網輕取山普拉斯及2005年澳網與費德勒扣人心弦的五盤精典半決賽。

So goes the good Marat. What’s sad is that too often for his own good the bad Marat has surfaced. It’s striking to me that a player as skilled as Safin went more than four years between Slam triumphs. It’s also depressing to see how much his concentration wavers from match to match, month to month, year to year. There have been days when Safin can’t make a first serve or forehand to save his life. I doubt he truly wants to be remembered for shattering dozens of racquets, or for more or less admitting at numerous press conferences that he has ostensibly thrown in the towel on his way to yet another surprising defeat.

你應該多少見識MARAT 過人的一面﹐但令人惋惜的是﹐當他驚艷世人之際﹐可怕的那面也隨之浮現。我實在很訝異像薩芬這麼優秀的選手﹐另一個滿貫獎杯竟然暌違四年之久。看著他一場又一場﹐一月又一月﹐一年又一年地無法完全專注﹑起伏不定﹐怎不令人嘆息失落 ? 曾經有段時期﹐薩芬無法發出有效一發或正手致勝球﹐網球生命汲汲可危。我實在不相信他甘願只被認定為一個摔拍高手﹐或者多次在爆冷輸球後的記者會公然承認自己早已放棄….

Safin turned 26 this year. As he enters 2007, even he must know that a cat only has so many lives. He has, after all, publicly announced his intention to retire from tennis in four years. I find this rather puzzling, but perhaps it’s a way for the Russian to put a cap on his career, lower any pressures and enter what I call The Doris Day Phase of his career. I know I’m dating myself here, but Doris Day is known for her hit song, “Que Sera, Sera” - “whatever will be, will be.”

薩芬今年已經26歲了。當2007年賽季開始﹐相信他很清楚就算是九命怪貓也就剩那麼幾條命了。他亦曾經宣布自己打算四年後退役。我覺得這樣的宣布十分弔詭﹐也許俄羅斯人只是對自己的網球職業自我催眠欺騙﹐或者減輕壓力才這麼說的﹐薩芬好比進入了他生涯的”桃樂絲﹑黛” 階段﹐我知道我這麼說也透漏自己的年紀了﹐總之﹐桃樂絲﹑黛的成名曲就是” Que sera sera”--未來怎樣就怎樣吧。(JS註: 桃樂絲﹑黛是很早很早前的美國名歌星﹐以本曲成名﹐至今美國人大大小小仍琅琅上口的歌)

In other words, Safin is trying to ease the burden of expectation that’s accompanied his vast skills. The funny thing is, of course, that expectation is an illusion - it exists way outside the lines - and the only factor that truly matters for a tennis player is that singular moment defined strictly by competition. Tennis is not a beauty contest, nor judged like figure skating. It’s strictly a matter of what that player does in each match. It’s that simple – but not necessarily that easy. How Marat Safin keeps that in balance figures to make for some very interesting tennis in San Jose.

換句話說﹐薩芬試圖降低大家對他球技肯定之餘的過多期望。但有趣的是﹐這個期待本就是個幻夢﹐它跟球場那些界線沒什麼關係--因為﹐對一個網球員來說﹐場上的競爭才是大家所關切的。網球不是選美﹐也不像溜冰一樣以美的角度來評分﹐網球決定輸贏的是每一場比賽的結果。說來不複雜﹐但也不完全那麼容易。且看薩芬如何在矛盾中求取平衡﹐帶給聖荷西公開賽精彩有趣的表現吧。

Another article posted in the following site:
網上另一篇最近發表的文章

http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2007-10-19/307.php

Who can be so foolish, so blind as to mock him?

"grendel says:
本文作者 grendel: 於上面BLOG的留言
==============================
Safin a spoiled brat? That’s just risible. He’s one of the very few players who is absolutely open and honest. You know when you read his interviews that he is speaking the truth - there is absolutely no looking over his shoulder to whoever might be listening. He seeks to impress nobody, and care nothing for the opinions of others. He is candid about his own shortcomings, and funny about them too. Eurosport filmed him shortly before his magnificent comeback, after a long spell away due to injury, in Australia (he beat Roddick and Agassi and ran out of gas against Fed in the final). He was being questioned about his training and general conditioning, and admitted he found it tough. “Nobody likes work,” he said disarmingly. Rings kind of true, doesn’t it, for most of us. Asked recently about Davydenko and the betting imbroglio, he said he knew nothing about it and cared less. He had his own problems and had enough trouble dealing with them. None of the prurient glee of the fulminating moralist, no pompous sermonising - and above all, no pleasure in gossip. This is a man without humbug.
"薩芬是個被寵壞的小孩? " 那真是笑話。他是少數幾個完全公開又坦率的球員。當你在讀他的專訪時你知道他句句真心﹐你不必探頭探腦去瞭解聽眾到底是誰。他從不刻意給誰留下美好印象﹐也不在乎別人的意見。對於自己的缺點﹐他是那麼誠實公正﹐同時也常有趣地自嘲著那些缺點。EUROSPORT 於澳洲在他受傷﹐澳網奇跡性復出之旅前 (04年)﹐為他製作一段影片 (那次復出﹐他擊敗 RODDICK﹐ AGASSI﹐在決賽因太過勞累負於FEDERER)﹐其中他被問到休息期間的打球及體能訓練的情形﹐他承認這一切都很辛苦﹐不假思索地說著"沒人喜歡工作啦"﹔對大部份的人來說﹐心有戚戚焉﹐是實話﹐不是嗎 ? 有人問他DAVYDENKO 最近牽扯的賭搏傳聞﹐他表示對此事毫無瞭解更不在意﹐他自己的問題跟困擾都多地夠他煩心了。種種談論裡完全沒有義正言辭地顯露所謂的道德價值觀去討好誰﹑也沒有誇大虛偽的說教 - 最重要的是﹐他對道人八卦沒有興趣。這個人是個不欺瞞好樣的。

Of course, he is a serious underachiever - how could he not be, as the only talent comparable to Federer’s over the last twenty years. Of course it is a puzzle, although big men like him are prone to injury and perhaps not a lot could have been done about that. Still, there is something else. I have always seen Safin as a sort of Russian Hamlet - a man gifted with a simple love of life and yet also tortured by indecision. There seems to be huge self-doubt in his makeup. Macenroe’s old doubles partener Peter Fleming put his finger on it, I suspect, when he says that some players who are happy at the #15 mark become thoroughly alarmed if they get to, say, #5. And so on. Safin had all the attributes of a great # 1, except self-belief. At some unconscious level, he wanted nothing to do with those rareified heights. Felt uncomfortable there, as if he didn’t belong. Thus Fleming, and I buy his theory.
當然﹐他的成就遠低於他的才賦 - 怎麼會這樣﹐在過去20年﹐﹐他是唯一擁有能與FEDERER抗衡天份的人呀。自然﹐這是一個謎﹐雖然他的高大身材本來就容易導致傷病﹐或許能解釋一部分﹐但﹐還有其他的因素。在我眼裡﹐SAFIN 就像是俄羅斯的哈姆雷特 - 一個天賦異秉熱愛生命卻又終生為優柔寡斷所困的男人。似乎﹐他總是自我懷疑。Macenroe 的老雙打搭檔Peter Fleming 說﹐一些選手當他們進入前15名時﹐對於跨入...比方說前五名的門檻會時時勞記在心。薩芬具有所有成為偉大世界第一的要素﹐但就是無法相信自己。潛意識中﹐他好像不想身處於那不勝寒的高處﹐感覺很不自在﹐好像自己並不屬於那裡似的。因此﹐Fleming ,和我﹐覺得這理論應該成立吧。

