21 The Origin of Sports
When did sport begin? If sport is, in essence, play, the claim might be made that sport is much older than humankind, for , as we all have observed, the beasts play. Dogs and cats wrestle1 and play ball games. Fishes and birds dance. The apes have simple, pleasurable games. Frolicking infants, school children playing tag, and adult arm wrestlers are demonstrating strong, transgenerational and transspecies bonds with the universe of animals – past, present, and future. Young animals, particularly, tumble, chase, run wrestle, mock, imitate, and laugh (or so it seems) to the point of delighted exhaustion2. Their play, and ours, appears to serve no other purpose than to give pleasure to the players, and apparently3, to remove us temporarily from the anguish4 of life in earnest.
Some philosophers have claimed that our playfulness is the most noble part of our basic nature. In their generous conceptions, play harmlessly and experimentally permits us to put our creative forces, fantasy, and imagination into action. Play is release from the tedious battles against scarcity5 and decline which are the incessant6, and inevitable7, tragedies of life. This is a grand conception that excites and provokes. The holders8 of this view claim that the origins of our highest accomplishments9 ---- liturgy10, literature, and law ---- can be traced to a play impulse which, paradoxically, we see most purely11 enjoyed by young beasts and children. Our sports, in this rather happy, nonfatalistic view of human nature, are more splendid creations of the nondatable, transspecies play impulse.
21體育的起源體育運(yùn)動(dòng)開(kāi)始于何時(shí)?如果體育運(yùn)動(dòng)的本質(zhì)就是游戲的話，我們就可以宣稱體育運(yùn)動(dòng)比 人類古老，因?yàn)檎缥覀兯^察到的，野獸也進(jìn)行嬉戲。狗和貓會(huì)扭抱玩球，魚(yú)和鳥(niǎo)翩翩起舞，猿類會(huì)進(jìn)行一些簡(jiǎn)單的、愉快的游戲 雀躍的幼兒，捉迷藏的學(xué)童和成年摔跤者展示出人與動(dòng)物界的有力的跨越世代與物種的永恒的聯(lián)系--特別是幼獸，它們翻筋斗、追逐、奔跑、扭打、模仿、嬉笑(或者看起來(lái)是)，直到愉快地精疲力盡。他們的玩耍，同我們的一樣，似乎并沒(méi)有別的目的而只是給游戲者以愉悅，暫時(shí)把我們從嚴(yán)肅生活的痛苦中拉出來(lái)。一些哲學(xué)家稱我們的嬉戲是我們本質(zhì)中最崇高的部分。
依他們這些隨意性很大的見(jiàn)解，游戲無(wú)害而且實(shí)驗(yàn)性地允許我們的創(chuàng)造力、幻想和想象發(fā)揮作用。游戲讓人們從永不間斷亦不可避免的生活悲劇-與乏匱和衰退進(jìn)行的枯燥抗?fàn)幹械玫揭环N解脫。這是一個(gè)令人興奮、給人啟發(fā)的偉大見(jiàn)解。
這種見(jiàn)解的持有者宣稱，我們的成就如宗教典禮、文學(xué)、法律的起源可以追溯到游戲的沖動(dòng)。但令人不解的是我們看到只有幼獸和小孩子才最純粹地享受著這種沖動(dòng)。從這種比較豁達(dá)和非宿命的人性觀來(lái)看，我們的運(yùn)動(dòng)是超時(shí)代、跨物種的輝煌的創(chuàng)造。
1 wrestle vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力對(duì)付
參考例句：
He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
We have to wrestle with difficulties.我們必須同困難作斗爭(zhēng)。
2 exhaustion
n.耗盡枯竭，疲憊，筋疲力盡，竭盡，詳盡無(wú)遺的論述
參考例句：
She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲勞而酣睡。
His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站著睡著了，顯然是太累了。
3 apparently adv.顯然地；表面上，似乎
參考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山窮水盡，豁然開(kāi)朗。
He was apparently much surprised at the news.他對(duì)那個(gè)消息顯然感到十分驚異。
4 anguish n.(尤指心靈上的)極度痛苦，煩惱
參考例句：
She cried out for anguish at parting.分手時(shí)，她由于痛苦而失聲大哭。
The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.難言的痛苦折磨著他的心。
5 scarcity n.缺乏，不足，蕭條
參考例句：
The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟練工人的缺乏困擾著政府。
The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不應(yīng)求是由于干旱造成的。
6 incessant adj.不停的，連續(xù)的
參考例句：
We have had incessant snowfall since yesterday afternoon.從昨天下午開(kāi)始就持續(xù)不斷地下雪。
She is tired of his incessant demands for affection.她厭倦了他對(duì)感情的不斷索取。
7 inevitable
adj.不可避免的，必然發(fā)生的
參考例句：
Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.瑪麗戴著她總是戴的那頂大帽子。
The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.戰(zhàn)敗對(duì)英國(guó)政策不可避免地產(chǎn)生了影響。
8 holders 支持物( holder的名詞復(fù)數(shù) )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物
參考例句：
Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隸受奴隸主的殘酷壓迫。
It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是對(duì)憐憫的作用有了認(rèn)識(shí)，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主張廢除死刑的人感情用事，同情謀殺犯勝過(guò)同情受害者。
9 accomplishments n.造詣；完成( accomplishment的名詞復(fù)數(shù) )；技能；成績(jī)；成就
參考例句：
It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是總統(tǒng)最偉大的成就之一。
Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括縫紉、烹調(diào)、彈鋼琴和跳舞。 來(lái)自《現(xiàn)代英漢綜合大詞典》
10 liturgy
n.禮拜儀式
參考例句：
A clergyman read the liturgy from the prayer-book.一名牧師照著祈禱書(shū)念禱文。
The mass is the church a kind of liturgy.彌撒是教會(huì)的一種禮拜儀式。
11 purely adv.純粹地，完全地
參考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我?guī)退兇馐浅鲇谟亚椤?BR> This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.這證明認(rèn)為兒童只會(huì)單純地模仿的理論是站不住腳的。
21體育的起源體育運(yùn)動(dòng)開(kāi)始于何時(shí)?如果體育運(yùn)動(dòng)的本質(zhì)就是游戲的話，我們就可以宣稱體育運(yùn)動(dòng)比 人類古老，因?yàn)檎缥覀兯^察到的，野獸也進(jìn)行嬉戲。狗和貓會(huì)扭抱玩球，魚(yú)和鳥(niǎo)翩翩起舞，猿類會(huì)進(jìn)行一些簡(jiǎn)單的、愉快的游戲 雀躍的幼兒，捉迷藏的學(xué)童和成年摔跤者展示出人與動(dòng)物界的有力的跨越世代與物種的永恒的聯(lián)系--特別是幼獸，它們翻筋斗、追逐、奔跑、扭打、模仿、嬉笑(或者看起來(lái)是)，直到愉快地精疲力盡。他們的玩耍，同我們的一樣，似乎并沒(méi)有別的目的而只是給游戲者以愉悅，暫時(shí)把我們從嚴(yán)肅生活的痛苦中拉出來(lái)。一些哲學(xué)家稱我們的嬉戲是我們本質(zhì)中最崇高的部分。
依他們這些隨意性很大的見(jiàn)解，游戲無(wú)害而且實(shí)驗(yàn)性地允許我們的創(chuàng)造力、幻想和想象發(fā)揮作用。游戲讓人們從永不間斷亦不可避免的生活悲劇-與乏匱和衰退進(jìn)行的枯燥抗?fàn)幹械玫揭环N解脫。這是一個(gè)令人興奮、給人啟發(fā)的偉大見(jiàn)解。
這種見(jiàn)解的持有者宣稱，我們的成就如宗教典禮、文學(xué)、法律的起源可以追溯到游戲的沖動(dòng)。但令人不解的是我們看到只有幼獸和小孩子才最純粹地享受著這種沖動(dòng)。從這種比較豁達(dá)和非宿命的人性觀來(lái)看，我們的運(yùn)動(dòng)是超時(shí)代、跨物種的輝煌的創(chuàng)造。
1 wrestle vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力對(duì)付
參考例句：
He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
We have to wrestle with difficulties.我們必須同困難作斗爭(zhēng)。
2 exhaustion
n.耗盡枯竭，疲憊，筋疲力盡，竭盡，詳盡無(wú)遺的論述
參考例句：
She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲勞而酣睡。
His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站著睡著了，顯然是太累了。
3 apparently adv.顯然地；表面上，似乎
參考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山窮水盡，豁然開(kāi)朗。
He was apparently much surprised at the news.他對(duì)那個(gè)消息顯然感到十分驚異。
4 anguish n.(尤指心靈上的)極度痛苦，煩惱
參考例句：
She cried out for anguish at parting.分手時(shí)，她由于痛苦而失聲大哭。
The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.難言的痛苦折磨著他的心。
5 scarcity n.缺乏，不足，蕭條
參考例句：
The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟練工人的缺乏困擾著政府。
The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不應(yīng)求是由于干旱造成的。
6 incessant adj.不停的，連續(xù)的
參考例句：
We have had incessant snowfall since yesterday afternoon.從昨天下午開(kāi)始就持續(xù)不斷地下雪。
She is tired of his incessant demands for affection.她厭倦了他對(duì)感情的不斷索取。
7 inevitable
adj.不可避免的，必然發(fā)生的
參考例句：
Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.瑪麗戴著她總是戴的那頂大帽子。
The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.戰(zhàn)敗對(duì)英國(guó)政策不可避免地產(chǎn)生了影響。
8 holders 支持物( holder的名詞復(fù)數(shù) )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物
參考例句：
Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隸受奴隸主的殘酷壓迫。
It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是對(duì)憐憫的作用有了認(rèn)識(shí)，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主張廢除死刑的人感情用事，同情謀殺犯勝過(guò)同情受害者。
9 accomplishments n.造詣；完成( accomplishment的名詞復(fù)數(shù) )；技能；成績(jī)；成就
參考例句：
It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是總統(tǒng)最偉大的成就之一。
Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括縫紉、烹調(diào)、彈鋼琴和跳舞。 來(lái)自《現(xiàn)代英漢綜合大詞典》
10 liturgy
n.禮拜儀式
參考例句：
A clergyman read the liturgy from the prayer-book.一名牧師照著祈禱書(shū)念禱文。
The mass is the church a kind of liturgy.彌撒是教會(huì)的一種禮拜儀式。
11 purely adv.純粹地，完全地
參考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我?guī)退兇馐浅鲇谟亚椤?BR> This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.這證明認(rèn)為兒童只會(huì)單純地模仿的理論是站不住腳的。