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The Royal Game of Chess 西洋棋：王者之戏

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

The origins of chess are lost in the shadows of the pass. It is known that by about A.D. 500, people in India were playing a game called chaturanga which likely inspired the spread of chess across Persia, China, and – following the tenth-century Moorish invasion of Spain – Europe. Following nearly a millennium during which the names and movement of pieces varied somewhat, but overall changed remarkably little, chess reached its modern form in Italy at the end of the fifteenth century.

因为过去未有明载，西洋棋的来由已经不可考了。只知道公元500年左右，印度有人玩一种叫「恰突棱加」的游戏，这种游戏可能造成西洋棋传到波斯、中国，并在10世纪摩尔人侵犯西班牙后传到了欧洲。之后约一千年的时间，这种游戏的名称和玩法多少有些改变，不过大致上改变非常少。15世纪末，西洋棋在意大利成为如今的模样。

 

Chess, with such pieces as the king, queen, bishop, knight, castle, and pawn, symbolizes a medieval battlefield. With its unique demands of mathematical analysis, risk assessment, and strategy, chess has been described as a mental martial art. Traditionally, it was noblemen who played chess to sharpen their wits and sense of military strategy. The game still echoes the military practice of time past, as chess opponents offer no quarter whatsoever to the enemy during battle, yet temper their ruthlessness by adhering strictly to the rules of engagement.

西洋棋的棋子包括国王、皇后、主教、骑士、城堡和卒，这游戏象征中古时代的战场。西洋棋会有数学分析、风险评估和策略运用等独特需求，所以被视为是一种心灵的争战艺术。传统上，只有贵族玩西洋棋，藉以淬炼智慧和军事谋略。西洋棋的下法仍呼应过去那种军事演练的技巧，双方在对奕时出手绝不客气，但会严守游戏交战规则，不会不择手段。

 

Today, anyone can play. But it’s still strategies, predictions, strikes, and counter strikes which serve to capture an opponent’s pieces on the eight-by-eight black-and –white board that represents the archaic battlefields of centuries past.

如今，人人都可以玩西洋棋。但要在棋盘上吃掉对方的棋子用的仍不外乎是策略、预测、攻击和反击。这种八乘八六十四格、黑白相间的棋盘代表的是好几世纪前的古战场。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

chess [tʃɛs] n. 西洋棋

in the shadows of  在…阴影的笼罩下

Moorish [ˋmʊrɪʃ] adj. 摩尔人的；摩尔文化的

invasion [ɪnˋveʒən] n. 入侵，侵略

millennium [mɪˋlɛnɪəm] n. 1000年﹐千年期

bishop [ˋbɪʃəp] n.（西洋棋的）象，主教棋子（相当于中国象棋的象）

pawn [pɔn] n.（国际象棋中的）兵，卒

symbolize [ˋsɪmb!͵aɪz] v. 象征，标志

medieval [͵mɪdɪˋivəl] adj. 中世纪的；中古风的

assessment [əˋsɛsmənt] n. 评价﹐估计

echo [ˋɛko] v. 模仿; 仿效; （态度、观点或说法的）重复，附和

quarter [ˋkwɔrtɚ] n.（对敌人的）宽恕，饶命

no… whatsoever  丝毫不, 一点…也没有, 没有任何…

temper [ˋtɛmpɚ] v.【正式】使缓和

ruthlessness [ˋruθlɪsnɪs] n. 无情；冷酷；残忍

adhere [ədˋhɪr] v. 遵守；坚持[（+to）]

engagement [ɪnˋgedʒmənt] n. 交战；战斗

archaic [ɑrˋkeɪk] adj. 古代的，古老的

 

 

Sentence of the Day

Chess is a battle of wits.

西洋棋靠的是以智取胜。

 

 

 

课文讲解

 

The objective of chess is to trap your opponent’s king so that it is under attack, or in check, and may not move without being captured; this winning condition is called checkmate. A player faced with certain defeat my resign rather than face the ignobility of checkmate. Under special conditions, a game of chess may end in a tie known as a stalemate.

玩西洋棋的目的是要捉拿对方的国王，让它受攻击，或受牵制，不能动弹，一动就会被吃掉；这种胜券在握的情况，就叫做将军。奕者倘若面临某种挫败时，可以宣布弃赛，无须面对被将军的屈辱。在特殊状况下，棋赛有可能会以所谓的和局收场而不分胜负。

 

Each chess piece moves in a unique way. Castles, also called rooks, may move any number of squares and capture pieces along a straight line, and bishops do the same, but along diagonal lines. The queen is the most powerful piece because it moves and captures like the castle and bishop combined. Likewise, the king may move and capture in any direction, but may only move one square per turn. Pawns are unusual because they may move forward only one square each turn, yet must capture in a diagonally forward direction. Most unusual of all, knights move three squares in any direction in an L-shape and do not capture the pieces they over. This eccentric movement makes the knight an unpredictable, deadly piece.