People like Nadal and Djokovic are natural, fierce competitors with no fear of being #1. Too early to say, but I suspect Murray belongs there too. But Gasquet who, like Safin, has more talent than any of them, will never get there. He’s the French Hamlet. Malisse, too. Then you have players like Nalbandian and Lopez, certainly players with the raw ability to be in the top 5 or 6. Something stops them, not agonising in their case, hard to say what.
像NADAL 跟DJOKOVIC 這樣的人天生是可怕的競爭者﹐對於"稱霸" 一事無所畏懼。現在說或許太久﹐我猜 MURRARY也有這種特質。但是 GASQUET﹐有如薩芬﹐擁有比他們更優異的天份﹐卻永遠不太可能達到第一。他是法國的哈姆雷特﹐ Malisse也是。有些球員如 NALBANDIAN和LOPEZ﹐都有紮實的基本功夫足以排名前五﹑六。某些原因使他們困著﹐他們沒像前者那麼痛苦掙扎就是﹐至於是什麼原因也很難理出所以然來。

But Safin, Safin. When he was singing, he was a force of nature, glorious to behold. His tenure was brief - but whilst it lasted, there was nothing like it. Who can be so foolish, so blind as to mock him?"
但是薩芬呀﹐薩芬。當他高歌起舞時﹐他的力量是那麼渾然天成﹐賞心悅目! 他畢竟不可能在網壇待幾十年﹐即便短暫﹐只要他沒退役﹐世上找不到相似者。誰會如此愚笨﹑盲目去嘲弄輕蔑這樣的一個人呢 ?
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thank you grendel, who ever you may be
謝謝你 grendel ﹐不管你究竟是誰

Marat Safin, ‘I’m searching. Constantly.’

薩芬"我總在追求真理﹐無時無刻地"

New Article from "Izvestia" (Oct, 2007)

Marat Safin is a unique person. Even though he lost his high rankings because of a serious injury, the former world number one is still interesting and intriguing for the fans, spectators and tournament management. And at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow this week he is, no doubt, the major star. Safin hates routine and he’s always sincere – sincere in his actions, behaviour, thoughts and words. That’s what Maria Kuznetsova from “Izvestia” had the chance to make sure of.

薩芬是個特立獨行的人。即便因為嚴重的傷病排名大幅下滑﹐球迷﹑觀眾及球賽經者仍喜愛這位前世界第一﹐並對他永遠感到好奇有趣。這周在莫斯科舉行的Kremlin杯﹐無疑地﹐他是最耀眼的明星。薩芬痛恨一成不變﹐也始終真實誠懇 - 在他的行動﹑行為﹑思想和談話等方面都毫不掩飾做作。IZVESTIA 的記者 Maria Kuznetsova在這次的訪問中證實了這一切。

‘When people have nothing to say, they come up with meddlesome advice’

"當人們不知該說什麼時﹐便盡給些無聊的建議"

Q: Let’s start with an unusual question. What were your thinking about when you woke up today?

Q 我們先開始一個比較不一樣的問題好了﹐今天一起床那一刻你在想什麼

MS: I guess, I didn’t think about anything at all, because it all goes automatically – practicing, playing. Waking up automatically, then shower, and then a ride to the courts. Boring… (frowning)

MS 我覺得﹐我沒想任何事﹐因為所有行程都很自動地進行著-訓練﹑比賽。時間到了起床﹐然後沖澡﹐之後開車到球場。無聊..... (一臉愁眉苦臉樣)

Q: Do you make plans then?

Q 你會事先作計畫嗎

MS: I never do, just because they never come true. Especially in here, during the tournament. Every minute of the day is fixed till the very evening. The only thing I can make plans about is where I’m going to have dinner.

MS 我從來不作計畫﹐因為它總不會實現﹐尤其在場上。每分每秒都是未知數直到晚上所有才得以確定。我唯一會計畫的是今晚要去哪裡吃晚餐。

Q: It’s annoying, isn’t it?

那很麻煩困擾﹐可不是

MS: Not that much, I just don’t like it. I want something new and exciting.

不會阿﹐我只是不喜歡而已。我要新鮮及刺激的感覺。

Q: What’s annoying then? What is the thing that gets on your nerves?

那麼什麼令你困擾。哪些事情會讓你發怒抓狂?

MS: It drives me mad, when some people say “Marat, you’re a talented player, but you should practice more. Usually people, who say something like that, know nothing or very little and have no relation to tennis. They have nothing more to say, so they come up with such advice.

MS 當人們說" 馬拉特﹐你是個有天份的球員﹐但是呀你應該多訓練些" 的時候﹐我聽了就快瘋了。通常說這些話的人對網球所知不多﹐甚至跟網球沒有關係。他們不知該講什麼﹐就隨便給些無聊沒營養的建議。

Q: And your new coach, Hernán Gumy from Argentina? He comes up with no advice?

Q 你的阿根廷新教練GUMY ﹐他難道也不給意見嗎

MS: You see any career has certain stages – the beginning, the middle and the end. When you’re just starting you should practice more, work on some elements, improve some of them... When you’re 25 it’s hard to change anything. I’m already a mature player, and I need a coach who can understand this. He can force me to do one thing, but at the same time he should let some other things go their own way.

MS 人的職業生涯有幾個階段 - 發跡 ﹑ 中期﹑末期。當你剛出道時﹐你當然應該要多訓練﹐加強一些技巧。。。但是到25歲後﹐要改變就難了。我已經是個成熟的職業球員﹐我需要一個瞭解這些事實的教練。他可以要求我做一件事﹐但同時他也要懂得讓其他一切順其自然。

Q: That’s what Gumy is like?

Q GUMY 就是這樣嗎

MS: He’s very calm. The point for him is to be this calm while he’s on court and not to make a fuss. Otherwise, you know, I might blow my top off.

MS 他很穩重。最重要的是﹐當他在場上時他要保持平靜﹐不大驚小怪。否則﹐你曉得的﹐我可是會失控崩潰

Q: Blow your top off? Like doing what?

Q 失控崩潰﹐比如怎樣

MS: Well, I might break my racket, or just tell everyone to… Well, you know how our Russian people swear. I bet you’ve heard workers at a construction site?

MS 嗯﹐我可能會摔拍﹐或者叫大家.....你曉得我們俄羅斯人都怎麼咀咒罵人的。你應該聽過工地工人罵人吧﹐就像那樣

Q: I have. What else annoys you?

我聽過。還有什麼事情你不能忍受?

