新民到锦州客车时刻表:我是跑步者：村上春树

Why do you run, when did you start?

您为什么选择跑步运动，从什么时候开始的呢？

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.

我开始每天都跑步，是成为作家之后的事。作为一个写作者，通常需要一天伏案工作若干小时，而我发现，如果这样缺乏锻炼，你很快会增加体重、身材走样。那是22年前的事了。同时，我也借这个机会戒了烟。你知道，自从我成为了作家，我的身体迅即变得健康起来。你可以说我是个例。但正因如此，我现在的体重仍然保持和当初一样。

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.

在成为作家之前，我在东京市中心经营一家爵士酒吧。那项工作意味着，我通常在乌烟瘴气的环境里工作到很晚。当我可以通过写作来维持生活的时候，我是相当兴奋的，于是我当即决定，“我要坚决过一种健康的生活。” 早上5点起床，天天如此，先处理一些工作的事情，然后就去跑步。这样常常使我精神振奋。

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.

我一直喜欢跑步，所以并没有经过什么难关，它自然而然就成了我的习惯。你只需要一双跑步鞋，而且可以在任何地方跑。同时，你并不需要其他人一起才能进行，所以我觉得这项运动很适合我，因为我很喜欢独立的一个人的活动。

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

你一般跑多少呢？是单纯跑一定的距离还是也做一些速度练习？

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。根据情况，有时候多一些，有时候少一点。如果没有比赛，我一般用中等的速度跑，标准就是让自己觉得从容和舒服。如果是准备比赛，我有时候会专注于速度练习。但其他多数情况，我是没有特别配速的跑，目的就是让自己舒服。

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.

在这我应该特别补充的一点是，我最近参加到铁人三项的练习中，所以，日常的练习包括了自行车和游泳。这样，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?

你将要搬到波士顿居住，而且以前也在那儿跑过。你在波士顿一般在哪儿跑？

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.

 我之前跑过6次波士顿马拉松。我认为马拉松比赛最好的体验就是沿途转换的美景以及热情路人的支持。每次参加波士顿马拉松，我都觉得分外开心。

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

据我的参赛经验，波士顿马拉松是最有魅力的。

(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!"

（当然，纽约市马拉松也很令人激动，但是与波士顿的不同。）跑波士顿马拉松的一大挑战，是如何设定一个好的配速。因为比赛开始阶段的赛道有很多下坡，所以我总是觉得很棘手，我不知道我到底应该跑多快。尽管在这一赛道跑过多次了，我从来都没觉得有任何一次可以说是“耶，这回跑对了！”

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，不管这个比赛多么有挑战性，最后通过设在Copley广场的终点线，然后去Legal海鲜饭店，吃着清蒸小蛤蜊，喝着Samuel Adams啤酒，我觉得这是我人生最美的时刻。

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.

以前住在那儿的时候，我是沿着Charles河沿岸跑。我很喜欢在这个地方跑，尽管冬天会很冷。

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

如果说世界上其他地方，你最喜欢在哪儿跑？为什么？

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.

全世界我最喜欢跑步的地方？我想到的是以前住在希腊的一个小岛上。因为我是那里唯一一个跑步的人，所以总有人对我喊话说：“你干嘛跑步呢？”，“对健康不好吧？”，或者“别跑了，停下来喝杯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?

我看有文章说你写《海边的卡夫卡》的时候，每天都跑步。你是跑步的时候想到的故事情节和对话吗？跑步运动对你写作有什么影响？

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.

我跑步的时候尽量什么都不去想。实际上，我经常跑的时候脑子一片空白。不过，当这样跑的时候，有些东西会很自然而然的冒出来，就可能成为一些写作中的想法。

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.

但总体来说，我试着通过不想任何东西，让脑子休息和放松。我跑步的时候可以让写作时灼热的神经冷静下来。

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.

我一般听摇滚。我认为音乐节奏越简单越好。比如CCR乐队，约翰·梅伦坎普，或者沙滩男孩的音乐。我把音乐刻在MD上，跑步的时候放在随身听里听。我曾经跑过100公里的超级马拉松，那次我本来打算从头到尾听莫扎特的《魔笛》，但后来觉得太燥人了，所以中途放弃。打那时候，我觉得歌剧不适合跑步时候听。

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?

你曾经表示过想再跑一次纽约马拉松。你以前跑的时候觉得它怎么样？纽约马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次纽约马拉松。最棒的体验是我可以用双脚跑过，并且欣赏这个唯一的、巨型的城市，全程如此，真心满足。

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.

赛道上有真正令人吃惊的、繁杂的城区； 每个地方都有其独特的人群和文化--这种感觉只在纽约。另外，我跑马拉松的最好成绩也是在纽约创造的。

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.

要说一点不足，那就是，赛前在起跑线等起跑，阵阵寒风会让人冻得哆嗦，而且等得时间很长。

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?

作为每年都跑马拉松，并且坚持了超过20年的人，你会继续坚持下去吗？过去这些年，跑步运动（马拉松和日常的跑步）对你本人有何影响？

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.

我尽量每年都完成一场马拉松，希望坚持的年限越久越好。虽然随着年龄的增长，我的完赛时间在不断延长，但它已经成为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.

在过去的22年里，我从跑步中获得的最让我受益的一点感受是，它让我对自己的身体满怀尊重。

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

我觉得认识到这一点，对所有人都很重要。

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.

对自己身体的尊重，使得你也可以尊重其他人。如果这个世界上，更多的人能体会到这一点，那么就不再会有恐怖主义和战争。但显然，令我们非常失望的是，事情并不是那么简单，至少不是我认为的如此简单。

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.

对一个小说作者来说，最重要的资质莫非想象力，理解力和专注力。但要这些能力一直处于一定高度的水平，你绝不能忽略的一点就是保持体力。

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)

没有坚实的体力做基础，你不可能完成任何错综复杂或者要求很高的事情。这是我的信念。如果我没有坚持跑步，那么我想，我的作品可能就会与现在的截然不同。(完)