甲骨文公司老板钟爱网球 出1亿美元保传统赛事

　　文/加里斯·芬汉 英国《每日邮报》

　　Larry Ellison, the Oracle founder, is the fifth-wealthiest man in the world, and last year he was willing to spend about $100 million of that fortune to buy the BNP Paribas Open, securing the future of the Indian Wells event. At 66, he's also a serious player.

　　拉里·埃里森，甲骨文软件公司创始人，他是全世界排行第五的有钱人。去年，埃里森从名下拿出约1亿美元买下了巴黎银行公开赛，他这么做是为了让印第安维尔斯的这项传统赛事能稳定、持久地办下去。而且，66岁的埃里森还是一位虔诚的网球手。

　　Last year, Ellison purchased the BNP Paribas Open, which has pretty well established itself as the next best thing in tennis after the four Grand Slams. If nothing else, its attendance, currently heading toward 350,000 for its 13-day run in the Southern California, proves that. Only the four majors sell more tickets.

　　去年，埃里森花钱当上了巴黎银行公开赛的新老板，这项赛事被认为是除四大满贯赛之外最成功的比赛了。不说别的，就看它的上座率也证明了这一点，今年这项在南加利福尼亚举办的为期13天的赛事已经吸引了多达35万的观众人群。只有四大满贯赛才可能卖出比巴黎银行公开赛更多的球票。

　　Ellison, 66, is a tennis enthusiast, which probably understates it. "I play five days a week. It's usually on clay. I love it." Ellison is an unabashed supporter of and optimist about the sport. He lights up when he talks about classic Jimmy Connors-John McEnroe matches he has seen.

　　66岁的埃里森对网球十分热衷，他应该明白赛事魅力究竟何在。“我一周有五天都会去打网球，大部分时候都在红土球场上。我热爱网球。”他毫不掩饰地对网球运动表达着支持，而且它对这项运动的未来也很乐观。当他说起以前看过的那场康纳斯对麦肯罗的经典之战时，眼睛都会发光。

　　There had been the possibility that, with financial difficulties, this tournament might be sold and moved to another country, likely China. PM Sports Management owned and grew this tournament over 36 years, and had gotten itself in decent shape the last few years to be able to carry on easily. But Ellison's offer was too good to refuse, as was the extra financial security. "Nobody wanted to see this tournament go to another country," Ellison says.

　　因为财政方面的一些困难，这项赛事将被转卖去另一个国家举办的猜测曾一度被传得沸沸扬扬，比如搬家去中国等。PM体育运动管理公司拥有且经营了该项赛事长达36年，为它打造了一个成功、得体的形象，如果他们想继续办下去的话，难度并不大。但是，埃里森开出的条件实在太诱人了，尤其他还拿出了充足的财务担保。埃里森说：“没人想看到它被搬去另一个国家举办。”

　　Ellison is at the age when men usually turn to golf, but he says he doesn't play the game. "The joke is that I don't play golf because I have only one club."

　　作为一名男性，埃里森的年纪已经到了向高尔夫靠拢的时候了，但他说自己不打高尔夫。“说句玩笑话，我不打高尔夫是因为自己名下只有一家高尔夫俱乐部。”

　　编译 章丽倩