MS: Phone calls. If someone is calling, they want something from you. I don’t like answering, and when I don’t people get offended and angry, ask why I haven’t called them back, what’s up. That’s what annoys me the most.

MS 電話。有人打來﹐他們有求於你。我不喜歡回電話﹐當他們咄咄逼人或生氣地 (這裡文法不太對﹐只好用上下文猜了) 問我為什麼不回電話﹐到底怎麼了時﹐我是最受不了的。

Q: And your friends? Who are they?

你的朋友們﹐他們是哪些人

MS: Good question… Almost all of them have some business. But there are also artists. Different people who have been living a long life and who have great experience.

好問題...幾乎每個人都有些事業﹐有幾個是藝術家。都是群不同的人但有著豐富的人生經驗。

Q: And who is Shamil Tarpischev for you?

你怎麼看 Shamil Tarpischev (DAVIS CUP 隊長)

MS: Tarpischev? Shama… A genius coach and a man who easily finds a way out of any situation. He reads people perfectly, gets his ideas straight and has enormous experience. He sees people through – he just needs to talk to them for two minutes. I have a great respect for him.

MS Tarpischev? 天才教練﹐ 一個總有辦法解決事情的男子漢。他瞭解你﹐清楚地發揮他的想法﹐有豐富的經驗。只要跟你談個兩分鐘﹐就能看穿你。我十分尊敬他。

‘I recall my past so as not to walk on air too much’

"我會回憶過去以致不讓自己過度淘醉"

Q: Comparing your old interviews and the more recent ones, it’s easy to see how much calmer and wiser you’ve become. Do you think much about yourself?

Q 將過去的專訪跟最近的一比較就不難發現你平和多了也變得更有智慧。你常常會想自己是什麼人嗎

MS: Depends on what you mean by it. Yes, I think about myself, but not in a narcissistic way. (laughing) You see, it’s important not to get too obsessed with yourself and only yourself. But at the same time you should love yourself. If you can’t love yourself, how can you love anyone else? And people, who are close to us, also need our attention badly.

那看你從怎樣的角度來說。是的﹐我當然會想自己是怎樣的人﹐但可不是自戀﹑孤芳自賞的方式囉 (笑)。 你曉得﹐你不能太自以為是過度迷戀自己﹐只想到自己﹔然而同時你又得要好好愛自己。如果不能愛自己﹐你怎麼愛別人? 我們身邊親近的人﹐自然也需要我們多關心他們。

Q: What do you think about your life then?

你怎麼看自己的人生呢

MS: We all try to foresee what we’ll be doing in 5 years. And we set some goals for ourselves, because it’s very difficult to live without any. First a person aims at entering the university, than take a second degree. Then giving everything to work, to climb the career ladder. Thirdly he is just stuck in traffic jams every day. And then, at 50, he is hit by the realization, that he hasn’t actually done anything with his life. He was fussing, running around, but what for…

我們都想預知5年後自己會變成怎樣﹐因此我們會設定一些目標﹐否則很難繼續奮鬥下去。一般人通常開始就夢想進入大學﹐之後再拿另外一個學位。隨後不斷努力﹐試著在職場往上爬。再來咧﹐他每日奔波於交通﹐50歲時﹐他被殘酷的現實所打醒頓悟 - 其實在人生中他沒有真正成就什麼事。他只是一味忙碌﹐但所有的辛苦究竟是所為何來.......

Q: And you yourself?

那麼你呢

MS: I’m searching. Constantly.

我一直在尋找真理﹐無時無刻。

Q: You sound like a philosopher or like a priest.

聽起來像是個哲學家或神父哩

。

MS: Nope, I don’t read the Bible.

不﹐我可不念聖經喔。

Q: And what are you reading?

那你念什麼

MS: The most recent one was “A Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

最近我念的是馬奎斯 的 "百年孤寂"。

Q: Never thought that you might like books of this kind.

從沒想到你也會念這種書阿。

MS: And what’s wrong about it? It’s kind of boring to read only classics all the time, I just need something different. So you go for the contemporary literature or something philosophical.

MS 有什麼不對嗎? 老是念古典文學會很無趣﹐我只想讀點不同的。所以就找點現代文學或哲學類的東西。

Q: What do you consider wealth?

你認為財富是什麼

MS: The years I’ve lived. I don’t need too much money, a house in Rublevka (the street in Moscow, where most of the rich and the famous live) or a villa in the French Riviera. Wealth for me is not all these material things, it’s a life experience.

財富嘛﹐是我過去所經歷的每一刻。我不需要很多錢﹐比如在RUBLEVKA (俄羅斯名流富人居住的地方)有棟房子﹐或者在法國避暑勝地有間別墅。財富對我來說並不全然是這些物質的東西﹐是人生經驗。

Q: You once said in an interview, ‘I’m lucky, because I’ve got out of poverty’.

可是你在一次專訪提到 "我很幸運﹐因為我得以脫離貧困"

MS: That’s not true, I’ve never put it that way. I’ve grown up at VDNH, which is quite a nice district of Moscow. Just the whole situation my family was in was not that great. The four of us were living in the flat of 20 square meters. I know that lots of people had worse conditions, but still. The point is that then I hadn’t had the actual chance of achieving anything serious in tennis. That’s why I’m saying – I’m lucky. A man appeared who gave money for me to go to Spain. It was a big amount of money – $ 300 000. You could imagine what $300 000 meant in 1994, couldn’t you? That was an inconceivable sum of money. So I’m still very grateful to that sponsor.

MS 那不是事實﹐我不是那個意思。小時候在VDNH﹐一個莫斯科寧靜的地區長大﹐家境不好﹐我們四個人擠在20平方米的小地方居住﹐當然我知道有很多比我們更慘﹐但畢竟還是糟透了。重點是﹐我沒有任何機會在網球有所成就。所以我才說﹐"我很幸運"。當時有個貴人出現﹐出錢送我到西班牙去。那可是一大筆錢 - 三十萬美金。你可以想像1994年30萬美金是什麼嗎﹐簡直是一筆難以想像的數字。所以﹐對於那位贊助先生我仍心存感激。

Q: Do you often go over the past? And what for?

Q 你會常常回想過去嗎﹐為什麼

MS: I do sometimes... And what for? In order not to loose the feeling of reality. You start to walk above the clouds, and then there it comes – a recollection from childhood, which immediately brings you back to the ground. For instance I go into the supermarket, where the shelves are full of different yummy things, and recall standing in line to buy some sugar. That’s exactly the moment, you know, when you start appreciating your life of today.

MS 有時會的... 為什麼?這樣才不會脫離現實。有時你平步青雲﹐不自覺飄飄然漫步在雲端般﹐ 之後﹐你回想童年時光﹐會馬上把自己拉回現實。比方說﹐我去超市﹐看到架子上有很多好吃的東西﹐便想起以前排隊買糖吃的情景。那正是你開始珍惜現狀的時刻。

Q: Have these recollections become an extra stimulus for achieving some success?

這樣的回憶對於成就有額外的動力嗎

MS: Of course. Otherwise, who would I have been if I hadn’t got into the tennis elite? Ok, a coach who gets $15 per hour. That might be enough for living, but hardly enough for a family and definitely not enough for buying a flat and a car. And then what? I don’t like this hopeless kind of life.

