Lesson One A Great One Goes Out[n1] in Style, His Own Style
[n1]Go out 出去 熄灭 过时 罢工 向往 辞职 倒塌
一个伟人的优雅退役，以他独有的方式
Pete Sampras will leave the game as he played it, a modest[n2] , easy, all-time[n3] great. You e all kinds of retirements in sports, and most of them are emotionally awkward and difficult to watch. There is the weeping[n4] news conference. There’s the endless, ceremonial you’ll-miss-me tour[n5] . There’s the stutter[n6] -step retirement, in which the athlete retires only to unretired when he crave[n7] s attention or need the money. Almost no one retires well.
[n2]Modest 谦虚的 朴实的 [n3]All-time 空前的 创记录的 [n4]Weeping 哭泣 落泪 [n5]Tour 巡回 游历 [n6]Stutter 口吃 [n7]Crave 恳求 渴望
皮特.桑普拉斯用他独有的方式结束了他辉煌的网坛生涯，谦逊、随性、杰出。体坛中你会看到各种各样的退役，它们中的大多数令人在情感上难以接受甚至不忍观看。退役时，会有煽情的记者招待会；还有无止尽的纪念性巡游；更有为了复出而退役的退役，在这样的退役里，当他们再一次渴望别人的注意或者需要用钱的时候随时都会复出。几乎没有谁能够完美的离开。
But Sampras is retiring in graceful lf-control. He plans to announce his retirement in a ceremony at the U.S. Open tonight, and a lot of people wonder why Sampras won’t make more of the event, allow himlf to be more elaborately[n8] fete[n9] d. The simple answer is that Sampras doesn’t need it. He doesn’t need a last jolt of adrenaline[n10] or
do of adulation[n11] . He doesn’t need a prolonged ego bath[n12] . He doesn’t need more money, or trophies[n13] . He doesn’t need any of the things that other athletes find it so hard to walk away from. He’s content[n14] .
[n8]Elaborately 精心地 [n9]Fete 庆祝 宴请 [n10]The phra means a last round of excitement。 Jolt 重击 摇晃 Adrenaline 肾上腺素 [n11]Adulation 奉承 阿谀 [n12]他没有继续沉浸在胜利的自负感中 Ego 自我 [n13]Trophy 战利品 奖品 [n14]Content 满足的 满意的
然而桑普拉斯的退隐却优雅而富有自制力。他计划在今晚的美国公开赛典礼上宣布这一消息。很多人不解，为什么桑普拉斯不为此多做些噱头，那么他便可以得到大家精心准备的告别仪式。答案很简单，因为桑普拉斯不需要。他不需要最后一次的心跳加速，不需要更多的阿谀奉承；他不需要让自己继续沉浸在胜利的自负感中；他也不需要更多钱或者战利品。这些种种令其他选手无法割舍的东西他都不需要。他很满足。
That contentment is a kind achievement in its own right. Sampras has made himlf invisible since his victory in last year’s U.S. Open. His 14th major championship now stands as the last match of his career, the perfect finish.
那种满足感本身就是一种成就。桑普拉斯自去年的美国公开赛夺冠之后就销声匿迹了。如今是他第十四次参加重要的职业锦标赛，这将成为他的最后一战，也将为他画上圆满的句号。
He’s never played in another tournament. He’s declined all interviews. He’s simply stayed at home with his wife and his new baby. Typically[n15] , he’s chon the anticlimactic[n16] first night of this year’s tournament, rather than the last, to make his announcement. The ssion[n17] isn’t even sold out.
[n15]Typically 典型的 特有的 [n16]Anticlimactic 突减的 虎头蛇尾的 [n17]Session 会期 这里指赛季
他从未参加过任何一场其他联赛，拒绝一切采访。他只是简单的呆在家里陪着妻子和刚刚出世的宝宝。特别的是，他如此突兀的选择了今年联赛的首场比赛宣布退役，而不是最后一场。要知道，这个赛季的套票甚至还没有卖完。
Some may find this disappointing, but I find it to be utterly[n18] true to who Sampras is. He never trusted fame, and always boxed up[n19] and guarded his ego.
[n18]Utterly 完全的 绝对的 [n19]Box up 困住 把…包围在小天地里
有些人也许会因此而感到失望，然而我却觉得这正是最符合桑普拉斯性格的方式。他从不沽名钓誉，而是固守着自我，小心的保护自己的内心。
Here are two true stories about Sampras, and how he consistently handled his success from the time he won his first U.S. Open at 19, to his last at 32. In 1996, Sampras was travelling cross-country in first class on a commercial jet[n20] , and sat next to Barry Bonds. Bonds didn’t recognize him, and Sampras shyly, didn’t introduce himlf. Behind Sampras sat a friend of Bonds, who wanted to sit with the ballplayer. Bonds pointed at Sampras. “If this kid gets [up], you can move up here,” Bonds said, Sampras shrugged [n21] and moved, without a word.
[n20]Jet 喷气机 [n21]Shrug 耸肩
这里有两则关于桑普拉斯的逸事，我们可以看到自他19岁第一次赢得美国公开赛到32岁的最后一次，一直以来他是如何看待自己的胜利的。1996年，桑普拉斯搭乘头等舱巡游全国时，坐在了贝瑞邦兹的旁边。那时，邦兹并不认识他，而害羞的桑普拉斯也没有向贝瑞介绍自己。在桑普拉斯身后坐着以为邦兹的朋友，他想和棒球选手邦兹坐在一起。邦兹指了指桑普拉斯说，“如果这个小鬼愿意的话，你就坐过来好了。”桑普拉斯耸了耸肩，什么也没说就换了座位。
At around the same time, he tried go to dinner at a Florida steakhou[n22] , only to find that the line for a table went out the door. Sampras, for perhaps the only time in his life, tried to u his influence. He walked up to the hostess [n23] and asked for a table. The hostess didn’t know who he was. Sampras went to the back of the line, embarrasd, and never did it again.
[n22]Steakhou 牛排餐厅 [n23]Hostess 女房东 女老板
大约在同一时期，他想去一家佛罗里达的牛排店就餐，可是发现等位的长队已经一直排到了门外。桑普拉斯也许是有生以来唯一的一次企图试试自己的影响力。他走到店主身边，要求一个桌位。结果那位店主并不认识他。桑普拉斯只好无比尴尬地回到了队尾，并且再也没有这么做过。
