A Fitting Finale - 網球

出處http://0rz.net/021JN by Mark Preston Thursday August 10 2006

WHERE ELSE WOULD IT END? Where else could it end? What more perfect
conclusion could there be to the Magical Mystery Tour that has been the
career of Andre Agassi than one final bow on the great stage of the US Open?
A career—a life, really—come full circle. Bigger-than-life, bold, brash,
explosive in style and personality, Andre Agassi swaggered into the US Open
as a 16-year-old phenom with big hair, a bigger forehand and an enormous
presence. The Open—and tennis, for that matter—would never be the same.

有什麼其他地方適合不老傳奇的結束? 不老傳奇還能在哪裡結束?
還有什麼可比如夢似幻的美國網球公開賽更完美的舞台 上演阿格西職業生涯落幕終曲
職業生涯---生命 臻至圓滿
比他的人生 他瀟灑不羈 狂風驟雨般爆炸性的個人風格特質 更為重要的
是阿格西昂首闊步的走入美國網球公開賽這舞台 如同他16歲時 出類拔萃的少年
留著狂野長髮 具備天下無敵的正拍 落腳之地 無不披靡
在這項大滿貫賽事中---以及網球史上 再也沒人可與之比肩

As hard as it may be to believe for those of us who still have a vague idea
of the whereabouts of our denim shorts, Agassi’s US Open debut was 20
summers ago. When he steps onto the hard floor of Arthur Ashe Stadium this
year, Agassi will be playing his 21st consecutive US Open. That, in itself,
is a staggering feat.

就如同要我們記起我們著身的單寧短垮褲是什麼時候買的一般
要記得阿格西20個夏天前初登上美網這舞台的風采 就如同霧中看花 模糊一片
當他今夏 再次步上Ashe球場的臺階時 阿格西將連續第21次在美網出賽
連續21次出賽! 真是難以令人致信 登峰造極的成就

But to gauge Agassi’s impact on the US Open—or the Open’s impact on Agassi
—merely in measure of longevity would be to miss many big points. No, this
is not the place where he won his first Grand Slam title; that would be
Wimbledon in 1992. Neither is this the spot where he’s won his most Grand
Slam titles. Twice a winner here, he has won twice as many times at the
Aussie Open. But the connection between Agassi and the US Open isn’t about
"first," or about "most." It’s about those things that last.

但要去衡量評斷阿格西對美國網球公開賽帶來的衝擊--或是美網帶給他的--
在這悠長的歲月裡 憶及的 可能只是是他擊出許多不可置信的致勝分
不是的 美網並非他贏得第一個大滿貫之處 而是1992 溫布頓
也並非他贏得最多大滿貫之福地 在這 他只奪下兩座金盃 他在澳網拿得的 比這還多兩座
但其實 U.S Open與阿格西之間千絲萬縷的愛恨糾纏 並非在於 這是他的處女戰
或是 這是他參與最多最多屆的大滿貫賽事 而是在於 他的傳奇 在這 仍持續寫著

Over the course of these two unforgettable decades, both Agassi and the Open
have defined—and redefined—themselves any number of times. Each has often
been an integral part of the other’s growth. Each has impacted and left an
indelible mark on the other. Maybe it’s because all of the aforementioned
adjectives that define Agassi also define the Open. Whatever the reason, this
much is for sure: This is Agassi’s place, his event, his crowd. Others may
have won more, but few have meant more.

在這永誌難忘的美網20年生涯結束後 老阿與美網同樣在每次的交集中
清楚的找到彼此的定位 同樣是彼此成長過程中不可或缺的一塊 同樣的不分你我
在彼此身上 緊緊留下不可磨滅的印記 也許就是以上所提及的形容詞
詮釋了阿格西 也詮釋了美網 不管是什麼理由 早已足夠:
"這是阿格西的地盤 阿格西生命中的榮耀時光 阿格西擁有的萬千粉絲
其他人也許這這裏贏得的獎盃比他多 但 沒幾人能比阿格西 帶給美網如此豐富的內涵

Agassi understood, from the start, what a New York stage is all about. On so
many occasions and on so many levels, he has delivered the spectacular, the
singular sort of magic that only can be found in Flushing, and even then,
only can be produced by the most remarkable of prestidigitators.

阿格西了解 打從一開始就了解在紐約的這舞臺有多麼的識貨----
在這麼多的機會 以及如此高的水平上 他帶來了本來只能在Flushing (註:台灣城)獨有
也是只有非凡的變戲法的魔術師所能辦到 令人神為之奪 精采絕倫的表演

It didn’t take long for that magic to begin. New Yorkers love the swagger,
love those who can put it on the line and then back it up. And two
first-round losses in his first two years here did nothing to shake Agassi’s
confidence or belief that he belonged. After his 1988 straight-set
quarterfinal win over Jimmy Connors—their first-ever meeting in a Grand Slam
event—18-year-old Agassi allowed that the match had gone pretty much as he’
d expected, only that he figured the nine games he’d allowed Connors might
have been differently distributed. "I predicted to a buddy that it would be
3, 3 and 3," said Agassi.