當然。否則﹐如果進入網球壇後我會變成什麼樣子? OK﹐當一個教練一小時拿15塊錢。生活自然不成問題﹐但養家就辛苦了﹐更別提買公寓或車子。然後呢? 我不要這種絕望的生活。

‘I wear pants that cost me $20’

"我穿20塊錢的褲子"

Q: You’re thought to be one of the most eligible bachelors of the country. How do you choose girls?

Q 你可是我們國家最有價值的單身漢。你擇偶條件是什麼

MS: Just the same way you choose us. I look at the face and a bit lower.

MS 跟你們怎麼選我們沒什麼兩樣阿。我看她長什麼樣子﹐再往下瞧一瞧。

Q: What do you value in women?

你覺得女人貴在何處

MS: Personality. Character is not a small thing either.

個性。人格特質也很重要

Q: How do you feel about marriage?

那麼婚姻呢

MS: I’m positive about it. But only after the children are born. After having been living with someone for 15 years you understand if you really love him or her.

我是正面看待的﹐但要等小孩出生後再說。也許住在一起15年﹐你真的發現很愛對方時就結婚吧。

Q: Not earlier? What happens before then?

不會更早嗎? 在那之前呢

MS: Love at the very beginning is an illness, a wild and feverous one. Then it transforms into respect, without which two people just can’t live together for long. Or either it does not transform, and to understand this you need time.

愛情開始是一種病﹐瘋狂又不安的疾病﹔漸漸地﹐它轉變成尊重﹐如果無法彼此尊重兩個人不可能長久相處。或者﹐它始終無法轉變...瞭解這一切需要時間來考驗。

Q: Are you fashion-conscious?

你對時尚敏銳嗎

MS: Not really. I don’t wear Versace; I don’t have Dolce&Gabbana or Cavalli jeans. I’m not trying to buy things of the latest fashion – I just don’t need that. I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone. There’s no one to prove anything to, and what for, after all?

MS 不會。我不穿VERSACE﹐也沒有D&G 或 Cavalli 牛仔褲。我不買最新流行的衣服﹐我實在不需要那些。我並不用對任何人證實什麼。我需要對誰證明事情呢﹐況且﹐證明了又有何意義?

Q: But you like to dress up smartly and nicely?

但你喜歡穿得好看有型﹐可不是

MS: Just have a look. Now I’m wearing jeans that I’ve bought for $20 on sale in the States, white socks that definitely don’t fit the image, shoes that are probably older than myself and a torn T-shirt.

MS 就是像個樣子吧。現在我穿的是在美國買的20塊打折牛仔褲﹑不太搭調的白襪﹑還有一雙比我還老的鞋子﹐跟一件破舊的 T SHIRT。

Q: And what about Rolex on your wrist?

那麼手上的ROLEX呢

MS: (laughing) Ah, this… It’s for free. I’m promoting it.

MS (笑) 阿﹐這個阿。這免費的﹐我是代言人。

Q: But you won’t deny your passion for good cars?

你總不會否認對於好車的熱愛吧

MS: No (smiling) I like to be comfortable sitting.

MS 不會 (微笑)。我喜歡舒服地駕駛。

Q: What do you prefer?

你最喜歡什麼

MS: I’ve got two right now – Mercedes and Porsche. The first I got as a present, the second – I bought myself.

MS 我現在有兩台車 - MERCEDES 跟 PORSCHE。前者是人家送的﹐PORSCHE﹐我自己買的。

Q: Well, rather expensive ones…

Q 嗯﹐那挺貴的...

MS: I’ve told you. One is a present. The second I bought with a huge discount - about 50%, it was sold to me by a friend of mine. You should have rich friends with good cars. (laughing) As Ostap Bender said (the hero of one of the Russian books – The 12 chairs”, and “The Golden Calf”) – a car is not a sign of luxury, but a means of transport.

MS 我說了﹐一台是禮物﹐另外一輛我拿到很大的折扣﹐大概五折吧﹐是朋友賣我的。你一定要有一些擁有好車的有錢朋友才行呀 (笑)。 就像Ostap Bender (俄羅斯有名作家 )說的﹐車子不是奢華的象徵﹐它不過是交通工具罷了。

Maria Kuznetsova

Translated by Elisabeth

Argumenti I Facti Newspaper Interview
, April 2007
2007 Argumenti I Facti 俄國報紙專訪

• cited from Annie at TGFR http://guyfromrussia.proboards48.com/index.cgi?board=press2007&action=display&thread=1182431175

Marat Safin: “Who needs me without my tennis
薩芬:如果沒有網球﹐我還能做什麼

Last weekend our tennis players defeated France in the quarterfinals of Davis Cup in Moscow.
Here is our conversation about sport, reality, faith, beautiful women and true men with the most experienced player of our team who gained the final winning point in that match - Marat Safin.

上禮拜我們的網球員於莫斯科DAVIS CUP 八強打敗法國。
這篇專訪記錄在比賽中奪取關鍵最後一分﹐隊伍裡經驗最豐富的薩芬談論運動﹑美女﹑男子漢等。

— Marat why do you think we are facing a situation when only Russian tennis players are leaders on the international arena and achieve international success nowadays?
— I don’t think this is the case. We have excellent athletes in all sports. For example, take a look at how many young forces have been brought up in football in the past 5 years. It’s a totally different story that our teamwork isn’t so good and our teams are very unlucky at times. There is also one more thing you have to consider: everything develops in a spiral kind of way. During the Soviet Union times ice hockey was extremely popular and we were the best in the world… Then some changes occured. Nowadays, our country leaders have taken interest in football so I think we should be expecting some serious results on that front .

-MARAT ﹐你覺得為何現今俄羅斯球員在國際網壇能大放異彩有如此偉大的成就?
-我並不這樣認為﹐其實在各項運動我們都有傑出的選手﹐你看看過去五年內﹐我們在足壇注入多少新血。情況是完全不同的﹐我們的隊伍不強或者我們不夠幸運。還有一件事情值得深思﹐每件事的發展都像連鎖效應般。在蘇聯時期﹐冰上曲棍球非常流行﹐而且我們是世界第一﹐之後有了上微妙的變化。而今﹐我們國家領導將培育重點放在足球上﹐所以我想未來足球成績將一嗚驚人。

I only play well during Davis Cup…»
我只有在DAVIS CUP才打得好?

— After all your injuries you still get back to tennis and show a decent level of the game on the whole. You’re also joking that the only times you play well these days are during Davis Cup
— Last year I wanted to end my career for good because I could not move properly. The situation was very difficult. And then I came to the following realization: if I quit tennis now, in two months noone will want me or have any interest in me… This is the exact thought that made me get back to regular training and get back into tennis elite.
-經過傷病困擾﹐你於復出後依舊有超水平的表現。你自己也開玩笑說﹐好像只有在DAVIS UP 時你會打得好。
-去年我真的一度想永遠離開網壇﹐因為自己始終無法自由移位﹐實在非常艱苦難熬﹐而後我回到現實情況思考:如果我放棄網球﹐兩個月後沒人需要我﹐也不再對我有任何期待...這的確是殘酷的現實考量促使我回復正常訓練﹐試著爬回頂尖行列。

— Marat, do you think you’re a happy person?
— It is rather hard for me to define happiness. One thing I can say is that I am very lucky. My Dad wishes me luck before every game.

