Why do you run, when did you start?

您為什么選擇跑步運動，從什么時候開始的呢？

I began running on an everyday basis after I became a writer. As being a writer requires sitting at a desk for hours a day, without getting some exercise you'd quickly get out of shape and gain weight, I figured. That was 22 years ago. I also took it as a chance to quit smoking. You see, I became rapidly healthier since the time I became a writer. You may call it rather a rare case. But because of that, I weigh now just as much as I weighed back then.

我開始每天都跑步，是成為作家之后的事。作為一個寫作者，通常需要一天伏案工作若干小時，而我發(fā)現(xiàn)，如果這樣缺乏鍛煉，你很快會增加體重、身材走樣。那是22年前的事了。同時，我也借這個機會戒了煙。你知道，自從我成為了作家，我的身體迅即變得健康起來。你可以說我是個例。但正因如此，我現(xiàn)在的體重仍然保持和當初一樣。

Before I became a writer, I was running a jazz bar in the center of Tokyo, which means that I worked in filthy air all the time late into the night. I was very excited when I started making a living out of my writing, and I decided, "I will live in nothing but an absolutely healthy way." Getting up at 5 a.m. every morning, doing some work first, then going off running. It was very refreshing for me.

在成為作家之前，我在東京市中心經(jīng)營一家爵士酒吧。那項工作意味著，我通常在烏煙瘴氣的環(huán)境里工作到很晚。當我可以通過寫作來維持生活的時候，我是相當興奮的，于是我當即決定，“我要堅決過一種健康的生活?！?早上5點起床，天天如此，先處理一些工作的事情，然后就去跑步。這樣常常使我精神振奮。

I have always liked running, so it wasn't particularly difficult to make it a habit. All you need is a pair of running shoes and you can do it anywhere. It does not require anybody to do it with, and so I found the sport perfectly fits me as a person who tends to be independent and individualistic.

我一直喜歡跑步，所以并沒有經(jīng)過什么難關，它自然而然就成了我的習慣。你只需要一雙跑步鞋，而且可以在任何地方跑。同時，你并不需要其他人一起才能進行，所以我覺得這項運動很適合我，因為我很喜歡獨立的一個人的活動。

How much do you run? Do you do straight mileage or any speedwork?

你一般跑多少呢？是單純跑一定的距離還是也做一些速度練習？

My goal was always doing about 60K per week: 6 days a week, 10K a day on average. Some days I run more, some days less. It depends. If it is not before a race, I run at a moderate pace at which I feel easy and comfortable. If it's training for a race, I sometimes focus on speed. But otherwise I usually just try to enjoy myself at a casual pace.

我一般每周跑60公里：一周6次，平均每天10公里。根據(jù)情況，有時候多一些，有時候少一點。如果沒有比賽，我一般用中等的速度跑，標準就是讓自己覺得從容和舒服。如果是準備比賽，我有時候會專注于速度練習。但其他多數(shù)情況，我是沒有特別配速的跑，目的就是讓自己舒服。

I should add, though, that since I also enter triathlons these days, I have added biking and swimming to my workouts. As such, I am now running only 3 or 4 days a week.

在這我應該特別補充的一點是，我最近參加到鐵人三項的練習中，所以，日常的練習包括了自行車和游泳。這樣，我一周大概只跑3到4天。

You are moving to Boston soon and have run in Boston before. Where do you usually run in Boston?

你將要搬到波士頓居住，而且以前也在那兒跑過。你在波士頓一般在哪兒跑？

I've run the Boston Marathon 6 times before. I think the best aspects of the marathon are the beautiful changes of the scenery along the route and the warmth of the people's support. I feel happier every time I enter this marathon.

 我之前跑過6次波士頓馬拉松。我認為馬拉松比賽最好的體驗就是沿途轉換的美景以及熱情路人的支持。每次參加波士頓馬拉松，我都覺得分外開心。

As far as my experience goes, Boston is the most appealing marathon.

據(jù)我的參賽經(jīng)驗，波士頓馬拉松是最有魅力的。

(Of course the New York City Marathon is also very exciting, but in a different way). The challenge is how to set your pace. It's tricky because there are many downhill slopes in the beginning part of the course, so I never know how fast I should go. No matter how many times I challenge the same course, there has never been a time I thought to myself "Yeah, that was the way to do it!"

（當然，紐約市馬拉松也很令人激動，但是與波士頓的不同。）跑波士頓馬拉松的一大挑戰(zhàn)，是如何設定一個好的配速。因為比賽開始階段的賽道有很多下坡，所以我總是覺得很棘手，我不知道我到底應該跑多快。盡管在這一賽道跑過多次了，我從來都沒覺得有任何一次可以說是“耶，這回跑對了！”

However, no matter how challenging the race was, crossing the finish line at the Copley Plaza, going to Legal Sea Foods restaurant, eating steamed cherry stones and drinking Samuel Adams beer is one of the happiest moments of my life.

然而，不管這個比賽多么有挑戰(zhàn)性，最后通過設在Copley廣場的終點線，然后去Legal海鮮飯店，吃著清蒸小蛤蜊，喝著Samuel Adams啤酒，我覺得這是我人生最美的時刻。

I used to run along the Charles River when I lived in the area before. I really like the course, though it can get really cold in the winter.

以前住在那兒的時候，我是沿著Charles河沿岸跑。我很喜歡在這個地方跑，盡管冬天會很冷。

Where is your favorite run anywhere in the world, and why?

如果說世界上其他地方，你最喜歡在哪兒跑？為什么？

My favorite run anywhere in the world? I recall when I lived on a small island in Greece. Because I was the only jogger on that island there was inevitably someone who would call out, saying "Why are you running?", "Isn't that bad for your heath?" or "Don't you want to stop for a shot of Ouzo?" It was quite amusing.

