经济学人90:萁与豆 Shock and oar

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　　文艺；书评；牛津-剑桥划艇赛；萁与豆；

　　Blood Over Water: Oxford Versus³ Cambridge. One Race. Two Brothers. Only One Winner. By David and James Livingston;

　　《水上血战：牛津—剑桥划艇赛》；利维斯顿家的大卫和詹姆斯著。

　　Sibling⁴ rivalry⁵ has many famous examples. Cain and Abel, Linus and Lucy, Liam and Noel. Less well-known, but no less competitive, are David and James Livingston, two brothers who, in April 2003, raced on opposite sides in the Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race, one of the toughest sporting challenges in the world.

　　同室操戈有很多典故。该隐和亚伯，莱纳斯和露西，里昂和诺埃尔。名气小点的，竞争却一点也不小的，是利维斯顿家的大卫和詹姆斯。2003年4月这两兄弟在牛津和剑桥大学划艇赛中正好各为其主。这项赛事激烈艰苦，世上已属罕见。

　　“Blood Over Water”, published to coincide with the 155th boat race on March 29th, tells in alternating narratives⁶ the story of how the brothers' quest for victory turned them into enemies. Providing context is the broader tale of the historic rowing competition between two prestigious⁷ universities.

　　《水上血战》3月29日出版，恰逢第155届划艇赛。该书交替讲述两兄弟如何争相夺冠乃至反目成仇。故事背景是两大名校载入史册的划艇赛。

　　The first boat race took place in 1829 on the River Thames at Henley in Oxfordshire and was the culmination⁸ of an idea of Charles Merivale, a Cambridge student, and his Harrow schoolmate Charles Wordsworth (nephew of poet William), at Oxford. The event was such a success—newspapers of the day reported crowds of 20,000—that Henley decided⁹ to organise¹⁰ its own (now famous) regatta and the boat race moved to Westminster in London. By 1845, with Westminster too crowded, the race moved up river to Putney. Today it still runs four-and-a-quarter miles (6.8km) from Putney to Mortlake and, despite being in the public eye for just one day each year, attracts a global audience of around 120m.

　　1829年第一次划艇赛在牛津郡亨里镇的泰晤士河上举行。此事源自剑桥学生查尔斯·梅里瓦勒和他以前哈罗公学的同学，牛津学生查尔斯·沃兹沃斯（诗人威廉·沃兹沃斯的侄子）的突发奇想。这项赛事竟大获成功，据当天报纸报道，有多达两万人围观，以至亨里镇决定组织自家的划艇赛（如今已享盛名），而原来的划艇赛移至伦敦的西敏寺。到了1845年，因西敏寺人满为患，赛事又转至上游的普特利。今日赛程依旧4.25英里（6.8公里），从普特利划至莫特雷克，虽然比赛一年仅有一天，但仍在全球吸引了一亿两千万上下的观众。

　　Training is brutal¹¹. For seven months potential crews (each with eight oarsmen and a cox) undergo two intense sessions every day, one on the water and one on indoor rowing machines or ergometers. Over that time they put in two hours' work for each of the 600 strokes they will take in the race. As they train, hearts race at over 200 beats a minute; lactic¹² acid builds to stinging levels in muscles; fragile capillaries¹³ burst in the lungs. To combat the physical demands made on them oarsmen must consume 6,000 calories a day, more than twice the normal daily requirement for men. All of this must be balanced against the demands of tutors, supervisions, essays, exams and long-suffering girlfriends.

　　赛事训练惨无人道。预备队员（每队八位划桨手一位舵手）每天承受两次高强度训练达七月之久，一次在水上，另一次在室内划艇设备或测功机上。期间队员花两个小时腿蹬臂拉，做满全程比赛的六百次划桨动作。训练中心脏每分钟跳两百多次；乳酸暴增教肌肉如遭芒刺；脆弱的毛刺血管在肺部炸裂。为达到体能要求划桨手每日需消耗六千卡路里，高出正常水平一倍有余。还得在导师、督导、论文、考试和长年受苦的女友间折冲樽俎，权衡轻重。

　　“Blood Over Water” stands out from the mass of sporting memoirs¹⁴ thanks to the authors' open portrayal¹⁵ of their relationship as the build-up to the race intensifies¹⁶. David, the younger by three years, speaks unashamedly of his struggle to keep up with the high-achieving James, his emotions swinging from pride and love to envy and hate. James dreads¹⁷ failure and is consumed by the fear that his kid brother might beat him at his chosen endeavour. As race day approaches the two opposing camps eat meals at opposite ends of the family kitchen, communication is reduced to curt¹⁸ nods, and the feeling of brotherhood¹⁹ is replaced by one of hostility²⁰.

　　《水上血战》从众多体育回忆录中脱颖而出，归功于两位作者坦然描述自准备阶段到赛事白热化的兄弟情谊。小三岁的大卫毫无顾忌地述说赶上高水平詹姆斯的奋斗史，情感或爱慕有加，或嫉恨如狂。詹姆斯极惧失败，生怕被弟弟在他为之奋斗的事业上击败，这念头搞得他心力憔悴。赛事临近，两兄弟在家里厨房相对而坐一起吃饭，闲聊不再，日渐寡言，手足之情让位给敌我戒备。

　　The irony²¹ of it all is that when Oxford wins the race, by one foot—a 0.0043% difference over the length of the course and the smallest margin²² on record—the younger man's joy is tinged²³ with guilt²⁴ at taking away his brother's dream. Proof indeed, that blood is thicker than water.

　　可笑最后牛津获胜时，差距仅为一英尺，即比赛全程的0.0043%，立马创了记录。弟弟欣喜之余，不免内疚横刀夺走兄长梦想。毕竟，血浓于水。

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