— You have a little extract from the Koran as your necklace, then there is the pendant from “the black eye” and some others… Don’t you think it’s too much?
— If you treat everything in such a manner, take everything so logically and seriously, it will definitely be too much. I bought some of these myself, some were given to me by family and friends and I everything I wear – I wear because I like it. There is nothing more to that.
-MARAT ﹐你是個快樂的人嗎
-很難去定義何謂快樂阿。我只能確定一件事﹐我很幸運。在每場比賽前我爸都會祝我幸運。

-你的項練綴飾有可蘭經牌﹐也另外戴著"黑眼珠"﹐還有其他一大堆。。你不覺得太累贅了嗎
-如果你做事都按照世俗的規矩﹐認真地考量﹐那麼當然是戴太多了。我自己買一些﹐有些是家人跟朋友送的﹐我戴的每個東西--我戴只是因我喜歡﹐沒有其他複雜的因素。

— Do you visit the mosque at least on holidays?
— This is a truly personal and sacred topic, which I would not like to discuss.

— You started to act more calm on court – don’t break so man rackets, don’t swear as much and don’t fight with umpires as much. What happened?
— Well I am 27 after all. It is time to calm down and enjoy whatever it is you’re doing, take pleasure in life.

-你假日上清真寺嗎
-這屬於極私人與神聖的話題﹐我不想討論

-在場上你越來越平靜了-沒摔那麼多拍子﹐不再頻頻咀咒﹐也不常跟主審口角。怎麼回事
-畢竟我也27歲了﹐也該是靜下來好好享受自己所從事的工作跟生活的時候了

— Last year you changed your image al the time: had hair all over your shoulders like a musketeer, then had a bun like a sumo wrestler and then shaved it all off completely. What is that? A way to find your identity?
— No, there was no search. It’s just that my Dad is bald, and thought that all my curls would fall out soon so I decided to see how I would look in different styles. And then I decided to see how bald men feel and shaved it all off.

-去年你不斷改變外貌﹐長髮及肩像步兵一般﹐又綁了個馬尾活像個相撲手﹐之後又理個大光頭。那代表什麼﹐你在找尋自我嗎
-沒有阿﹐我沒在找什麼。就單純因為我爸是個禿頭﹐想到我的捲髮哪天都會掉光了﹐所以決定留長看看會是什麼樣子﹐最後再理光來感受禿頭又是什麼滋味。

Sharapova is not the woman of my heart»
SHARAPOVA 不是我心儀的那型女人

— Thousands of girls are in love with you, they go crazy about you, you’re their hero. Could you describe your ideal female?
— I think that there is no ideal like there is no perfection. I am a realistic man. Why would I want to draw up some ideal, to give hope to people, female fans especially?
-千萬個女孩子都愛你﹐為你瘋狂﹐你是她們心中的英雄。可以形容一下你理想中的女人嗎
-我想﹐世上沒有所謂理想﹐正如沒有什麼東西是完美的一樣。我是個務實的人﹐為什麼我要設下一些理想的條件給人們﹐尤其是女球迷們呢?

— Do you fancy Masha Sharapova? Could she become the heroine of your novel?
— I perfectly accept the fact that Masha together with Anya Kournikova. But I perfectly well realize that this is not my cup of tea and Maria could never become a woman of my heart.
-你喜歡SHARAPOVA 嗎﹐她會是你心中的女豪傑麼
-我完全認同 MARIA 跟庫娃受到廣大歡迎。但我也十分清楚那不是我想要的﹐MARIA 絕非我心儀的類型。

— What about your ex, Dasha Zhukova? Is she really so charming that Roman Abramovich could lose his head over her?..
— I won’t call Daria a femme fatale. She has a lot of positive sides as well as negative ones in my opinion but it is not my place to discuss them. We broke up with our own interests and opinions in mind. As for Abramovich, I think she has every ability to turn his head.

-那麼你的前女友DASHA 呢? 她真如此迷人﹐讓 ABRAMOVICH 為她神魂顛倒?
-我不會稱DASHA 是個致命吸引力的女人﹐她有很多優點﹐也有缺點﹐而我認為以自己的身份並不適合討論這些。我們分手是兩方同意的。至於ABRAMOVICH﹐我相信她確有吸引他的魅力。

— Marat why don’t you use your striking appearance? You could easily become the hero of Hollywood, do some advertising, earn heaps of money and feel totally grand.
— If only it was that easy. There were some suggestions but I am not ready to sell myself for peanuts. Don’t get me wrong, if I lived in the US my fortune would have been 3-4 times bigger. But we have different values and it’s more important for us to live in peace and quiet.
-MARAT﹐你什麼不擅加利用自己迷人英俊的外貌呢? 很輕易就可以在好萊塢成就﹐拍些廣告﹐賺很多錢﹐感受無上尊貴
-如果有那麼容易就好。總是有人在建議﹐但我沒打算。不開玩笑的﹐如果我住在美國﹐我的財產起碼是現有的三四倍。但是我們有不同的價值觀﹐而人生很重要的是活得平和安靜。

— What in your opinion is the most important thing for a real man?
— To become a personality, an individual and to never betray your principles.
-作一個真正的男子漢﹐什麼是最重要的原素
-要有個性﹐個人風格﹐而且絕不背離自己的原則。

Dmitry Grantsev

2007 Russian Marie Claire February Issue with the article
2007 年俄國美麗佳人二月份雜誌照片及專文

• Link to super big one of this picture

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Oh Marat!
喔﹐馬拉特

Here is the man whom we should thank for winning Davis Cup for Russia and for beautiful women broken hearts. Marie Claire’s correspondent Inna Lokteva did just that.
這位是大家都十分感激的為俄國拿下戴維斯杯冠軍及令美麗女人心碎的男子﹐我們美麗佳人的記者才剛親身體驗。

At first he gave me a fright. To be more precise, he simply didn’t pick up the phone. A lazy voice recorded on the answering machine suggested I left a message “And maybe I would call you back…”. Sure, like we don’t know better. When I had finally managed to get through he very businesslike asked “How long would it take? I have a very tight schedule”. Whatever, we’ll sort it out once there.
一開始他讓我有點害怕膽怯。講白一點﹐他呢根本不接電話﹐電話那端是慵懶的電話答錄機說著"請留話﹐或許我會回電......"。廢話呀﹐好像我們不懂這規矩似的。最後好不容易跟他搭上線﹐他用一貫談公事的口吻問道 "要訪問多久 ? 我的行程很忙"。我們才不管呢﹐總會想辦法完成專訪的。

We met in a cafeteria next to Tishinskaya Square. He came and stretched his arm out “Marat”. Like I would have never guessed! He is two heads higher than anyone around, as for the rest – pretty democratic: jeans, a dark jacket. They show us to a window table. “Noone will disturb you here”, a waitress smileda nd lit a candle. Romantic.
我們約在 Tishinskaya 廣場隔壁的咖啡廳﹐他來了﹐伸開雙手自己喊著"我是MARAT "﹐好像我會認不出來哩。在擁擠的人群中﹐他比其他人都高出兩個頭﹐太顯眼了﹐不過他的打扮卻很平民喲﹐牛仔褲搭配一件深色夾克。服務生帶我們到窗邊坐下﹐微笑著點燃臘燭並說" 這邊沒人會打擾的"。好浪漫喔。

-What would you like? – Marat asks
-A coffee.
-Well, I’ll have green tea then.
MARAT 問我﹐你想點什麼?
"我要杯咖啡"
"那麼﹐我就喝綠茶吧"

He sits back and stretches. “So what has interested Marie Claire so much in me?”
他往椅背靠﹑伸伸懶腰說" 那麼﹐美麗佳人雜誌對我什麼事情那麼感到興趣呢?"

