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Sudoku: Number Crunching Fun 玩弄数字，疯数独

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In recent years, the Sudoku craze has swept the globe. The beauty of this number puzzle ___1___ not only in the mental challenge it provides, but also in its pure simplicity. Sudoku is presented on a grid ___2___ of nine 3-by-3 sub-grids. The player must complete the grid with numbers ranging from 1 to 9. Yet each of the numbers can only be used once in each column, row, and sub-grid.

近年来，数独狂热横扫全球。这种数字字谜的迷人之处，就是除了能够挑战脑力之外，更在其规则的简易。数独以9个3×3的方块呈现，玩家必须以1到9这些数字填满空格，不过同一栏、同一列、同一个九宫格中，每一个数字只能出现1次。

The puzzle initially appeared in an American magazine in 1979, but much of the ___3___ for its current boom must go to Japan’s “Father of Sudoku,” Mr. Maki Kaji. It was the combination of Kaji’s refinements and his nation’s passion for puzzles ___4___ helped Sudoku really took off in Japan.

1979年，数独首度面世，出现在美国一本杂志上，然而目前之所以如此流行，大部分得归功于日本「数独之父」鍜治真起先生。由于鍜治改良数独，再加上日本人对字谜的热爱，数独在日本才风行起来。

In 1997, retired Hong Kong judge Wayne Gould, a New Zealander, caught the Sudoku bug while visiting Japan. ___5___ the next few years, he developed a Sudoku-generating computer program. Then in 2004, he persuaded a major British newspaper to publish his puzzles. The worldwide Sudoku explosion quickly followed. Now, countless publications around the world feature daily puzzles, and it has also ___6___ TV shows, websites, and even versions on handheld video game players.

1997年，退休的纽西兰籍香港法官韦恩．古德于访日期间迷上数独。随后数年内，他开发出可产生数独游戏的计算机程序，并于2004年说服英国某大报刊登其字谜。数独热转眼间风靡全球。如今全球有数不清的刊物每天刊登数独作为号召，同时还衍生出电视节目、网站，甚至还有掌上型电玩的版本。

Sudoku certainly has people of all ages ___7___. Just recently, a legal trial in Australia had to be abandoned when it was discovered that several members of the jury had been playing Sudoku instead of listening to evidence!

不分老少的确都为数独而着迷。就在最近，澳洲一起审判案被迫中止，因为法庭发现，陪审团有几名成员大玩数独，根本没专心听证词！

−by Claire Tyrrel

Vocabulary

单词发音

initially [ɪˋnɪʃəlɪ] adv. 最初；开头

combination [͵kɑmbəˋneʃən] n. 结合

publish [ˋpʌblɪʃ] v. 出版；发行

explosion [ɪkˋsploʒən] n. 剧增

abandon [əˋbændən] v. 放弃，中止

More Information

单词发音

Sudoku  数独（源自日语，一种填数字益智游戏）

craze [krez] n.（一时的）狂热；风尚

not only ...., but also... 不仅...而且...

grid [grɪd] n. 格子

boom [bum] n. 繁荣; 兴旺

refinement [rɪˋfaɪnmənt] n. 精细的改进

take off【口】(指观念、产品等)突然大受欢迎 to suddenly succeed

catch the something bugs 迷上... to become infected by an intense enthusiasm (for something)".

persuade [pɚˋswed] v. 说服，劝服

publication [͵pʌblɪˋkeʃən] n. 出版物；刊物

trial [ˋtraɪəl] n. 审问，审判

jury [ˋdʒʊrɪ] n. 陪审团

credit [ˋkrɛdɪt] n. 功劳

bring in 产生, 收获, 挣得 to produce, yield, or earn

lead to 导致

obsessed [əbˋsɛst] adj. 着迷的，一门心思的

Answer