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Tennis: The King of Games 网球：球赛之王

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

The humble origins of the grand game of tennis lie in the monasteries of thirteenth-century France. Originally, the game was played indoors by monks, who hit a ball with their bare hands. Later, tennis spread from the cloister to the castle when it became popular with the European aristocracy. The upper class played the game with racquets on spacious outdoor lawns, and it became the genteel pastime of the idle rich.

网球这项伟大运动的略史起自于法国13世纪的修道院。最初，修士在室内从事这项运动，空着手来击球。后来，当它受到欧洲贵族的欢迎，网球就从修道院传到了城堡里。上流社会在户外宽敞的草地上用球拍打球，从而网球便成为有钱有闲阶级展现礼教的消遣。

Today, tennis is no longer just a game for aristocrats. It has evolved into an immensely popular sport played by millions of people around the world. Professional players dedicated their lives to the game, and strive for their shot at millions of dollars in prize money. Competition is fierce in the world of professional tennis, and dominating the courts takes power, practice, and skill.

现今，网球不再只是贵族的运动，它已经在全世界广受数百万人的欢迎。职业选手全心投入这项运动，竭尽所能去争取数百万美元的奖金。职业网坛的竞争激烈，要想主宰球场就得靠力量、练习和技巧。

Top male and female professional tennis players are ranked by the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), respectively. Every year, these world-class players vie for victory in tennis’ Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, the U.S. Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon in England. Because of the immense prestige awarded Grand Slam victors, these events are prime opportunities to see star players in action.

顶尖的职业网球男女选手的排名分别由ATP（职业网球协会）和WTA（女子网球协会）来统计。世界级的选手每年在网球的大满贯赛事中争夺锦标：澳洲公开赛，美国公开赛，法国公开赛，以及温布尔登公开赛。因为夺得大满贯冠军会带来莫大的声誉，所以在这些竞赛场上最有机会看到明星级选手的剽悍身影。

Vocabulary

单词发音

monastery [ˋmɑnəs͵tɛrɪ] n.（男子的）修道院；僧院

monk [mʌŋk] n. 修道士；僧侣

bare [bɛr] adj. 光秃秃的

cloister [ˋklɔɪstɚ] n. 修道院

aristocracy [͵ærəsˋtɑkrəsɪ] n.（总称）贵族

racquet [ˋrækɪt] n. 球拍

spacious [ˋspeʃəs] adj. 宽敞的﹐广阔的; 广大的

genteel [dʒɛnˋtil] adj.【过时】上流社会的

pastime [ˋpæs͵taɪm] n. 消遣；娱乐

idle [ˋaɪd!] adj. 不工作的；闲置的；空闲的

immensely [ɪˋmɛnslɪ] adv. 【口】非常，很

dominate [ˋdɑmə͵net] v. 处于支配地位，拥有压倒优势

association [ə͵sosɪˋeʃən] n. 协会，公会

respectively [rɪˋspɛktɪvlɪ] adv. 分别地，各自地

vie [vaɪ] v. 争；竞争[（+with/for）]

tournament [ˋtɝnəmənt] n. 比赛；锦标赛；联赛

prestige [prɛsˋtiʒ] n. 威望﹐声望﹐威信

prime [praɪm] adj. 主要的；首位的; 最好的

Sentence of the Day

You can have a ball playing tennis.

打网球可以让你玩得很尽兴。

have a ball 狂欢; 尽情享乐

课文讲解

Holly has been teaching Marshall to play tennis:  荷莉最近一直在教马歇尔打网球：

M: You really kicked my butt today! How long have you been playing tennis?

妳今天真是操死我了！妳打网球多久了？

H: Fifteen years. My father began teaching me the game when I was pretty young.

15年。我爸在我很小的时候开始教我打。

M: You shouldn’t be wasting time with beginners like me. Why don’t you try to go professional?

妳实在不用花时间在我这种菜鸟身上。妳何不去当职业选手呢？

H: Well, I’m not nearly big or strong enough to compete professionally.

要打职赛我还不够壮硕。

M: Big? Strong? I thought tennis was all about grace and poise, not brute force.

壮硕？我以为网球讲的是优雅和沉着，而不是蛮力。

H: That used to be the true. But today’s top players are the ones that have grace and poise, and can smash the ball with real power.

以前是的。但现在的顶尖选手不仅优雅沉着，也可以很强劲地击球。

M: Like the Williams sisters? They’re built like tanks and could probably destroy any man who stepped onto the court for a match.

就像威廉斯姐妹？她们真是高大健壮，而且大概可以痛宰任何站上球场和她们挑战的男人。

H: That powerful build is a big part of how Venus and Serena dominate women’s tennis. When I watch them on TV, I’m glad it isn’t me trying to return their serves!

维纳斯和丝蕊纳可以主宰女网的一个主要因素是她们壮硕的体格。当我看电视转播的比赛时，我很庆幸要回她们发球的不是我。

M: For sure. Yet, some players have succeeded in tennis without size and power.

当然，不过，有些选手在网坛不靠肌肉和力量也能闯出一片天。

H: Yeah, like Anna Kournikova. In her case, it’s advertising dollars, not tennis titles, that have made her rich.

是啊，像安娜库妮可娃。就她的例子来看，她是靠广告收入而非网球奖金成为多金女。

M: Rich and beautiful! She can knock me around the courts anytime!

有钱又美丽！她随时可以在球场上蹂躏我！

－by Patrick M. O’Boyle

Vocabulary

单词发音

kick one’s butt 教训某人一番，给某人一点颜色看看

grace [gres] n. 优美；优雅

poise [pɔɪz] n. 沉着，自信，沈静，安静

brute [brut] adj. 蛮横的

smash [smæʃ] v.【网】杀球

built like a tank slang 身强体壮

build [bɪld] n. 体格；体型

serve [sɝv] n. 发球（权）

Sentence of the Day

The Williams sisters are on the ball.

威廉丝姐妹的学习及反应能力很强。

on the ball 机警, 高明, 敏锐的