(Shirley：实在不熟悉这位Xavier Rivoire，后来查了一下，是法国体育日报 "L'Equipe" 驻英国的记者。这篇文章应该是他某日在某bar遇到皮雷，对他的采访吧。）
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08-08-2004
And in the red corner...
In an exclusive interview with Robert Pires, Xavier Rivoire discovers he is resigned to the departure of Patrick Vieira.
在这次的独家采访中，Xavier Rivoire发现，皮雷也许只有接受维埃拉可能会转会的事实。
"Arsenal will have a new captain … I mean, Arsenal, would have a new captain, if Patrick decided to go." Robert Pires doesn’t pause for a moment to cover for his error. He seems resigned to life at Highbury without his friend.
"那阿森纳新队长。。。我的意思是，如果维埃拉决定离开，那么阿森纳会有新的队长了。”皮雷意识到自己的口误，立刻纠正。他也许不得不接受好朋友即将要离开海布里。
When I met Pires in North London, it was Tuesday lunchtime, August 3. At the time, no-one knew whether Patrick Vieira would stay or go to the Santiago Bernabeu. No-one knew, except a handful of his team-mates. Among them Pires. And everybody else was left wondering. Now we knew.
我（记者）8月3日周二午餐时间在北伦敦遇到皮雷。那时候还没人知晓维埃拉是否会转会，除了部分队友，其中包括皮雷（哎，队长真的要走了吗？？！！）。
In the little Mediterranean coffee bar where the winger asked me to join him, an air of a new beginning provokes him to leave his sandwich aside: "A new chapter is starting. The page was turned on Patrick’s Highbury career just as we are preparing to face Manchester United in the Community Shield but, after eight years at the club, all you can do is wish him all the best for the future."
（两人交谈的地点是‘地中海咖啡吧’）皮雷邀请记者一起坐坐，也许是因为维埃拉如果离开，阿森纳将会迎来新的开始，皮雷似乎没有心情吃三明治（？？）：“新的开始了。现在我们正在备战与曼联的慈善盾杯，在维埃拉为球队效力了8年后，现在我们只能祝福他将来能有更好的发展。”
"Arsenal without Patrick will be very different. The team will also have to adapt to a life without that particular form of inspiration because of him leaving for Real Madrid. His sale will leave a huge void in the middle of our side, but we can adapt to a life without his leadership. This is not the end of an era."
“没有维埃拉，阿森纳将面临一定的困境。如果他去了皇马，那球队会丧失一种动力，我们必须要学着去适应。维埃拉的离去，将会使我们的中路留出空挡，不过我们应该可以适应没有维队的日子。他的转会并不是什么时代的终结。”
As if Pires didn’t want to be misunderstood, the prolific midfielder – who scored 19 goals last season – elaborates: "All the players wanted Patrick to stay. I’ve played alongside him for more than a decade, if you go back to junior levels with the France national set-up, so to be without him feels weird. It’s almost as if I’ve been orphaned. But he’s made a choice and we respect that."
“大家都希望队长能留下。我和他一起踢球有10多年了，回想如果是在法国青年队，没有他在场上感觉会很奇怪。就好象我是孤独一人。但无论无何我们尊重他的选择。”
"We can all understand why he’s decided to go to La Liga, especially given what he has achieved since he came to England from Milan. I’d just wish him all the luck in the world at the Bernabeu, and I’m sure our paths will cross in opposition."
“想想他从米兰来到英国后已经取得的成绩，那就能理解为什么他会向往西甲了。希望他在皇马好运。”
Apart from Vieira, who it seems will shortly be just a great memory to Arsenal fans, where does that leave the likes of Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry and Pires? Will they follow suit and disembark the red ship? "No, his departure does not mean the end of Arsenal’s French connection," says Pires. "This club has lost major France internationals in the past – think of Nicolas Anelka, Emmanuel Petit and Sylvain Wiltord, who also left this summer – but there are others still here and committed to staying here."
维埃拉转会后，‘法国帮’里的温格，亨利和皮雷是否也会效仿离开阿森纳呢？？（晕，什么联想啊？？？！！）对次皮雷回答说：“不会的。他的转会并不是阿森纳法国帮的结束！以前也有法国队员转会去其他队，这个夏天也是，但仍有法国队员效忠阿森纳！”
"We’ve all played our part in building this club into what it is today. Those of us still at the club will continue to build Arsenal’s future. The irony is Patrick’s transfer happened at the time when Zinedine Zidane was considering his retirement with France."
“我们为自己对俱乐部的贡献感到自豪。继续为阿森纳效力的队员会更加努力。不过传闻维埃拉转会时，正巧齐达内想要退出法国国家队了。”
That leads us nicely to Euro 2004. If not disastrous (like the 2002 World Cup), the French campaign was far from being glorious (think of Euro 2000). Apart from the results – and a poor quarter-final against the champions to be, Greece – the French camp, it seems, was marred with rifts. The most spectacular one involving Pires himself and … Henry. No-one else. So far, neither Henry nor Pires had publicly talked about the bust-up.
