紐時賞析／網球地主冠軍荒持續 法國選手在紅土失存在感

Of Red Clay and French Existentialism

地主冠軍荒持續 法國選手在紅土失存在感

The most prominent feature of the French Open is that this Grand Slam tournament takes place on the rusty red clay of Roland Garros, a beloved detail that is as much a part of local culture and tradition as the bouquinistes that sell art and used books along the Seine.

法國網球公開賽最突出的特點，就是這項大滿貫賽事在羅蘭蓋洛球場鏽紅色的紅土上舉行。如同塞納河畔販賣藝術品與二手書的舊書攤一樣，這是一個令人喜愛的細節，也是當地文化與傳統的一部分。

And yet, as it so often is in the country that claims Albert Camus and Simone de Beauvoir, the relationship between France and its “terre bateau” is a little more complicated.

然而，就像這個擁有卡繆和西蒙波娃的國家過去經常發生的那樣，法國與自家「紅土球場」之間的關係有點複雜。

This red clay that comes from a small brick factory in Oise, north of Paris, elicits so much love.

來自巴黎北方瓦茲一家小型磚廠的這種紅土深受眾人喜愛。

But the clay has also become a symbol of deep frustration. A Frenchwoman has not won the singles championship that this country so treasures, the one that requires more grit but also more thought than any other, since Mary Pierce in 2000. A Frenchman has not won it in 39 years, since Yannick Noah in 1983.

但這種紅土也成為深刻挫折的象徵。自2000年的瑪麗．皮爾絲以來，還沒有一位法國女子贏得這個國家如此珍視的單打冠軍，這個冠軍需要更多的意志力，也需要更多思考。自1983年的諾亞之後，法國男人已有39年未獲男單冠軍。

Why?

為什麼？

The answer likely has a lot to do with a central contradiction in the home of red clay’s biggest stage. Just 11.5% of the tennis courts in France are made of the traditional red clay and most of those are in private clubs. Another 16.5% of courts are made of an imitation clay surface that is similar to the terre bateau but plays harder and faster than the softer traditional clay.

答案跟這個紅土賽事最高舞台主場的重要矛盾可能有很大關係。法國只有11.5%網球場使用傳統紅土，且大多數都是私人俱樂部的網球場，另有16.5%的球場表面由仿紅土製成，雖跟紅土球場類似，但比較軟的傳統紅土打起來更硬且更快。

Winning on clay requires a Ph.D. in what coaches and players call point construction, which is shorthand for playing tennis like chess, thinking not only about this next shot but three shots down the line. Learning that to the point where it is instinctual can take years, and like most things, the earlier one starts training the brain to think that way, the better.

想在紅土賽場上取勝，必須精通教練和球員所稱點的建構，這是像下棋一樣打網球的簡單表達，不僅是想著下一次擊球，還要考慮接下來的三次擊球。將此學習到如同直覺恐需數年時間，而且就像大多數事情一樣，越早開始訓練大腦以這種方式思考越好。

“On clay, the fight really goes on and on,” said Aurelio Di Zazzo, a coach at the Tennis Club of Paris. “The longer the effort, the more you have to use your mind.”

巴黎網球俱樂部教練迪扎佐這麼說：「在紅土球場，比賽真的是沒完沒了。努力的時間愈久，就愈需要動腦筋。」

The club, which is less than 1 mile from Roland Garros, tries to carry red clay’s torch as best it can. That torch is not cheap. Maintaining the courts requires four full-time employees, and new clay costs more than $2,000 a year for each court. Each court must be entirely dug up and redone every 15 years, costing more than $30,000 per court.

這家距離羅蘭蓋洛球場不到一英里的俱樂部，盡其所能地傳承著紅土比賽的火炬。這個火炬可不便宜。維護球場需要四名全職員工，每個球場每年鋪新紅土的費用超過2,000美元。每隔15年，每個球場都必須徹底挖掉重鋪一次，每個球場花費超過30,000美元。

Levy said it is worth it.

勒維表示，這是值得的。

“This clay is a part of France,” he said.

他說：「紅土球場是法國的一部分。」

文／Matthew Futterman 譯／陳韋廷

說文解字看新聞

【陳韋廷】

剛落幕的法國網球公開賽，地主選手依舊未能在男、女單賽事中終結至少22年的「冠軍荒」，tournament指單一項目的比賽：a golf/tennis/chess tournament。

Clay意指「黏土」，terre battue是紅土球場的法文。Court指「網球場」，籃球、羽球、排球跟壁球的場地都是court；這個字也指「法院」，從介係詞可以分辨：on court是出賽，in court是出庭。英年早逝的NBA湖人隊球星Kobe Bryant一度官司纏身，法院球場兩頭跑，被戲稱白天in court，晚上on court，在兩個court之間奔波。

各種運動場地有不同的英語說法，棒球場是baseball ballpark，美國職棒大聯盟（MLB）另用stadium，職業美式足球（NFL）比賽場地也用此字。高球場為golf course，足球場為soccer field，撞球場則是pool hall。拳擊擂台是boxing ring，滑冰、直排輪或冰上曲棍球的場地是rink。