Marat how is your knee? We couldn’t believe our eyes when we watched the Davis Cup…
MARAT, 你膝蓋還好嗎? 觀看戴維斯杯時﹐我們簡直不敢相信自己的眼睛。。。

Yeah, I had a serious injury. The knee hurt really badly and my future in professional sport was uncertain. I didn’t want to retire but the result were not giving any satisfaction. And people started talking that this was it, his time has finished and this is the most horrible thing when they just write you off like that. But I had a great desire to play and since my whole life evolves around tennis – if everything is well on court, the rest is well too.
嗯﹐那時我有嚴重的膝傷。膝蓋疼痛椎心刺骨﹐職業運動生涯前景無常﹐不知何去何從。我並不想退役﹐然而結果卻深深打擊著我﹐完全無法滿意。人們開始八卦﹐這個人大概混不下去﹐他的一切都結束了﹐這種扼殺一個人的談論實在很可怕。所幸我有強烈繼續打下去的意願﹐畢竟我的人生因為網球而精彩 - 如果場上得意的話﹐其他事情也都挺順心的。


Is it true that injured Safin was treated worse right away?
人們對受傷的薩芬馬上落井下石﹐是真的嗎

Thank God I cannot say that about people close to me - my family and friends. Independent of how I play, they always support me, don’t turn their backs on me, I must say that I have the best friends in the world. As for the rest – yeah, heroes are easily forgotten here.
感謝上帝至少身邊的親友不是這樣的。不管我打得怎樣﹐他們永遠都支持我﹐不會棄我而去﹐我有世上最可貴的朋友。至於其他的﹐是呀﹐在這裡再怎麼風光也一下就被遺忘了。

Who are your friends?
你有哪些朋友呢

I have known some of them since childhood. Who? Businessmen, artists.
一些是兒時就認識的﹐你問誰嗎﹐生意人呀﹐藝術家等等。

Well-known?
有名嗎

In a closed circle (smiles). I have a good relationship with some sportsmen, Dima Sladkovskiy for example, Ilya Kovalchuk the famous hockey player, you probably know them…
在他們的小圈裡吧(笑)。我跟一些運動員也很要好﹐比如 Dima Sladkovskiy﹐有名的曲棍球員Ilya Kovalchuk﹐可能你們也都認識吧

Oligarchs?
寡頭生意家?

I wouldn’t throw such big words as oligarchs. I’d say: serious businessmen. Same people with a great life experience, some of them play tennis.
我不會套這麼重的字眼﹐我會稱他們是認真的生意人﹐有著豐富人生閱歷﹐其中有一些也打網球。

What do you think, does big money spoil people?
你覺得﹐財富使人腐敗嗎

Money gives you freedom and a possibility of choice. But with time you start to realize how comparative everything is in this life: fame, success. I look at this young boys now who just come into tennis and they are just so cool. “Oh look at me I am so cool, I play better than anyone”. It’s plain funny. This could finish any moment and then what? How many examples are there when people just got lost in life after they had retired from sport? I realized that I have to prepare a backup plan. I am soon 27, 10 out of them I have spent in professional sports…that’s a hell of a lot.
金錢能給予你自由和選擇的機會﹐不過隨著年紀增長﹐你會漸漸去瞭解生命裡各種事情的異同處:名聲﹑成就。我看到一些開始打網球的男孩子們﹐他們真是酷呀。" 喔﹐你們看看我很厲害吧﹐我比別人都強" 簡直太可笑了。這一切隨時會消失﹐然後你下一步該怎麼辦呢? 看看真實的例子﹐有多少運動員退役後迷失方向﹐人生變成一團糟呢﹐因此我意識到自己為要將來計畫。過不久我就27歲了﹐其中10年的歲月都在運動事業上...還真久呢。

Do you have any particular ideas about the backup plan?
關於未來計畫方面有何具體方案嗎

Plans are Napoleonic but it’s not that easy, you have to study and learn. Now I listen to smart people, I think by about 2010 everything should fall into place.
我有像拿破崙取天下般的野心﹐問題是實踐上不容易﹐必須要研究與學習。現在我常會聽取智者的意見﹐我想在2010年左右大概就會具體化了吧。

At least tell what area is it gonna be? Business?
至少可以告訴我們是怎樣的事業吧?生意嗎

Of course.
當然

Sportsmen nowadays are the most popular people, sex symbols…
現代社會運動員可是超受歡迎的﹐性感的象徵...

That’s probably Kournikova?
那大概是庫娃吧

And Bure*, and you…
還有 Bure* (註:一位非常有名贏得STANLEY 獎杯的曲棍球員) ﹐當然還有你.....

For God’s sake! I couldn’t care less. Rumours spread fast, get grown over with new ridiculous details and if you treat everything seriously, you could go insane.
拜託!! 我十分不屑。謠言傳起來是特別快的﹐要自我成長不要受這些荒謬的瑣碎事情干擾﹐假如你凡事當真﹐遲早會發瘋的。

You can earn quite a lot with a sex-symbol image…
你可以運用性感的形象獲利很多的。。。。。

I have enough as it is. Everything that I own – the car that I drive, the apartment I live in and even the fact that we are here talking – all of this is thanks to me being a tennis player.
我想我需要的都足夠了。我擁有的每樣東西-我開的車﹑住的公寓﹑甚至連我們在這兒聊天﹐全都要歸功於我是位職業網球手。

In reality Safin has three cars. One of them, Porsche, is currently in Monte Carlo. Two others – Mercedes CL and a Range Rover jeep are in Moscow. Marat changes them depending on the mood and the weather.
薩芬有三部車。在蒙特卡羅有一台PORSCHE﹔莫斯科有兩台- MERCEDES CL 及 RANGE ROVER 吉普車。MARAT 隨著心情和天候決定開哪一台車。


Young women travel around the tournaments after you ready for everything – to just get a bit of your attention…
年輕女孩們到處旅行追逐你的比賽﹐希望能引起你的注意......

