I step out of my apartment,

在日本，每隔一晚，

I climb up a hill for 15 minutes,

我就會步出我的公寓，

and then I head into my local health club,

花十五分鐘爬上山丘，

where three ping-pong tables are set up in a studio.

接著前往當地的健康俱樂部，

And space is limited,

在俱樂部裡，有三張 乒乓球桌放在一間房間中。

so at every table,

空間有限，

one pair of players practices forehands,

所以，每一張球桌

another practices backhands,

都有一組球員練正手，

and every now and then, the balls collide in midair

另一組練習反手，

and everybody says, "Wow!"

偶爾，球會在空中相撞，

Then, choosing lots, we select partners and play doubles.

大家就會出聲：「哇！」

But I honestly couldn't tell you who's won,

接著，我們用抽籤的方式 選夥伴玩雙打。

because we change partners every five minutes.

但我實在無法告訴各位誰贏了，

And everybody is trying really hard

因為我們每五分鐘就會換夥伴。

to win points,

每個人都非常努力

but nobody is keeping track of who is winning games.

想要得分，

And after an hour or so of furious exertion,

但沒有人在記錄誰贏得了比賽。

I can honestly tell you

拼了一個小時左右，

that not knowing who has won

我可以老實告訴各位，

feels like the ultimate victory.

不知道誰贏了

In Japan, it's been said,

感覺就像是終極的勝利。

they've created a competitive spirit without competition.

在日本有種說法，

Now, all of you know that geopolitics is best followed by watching ping-pong.

他們不用競爭就創造了競爭的精神。

(Laughter)

大家都知道，了解地緣政治學 最好的方式就是看乒乓球。

The two strongest powers in the world were fiercest enemies

（笑聲）

until, in 1972, an American ping-pong team

世界上最大的兩個強權 是非常對立的敵人，

was allowed to visit Communist China.

直到 1972 年，一支美國乒乓球隊

And as soon as the former adversaries

獲准造訪共產主義的中國。

were gathered around some small green tables,

當這些過往敵手

each of them could claim a victory,

聚在那些小型綠色桌子旁邊，

and the whole world could breathe more easily.

每個人都有可能取得勝利，

China's leader, Mao Zedong,

全世界也能喘口氣。

wrote a whole manual on ping-pong,

中國的領導人毛澤東

and he called the sport "a spiritual nuclear weapon."

寫了一整本的乒乓手冊，

And it's been said that the only honorary lifelong member

他把這項運動稱為 「靈性的核武」。

of the US Table Tennis Association

據說，美國乒聯

is the then-President Richard Nixon,

唯一的榮譽終身會員

who helped to engineer this win-win situation

是當時的總統尼克森，

through ping-pong diplomacy.

他透過乒乓交際手腕

But long before that,

協助策劃了這個雙贏局面。

really, the history of the modern world

但，其實早在那之前， 現代世界的歷史

was best told through the bouncing white ball.

就最適合透過反彈的白球來說明。

"Ping-pong" sounds like a cousin of "sing-song,"

「乒乓」聽起來像是 「唱歌（英文發音類似）」的表親，

like something Eastern,

聽起來有東方味，

but actually, it's believed that it was invented by high-class Brits

但其實，一般相信 它是在維多利亞時期

during Victorian times,

由上流英國人所發明，

who started hitting wine corks over walls of books after dinner.

他們在晚餐之後將酒瓶塞 打向書牆，發明了乒乓。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

No exaggeration.

沒有誇大。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And by the end of World War I,

第一次世界大戰尾聲時，

the sport was dominated by players from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire:

這項運動被前奧匈帝國球員給主宰：

eight out of nine early world championships

早期的世界冠軍，九個中有八個

were claimed by Hungary.

被匈牙利拿走。

And Eastern Europeans grew so adept

而東歐人非常善長

at hitting back everything that was hit at them

把打向他們的任何東西打回去，

that they almost brought the whole sport to a standstill.

他們幾乎把這整個運動 打到停滯狀態。

In one championship match in Prague in 1936,

1936 年在布拉格的 一場冠軍賽事中，

the first point is said to have lasted two hours and 12 minutes.

到了兩小時十二分時 才有人得了第一分。

The first point!

第一分！

Longer than a "Mad Max" movie.

比《衝鋒飛車隊》電影還長。

And according to one of the players, the umpire had to retire with a sore neck

根據一位球員的說法，

before the point was concluded.

在那一分出現之前， 裁判就已經因為脖子酸痛而離場。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

That player started hitting the ball back with his left hand

球員開始用左手把球打回去，

and dictating chess moves between shots.

在打擊之間口述棋步。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Many in the audience started, of course, filing out,

當然，許多觀眾 開始一個接一個離開，

as that single point lasted maybe 12,000 strokes.

因為要得一分可能 要揮一萬兩千拍。

And an emergency meeting of the International Table Tennis Association

國際桌球總會立即

had to be held then and there,

召開緊急會議，

and soon the rules were changed

規則很快就被改變了，

so that no game could last longer than 20 minutes.