阿格西的神奇之旅沒多久就開始了 紐約客喜愛氣焰高張的他
喜愛這些天生的表演者 並支持他們 阿格西職業生涯的前兩年參加美網
都在第一輪打包回家並沒動搖他所擁有的自信與信念 在他1988年的8強賽中
直落三盤擊敗Jimmy Connors---這是他們在大滿貫賽事中第一次交鋒 ---18歲的阿格西
認為這場比賽如他所料一般結束的很快 如他所示-----3-3-3
代表9場比賽 都是直落三獲勝 Connors也不例外
"我跟我好兄弟打賭 我的比賽將會是3-3-3結束獲勝" 阿格西這樣說著

The media ate it up, Connors got fired up. "He shouldn't say things like that
because I'll be playing him again," said Connors. "He just made a bad
mistake, which I’ll remember." Agassi lost in the next round, but he’d
officially arrived

媒體就這麼報導出來 Connors簡直氣炸了
"他不該說這些話的 因為我很快將會跟他再次碰頭"Connors說"我記住這些話了"
阿格西下一輪即說掰掰 但他也就此出名

And he stayed. He did again play Connors the following year and this time it
took him five sets to win en route to another semifinal run. A year after
that, in 1990, he reached the final here for the first time and began, in
earnest, what would become one of the greatest rivalries in the history of
this sport. Pete Sampras won that match, the first of his record 14 Grand
Slam singles titles, but even on that day, there was something about that
pairing that suggested it would play perfectly on the New York stage. Like
Bialystock and Bloom, Agassi and Sampras seemed mated to be feted, destined
to take their ultimate star turn on Broadway.

他也在隔年的美網中奮戰晉級 他也確實的在8強賽中和Connors再次對決
而這次阿格西費了五盤的功夫才收拾了Connors 這次他也打到四強
在這之後一年 1990時 阿格西終於晉身到冠軍賽 這是第一次 也是開端
預兆了未來 在網球史上最偉大的巔峰決戰 山大王贏得比賽 是他14個大滿貫的濫觴
但在決賽當天 起了兩人的決戰 在紐約的美網會是最好的舞台的聲音
如同Bialystock and Bloom兩人以精湛的默契演出一片片叫好又叫座的電影
阿格西與山大王的決戰的戲碼 就像場華麗晚會的盛宴 命中註定的
使兩人成為如百老匯的巨星般風靡萬人的網球天王

The two met here four times, and all of those—including the three finals in
which they went head-to-head—were won by Sampras. But the quality of those
matches resonates still, hovers in the US Open air on thick summer nights.
There was the 1995 final that Agassi lost after winning everything the entire
summer. There was the classic quarterfinal in 2001; the definitive
final-Sunday sort of showdown held, this time, on a Wednesday. And there was
the final final for the two in 2002, ending a rivalry that had lifted both men
—and this event—to sensational heights.

老阿與阿山哥在美網總共碰頭了四次 在這四次之中 有三次是在決賽碰頭
阿山哥贏了前兩次 然而這高質量的競爭氛圍 與球迷產生了共鳴
繚繞在美網場地的夏日沉鬱大氣久久不散 那是1995的夏日賽季
阿格西摧枯拉朽的豪奪26連勝 笑擁4座冠軍 之後 在美網決賽 一切戛然而止
2001年的準決賽 又是另一場巔峰大戰 決定性的戰場
應該是超級星期天 但這次 是禮拜三的準決賽 經典的4盤搶7 "The Match"
而最後一次的兩人的決賽碰頭 發生在2002 完美得無可挑剔的結局
結束了兩人亦敵亦友的競爭----這結局----帶給我們無窮的感傷的畫面

"Andre is the best I've ever played," said Sampras afterward. "Playing against
him, those moments are great moments, because you know you’re competing
against the best."

"老阿是我有生以來最強的對手"賽後阿山哥這樣說"與他對抗的這些時光
都會永垂不朽 因為你知道 這是爐火純青 對抗著 登峰造極"

Agassi’s two titles here—in 1994 and 1999—were very different and yet very
similar, each defining the essence of a champion in their own particular way.
He played here in ’94 as an unseeded player, after wrist surgery in ’93 had
sliced into his ranking. But the fact that there was no number next to his
name mattered little, as Agassi spit out five seeds en route to his first
Open title, the first unseeded man to win the U.S. title in 28 years.