It’s flattering of course. But I don’t treat them as young women, just as tennis appreciators. And then again, they are way too young, 17-18.
被你這麼說我感到榮幸。不過﹐我沒當她們是年輕女子﹐而是網球愛好者。而且﹐她們都只有十七八歲﹐太小了

What about the girls from Rublevka**?
那麼Rublevka** (註: 莫斯科高級住宅區) 的女孩呢

What has Rublevka got to do with anything? I don’t live there and I don’t ask the girls where they live. To be honest I never had anyone from there, the first thing which is important for me is for the girl to be someone as an individual.
這跟Rublevka有何關係?我既不住那邊﹐也不問女孩家在何處。說真的﹐我不認識那邊的女孩﹐對我來說最重要的是女孩有個人特質

You mean career success?
你指的是事業上有成就嗎

Not necessarily. Just for her to have her own identity, and not be afraid to express her opinion and stand by it. In general, to be open, natural. Because as you know some people just get into this role and can never snap out of it. It’s really obvious and pushes me away.
並不盡然。她要有自我﹐勇於表達自己的意見並堅持著﹐而個性上要大方﹑自然﹐有些人很拘謹﹐表現太明顯﹐我就不自覺想離開了

And she needs to be an honest blonde also?
她也必須是個誠懇的金髮女郎嗎

If you date blondes for a long time, you would want a brunette. You have to have variety in life! (laughs). Besides, it really doesn’t matter, it needs to be interesting and not boring.
如果你跟金髮女孩在一起久了會膩﹐會想換個棕髮﹐人生總要多彩多姿阿(笑聲)。唉呀﹐這些都不重要﹐只要她是個有趣不無聊的人就行了。

I noticed you had worn a ring on a chain around your neck…
我發現你脖子項練上套個戒指

I still have it, wanna see? (drags a chain from underneath his shirt and leans towards me – so close that I can feel the smell of the soap he used to shower after training, - the ring has runes engraved on it).
我還戴著呢﹐你要看嗎 ? (他從襯衫裡把項練拉出往我這邊靠過來 - 好近阿﹐近到我可以聞到他訓練後梳洗完留在身上的香皂味﹐ -喔﹐那戒指上有刻著一些神祕的記號)。

What is this?
這是什麼呢

It’s a ring, a silver one. “Lord of the Rings”, bought it in Spain. I love Tolkien and I respect hobbits, our little brothers.
這是銀製的戒指。 "魔戒 (指環王)"﹐我在西班牙買的。我很喜歡Tolkien﹐我也很尊敬我們的小兄弟哈比人。

So no private life?
所以現在感情一片空白?

None (sighs dramatically). I am not with anyone right now, don’t have a girlfriend. I am not seeking a serious relationship because I am not ready yet.
是阿(大嘆了一口氣)。我身邊沒伴﹐沒有女朋友。現在沒打算定下來﹐因為心理沒準備好。

Had some bad experiences?
是因為過去傷感的經驗嗎

Everyone gets sick with a disease called love…
每個人都會得一種叫 "戀愛" 的疾病。。。

Not everyone…
並不是每個人。。。

Why? It never happened to you? I think everyone experiences it some time. And those who say they never have – are just cunning. I was madly in love once, almost got married even. It was back in Spain. We had lived together for four years. We started dating when I was an eighteen year old nobody, I didn’t have anything, not even a car. She used to give me lifts, pick me up from training, used to support me in any way she could, provided great moral support. I was renting a room back then… Then money started coming in, we bought a flat, a house. We had been through a lot together, it was a great part of my life.
為什麼? 你沒經歷過嗎 ? 我想大家或多或少都曾有過吧。那些自稱從來沒有的-是有點狡猾喔。我曾經談一場轟轟烈烈的戀愛﹐都幾乎要結婚了﹐那時還在西班牙﹐我們同居了四年。她從我18歲還是個無名小卒時就跟我在一起﹐我一貧如洗﹐連車也沒有。她總是去訓練場接送我﹑支持我﹐給我最大的安慰。我租了一間小房間...之後開始有收入了﹐我們買了公寓﹐一棟房子﹐一起經歷風風雨雨﹐是我人生是很特別的一個階段。

Was she older than you?
她比較年長嗎

Yes, by two years.
嗯﹐大我兩歲。

Why did you break up?
你們為何分手

Different mentalities, different people… She is Spanish. In addition to that I didn’t want to live in Spain anymore, wanted to go home, to Moscow.
不同的心智﹐不同的人.....她是西班牙人﹐還有﹐我那時不打算再待在西班牙﹐想回莫斯科老家

Do you like it here?
喜歡莫斯科嗎

I love Moscow, I think it’s the best city in the world. And I have traveled around… People can have fun here in a great beautiful, chic manner…it impresses me.
我愛莫斯科﹐真是世上最棒的城市了﹐我可是世界都走遍了....人們在這裡能盡情地享樂﹐不可思議。


And how do you spend your spare time?
你怎麼打發閒暇時間呢

Differently. You can just hang out with a close circle of friends. If you want a party – please, there are tons of wonderful luxurious clubs in Moscow. We go to First, Dyagilev.
不一定。有時候跟好友在一起﹐如果想要PARTY﹐天阿﹐莫斯科有太多好玩高檔的俱樂部可消磨了。我們常去FIRST﹐ DYAGILEV。

Do you get recognized there?
你會被認出來吧

Well ,they still let me in…
是沒錯﹐不過他們還是讓我進去了.....

So you basically just hang out in clubs, breaking the sports regime…
所以基本上你就是泡夜店﹐打破運動員的規矩囉

Well imagine, I come to Moscow for a month or two a year! I rest here. Surely I want to go meet my friends, go somewhere, hang out and party. Why not? I have every right to.
你想想看﹐我一年只回莫斯科一兩個月。我回來休息﹐當然也想跟好友聚會﹐到處走走﹐出去玩或PARTY。有何不可? 我絕對有權利如此的。

Tell me, did you have the urge to punch Abramovich in the face?
告訴我﹐是否有衝動想對著ABRAMOVICH 的臉揍一拳

Why should I?!?
我為何要這樣?!

Dasha Zhukova…
那個﹐達莎.......

Nothing of the sort. We were over way before that. And while we had been together for three years none of us dated other people parallel to that. We used to fight, break up, get back together again, it was all quite hectic. And then…it just all vanished, just by itself. It turned out all of a sudden that we have absolutely different interests, cirles of friends. And I think we did the right thing to break up. She is young, I am young, why should we mess up each other’s lives?
沒這回事。在那之前我們就分手了﹐我們在一起三年時間彼此都沒有腳踏兩條船。我們曾經吵架﹑分手﹑又復合﹐很混亂﹐而之後﹐很自然地﹐突然一切就沒了。剎那之間﹐我們發現兩人沒有共同興趣﹐朋友也沒交集。而我們分手是對的﹐她還年輕﹐我也是﹐為什麼要彼此糟塌生命?

So whose initiative was it to break up?
那麼是誰先提議要分手?

Mine.
我

And what do you think about her life right now?
你覺得她現在過得如何?