接着我们谈到了2004欧洲杯。法国的表现与2002世界杯时要稍好些，但仍不够好。1/4决赛输给了之后夺冠的希腊，战绩不佳，而且更是传出了队内不和的新闻。其中最最主要的一条，就是关于皮雷和亨利。而到目前为止，两人都没有公开谈及过关于争吵的事。
But today, Pires is willing to speak up. Well then, "Robby" and "Titi" had left Highbury at the end of last season as great friends, they were hanging out together in Hampstead, and then, all of a sudden, they were caught fighting on the training ground … what exactly happened in Santo Tirso, at the French base camp? Pires smiles, smirks almost. !Lots was written about the tournament, and in particular about an apparent punch up between me and Thierry. That hurt me. Sure, an incident did take place, but there were just words said between me and Titi, nothing else. It never came to blows."
不过今天，皮雷说话了。上赛季结束时，Robby和Titi这对好友还一起去了Hampstead，但突然间他们去在训练场上吵了起来。。。在法国队训练基地Santo Tirso究竟发生了什么事呢？皮雷笑了笑：“欧洲杯期间关于我和亨利发生争吵的传闻很多。这更是伤害到了我。的确是有一些小问题，但我和Titi只是交换不同的看法，就这样。从来没有什么争论吵架。”
"Tension, competition, nervousness … all those explanations can be put forward. But one has to bear in mind that those things happen all the time at training. There were leaks in that squad, players and staff who had befriended journalists and whipped up this incident as if it was indicative of a breakdown in the unity of our squad."
“可能是因为压力，激烈的竞争和紧张。。。但要知道，这类事情在训练中是常有发生的。队里一些和记者关系近的球员或官员向外泄露了这件事，搞得好象我们队里团结出了问题。”（记得是桑蒂尼说Titi和皮雷吵架的吧？）
"But it was blown well out of all proportion. We clashed in training, swore at each other, sure, but we ate at the same table later that night. We had a frank discussion then. End of story. When Thierry and I read the headlines, we just laughed. We knew better."
“我们在训练中发生口角，互相有些指责，但当天晚上又坐在同一张桌子上吃晚餐了。我们坦诚地谈话，问题就解决了。亨利和我读到那些报道时都笑了，只有我们自己清楚究竟是怎么回事。”
Point taken. From a sporting point of view, what is next then? Surely the invincibility shown last season will not stand for long. The Frenchman laughs. "You are asking me if we can achieve the same type of domestic season as last year? You are telling me that it is impossible to do so? I say: let’s meet next May, and then, and only then, will I give you my answer. There will be a great deal of expectancy and all teams will want to beat us. But the Champions League is our main target. Arsenal, this great club, have never won it. It’s time to put that right."
现在记者明白了。那作为一名体育记者，接下来该问什么了呢？皮雷上赛季有着优异的表现，是否能保持呢。皮雷笑着说：“你好象是在问，阿森纳能否重现上赛季联赛的辉煌。你认为不可能吧？？那我就告诉你：等明年5月看结果吧！其他球队都希望能打败我们。欧洲冠军杯是我们的主要目标。作为一支伟大的球队，阿森纳还从未获得过冠军杯，该轮到我们了。”
The gold rush is starting this Sunday in Cardiff against United once again; the quest for perfection is continuing. A new dream. And you can’t be a simple mind to achieve that. In Pires’ eyes, Chelsea will this time be the main domestic contender. "They will be very strong. It seems Abramovich’s money has been spent well. Their best signing being Jose Mourinho."
皮雷认为切尔西是联赛最主要的竞争对手：“他们非常强大。阿布花了大笔钱买到了优秀的队员增强实力。最主要的是他们签下了墨里尼奥。”
So what is Pires’ prediction? Will the unbeaten run of Nottingham Forest (of 42 games) be beaten for instance? "We all know this season will be tough. After what we achieved in 2003/04, opposing sides are going to want to beat us more than ever, whether they are a small English club in a cup competition or a European giant in one of the continental cups. We are the team to beat. There’ll be set-backs and difficult times, I’m sure, but we’ve shown ourselves to be strong and able to come through adversity. Doubt surfaced once, that’s all. We have to move on, continue to develop, and meet new challenges head on."
皮雷对新赛季如何预测？联赛不败的阿森纳是否会被击败呢？“我们都非常清楚，这个赛季将很艰难。我们在2003-2004赛季取得了好成绩，无论是联赛或是国际比赛中，对手都更渴望能击败我们。阿森纳可能会成为众矢之地。困难不可避免，但我们已经证明了实力，有能力度过困境。
The waiter comes back. Tea? Coffee? Water will do nicely. The noises of the Hampstead High Street can be heard. At the very same table once sat someone called Patrick. What would Robert say to Vieira if he does go to Madrid? "Enjoy the trip," says Pires.
服务生再次来问我们是否要茶或是咖啡，总是那么亲切。Hampstead High Street街上人声鼎沸。以前曾与一位叫Patrick的一起喝茶。记者问皮雷，如果维埃拉去皇马了，会对他说什么？皮雷的回答是：“一路顺风！”
Source: Sunday Herald
[此贴子已经被作者于2004-8-9 11:12:47编辑过]
