Baseball fans in Japan and abroad are celebrating the win of the Yankees in the World Series, and the performance of one player in particular – Japanese baseball player Hideki Matsui, who helped lead the Yankees to victory and was named MVP. Matsui, who has been playing with the Yankees for seven years, is the first Japanese player ever to receieve the honor of MVP.
Despite having been with the Yankees for seven years, Matsui still does his interviews all in Japanese. Here is one of his interviews conducted right after the Yankees amazing win with the original Japanese and an English translation.
Hideki Matsui interview
―今の気持ちは？
松井秀喜外野手「最高ですね。この日のために１年間頑張ってきたわけですから。何年もここ（ヤンキース）にいましたけど、初めてここ（ＷＳ優勝）までこれて最高です」
― Well, how do you feel now?
Matsui: It’s an awesome feeling – I worked so hard over the course of a year for this day. I’ve been here with the Yankees for several years, but this is the first time we were able to win the World Series Championship. It’s amazing.
―自らの活躍で優勝に花を添えましたね。
松井「今日はちょっと自分でもびっくりです」
―Your outstanding performance must be like icing on the cake along with winning the championship.
Matsui: Yeah, I’m quite surprised myself.
―２００３年ヤンキースに移籍して以来念願のシリーズ優勝を果たし、ＭＶＰも獲得しました。
松井「うーん、何か夢みたいですね。長かったですよね。ぼくが来るまではヤンキースは毎年のようにワールドシリーズにも出てたし、ワールドチャンピオンになっていたし、そういういう意味では長かったですよね」
― You have won the World Series for the first time since joining the Yankees in 2003, and you’ve been elected MVP.
Matsui: Mmm, it’s like a dream. It’s been a long journey. Before I joined the Yankees, they were playing in the World Series nearly every year, and were becoming the World Champions… so in that sense it was a long journey.
―ここ数年はけがなどで悔しい思いもたくさんあったと思います。
松井「そうですね。でもね、どんなときも野球がしたい、勝ちたい、いいプレーをしたい、そういう気持ちがずっとありましたので、決してつらいことはないです」
― These last few years you have had some tough times, including an injury.
Matsui: That’s right. But you know, I was always thinking that no matter what, I want to play baseball, I want to win, I want to play well, so it wasn’t hard at all.
―ＷＳ優勝はどういう意味があるりますか。
松井「もちろん、最も大きな目標ですからね。何て言ったらいいんでしょうかね。そのくらい、大きなものです」
― What does the World Series Championship mean to you?
Matsui: Well, naturally, it’s the absolute biggest goal. I’m not even sure how to put it. It’s just that huge.
―その大舞台でこれ以上ないと言えるような存在感を示したと言えますね。
松井「どういうわけか、ワールドシリーズで本当にいいプレーができましたよね。本当にびっくりです」― You’ve really made your presence known out there in the World Series.
Matsui: Somehow, I was able to make some great plays. I’m quite surprised.
―今オフにフリーエージェントになるが、もう一度ヤンキースに戻りディフェンディングチャンピオンの一員として戦いたい！？
松井「もちろん、そうなればいいと思うし、ぼくはニューヨークが好きだし、ヤンキースが好きだし、チームメートが好きだし、ここのファンが大好きだし、それだけです」
― Now in the off-season you’ll become a free agent, but would you like to return to the Yankess and play again as a Defending Champion?
Matsui: Of course that would be great, as I love New York, I love the Yankees, I love my teammates, and I really love the fans here… that’s all there is to it.
Did anyone watch the game and see Matsui’s excellent performance? What did you think?