Nothing. I don’t care. Everything is in the past. It’s her private life. However, I will always wish her the very best (his gaze is absolutely calm and sincere).
不知道﹐我不在乎。一切都過去了﹐那是她的私人生活。不過﹐我永遠祝她幸福 (他的眼神是那麼平和與誠懇)。

Tell me Marat, are you always this calm? Are you capable of doing something really crazy? Literally fight for the woman you love for example?
MARAT ﹐你總是這麼冷靜嗎? 你會不會做些瘋狂的事﹐ 好比為了一個女人而打架?

God what is with you all – fight. To fight for a woman is something really idiotic in my opinion (wrinkles his face). We are civilized people. Yes, I did get jealous at times. Everyone who suffers from love disease treats a person next to him as his own property, which is a mistake. A person cannot belong to you, he/she has his/her own thoughts, secrets. A person will never open up completely and he is just with you. For some time. Can leave tomorrow, or can leave in a year. It’s his right. Fight, beat each other up…what for? She has to choose herself.
天阿﹐你們腦子都在想什麼 -- 打架。我覺得為了一個女人暴力相向非常愚蠢 (臉上起了皺紋)﹐我們可是文明人阿。沒錯﹐有時我會嫉妒﹐每個為愛所苦的人都不禁把身邊的人當成自己的財產﹐那真是天大的錯誤。沒有人屬於你﹐他/她 有 他/她 個人的想法和祕密。一個人不可能完完全全對你赤裸所有的﹐他只是跟你在一起罷了。有時候﹐明天可以離開﹐或甚至離開一整年﹐那都是他的權利。打架﹐兩個男人打得你死我活﹐為了什麼? 女人自有她的選擇。

How do you court ladies?
你怎麼取悅女人呢

Women are tough to impress nowadays…Presents… I left the Spanish an apartment, a car and money. On the whole I am not a materialistic person and couldn’t care less about all these toys. Who needs all this? (waves hands with a Rolex shining on one of them). I think the most important thing is attention and a good relationship.
現在要滿足女人很難呀 。。。送禮物。。我給那個西班牙女孩一套公寓﹑一輛車和一些錢。基本上我不是個物質主義者﹐這些身外之物可有可無。誰需要這種東西 ? (邊講邊揮戴著閃亮ROLEX名錶的手﹐註 : ROLEX 是MARAT的贊助商﹐他得常戴﹔當然他喜歡收集錶﹐記得他說他喜歡SWATCH 那種便宜錶... ) 。人與人之間最重要的﹐莫過於關懷和良好的互動了。

Well do you at least give flowers?
至少你送花吧

That yes. And without any occasion. Just when I want to do something nice for someone. I give tulips – I think it’s a sign of style. And roses – traditional but very beautiful. I even sent roses to Paris.
會阿﹐並不限於特定場合﹐有時興緻一來想對人家好就送了。我送鬱金香﹐非常高雅﹔也會送玫瑰花﹐傳統又不失美麗。我甚至送花到巴黎去。

To whom?
給誰

Doesn’t matter. A Russian girl, worked as a model in Paris… This is my not-so-pleasant past. I made a lot of mistakes, too bad I realized that too late. I wanted to change things one way or another but it didn’t work out. But I sent roses.
那不重要啦。一個俄羅斯女孩﹐在巴黎當模待兒。這是我一段不太愉快的回憶﹐我犯了很多錯﹐當自己發現時一切為時已晚。我試著挽回﹐但沒能成功﹐不過我的確送了玫瑰花給她。

What did you do that was so awful?
你幹了什麼好事呀

Maybe nothing special, just acted wrong. Showed no interest, no care, kept “forgetting” to call. She worried. Small things in general that spoilt everything with time. Now I understand that you can’t do that.
也不是特別糟的事﹐只是行為失當。總是表現地不在乎﹐不太熱衷﹐老"忘記"打電話﹐她便憂慮起來了。小事累積久了就壞了兩人的關係。現在我明白﹐不可以這樣對待人家。

Why did you act like that back then?
為什麼那時會如此

Wasn’t over “the Spanish affair” yet. Didn’t want to get attached again even though I really liked her. To cut a long story short, couldn’t make up my mind and spoilt everything in the end.
那時對於跟西班牙女孩分手的傷感還沒恢復﹐雖然很喜歡她﹐卻不想很快又陷入另一段感情。簡而言之﹐我始終猶豫不決﹐所以最後搞砸了。

What do you look for in a relationship with a woman? Warmth? Fantastic sex?
你追求跟女人什麼樣的關係? 溫情? 激烈的性愛?

I don’t look for anything at all because when you look, you usually never find. It will come when you least expect it. For now I like my life the way it is. I do not report to anyone, I do not have to call several times a day to ask what she had done and where she had been. And I don’t want to be asked these questions.
我沒有刻意追尋什麼﹐因為你越想找就更找不到﹔它總在不經意時到來。現在我很滿意現狀﹐我不需跟誰報告﹐也不用每天打很多電話問她做了什麼去了哪裡﹐而我也不想被問東問西的。

Freedom is my choice…
自由是我的選擇......

Yes, I treasure freedom. And if I meet a person who will understand that and give me that freedom, maybe something could work out of it. We have to be similar in the way we look at the world, I am not saying “identical” – it’s impossible, just similar at least… But I haven’t met a person like that yet.
是的﹐我珍惜自由。如果我找到一個人瞭解我﹑願意給我那份自由﹐也許我們就能愉快在一起了。我們處世的看法要類似﹐我不是說得要"一模一樣"--當然那也可能﹐不過至少要相似。但是﹐我還沒遇到這樣的人哪。

From what I gathered, you are against marriage as such?
我整個聽起來你好像頗排斥婚姻

Why? If anyone likes it, they can go ahead and get married. I just don’t understand it: people are together, they love each other, why do you need a document to prove that?
為什麼? 誰想結婚﹐他盡可以去結婚組織家庭。我只是很不懂: 兩人在一起﹐彼此相愛﹐為何非要一張紙來證明呢?

A woman feels more secure like that.
女人會覺得較有安全感阿

So this means I have to support her all my life? I think this is obscene… I am ready to get married in just one situation: when our kids grow up.
意思是我得養她一輩子嗎? 我覺得這很離譜.....只有一種情況之下我會結婚:當我們的小孩都長大

??!
阿???!!

Well, kids would grow up and we would still be together. And we would have feelings for each other. That’s when we’d have the wedding. And celebrate together with the kids. What? I think its beautiful.
是阿﹐小孩都長大而我們還在一起﹐對彼此仍有感覺﹐那就是結婚的時候﹐跟小孩們一起慶祝﹐我覺得這樣很美好。

He was very courteous. And even offered me a ride. And even held the car door open (Mercedes Benz CL). However, I didn’t really delude myself. He’s got training, tight schedule…
他彬彬有禮﹐非常紳士﹐甚至還送我回家﹐甚至...還幫我開車門(MERCEDES BENZ CL)。不過我沒昏頭啦。他得趕著去訓練﹐行程滿檔.....

* - Pavel Bure. A famous hockey player who spent a few years in NHL and won the Stanley Cup.

** - Rublevka is a slang for Rublevskoe Avenue. A very posh area on the outskirts of Moscow.