13-05-2004
He is the face that launched a thousand silly beards but Robert Pires makes your hair stand on end with his skill and stealth, a footballer of almost nonchalant brilliance. Pires, now 30 years old and alive with all the continental charm you would expect of someone born in France of Spanish parentage, looks as if he does not even have to work at his game.
皮雷，以精湛的技术以及飘忽的跑位著称。出生在法国的西班牙后裔，30岁的皮雷仍然魅力十足。
It is as though the sudden burst of pace, the swivel of the hips and the slide-rule pass or shot comes perfectly naturally. But there has been strain and pain in Pires’ sporting life and you would be foolish to believe he has not sweated for all the glory he has achieved.
突然启动，臀部一扭 [Shirley：作者观察仔细的说。。。]，再是一脚射门，这一切都是如此的自然协调。当然，能有今天的成就，皮雷也付出了很多辛酸。
The Arsenal ace, with the black whisker-line that stretches from bottom lip to chin beneath a floppy pile of unkempt dark hair, has had to force himself through agony and anguish to keep his considerable career on track.
（这段应该是在形容他的胡子。。。）
In March 2002, during an FA Cup replay against Newcastle at Highbury, Pires stretched to avoid a scything tackle, landed awkwardly and buckled a cruciate knee ligament. He had, minutes earlier, scored his 13th goal of a season in which he was to be named Footballer of the Year as the inspiration behind Arsenal’s second Premiership and FA Cup double triumph in four years. But he had to collect that accolade a few months later on crutches and, at the time, it was merely a consolation for him missing the run-in to the domestic season and the World Cup finals.
2002年3月的足总杯，在海布里主场与纽卡斯尔的比赛中，皮雷为躲避对方的铲断，伤到了膝盖韧带。而在几分中前，他刚打进了赛季第13球。
Pires had already won the World Cup with his country in 1998 and shared in the European Championship triumph two years later. By 2002 he was a better, sharper, more worldly-wise player, perhaps because of the English experience. But the World Cup would have to wait to see him at his best – perhaps forever.
皮雷已经随法国国家队获得了98世界杯以及2000欧洲杯。经过了在英超的磨练，2002世界杯时，皮雷更优秀更成熟了。可是却错过了世界杯。。。
Pires confounded critics, though, by making a magnificent recovery from his injury and now he looks to be the finished article. He made his comeback for Arsenal in October 2002, feeling his way back with a series of substitute appearances and run-outs in the League Cup. But he also ended the campaign with 14 goals from 21 Premiership starts and grabbed the winner in the FA Cup final to surpass even his performance for the previous campaign.
Now there are are few who doubt he will be anything other than a lethal weapon for France when the action hots up in Portugal this summer. He has now re-established himself in the French national side, playing a vital role in his country collecting the Confederations Cup last year, notching three goals in the tournament and captaining the side in one of the group games. But that trophy was a small bauble compared to the ones France have already won and plan to win again.
毫无疑问，这个夏天的葡萄牙欧洲杯上，皮雷将成为法国队的关键人物。去年联合会杯上，皮雷打进三球，且有一场出任法国国家队队长，皮雷以优异的表现获得了最佳球员称号。但相对于法国队已经取得的荣誉，以及将要争取的奖项，这似乎微不足道。
Pires will be integral to that ambition. He can be a silent assassin. Often he will be appear to be a peripheral figure in a game, only to suddenly spring to life with a match-winning run, pass or shot. It happens too often to be accidental and it means no defence can afford to turn off for a moment, whether Pires is playing on the wing or in the centre of midfield.
皮雷就像是一个影子杀手。他总是会突然出现在左路，传出致命一球，或是完成最后一击。这样的情况曾多次发生，无论皮雷是在左路还是在中路，对他的防守都不可有一丝的松懈。
When he first came to England there were doubts about his physical strength and heart for battle. And there are some who will say he still cannot tackle a rice pudding. The former Reims and and Metz winger, who cost Arsenal £7million from Marseille, had to make his Premiership debut in a stormy game at Sunderland where Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira was sent off, players fought in the tunnel at the end and even Arsene Wenger, the normally mild-mannered Gunners manager, was summoned on an FA charge.
初到英超时，曾有质疑皮雷的体力以及求胜心理。阿森纳以7，000，000英镑从马塞把皮雷带到了海布里。皮雷的英超首战是对桑德兰队，当时维埃拉被罚下场，赛后球员在通道内发生殴斗，连一向好脾气的温格都遭到了足总的处罚。
Pires recalls: "I wondered just what I had got into. Everybody seemed to be fighting during the game and I barely had a kick at the ball. But I had to either to learn how to deal with that or perish in the English league. I could either start fighting or step out of it. But I had the chance to come to Real Madrid before Arsenal and so I told myself I had better try to do it."
皮雷回忆到：“英超联赛里，每名球员都积极拼抢，我几乎碰不到球。我只有两中选择：学习尽快适应英超，或者完蛋。我可以选择拼搏，或者放弃。在来阿森纳之前，我本有机会去皇马[ Shirley:不知道皇马现在有没有后悔。。。] 我告诉自己，要试着习惯英超的打法。”
"Now I just give it all I can. You take some punishment but you have to give some as well. Nearly every challenge is a big hurt but that is the way it is. All you can do is make sure you get free-kicks when you deserve them. Whatever happens I love it here now. I signed again for Arsenal a year ago even though I wanted longer on my new contract and I didn’t get it. It is okay. I’m happy with it."
尽管皮雷未能如愿和阿森纳签定更长的合同，但他仍非常满意。
Source: The Scotsman