全世界我最喜歡跑步的地方？我想到的是以前住在希臘的一個小島上。因為我是那里唯一一個跑步的人，所以總有人對我喊話說：“你干嘛跑步呢？”，“對健康不好吧？”，或者“別跑了，停下來喝杯Ouzo酒吧？” 真是很有趣。

I read that you ran every day while writing Kafka on the Shore. Do you work out plots and dialogue while running? How does running affect your writing?

我看有文章說你寫《海邊的卡夫卡》的時候，每天都跑步。你是跑步的時候想到的故事情節(jié)和對話嗎？跑步運動對你寫作有什么影響？

I try not to think about anything special while running. As a matter of fact, I usually run with my mind empty. However, when I run empty-minded, something naturally and abruptly crawls in sometime. That might become an idea that can help me with my writing.

我跑步的時候盡量什么都不去想。實際上，我經(jīng)常跑的時候腦子一片空白。不過，當這樣跑的時候，有些東西會很自然而然的冒出來，就可能成為一些寫作中的想法。

However, in general, I try to get my mind relaxed and rested while running by not thinking about anything. I run to cool down my nerves that get heated up while writing.

但總體來說，我試著通過不想任何東西，讓腦子休息和放松。我跑步的時候可以讓寫作時灼熱的神經(jīng)冷靜下來。

Do you listen to jazz or any other kind of music?

I normally listen to rock while running. I found that the simpler the rhythm, the better. For example, Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Mellencamp or The Beach Boys. I record this music on MD disks so I can listen to them with my Walkman on my run. There was this one time when I tried a 100K ultramarathon, I was tempted to listen to Mozart's Magic Flute from the beginning to the end, but I gave up on it in the middle of the course. It was exhausting. Since then I found opera not to be a good fit for running.

我一般聽搖滾。我認為音樂節(jié)奏越簡單越好。比如CCR樂隊，約翰·梅倫坎普，或者沙灘男孩的音樂。我把音樂刻在MD上，跑步的時候放在隨身聽里聽。我曾經(jīng)跑過100公里的超級馬拉松，那次我本來打算從頭到尾聽莫扎特的《魔笛》，但后來覺得太燥人了，所以中途放棄。打那時候，我覺得歌劇不適合跑步時候聽。

You have expressed interest in running the New York Marathon again. What was the experience of running New York like for you before? What were the best and worst parts of the New York race?

你曾經(jīng)表示過想再跑一次紐約馬拉松。你以前跑的時候覺得它怎么樣？紐約馬拉松最好和最不好的地方是什么？

I've run the New York City Marathon 3 times so far. The great thing about the marathon is the fact that I can do sight seeing in that unique and gigantic city while running on my own two feet, taking all that time, to my heart's content.

我跑了3次紐約馬拉松。最棒的體驗是我可以用雙腳跑過，并且欣賞這個唯一的、巨型的城市，全程如此，真心滿足。

On the course, there are truly amazing and diverse areas; each with its unique people and cultures--this scene and feel is only possible in New York. Also, I hit my best time in the New York City Marathon.

賽道上有真正令人吃驚的、繁雜的城區(qū)； 每個地方都有其獨特的人群和文化--這種感覺只在紐約。另外，我跑馬拉松的最好成績也是在紐約創(chuàng)造的。

There is one problem with the marathon, though. You have to put up with the chill while waiting at the starting line, shivering, for a long time in the frigid breeze.

要說一點不足，那就是，賽前在起跑線等起跑，陣陣寒風會讓人凍得哆嗦，而且等得時間很長。

As someone who has run a marathon a year for over 20 years, will you continue to do so? How has the experience of running (in marathons and daily) changed for you over the years?

作為每年都跑馬拉松，并且堅持了超過20年的人，你會繼續(xù)堅持下去嗎？過去這些年，跑步運動（馬拉松和日常的跑步）對你本人有何影響？

As long as possible, I would really like to complete one marathon per year. Though my time has been slowing down as I get older, it has become a very important part of my life.

我盡量每年都完成一場馬拉松，希望堅持的年限越久越好。雖然隨著年齡的增長，我的完賽時間在不斷延長，但它已經(jīng)成為我生命中非常重要的一部分。

One aspect that I have gained from running in the past 22 years that has most pleased me is that it has helped me develop respect about my own physical being.

在過去的22年里，我從跑步中獲得的最讓我受益的一點感受是，它讓我對自己的身體滿懷尊重。

I think to realize this is very important for all human beings.

我覺得認識到這一點，對所有人都很重要。

To have such respect for your own body makes it possible to do the same for others. If more people on the earth shared this same feeling, there should be no terrorism or wars. Obviously, to our great disappointment, things are not that simple, that much I understand.

對自己身體的尊重，使得你也可以尊重其他人。如果這個世界上，更多的人能體會到這一點，那么就不再會有恐怖主義和戰(zhàn)爭。但顯然，令我們非常失望的是，事情并不是那么簡單，至少不是我認為的如此簡單。

The most important qualities to be a fiction writer are probably imaginative ability, intelligence, and focus. But in order to maintain these qualities in a high and constant level, you must never neglect to keep up your physical strength.

對一個小說作者來說，最重要的資質莫非想象力，理解力和專注力。但要這些能力一直處于一定高度的水平，你絕不能忽略的一點就是保持體力。

Without a solid base of physical strength, you can't accomplish anything very intricate or demanding. That's my belief. If I did not keep running, I think my writing would be very different from what it is now. (END)

沒有堅實的體力做基礎，你不可能完成任何錯綜復雜或者要求很高的事情。這是我的信念。如果我沒有堅持跑步，那么我想，我的作品可能就會與現(xiàn)在的截然不同。(完)