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@ 40855 Ping Pong Nation
A 中國的乒乓為什麼會那麼好？
Zhōngguó de pīngpāng wèishénme huì nàme hǎo?
Why is China so good at ping pong?
B 新中國的第一個世界冠軍就是乒乓。所以一夜間，全國人民都迷上了乒乓，它也成了國球。
xīnzhōngguó de dì yī ge shìjiè guànjūn jiùshì pīngpāng. suǒyǐ yīyèjiān, quánguó rénmín dōu míshàng le pīngpāng, tā yě chéng le guóqiú .
The first world champion that the PRC produced was in ping pong. So overnight, everyone became fascinated with ping pong. It has become the national game.
A 我爸爸說當時在學校搬張課桌就打球，夢想以後為國爭光。我估計乒乓在中國發展起來的另一個原因就是參與起來方便。
wǒ bàba shuō dāngshí zài xuéxiào bān zhāng kèzhuō jiù dǎqiú, mèngxiǎng yǐhòu wèi guó zhēngguāng. wǒ gūjì pīngpāng zài Zhōngguó fāzhǎn qǐlái de lìng yī ge yuányīn jiùshì cānyù qǐlái fāngbiàn.
My dad said at that time, they were playing ball on their school desks, dreaming of bringing glory to their country. I reckon ping pong in China began to develop for the reason that it is pretty easy to participate in.
B 對啊，群眾基礎好，自然能選到最好的運動員和教練員。加上國家大力支持，怪不得中國乒乓一直是世界第一。
duì a, qúnzhòng jīchǔ hǎo, zìrán néng xuǎndào zuì hǎo de yùndòngyuán hé jiàoliànyuán. jiāshàng guójiā dàlì zhīchí, guàibude Zhōngguó pīngpāng yīzhí shì shìjiè dì yī.
Yeah, it enjoys the popular support, so of course they are able to select the best athletes and coaches. On top of that, the state supports it vigorously, so no wonder China is always first in the world in ping pong.
A 對中國人來說，乒乓早就超越了運動本身，它代表了民族尊嚴。冷戰時期，中國和外界的接觸很少，好多運動都受到抵制不能開展。只有乒乓球能讓我們跟國外交流。
duì zhōngguórén láishuō, pīngpāng zǎo jiù chāoyuè le yùndòng běnshēn, tā dàibiǎo le mínzú zūnyán. lěngzhàn shíqī, Zhōngguó hé wàijiè de jiēchù hěn shǎo, hǎo duō yùndòng dōu shòudào dǐzhì bùnéng kāizhǎn. zhǐyǒu pīngpāngqiú néng ràng wǒmen gēn guówài jiāoliú.
For Chinese people, ping pong is more than just a sport, it represents their ethnic dignity. During the cold war, China had little contact with foreign countries, as many banned them from participating in international competitions, and therefore were unable to develop other sports. Ping pong was the only sport that allowed us to interact with other countries.
B 乒乓還有很重要的歷史地位呢。當時不是有乒乓外交嗎？它可是促進中美建交的破冰事件。
pīngpāng hái yǒu hěn zhòngyào de lìshǐ dìwèi ne. dāngshí bù shì yǒu pīngpāng wàijiāo ma? tā kěshì cùjìn Zhōng Měi jiànjiāo de pòbīng shìjiàn.
Ping pong also has a very important historical position. Was that the time of Ping Pong Diplomacy? It was an ice breaking event that facilitated diplomatic relations between the US and China.
A 歷史真有意思，兩個超級大國幾十年沒有接觸，卻因為一個小乒乓球走到一起。
lìshǐ zhēn yǒu yìsi, liǎng ge chāojí dàguó jǐ shí nián méiyǒu jiēchù, què yīnwèi yī ge xiǎo pīngpāngqiú zǒudào yīqǐ.
History is so interesting, two major superpowers for several years had no contact, however but due to the small game of ping pong, they were able to come together.
B 所以中國人怎麼能不熱愛乒乓？不過我們乒乓太好也有問題，別的國家都不肯跟我們比了。
suǒyǐ zhōngguórén zěnme néng bù rè\\'ài pīngpāng? bùguò wǒmen pīngpāng tài hǎo yě yǒu wèntí, bié de guójiā dōu bù kěn gēn wǒmen bǐ le.
So how could the Chinese people not be passionate about ping pong? But there is a downside to us being so good at ping pong. Other countries don't want to compete with us.
A 可是成績好是因為我們比別人刻苦。
kěshì chéngjì hǎo shì yīnwèi wǒmen bǐ biérén kèkǔ.
But we are good because we train harder than the others.
B 但是如果中國一直統治乒壇，那乒乓球的國際市場就會越來越小。到時候變成只有中國人蔘與，就沒有意義了。
dànshì rúguǒ Zhōngguó yīzhí tǒngzhì pīngtán, nà pīngpāngqiú de guójì shìchǎng jiù huì yuèláiyuè xiǎo. dào shíhou biànchéng zhǐyǒu zhōngguórén cānyù, jiù méiyǒu yìyì le.
But if China continues to dominate ping pong, then the international market for ping pong will dwindle. It will then turn into a sport played only by Chinese, and then become meaningless.
A 也對。不過我還是最喜歡看中國乒乓隊比賽，心裡特別有底。不像看中國男足，隨時會發心臟病。
yě duì. bùguò wǒ háishì zuì xǐhuan kàn Zhōngguó pīngpāngduì bǐsài, xīnli tèbié yǒudǐ. bù xiàng kàn Zhōngguó nánzú, suíshí huì fā xīnzàngbìng.
That's true, but I still love to watch the national team compete, as I know they will win. It's not like men's soccer, which can give you a heart attack.
Key Vocabulary
一夜間 yīyèjiān
爭光 zhēngguāng
參與 cānyù
基礎 jīchǔ
超越 chāoyuè
尊嚴 zūnyán
冷戰時期 lěngzhàn shíqī
抵制 dǐzhì
外交 wàijiāo
促進 cùjìn
建交 jiànjiāo
破冰 pòbīng
成績 chéngjì
刻苦 kèkǔ
統治 tǒngzhì
乒壇 pīngtán
有底 yǒudǐ
心臟病 xīnzàngbìng
Supplementary Vocabulary
一夜情 yīyèqíng
光榮 guāngróng
榮譽 róngyù
自尊 zìzūn
打破 dǎpò
尷尬 gāngà
沉默 chénmò
表現 biǎoxiàn
領域 lǐngyù
體壇 tǐtán
體育界 tǐyùjiè
學術界 xuéshùjiè
論壇 lùntán
踏實 tāshi
安全感 ānquángǎn
自大 zìdà
沒底 méidǐ
侮辱 wǔrǔ
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