西洋棋的每个棋子都以自己独特的方式行进。城堡也称为车，走直线，一步无论走几格都行，可以吃掉行进路线上的棋子。主教也是如此，只不过走的是斜线。皇后是最重要的一个棋，因为它的行进和吃子方式有如城堡加上主教。同样地，国王也能向任何方向行进和吃子，但是一次只能移动一格。卒是颗特殊的棋子，因为一次只能行进一格，但却只能吃位于前方对角在线的棋子。最特殊的是，骑士行进的路线是任何方向、只要L形都可以，但一次走三格，而且行进中碰到的棋子都不能吃。这颗怪异的行进方式，使骑士成为一颗难以预测的可怕棋子。

 

Chess can be confusing at first, but with practice, you’ll be plotting your opponent’s downfall in no time.

刚开始下西洋棋时，很容易搞混，不过多练习之后，你很快就能想出打败对方的妙计了。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

trap [træp] v. 设陷阱捕捉

in check（象棋中）（敌方主帅）处于被将军地位

checkmate [ˋtʃɛkˋmet] v. & n.〔国际象棋中的〕将军﹐将死〔王棋被将死的位置〕

resign [rɪˋzaɪn] v. 放弃，辞去

ignobility [͵ɪgnoˋbɪlətɪ] n. 卑贱，不体面; 可耻

stalemate [ˋstel͵met] n.〔国际象棋的〕和棋

rook [rʊk] n.〔国际象棋中的〕车

diagonal [daɪˋægən!] adj. 对角线的; 斜的；斜纹的

eccentric [ɪkˋsɛntrɪk] adj.〔行为或装束〕怪异的﹐古怪的

deadly [ˋdɛdlɪ] adj. 致命的

plot [plɑt] v. 密谋，策划

downfall [ˋdaʊn͵fɔl] n. 垮台, 陷落

in no time 很快；立即  almost instantly; immediately.

 

 

Sentence of the Day

In chess, if you paint yourself into a corner, the game is over.

在西洋棋里，如果你被逼到死角，就没戏唱了。

 

paint oneself into a corner  使自己陷入困境

 

 

 

 

课文讲解

 

Kevin and Jenny, a novice, are playing a game of chess:  凯文和珍妮正在下西洋棋，珍妮是个生手：

 

K: Remember, chess has three distinct phases: the opening, middlegame, and endgame. In the opening, we tried to control the middle of the board.

记住，西洋棋有三个不同的阶段：开局、中局和残局。在开局时，我们会尽量控制棋盘的中间地带。

 

J: Right. So I got out my strong pieces and tried to dominate the middle.

好。那我就精锐尽出，来控制盘面中央了。

 

K: But you exposed your queen too soon, so I captured her. In the opening, you should try to advance with knights and pawns, but hold back your queen.

但是妳太快就亮出皇后，所以让我逮到了。在开局时，妳应该先走骑士和卒，皇后先按兵不动。

 

J: OK, but I think you just got lucky there.

没问题，不过我认为刚才你只是运气好。

 

K: There’s absolutely no luck in chess – both sides start exactly equal.

下西洋棋绝没有运气好这回事──双方交战之初是完全平等的。

 

J: I know … I was kidding. My offensive must be working because I’ve captured six of your pieces.

我知道…我在开玩笑。我的攻势一定是奏效了，因为我已经吃了你六颗棋子了。

 

K: But they’re all pawns, which are much less valuable than the pieces I’ve captured. And now your king is in check.

但它们全都是卒，重要性远比我吃的棋子差得多。现在妳的国王被我牵制住了。

 

J: Damn! That’s OK. I can block your check while I line up my coup de grâce!

真该死！算了。等我布好局使出杀手鐗时，就能突破你的牵制了！

 

K: Now, we’re moving into the endgame. In the endgame, the king becomes important for offense and your pawns are mostly trying to get to the opposite side of the board.

现在，我们快要到残局了。在残局时，就攻击面而言国王非常重要，而且要尽量把卒推进到对方的地盘去。

 

J: Because if my pawn reaches your end, it becomes any piece, right?

因为如果我的卒抵达你那方的最后一排，就可变成任何一颗棋，对不对？

 

K: Any piece at all.

没错，任何一颗棋。

 

J: Well, here I go then.

那么，看这招啰。

 

K: Not a chance: checkmate.

门都没有，将军。

 

－by Nick Wheeler

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

novice [ˋnɑvɪs] n. 新手，初学者

dominate [ˋdɑmə͵net] v. 支配，控制

expose [ɪkˋspoz] v. 使暴露于

advance [ədˋvæns] v. 前进；向前移动

hold back 储备; 保留

offensive [əˋfɛnsɪv] n. 进攻，攻势

line up（使）整队

coup de grâce 【法】致命之一击；任何最后（或决定性）之一击 the blow that kills

offense [əˋfɛns] n. 进攻，攻击

 

 

Sentence of the Day

“Beginner’s luck” does not apply to chess.

西洋棋里没有「新手好运」这一套。

 

beginner’s luck  新手的好运气