比賽不得超過二十分鐘。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Sixteen years later, Japan entered the picture,

十六年後，日本也來參一腳，

when a little-known watchmaker called Hiroji Satoh

一名沒沒無聞的鐘錶匠佐藤博治

showed up at the world championships in Bombay in 1952.

於 1952 年出現在 孟買的世界冠軍賽。

And Satoh was not very big, he wasn't highly rated,

佐藤個子不高，排名不在前面，

he was wearing spectacles,

他戴著眼鏡，

but he was armed with a paddle that was not pimpled,

但是他所配備的球拍

as other paddles were,

不像其他球拍是顆粒面的，

but covered by a thick spongy rubber foam.

而是表面厚厚的海棉橡膠泡沫。

And thanks to this silencing secret weapon,

因為有這個安靜的秘密武器，

the little-known Satoh won a gold medal.

不為人知的佐藤贏得金牌。

One million people came out into the streets of Tokyo

他返鄉時，東京有一百萬人

to greet him upon his return,

走上街頭歡迎他，

and really, Japan's postwar resurgence was set into motion.

日本的戰後復興就這麼啟動了。

What I learned, though, at my regular games in Japan,

不過，我在日本一般比賽中所學到的

is more what could be called the inner sport of global domination,

比較是所謂全球統治的內在運動，

sometimes known as life.

也就是人生。

We never play singles in our club,

在我們的俱樂部中， 我們從來不單打，

only doubles,

只進行雙打，

and because, as I say, we change partners every five minutes,

因為，如我所說的， 我們每五分鐘就換夥伴，

if you do happen to lose, you're very likely to win

如果你剛好輸了，六分鐘之後，

six minutes later.

你很可能就會贏。

We also play best-of-two sets,

我們也會玩三局兩勝制，

so often, there's no loser at all.

通常就完全不會有輸家。

Ping-pong diplomacy.

乒乓交際手腕。

And I always remember that as a boy growing up in England,

我在英國長大，一直記得

I was taught that the point of a game was to win.

被教導比賽的目的是獲勝。

But in Japan, I'm encouraged to believe that, really, the point of a game

但在日本，大家鼓勵我相信， 其實比賽的重點

is to make as many people as possible around you feel that they are winners.

是要盡可能讓你身邊 有越多人感覺自己是贏家。

So you're not careening up and down as an individual might,

所以你就不會像獨自 一個人那樣載沉載浮，

but you're part of a regular, steady chorus.

你屬於一個平凡穩定的團隊。

The most skillful players in our club

在我們的俱樂部中，球技最好的球員

deploy their skills to turn a 9-1 lead for their team

會把他們的技巧用在 讓他們球隊九比一領先的局面

into a 9-9 game in which everybody is intensely involved.

轉換成九比九的局面， 讓大家和比賽緊密結合。

And my friend who hits these high, looping lobs

我有位朋友，他很會打高吊球，

that smaller players flail at and miss --

小個子球員會亂打且打不中——

well, he wins a lot of points, but I think he's thought of as a loser.

他能得很多分， 但我認為他被視為是輸家。

In Japan, a game of ping-pong is really like an act of love.

在日本，乒乓比賽其實 像是一種愛的舉動。

You're learning how to play with somebody,

你學習的是如何和其他人一起運動，

rather than against her.

而不是對抗其他人。

And I'll confess,

我必須承認一開始

at first, this seemed to me to take all the fun out of the sport.

我覺得這樣子運動的樂趣都沒了。

I couldn't exult after a tremendous upset victory against our strongest players,

在擊敗最強的球員之後 我不能為之狂喜，

because six minutes later, with a new partner,

因為六分鐘之後，換了新夥伴，

I was falling behind again.

我又落後了。

On the other hand, I never felt disconsolate.

另一方面，我從來 沒有感覺鬱鬱不樂。

And when I flew away from Japan and started playing singles again

當我飛離日本，

with my English archrival,

和英國主要的對手開始再次單打時，

I noticed that after every defeat, I was really brokenhearted.

我發現每次輸球就真的很心碎。

But after every victory, I couldn't sleep either,

但每次勝利之後，我也無法入睡，

because I knew there was only one way to go,

因為我知道只剩下一條路，

and that was down.

就是下坡。

Now, if I were trying to do business in Japan,

如果我要在日本做生意，

this would lead to endless frustration.

這會造成無盡的挫折感。

In Japan, unlike elsewhere,

日本和其他地方不同，

if the score is still level after four hours,

在日本如果四小時之後仍然比數相同，

a baseball game ends in a tie,

棒球比賽就是以平手結束，

and because the league standings are based on winning percentage,

因為聯賽排名的依據是勝率，

a team with quite a few ties can finish ahead

有很多場平手的球隊在榜上

of a team with more victories.

可能領先勝賽比較多場的球隊。

One of the first times an American was ever brought over to Japan

最早被請到日本去領導

to lead a professional Japanese baseball team,

日本職業球隊的其中一位美國人

Bobby Valentine, in 1995,

是巴比瓦倫泰，時間是 1995 年，

he took this really mediocre squad,

他帶的球隊很平凡，

he lead them to a stunning second-place finish,

最後卻以第二名的驚人成績結束，

and he was instantly fired.

