In 2000, Yundi Li, then 18, was the youngest-ever winner of the Gold Medal at the International Chopin Competition, and also the medal’s first Chinese winner. It was the first time in 15 years that any competitor had been judged worthy of the top award. Now 33, he recently had 11 albums in the Chinese classical music chart’s top 15.
2000年，年仅18岁的李云迪成为有史以来最年轻的肖邦国际钢琴比赛(International Chopin Competition)金奖得主，也成为第一个获得这项殊荣的中国人，而且是时隔15年后首次有参赛者被判定有资格获得这项比赛的最高奖。现年33岁的李云迪最近有11张专辑入围中国古典音乐排行榜前15名。
What was your childhood or earliest ambition?
你童年或者最初的志向是什么？
To be a pianist. I wrote this in my diary when I was at primary school.
当一个钢琴家。我在上小学的时候把这写在我的日记里。
Public school or state school? University or straight into work?
你读的是私立学校还是公立学校？上了大学还是直接工作？
Like most Chinese kids in the 1990s, I went to an ordinary public [state-run] school. Later, to pursue further study of piano, I entered an art school. After I won the Chopin Competition, I went to Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media. I have many valuable memories of my youth.
像上世纪90年代的多数中国孩子一样，我上的是一所普通的公立小学。之后，为了进一步学习钢琴，我进入了一所艺术中学。在肖邦国际钢琴比赛中获胜后，我就读了汉诺威音乐和戏剧学院(Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media)。我的青少年时期留下很多珍贵的回忆。
Who was or still is your mentor?
你的导师是谁？
I’m grateful to all the teachers who have mentored me during my studies. I would not be where I am today without them, not just those who enlightened my interest in music, or Mr Dan who accompanied me to the Chopin Competition. I still keep in close touch with my teachers, and this Chinese new year I visited Mr Dan. Talking of those who had deeply influenced me, the one I must mention is Chopin. Though there’s 200 years between us, I can still feel him from his music.
我要感谢所有在我学习过程中指导过我的老师们。没有他们就没有今天的我，不仅是那些启蒙我对音乐兴趣的老师，也不仅是当年陪伴我参加肖邦国际钢琴比赛的但昭义先生。我依然和我的老师们保持着密切联系，今年春节我还给但老师拜了年。说到深深影响过我的人，有一个我不得不提的人，那就是肖邦。尽管我们之间相隔200年，我依然能从他的音乐中感受到他。
How physically fit are you?
你的身体健康状况怎么样？
I love jogging to keep fit.
我喜欢通过慢跑来健身。
Ambition or talent: which matters more to success?
志向和天资：哪个对成功更重要？
In my opinion, ambition and talent are of the same importance. Meanwhile, besides ambition and talent, keeping concentrated on what you’re doing is indispensable.
在我看来，志向和天资同等重要。同时，在这两项之外，对你正在做的事情保持专注也必不可少。
Have you ever taken an IQ test?
你有没有接受过智商测试？
I had an eye test when I was at school.
我在学校的时候测过视力。
Do you have more than one home?
你有不止一个住处吗？
I was born in Chongqing, and I still have many relatives there. Then I moved to Shenzhen for further study with my parents. Now I live in Beijing with my family, so yes.
我出生在重庆，现在依然有很多亲戚在那儿。后来为了进一步学习，我和父母搬到深圳。现在我和家人住在北京，所以答案是肯定的。
What would you like to own that you don’t currently possess?
什么是你现在没有、但又想拥有的？
The Anywhere Door from the Doraemon cartoon [which transports those who walk through it anywhere they would like to go] because I always travel a lot to give performances and it’s really tiring. It would be much easier if I had an Anywhere Door.
动画片《哆啦A梦》(Doraemon)中的任意门（通过这扇门能把你传送到任何想去的地方），因为我总是四处旅行演出，这真的令人疲倦。如果我有任意门就轻松多了。
What’s your biggest extravagance?
你最大的奢侈是什么？
Music! I love to collect original manuscripts.
音乐！我喜欢收集手稿。
In what place are you happiest?
你在哪里最开心？
Home is where I feel happiest.
我在家里最开心。
What ambitions do you still have?
你现在还有什么抱负？
To play all of Chopin’s works in my lifetime.
在我有生之年演奏肖邦所有的作品。
What drives you on?
是什么在驱使你前进？
My pursuit and love for music.
我对音乐的追求和热爱。
What is the greatest achievement of your life so far?
迄今为止，你人生中最重要的成就是什么？
To have become a role model for millions of kids who learn piano.
成为数百万学习钢琴的孩子的榜样。
What has been your greatest disappointment?
最让你失望的是什么？
I don’t have enough time with my family.
我没有足够的时间陪伴我的家人。
If your 20-year-old self could see you now, what would he think?
如果20岁的你能够看到现在的你，他会怎么想？
The 20-year-old me might want to know what I have achieved in music. I would be happy to tell him that I came to the Chopin Competition again, 10 years later, not as the youngest winner but as the youngest judge.
20岁的我也许会想知道我在音乐上取得了什么成就。我会很高兴的告诉他，我在10年后再次来到肖邦钢琴比赛，不是作为最年轻的获胜者，而是作为最年轻的评委。
If you lost everything tomorrow, what would you do?
如果你在明天失去了一切，你会做什么？
I wouldn’t be worried. If I can still play the piano, then I own everything.
我不会担心。只要我还能弹钢琴，我就拥有一切。
Do you believe in an afterlife?
你相信来生吗？
I pay much more attention to the here and now.
我对当下要关注得多。
If you had to rate your satisfaction with your life so far, out of 10, what would you score?
如果你要对自己迄今为止的人生的满意程度打分，满分为10分，你会打几分呢？
I’m always pursuing a 10.
我总在追求10分。
Yundi Li performs in Liverpool on April 9, in Southampton on April 15 and in London on April 19. ‘Chopin: Ballades’, is out now on Deutsche Grammophon;
李云迪将分别于4月12日在利物浦、4月15日在南安普敦，4月19日在伦敦举行演奏会。德意志留声机唱片公司(Deutsche Grammopho)现在已经发行李云迪的新专辑《Chopin: Ballades》(肖邦：叙事曲)；个人官网