有声英文阅读-敢冲敢抢橄榄球

The Rough,Tough World Of Rugby
敢冲敢抢橄榄球

To the uninitiated, rugby is a game in which a bunch of powerfully built men throw themselves at one another in pursuit of an oval ball. In fact, this ancestor of modern American and Canadian football can seem more like an organized brawl¹ than a highly technical sport with a complex set of rules. Apart from its sometimes chaotic² demeanor³, rugby is also unusual among modern sports in that its origins can be traced back to a single, seminal⁴ event.

In 1823, during a soccer game at the prestigious⁵ Rugby School in central England, one of the players impulsively⁶ picked up the ball and ran with it. The way soccer was played in those days, William Webb Ellis' rash action was practically suicidal. But his novel approach was taken up by other students, who went on to develop a new style of football. Known as Rugby football, it mainly involved throwing and running with the ball rather than kicking it.

The game grew in popularity, and in 1871, the Rugby Union was formed in London. It drew up the modern rules for a 15-a-side game using an oval ball. Nowadays, rugby is played in more than 80 countries around the world. As for William Webb Ellis, his spirit lives on. His name has been given to the trophy⁷ awarded to the winners of the quadrennial Rugby World Cup tournament.

For young men in New Zealand, the pinnacle⁸ of sporting achievement is widely reckoned to be donning the famous black uniform of the national rugby team. Ever since 1905, when the first officially sanctioned New Zealand touring team swept aside all opposition⁹ on a tour of Britain, the fearsome All Blacks have retained an aura of invincibility¹⁰ that has rarely been overcome.

Such is the reputation of the All Blacks that some believe they gain a psychological advantage over their opponents the moment they step out onto the playing field. If such an advantage really exists, it can only be enhanced when, as tradition dictates¹¹, the team performs the celebrated¹² haka before the match kicks off.

Haka is the generic¹³ term for a traditional dance of the Maori people. Its connection with the game of rugby goes back to the late 19th century, when the New Zealand Native Team performed one on an unofficial tour of Britain. Nowadays, the haka is still led by a player of Maori descent whenever and wherever the All Blacks take the field.

While recent years have seen the All Blacks struggling to match their past successes, the emergence¹⁴ of skillful professionals such as Tongan-born winger Jonah Lomu ensures that the famous black jersey¹⁵ with the silver fern on the left breast is still able to instill awe¹⁶ in opponents and spectators alike.

对新西兰的年轻人来说，运动生涯的最高成就，就是能穿上那套出名的橄榄球国家代表队的黑色制服。自从1905年 第一支正式批准的新西兰代表队远征英伦巡回比赛，横扫所有对手，大获全胜以来，这支令人生畏的“全黑队”就保持了几乎不可战胜的气势。

这就是“全黑队”的名声，有些人认为，他们走上球场的那一刻，就在心理上压倒了对手。如果这样的优势真的存在，当这支队伍在传统的指引下，在比赛前跳起著名的“哈卡”舞，这种优势才能得到加强。

“哈卡”是毛利人一种传统舞蹈的通称。它与橄榄球运动的联系可以追溯到19世纪末，新西兰土著球队队在英国各地进行非正式比赛期间表演了这种舞蹈。现在，不论何时何地，只要“全黑队”比赛，就仍会有一名毛利人后裔球员带 头跳“哈卡”舞。

近几年，“全黑队”努力想恢复旧日荣光，球技超群的职业球员如：汤加出生的侧翼大将乔纳·洛姆等一一出现， 则可以保证：这件著名的左胸前镶有银蕨（注：新西兰的国徽）的黑色球衣，还是能让敌手胆战心惊、让观众肃然起敬的。
 
在外行的眼中，橄榄球赛只不过是一大群身材健壮的男人相互冲撞推挤，为了一颗椭圆形的球你争我夺。事实上， 这个现代美加地区“美式足球”的始祖，看起来更像是一场有组织的争吵，而不像是遵循复杂规则、讲究高度技巧的运动。与其他现代运动相比较，橄榄球的不寻常之处，除了屡见不鲜的混乱场面，也在于它的起源，它可已追溯到某一重要的事件。

1823年，一场英格兰中部享有盛名的拉格公学(Rugby School)举行的足球赛中，一名球员一时冲动，把球拿起来带着跑。以当时的足球玩法，威廉·韦伯·艾利斯的鲁莽行动无疑是“自寻死路”。但他的这种新打法竟被其他学生接过来，继而发展成一种新式的足球--被称为橄榄球(Rugby football)，它以传球和带球跑为主，而不去踢球。

这项运动日见普及，到1871年，“橄榄球联盟”在伦敦成立，拟定了现代的规则：每一队15人，使用椭圆形球比赛。现今，世界上有80多个国家举行橄榄球赛。

至于艾利斯本人，他的精神永存。四年一次的世界杯橄榄球锦标赛的奖杯就是以“威廉·韦伯·艾利斯杯”命名的。

1 brawl   

n.大声争吵，喧嚷；v.吵架，对骂

参考例句：

• They had nothing better to do than brawl in the street.他们除了在街上斗殴做不出什么好事。
• I don't want to see our two neighbours engaged in a brawl.我不希望我们两家吵架吵得不可开交。

2 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

3 demeanor   

n.行为；风度

参考例句：

• She is quiet in her demeanor.她举止文静。
• The old soldier never lost his military demeanor.那个老军人从来没有失去军人风度。

4 seminal   

adj.影响深远的；种子的

参考例句：

• The reforms have been a seminal event in the history of the NHS.这些改革已成为英国国民保健制度史上影响深远的一件大事。
• The emperor's importance as a seminal figure of history won't be diminished.做为一个开创性历史人物的重要性是不会减弱的。

5 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

6 impulsively   

adv.冲动地

参考例句：

• She leant forward and kissed him impulsively. 她倾身向前，感情冲动地吻了他。
• Every good, true, vigorous feeling I had gathered came impulsively round him. 我的一切良好、真诚而又强烈的感情都紧紧围绕着他涌现出来。

7 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

8 pinnacle   

n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰

参考例句：

• Now he is at the very pinnacle of his career.现在他正值事业中的顶峰时期。
• It represents the pinnacle of intellectual capability.它代表了智能的顶峰。

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 invincibility   

n.无敌，绝对不败

参考例句：

• The myth of his and Nazi invincibility had been completely destroyed. 过去他本人之神奇传说，以及纳粹之不败言论，至此乃完全破灭。 来自辞典例句
• Our image of invincibility evaporated. 我们战无不胜的形象化为泡影了。 来自辞典例句

11 dictates   

n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation. 依照常规部长在这种情况下应该辞职。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He always follows the dictates of common sense. 他总是按常识行事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

13 generic   

adj.一般的，普通的，共有的

参考例句：

• I usually buy generic clothes instead of name brands.我通常买普通的衣服，不买名牌。
• The generic woman appears to have an extraordinary faculty for swallowing the individual.一般妇女在婚后似乎有特别突出的抑制个性的能力。

14 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

15 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

16 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。