而他馬上被開除了。

Why?

為什麼？

"Well," said the team spokesman,

「嗯，」球隊發言人說：

"because of his emphasis on winning."

「因為他強調贏球。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Official Japan can feel quite a lot like that point

官方的日本感覺起來就很像

that was said to last two hours and 12 minutes,

花了兩小時十二分鐘 才得到的那一分，

and playing not to lose

為了不要輸而比賽，

can take all the imagination, the daring, the excitement, out of things.

會把所有的想像力、 大膽冒險、興奮都給奪去。

At the same time, playing ping-pong in Japan

同時，在日本打乒乓球

reminds me why choirs regularly enjoy more fun

讓我想起為什麼合唱團通常會比

than soloists.

獨唱更有樂趣。

In a choir, your only job is to play your small part perfectly,

在合唱團中，你唯一的工作 就是完美演出你的小角色，

to hit your notes with feeling,

用感覺去唱出你的音符，

and by so doing, to help to create a beautiful harmony

如此協助創造出美麗的和諧，

that's much greater than the sum of its parts.

讓它變得比所有部分 加總起來更強大。

Yes, every choir does need a conductor,

是的，每個合唱團都需要一個指揮，

but I think a choir releases you from a child's simple sense of either-ors.

但我認為合唱團會讓你脫離

You come to see that the opposite of winning isn't losing --

兒時非黑即白的簡單二分法。

it's failing to see the larger picture.

你會開始了解 贏的另一面並不是輸——

As my life goes on,

而是無法看到更大的大局。

I'm really startled to see that no event

隨著年歲增長，我很訝異見到

can properly be assessed for years after it has unfolded.

事件在發生後數年

I once lost everything I owned in the world,

仍不能適當地被評估。

every last thing, in a wildfire.

我曾經失去過我在世界上 所擁有的一切，

But in time, I came to see that it was that seeming loss

在大火中失去所有的一切。

that allowed me to live on the earth more gently,

但最後，我漸漸了解， 那看似失去一切的狀況，

to write without notes,

讓我能夠更溫柔地住在地球上，

and actually, to move to Japan

不用筆記就能寫作，

and the inner health club known as the ping-pong table.

且能真的搬到日本，

Conversely, I once stumbled into the perfect job,

加入內在健康俱樂部， 也就是乒乓球桌。

and I came to see that seeming happiness

相反的，我有一次 遇到了一個完美的工作，

can stand in the way of true joy

我漸漸了解，那看似快樂的狀況

even more than misery does.

反而比不幸更會阻礙

Playing doubles in Japan really relieves me of all my anxiety,

真正的喜悅。

and at the end of an evening,

在日本雙打真的讓我 解除了所有焦慮，

I notice everybody is filing out in a more or less equal state of delight.

有天晚上結束時，

I'm reminded every night

我注意到大家都有 差不多同等的愉悅。

that not getting ahead isn't the same thing as falling behind

每天晚上我都會被提醒，

any more than not being lively is the same thing as being dead.

沒有領先並不等同於落後，

And I've come to understand why it is

就如同，沒有精力充沛 並不等同於死了。

that Chinese universities are said to offer degrees in ping-pong,

我漸漸了解為什麼

and why researchers have found that ping-pong

中國的大學會提供乒乓球學位，

can actually help a little with mild mental disorders

以及為什麼研究者發現乒乓

and even autism.

真的能對輕微的 心理疾病有一點幫助，

But as I watch the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo,

甚至是自閉症。

I'm going to be keenly aware

但當我看 2020 東京奧運時，

that it won't be possible to tell who's won or who's lost

我將會非常敏銳地意識到

for a very long time.

會有很長的一段時間

You remember that point I mentioned

不可能分辨出誰贏、誰輸。

that was said to last for two hours and 12 minutes?

還記得我前面提到過

Well, one of the players from that game ended up, six years later,

花了兩小時十二分才得到的一分嗎？

in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau.

那場比賽的其中一位球員

But he walked out alive.

六年後淪落到 奧斯威辛和達豪集中營。

Why?

但他活著出來了。

Simply because a guard in the gas chamber

為什麼？

recognized him from his ping-pong playing days.

只因為毒氣室的一名守衛

Had he been the winner of that epic match?

認出他以前是乒乓球員。

It hardly mattered.

他是那場史詩級比賽的贏家嗎？

As you recall, many people had filed out before even the first point was concluded.

一點也不重要了。

The only thing that saved him

如果各位記得，很多人 在那一分出現之前就離場了。

was the fact that he took part.

救了他一命的不是輸贏，

The best way to win any game,

而是他的參賽。

Japan tells me every other night,

每隔一天晚上日本就會告訴我，

is never, never to think about the score.

贏得任何比賽的最佳方法，

Thank you.

是永遠、永遠不要去想比分。

(Applause)

謝謝。