ChineSe Table Tennis 国球雄风

dialogue 1
 
Naja: Ping-pong must be the top-ranking popular sport in China. It seems to me in everyschool, factory, army unit, or residential area, men and women. young and old, are
 swingins paddlcs.
 乓球一定是中国人最爱玩的运动。貌似在每一所掣校、军队机关、和居民区，男男女女、老老少少都在挥拍击球．
 
Uu: You got it! In a sense， it has become a byword for Chinesc sport.
 这你可说对啦。乒乓球简直就是中国体育的代名词
 
N: What do you tbink might be the source of its popularity?
 你觉得它为什么会这么流行昵？
 
L: I think its critical advantage lies in its low cost. A1l you nced is a racket, a table and a light. celluloid ball.Tablcs are usually available in public recrcation ares, like mncss rooms. and outdoor playgrounds...
 我猜-它的最大优点是便宜。你只需要一块球拍、一张球台，加上—只轻飘飘的赛璐璐做的小球。在公共体闲蜗所，如健身房和户外操场，总能找到一两张球台的．
 
N: And somctimes a substitute tablc can be madc out of a fh desks.
 有时候，几张桌子一拼，就是-张简易球台？
 
L Put it there! In senior high schools, wc used to play on desks in tbc classroom,who no vacant tables wereaVailablc. Likewise. the ticket may take a varicty of forms, too.
 Anything that resemblcs a racket, from a plank to cardboard or cvcn a hardcover book, may be used as a racket.
 太对了I读高中的时候，球台被别人占用了，我们就经常在教室里拼起课桌来打，同样，我们用的球拍也是五花八门．只要看着像块球拍，管它是木板还是纸板，或者是一本硬皮的书，都可以拿来做球拍．
 
N: Haha thcese are very good innovations. All tll these bespeak the public's fondness for the sport
 哈哈，多好的创意啊．这都说明人们爱好这项运动。
 
L: Yeah, the sport is affordable and accessible to every Tom, Dick and Jane in this dcvcloping country. No wonder cven the statc leaders arc known to be keen on it.
 是的．中国还是个发展中国家，乒乓球是大伙儿都玩得起昀运动，国家领导人也都爱玩．
 
N: I know President Hu Jintao likes playing ping-pong.
 我知道，胡主席也爱打乒乓球。
 
L Actually, he exccls in it. Chairman Mao, too, encouragcd the whoIe nation to play ping-pong as a part of me nationwide bodybuildin8 campaign.
 实际上．他也很擅长．毛主席当年曾鼓励全国人民打乒乓球．作为“全民健身计划”的一部分。
 
N: I sec. There was also the famous ping pong diplomacy", wasn't there?
 我明白了．历史上还有著名的“乒乓外交一，对吧？
 
dialogue 2
 
N: At the Bcijing Olympics, all four table tennis cVcnts were all-Chinese finals. A clean sweep againl
 北京奥运会土，乒乓球所有四个单项比赛的冠亚军都是中国选手，中固队又来了一次包揽!
 
L YeS. All international ping-pon8 tournamcnts have become a demonstration of Chinese supremacy in the sport.
 是的，任何一项国际乒乓球比赛项目都是中国队展现实力的舞台．
 
N: Do you know of any secrets to China's success?
 你看中国队成功的秘诀在哪儿呢？
 
L: In the first place, I think the whole nation is just fond of the game. It is wcll grounded with the mass. With huge numbers of people playing ping-pong, we can always spot a handful of potential world champions.
 我想，这首先是因为全固上下都热爱这项运动，在老百姓当中有着雄厚的基础．只要有大量的人在打乒乓球，我们总是能发掘一批潜在的世界冠军的。
 
N: So, the national ping-pong team must bc a highly competitiVc membership.
 阻家乒乓球队一定是个竞争非常激烈的地方吧．
 
L: Sure.There is a careful mechanism for selecting players from provincial tf:ams, and those lucky dogs have to observc strict rules.
 那当然．从省队选拔运动员到国家队时，我们有着一套极为严密的机制。而且即使有幸被吸收进了围家队，运动员们也必须遵守一些非常严格的纪律。
 
N: Forcxample?
 比如说？
 
L They are subject to hard training. And you know what, for a pIaycr on the national team,pcrsonal affairs are supposed to take a back seat to training and competition8.I hcy are noteven allowed to talk rclationships with each other.
 他们必须接受高强度训练。而且，你知道吗，对于一名国家队的队员，个人私事必须让位于训练和比赛，他们之间甚至不允许谈恋爱．
 
N: Oh, dear! It's an cncroachmcnt on individual rights!
 天哪！这可是侵犯个人权利啊。
 
L Well, ping-pong is our national sport, and we just have to kcep winning one honor after another. That's why many people think such rulcs acccptable. Afler all, tbcy are fundcdout of taxpayers'money.
 嗯，可以这么说，不过，乒乓球是我们的国球，我们不得不不停地夺取荣誉，所以对这些规定，许多人还是觉得理所应当．毕竟，国家队是用纳税人的饯养着的.