引退する

マンチェスターＵやＲ・マドリードで活躍した元オランダ代表のルート・ファン・ニステルローイ選手が引退を表明しました。今季は昨シーズンリーグ11位だったマラガをクラブ初のＣＬ出場に導きました。

Ruud van Nistelrooy announces retirement
The former Netherlands international has made the decision not to extend his contract with Malaga, and will bring the curtains down on his playing career with immediate effect.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has announced his decision to hang up his boots this summer after opting not to renew his contract with Malaga.

The former Netherlands international had an expiring deal with the Andalusian side, and will not ink a new contract as he feels the time has come to end his active career.
"Yesterday I played the last match of my professional career. The time has come to hang up my boots. I have arrived at my physical limit and I can't play at the maximum level. I couldn't have had a better send-off than this," Van Nistelrooy stated at a press conference.

"I am proud to have won collective and individual titles. But my greatest satisfaction was to be able to work day after day, year after year.

"I want to thank all the clubs I've played for over the years for their support, plus my friends and family, who have supported me all these years. I would also like to thank the fans of all my clubs. They have been great."

The 35-year-old started playing professionally with Dutch Eerstedivisie side Den Bosch in 1993 before joining Heerenveen four years later.

After one season at the Friezen, Van Nistelrooy moved on to PSV, where he made it into the Dutch national team and eventually earned himself a lucrative transfer to Manchester United after three successful seasons in Eindhoven.

Van Nistelrooy immediately became a key figure at Old Trafford and netted 150 goals in 219 official appearances.

The prolific hitman then joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2006, where he won two Liga titles.

The Dutchman also enjoyed an 18-month spell at Hamburg, before eventually ending up at Malaga at the start of the 2011-12 campaign.

Van Nistelrooy made 70 international appearances for Netherlands, scoring 35 goals in the process. He featured at Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup and at Euro 2008. He scored 347 competitive goals in 588 official appearances in club football. He is currently the Champions League's second highest scorer with 56 strikes.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/462/netherlands/2012/05/14/3101935/ruud-van-nistelrooy-announces-retirement

今回の表現は全て「引退する」という意味のものです。

bring the curtain down on〜で「〜を終わりにする」という意味(ジーニアス英和辞典、第4版)です。この表現は主に新聞用語として用います。ここでは『現役生活に幕を下ろす』と意訳する事ができますでしょうか。

二つ目はhang up his bootsからです。hang upは「電話を切る」のほかにhang up one’s＋名詞で「《略式》〈(スポーツなど)の道具〉〜を使い収めにする」という意味(ibid)があります。
よって、テニス選手はracket、F1レーサーはhelmet、看護婦やパイロットはuniform、テレビの司会者はmicrophoneです。cf.http://www.wwltv.com/sports/Jim-Henderson-to-retire-as-WWL-TV-sports-director-136664833.html

最後、send-offは「(人が集まっての)見送り会、送別会」という意味（ibid)です。少し『引退』とはニュアンスは違いますが、上で述べたように彼はマラガにCL出場という最高のプレゼントを残し、引退するのでsend-offという単語を違和感なく使っています。

余談ですが、hang up microphoneという表現を目にした時、元歌手の山口百恵さんが引退コンサートの時にステージにマイクを置いて引退したというエピソードがなぜか頭に思い浮かんだEnDoughでした。(EnDough)