赛马,四腿战车的传奇

赛马,四腿战车的传奇

History indicates that nearly as long as humans and horses have been together, horse racing has

been an enduring element of their relationship. For thousands of years, horse racing has flourished

as the sport of kings and of the common man. From farm fields and country lanes to ancient

arenas and modern racetracks, horse racing is one of humankind‟s most ancient sports. Today,

despite the fact that horses are a much smaller part of our daily lives, horse racing continues to

thrive.

历史表明，赛马几乎贯穿于人马相处的始终，是两者关系中一个永恒的要素。数千年来，赛马一直是一项活跃在王侯与平民之间的运动。从农田和乡间小路到古代竞技场和现代跑道，赛马无处不在，是人类最古老的运动项目之一。如今，尽管马在我们日常生活中的地位大为下降，但赛马仍就盛行。

Types of Racing

Thoroughbred racing is the most common type of horse racing around the world. A trainer

will prepare a horse for a specific event. The horse is ridden by a jockey on a flat surface of grass

or dirt. There are three types of thoroughbred races.

1. Handicap ―All horses are handicapped according to their performances in previous

races. Theoretically, all horses have an equal chance of winning in this type of race.

2. Stakes Race ―All horses belong to the same gender, age and class.

3. Steeple Chases ―Horses race on a flat surface and have to jump barriers ①at intervals.

Steeplechases are often raced over long distances.

Another type of race is the harness race which is popular in North America. In harness

races, the horse will pull a two wheeled cart, called a sulkie.

Steeplechase

Why is a race in which horses are required to jump barriers called a steeplechase? It is

widely accepted the origin of term comes from an impromptu race held in Ireland more than a

hundred years ago. Two customers in a tavern were ②boasting about their cross country riding

skills. Tired of their arguing, their fellow customers urged them to settle the matter for once and

for all with a race between two villages in the area. The starting and finishing points of the race,

which involved jumping hedges and walls, were two churches. The roof of a church is called a

steeple and the term „steeplechase‟ was born.

比赛类型

纯血马竞赛是全世界最常见的赛马类型。驯马师会为具体赛事备好一匹马。这匹马由骑师在平坦的草地或土地上进行驾御。纯血马竞赛的类别有三种。

1.换位赛 ― 所有的马都根据它们在先前比赛中的表现而进行换位。理论上，所有马匹在这类比赛中拥有相同的获胜机会。

2.大奖赛 ― 所有的马在性别、年龄和等级上同属一类。

3.障碍赛 ― 马匹在平地上比赛，并且需要不时地跳跃障碍物。通常，障碍赛的赛距

很长。

另一种比赛类型是流行于北美地区的马车赛。在马车赛中，马匹会拖着一种名为“萨尔奇”的两轮马车。

障碍赛

要求马匹跳跃障碍的比赛为什么被称为“steeplechase”呢？一般认为，这个术语源于100多年前在爱尔兰临时举行的一场比赛。曾有两个顾客在一家酒馆里吹嘘着他们的野外骑术。他们身旁的顾客们厌倦了他们的争论，怂恿他们在该地的两个村子间举行一场比赛，来彻底将此事摆平。需要跳跃树篱和围墙的这场比赛把两所教堂分别设为起点和终点。而教堂的屋顶被称作“steeple”，所以术语“steeplechase”由此产生。

Horse Racing Terminology

Horse racing comes with its own unique terminology. Listening to commentators at a horse

race might leave you feeling baffled. Here are some important horse racing terms. You may be

surprised to notice that many of these terms are also used by English speakers in every day

conversation.

Dead Heat Two or more horses finishing in an exact tie at the finish.

Extended Forced to run at top speed.

Faltered Used for a horse that was in contention early and drops back in the late stages.

Front Runner A horse that usually leads the field for as far as he can.

Longshot A horse perceived to be unlikely to win.

Place Finish second.

Nose Smallest advantage a horse can win by.

Show Finish third.

The Track

Furlong Measurement used for racing tracks. One-eighth of a mile.

Starting Gate Mechanical device with stalls for horses to stand in until the starter releases

the doors in front to begin the race.

Stretch Final straight portion of the racetrack to the finish.

Track Record Fastest time for a distance at a particular track.

赛马术语

赛马有其特有的术语。你可能会对赛赛上评论员的讲说感到迷惑不解。以下是一

The Race

All Out A horse that is trying to the best of his ability.

Bolt Sudden veering from a straight course.

Closer A horse that runs best in the latter part of the race, coming from ③off the pace.

些重要的赛马术语。你可能会惊异地发现，英语人士在日常会话中也会用到其中的大量术语。

比赛

全力以赴 马尽力发挥自己的最好水平。

掉向 在跑道上突然掉转前进方向。

跟进 马在比赛的后半程从第二的位置跑上首位。

未分胜负 两匹或多匹马分毫不差地冲过终点。

狂奔 被驱策着全速奔跑。

落队 用于形容起始阶段还是有力争夺者，而随后就落到后面的马。

领跑马 常常尽其所能保持领跑优势的马。

冷门 被认为不可能取胜的马。

第二位 结束时排名第二。

一鼻之差 马匹获胜的最小优势。

第三名 结束时排名第三。

赛道

弗隆 赛道上使用的度量单位。合1/8英里。

闸门 带有马厩的机械装置，马匹会呆在里面直到起动器把它们面前的门打开，开始比赛。

冲刺赛段 终点之前的最后一段直线跑道。

赛道记录 在某类赛道上，跑完一定距离的最快时间。

Prestigious Horse Races

Ascot Gold Cup ―The Ascot Gold Cup is a British horse race for four year olds and above.

