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A Big Hit in Taiwan 台湾强棒大热门

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Taiwan’s national baseball team, known as Chinese Taipei, secured a berth in the Olympic Games last November after impressive wins over China and South Korea in the 2003 Asia Baseball Championships. Relying on slugger Chen Ching-feng – the first Taiwanese player to make the American Major Leagues – and pitcher Chang Chih-chia, Taiwan will find itself once again competing at the highest level of international baseball.

台湾以「中华台北」知名的国家棒球队，在2003年11月亚洲杯棒球锦标赛里漂亮地胜过中国队和南韩队，赢得参加奥林匹克竞赛的一席资格。靠着打击手陈金锋──台湾第一位加入美国大联盟的球员──和投手张志家，台湾将在国际棒球界最高级的竞赛场中再度参加比赛。

Baseball in Taiwan has a rich history. Introduced by the Japanese as yakyu at the turn of the twentieth century, baseball became a way for Taiwanese to compete with their colonizers on a level playing field. And compete they did. Poorly equipped teams often defeated their Japanese rivals.

棒球在台湾的历史渊源很长。日本人在二十世纪初期把棒球引进台湾，日语称为「yakyu」，成为台湾人和统治者在平坦球场较量的一种方式。而且是地道的较量，装备比较差的台湾队伍经常打败对手日本人。

In the seventies, youth baseball took center stage as the Red Leaf team from Taidong captured Taiwan’s hearts by winning the Little League World Series; the Red Leaf’s championship is now honored on the NT$500 bill. This was the first of many amateur world championships for Taiwan, lifting both the spirits and the economy of the island in the midst of turbulent political times.

在七十年代，当台东的红叶少棒队赢得世界杯少棒锦标赛，掳获了全台民众的欢心时，青少棒成为关注的焦点；红叶队的冠军荣耀现在印在新台币五百元的钞票上作为纪念。这是台湾赢得许多业余冠军头衔的首次胜仗，在当年政治动荡的时代中，双双提升了台湾的士气与经济。

With the 2004 Athens Olympics, Taiwan is again poised for international glory. Chinese Taipei has already won bronze and silver medals at past Olympics, now it’s going for the gold.

迎向2004年雅典奥运，台湾再次向国际荣耀进军。中华台北在往昔奥林匹克竞赛中已经赢得银牌和铜牌的荣耀，这一回志在金牌了。

Vocabulary

单词发音

berth [bɝθ] n. 停泊处，锚位

slugger [ˋslʌgɚ] n.【口】打击力强的选手

the turn of the… century 世纪转变期

colonizer [ˋkɑlə͵naɪzɚ] n. 殖民地开拓者

take center stage 成为瞩目的焦点  to be the center of interest

bill [bɪl] n.【美】钞票

turbulent [ˋtɝbjələnt] adj. 动荡的；混乱的

poise [pɔɪz] v. 作好准备[（+for）]

Sentence of the Day

Taiwan had a field day when the Red Leafs beat Japan.

红叶队打败日本时，全台湾为之欢欣鼓舞。

have a field day  非常愉快

课文讲解

Trevor and Cindy are at a sports grills in Kaohsiung watching a baseball game:  崔佛和辛迪在高雄一处运动小吃店观看棒球赛：

C: Back, back, back, it’s gone! A home run! Wooohooo!

退后、退后、退后，超过界了！全垒打！哇噢！

T: I didn’t know that you got so pumped-up about baseball.

我不知道妳对棒球会这么激动。

C: Oh, sure! Since Chen Chin-feng made it to the Major Leagues, I watch every baseball game I can. Actually, my grandfather played for the Chiayi School of Agriculture Team back in ’31.

噢，当然！自从陈金锋加入大联盟成功，我尽可能每一场球赛都看。事实上，我祖父早在1931年只是嘉义农校时就打棒球校队了。

T: Wow! The team that took second place in the Pan-Japanese High School Tournament?! Cool. That was a defining moment in Taiwanese baseball.

哇！就是那队在甲子园全日本高校野球赛里拿下第二名的队伍吗？真酷。那可是台湾棒球历史性的一刻。

C: It sure was. But baseball seems even trendier since Taiwan clinched a spot in the Olympics.

的确。不过自从台湾在奥林匹克竞赛取得一席之地后，棒球似乎更热门了。

T: Thanks to Chang Chih-chia’s hot throwing arm! He sure took care of business in the qualifying rounds.

那要感谢张志家的投球铁臂！在资格赛中他把关的工作做得好。

C: Not only Chang, but also Chen’s heavy hitting. I love Chen. He’s Taiwan’s greater slugger.

不只张志家，还有陈金锋的强打。我喜欢死陈金峰了。他真是台湾最伟大的打击手。

T: Well, not quite. Sadaharu Oh hit 868 homers in Japan – that’s more than Hank Aaron hit! Oh’s father was Chinese, and Oh carries a Taiwanese passport.

不完全是。王贞治在日本击出868支全垒打──那比汉克阿伦还多！王贞治的爸爸是中国籍，而且王贞治有台湾护照。

C: No fooling? Well, Taiwan is really making a name for itself in international baseball. And this is on top of all its success in the little leagues.

真的吗？台湾可真是在国际棒赛中出人头地了。而这次可比小联盟中的头衔更为崇高。

T: But this time it’s the big one for Taiwan: bringing home the gold from Athens!

但是这一次对台湾的意义特别重大：要从雅典捧回金牌！

－by Mark Hamilton

Vocabulary

单词发音

grill [grɪl] n. 烧烤餐馆

pumped-up [pʌmpt 'ʌp] adj.  <非正式>十分兴奋的；非常热情的

tournament [ˋtɝnəmənt] n. 锦标赛；联赛

defining [dɪˋfaɪnɪŋ] adj. 决定性的

trendy [ˋtrɛndɪ] adj. 流行的

clinch [klɪntʃ] v. 在……中得胜；最终赢得

spot [spɑt] n. 职位

take care of business 负责  doing what one is meant to do

homer [ˋhomɚ] n.【美﹐非正式】〔棒球〕本垒打

make a name for oneself 成名; 出名 become well known, become famous

on top of 在…的顶部  higher in position, beyond

Sentence of the Day

The news about Cindy’s grandfather caught Trevor off base.

有关辛迪祖父的消息让崔佛感到意外。

off base【美】【口】毫无准备的; 出其不意,突然