阿格西拿下的兩座美網---在1994與1999---是那麼的不同又那麼相似
兩者都呈現了奪冠過程中 不同方式得到的冠軍本質
94年阿格西以非種子身分 因為93年腕關節開刀 世界排名直落谷底
但折桂的結局 顯示阿格西是第幾種子根本不重要 他一路連砍五位種子球員
拿下他第一個美網冠軍 成為28年內 第一個以非種子身分奪冠的球員

Andre’s run in ’94 was a great story," says Jim Courier, an Agassi
contemporary and himself a four-time Grand Slam champion. "But not because he
won as an unseeded player. I think Andre not being seeded was much more of an
upset than him winning the tournament. We all knew he obviously had the
ability to win

"阿格西在94年黑馬折桂真是無比的傳奇"同梯且有4座滿貫頭銜的Jim Courier說道
"並非是因為他以非種子身分一路過關斬將拿得金盃 我想老阿沒排進種子帶給他的失落感
是要遠大於他摘下這座大滿貫的喜悅 我們都知道 他絕對有這能力去贏得金盃"

"What was most impressive about that win is the fact that he battled back,
because he could just as easily have walked off into another career at that
time. But he chose the hard road. He put in the time, and he didn’t fake it.
He didn’t cut any corners and he started to maximize his ability and winning
the Open was his reward for that."

"最令人欽佩萬分的 是他一路奮戰 重返巔峰而贏得冠軍
這是因為那時他可能輕易的就此放棄而轉跑道 但他選擇艱難的另一條路
他花更多時間 而且不自欺欺人 他不偷懶抄捷徑 他努力將自己的能力發展至極限
爾後贏得大滿貫 這是他應得的"

Conversely, Agassi’s 1999 US Open win was an exclamation point on a career
year in which he won five titles, including two Slams, became only the fifth
man in the history of the sport to win all four Slams in his career, and
finished the year ranked No.1. After Agassi came back from a 2-sets-to-one
deficit to defeat Todd Martin, he shared his feelings about his relationship
with the US Open.

相反的 阿格西1999年的那座美網金盃 是他職業生涯 贏得五座大滿貫金盃的驚嘆號
包括兩個美網 他成為第五個網球史上贏得生涯大滿貫的網球選手
也成為年終第一 阿格西在1-2盤數落後情況之下扳回局勢擊敗Todd Martin
他分享了他與美網萬縷千絲的關連和深刻的感情

"I feel like New York, all the people here, have really made me feel like I'm
at home," Agassi said. "They've watched me grow up, and it's hard not to care
on some level when you watch somebody develop from a teenager who says and
does a lot of the wrong things to a person who gets out there and appreciates
the opportunities.

" 我現在的感覺就如同紐約一樣 所有球迷在此 讓我感到賓至如歸 "阿格西說
"你們看著我成長 某些程度上 這很難不讓我想起你們看著一個叛逆小子
在成長途中說了也犯了許多過錯 到一個即將就此下臺 衷心感謝大家給的諸多機會的人"

"This is the most special place in the world for me to play. I'm convinced of
it."

"我敢篤定的說 這裡是世界上所能讓我表演 最最特別的舞台"

"I think Andre has come to appreciate every single thing in his life," says
Mary Carillo. "He’s very introspective and reflective. Andre loves the
process, and that’s why he could just as easily be a guy flipping his own
scorecards at Challengers as playing at the US Open. Yeah, there were years
when he squandered some chances, but now I think he gets it more than anyone
gets it. Nothing is lost on him anymore, and I think that inside his head, he
’s processed all of his US Open experiences and the reaction he gets from
the New York crowd every time he walks out there means the world to him."

"我想老阿將感謝他生命中的點點滴滴"Mary Carillo這樣說著
"他個性非常自省 反求諸己 明心見性 老阿喜愛這些靜心反思的心境歷程
這也是為何他對於挑戰美網時 在計分板上居然天殺的沒有種子排名 而他不以為意的原因
是的 他的確揮霍了一些歲月 但現在 它比任何人還珍惜能進行比賽的機會
他沒什麼好失去的了 我想 他腦中正神遊物外的回憶著 以往參與美網的歷程
和他與紐約群眾之間的互動 每次 他走入場上 這一切 對他而言 即是他的一切"

Agassi admitted as much in addressing the press after his instant-classic
quarterfinal win over James Blake at last year’s Open, saying, "People have
asked me, "What does the Open mean to you? Well, that’s what it means—what
you just saw out there. It's 1:15 in the morning, 20,000 people out there….
There's no place like it. That only happens here in New York."

阿格西表露他對美網深刻的感情無遺 在上屆最為精采且經典之賽事
準決賽擊敗了James Blake後 所說的那一些話:
"人們問我"對你而言 美網的意義何在?"
這就是美網對我的意義---你看看那邊 現在是深夜1:15了 20000個觀眾仍在那裡....
沒別的地方和這兒一樣 這只會發生在這裡---紐約"

New York. Where else would it end?

紐約 除此之外 還有何處可堪傳奇謝幕?



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