Photo via www.tennis-russia.ru
There are so many talented tennis players in Russia, that the country has its own awards ceremony to honor them. Last night’s Russian Cup awards, hosted by Anastasia Myskina at Moscow’s Radisson Slavyanskaya hotel, honored Nikolay Davydenko as Tennis Player of the Year (for being the top male Russian player for the 5th year in a row), Dinara Safina for “Achievement of the Year” (obtaining the No. 1 ranking) and Svetlana Kuznetsova for “Success of the Year” at Roland Garros.
The “main event” of the evening belonged to Marat Safin, who won an award for “contributions to the development of the world and Russian tennis.” I love this (google-translated) description of Marat’s special contributions (via www.championat.ru):
“12 years of tennis fans on all continents admire this guy. He was loved by almost all, even though everyone tried to see in him something of themselves, their dreams. The girls saw in him the ideal man, or, if you want, a sex symbol. Coaches thought he was a talented athlete with a unique physique. Opponents tried to guess the direction of his serve or backhand. Journalists of all countries noted his charisma, eccentricity and inimitable sense of humor. And, finally, for the audience it has always been a man-feast at all his tournaments which had full stadiums all these years, no matter at what ranking he was.”
(Yes, I know that the translation probably shouldn’t be “man-feast”, but it works for me. An alternate translation got “man-holiday” which also sounds appropriate.)
Speaking of man-feast:
Photo via Mens Tennis Forum
Notice in the photo, above, how packed the auditorium is. It looks like the Oscars! With Marat as the Clooney/Pitt/diCaprio stand-in, or course.
Marat has that post-retirement glow:
Photo via www.championat.ru. Click here to visit a photo gallery from the awards ceremony.
Tags: ATP, Davydenko, Kuznetsova, Russian Cup, Safin, Safina, tennis
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man-feast. sweet. actually that part made me laugh out loud, but then i soon went back to my drooling. you really love us, don’t you ff?! congrats marat!
Hehe! I wonder what the translation was supposed to be. . . .
The correct translation of your quote’s second sentence should be: “He was loved by PRACTICALLY everyone”, not ‘almost’.
The ‘man-feast’ part is hard to translate well, because it is an unusual expression even in the original Russian, but i think that “a feast of a human being” would probably be the closest. The word that is used there is definitely ‘a human being’, not ‘a man’. Sorry for making it less sexy, but i am just trying to be accurate.
The rest of the translation is fine.
Man-feast works for me, too! But that is an interesting concept, Mark — a feast of a human being. What is the Russian word?
Marat in a suit with a bunch of flowers in his hand…I think he’s coming to my house….
Thanks MarK! I guess it takes a man-feast to know one, huh? (Sorry, I just love that google-invented phrase!)
This is his 5th Oscar — err awards.
“Triumph of the Year” 1998, 2000
“Team of the Year” 2002 (Davis Cup Team)
“Tennis Player of the Year”. 2004
Wow, this guy is Clooney+Pitt+diCaprio+etc for the russians.
Thanks Jess! Love Marat-worship, in all its forms!
Not to put down Marat’s accomplishments at Russia Cup, but I guess if you have a national tennis awards ceremony, you’re going to give your stars multiple awards. Like if the US had one, Andy Roddick would have quite a few extra trophies in his case!
Oh yes, agreed! It seems the russians love to give this kind of left and right award. I’m thinking the awards during Kremlin Cup and St Petersburg, just an excuse to throw a party? — not that I’m complaining
On the American side, I wish they just name it american award — not this “Sportman of the Year”
Just put “American Tennis Player of the Year” — I don’t think Blake would mind.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/magazine/specials/sportsman/2009/11/03/chen.sportsman/index.html
By man-feast, they mean a person, human-being who is always happy and cheerful and brings good mood (party mood) to others… In 2 words Marat Safin ))
yup, that’s definitely marat and oh so russian.
HE DOES have that post-retirement glow! It makes me happy (because he looks damn fine) and sad (because he’s gooonneee!).
I miss him already