It is run over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs at Ascot racecourse during June. In 2004 the

champion won ￡250,000.

Grand National ― The Grand National is the premier steeplechase in the UK.. Usually held

on a Saturday in early April at the Aintree racecourse near Liverpool, it is run over two circuits of

the course, covering approximately four and half miles. The horses jump thirty fences, some of

which have acquired near-legendary status for their severity. In recent years this severity has been

much reduced, due to pressure from various animal cruelty agencies.

Kentucky Derby ― The Kentucky Derby is a stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred

horses. It is staged yearly in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the

two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race currently covers one and one-quarter miles at

Churchill Downs.

Irish Derby Stakes ― The Irish Derby Stakes have been held annually at the Curragh

racecourse in Ireland since 1866. The ancient Gaelic name “Curragh” actually means racecourse

and the Derby is Ireland‟s most important event in thoroughbred horseracing. The race for

3-year-olds is run at a distance of 1 1/2 miles and draws the best horses from Ireland, Britain and

France to compete.

著名赛赛

爱斯科金杯赛 ― 爱斯科金杯赛是一项为四岁以上（含四岁）的马匹而设的英国赛事。这一赛事于六月在爱斯科跑道上举行，全程2英里零4弗隆。在2004年，冠军奖金为25万英镑。

国家大赛 ― 国家大赛是英国最高级别的障碍赛。这一赛事通常在四月初的某个星期六，在利物浦附近的安特里跑道上举行，全程为跑满赛道两周，约合4.5英里。马匹要跳跃

30个栅栏，其中有些栅栏因其危险程度而染上了几近传奇的彩。近些年来，由于来自各种反虐待动物机构的压力，这种危险程度大大降低。

肯塔基德比赛 ― 肯塔基德比赛是一项为三岁的纯血马而设的大奖赛。这一赛事于每年五月的第一个星期六，在肯塔基州的路易斯维尔举行，将历时两周的“肯塔基德比节”推向了高潮。该赛事目前的全程是在邱吉尔园马场上跑满1.25英里。

爱尔兰德比大奖赛 ― 从1866年起，爱尔兰德比大奖赛每年都在爱尔兰的库拉跑道举行。古盖尔语“Curragh”的本意是跑道，而且这个德比大赛是爱尔兰最重要的纯血马赛事。这项为三岁的马匹而设的赛事全程1.5英里，吸引了来自爱尔兰、英国和法国的顶级良驹前来角逐。

flourish /`fl7riH/ vi.活跃；繁荣

arena /9`r1n9/ n.竞技场；舞台

thoroughbred /`F7r9bred/ adj.(指牲畜)纯种的

trainer /`trein9/ n.驯马师；驯服者

jockey /`_4ki/ n.职业赛马骑师

gender /`_end9/ n.性别

harness /`h3nis/ n.(全套)马具

cart /k3t/ n.二轮运货马（牛）车

impromptu /im`pr4mpt(/ adj.即席的；未经准备的

tavern /`t2v9(:)n/ n.酒馆

hedge /he_/ n.树篱；障碍物

baffle /`b2fl/ vt.困惑；阻碍

veer /vi9/ vi.转向

tie /tai/ n.不分胜负

contention /k9n`tenH9n/ n.争夺

stall /st5l/ n.畜栏；厩

premier /`premj9/ adj.第一的；首要的

circuit /`s8kit/ n.一圈

severity /si`veriti/ n.严格；严重

① at intervals 不时；相隔一定距离

② boast about 自夸

③ off the pace 跑在第一名后

Racing Legends

Shergar ― Shergar was truly an exceptional horse. He broke record after record and

achieved celebrity status worldwide, and especially in Ireland, where his owner Prince Karim Aga

Khan IV had him raised and trained. Shergar frequently finished races ten furlongs ahead of his

competitors, making the other horses on the track look like stationary pillars of stone.

In 1983, an armed gang broke into the stud farm in Ireland where Shergar was kept. They

kidnapped the horse and demanded a large ransom. At the time Shergar was estimated to be worth

￡10 million. Unknown to the gang, the Aga Khan had sold the horse to a syndicate shortly before

the abduction. Instead of having to deal with one billionaire, the gang was now faced with a large

group of investors.

The public outcry was so great that police even resorted to clairvoyants in an attempt to

find Shergar. He was never found and is presumed to have been killed. For years after his

disappearance he was sighted all around Ireland and even as far away as Africa.

Seabiscuit ― In the middle of the Great Depression, horse racing emerged as one of

America‟s most popular sports. Exhausted by the day to day struggle for survival, horse racing

became a diversion for millions of Americans. One particular horse became a symbol of hope to

Americans at that time.

Seabiscuit had an inauspicious start. He was undersized, knobby-kneed, and not much to

look at, and was given to sleeping and eating for long periods. Due to unorthodox training

methods this horse turned a losing streak, and a possible career as work horse, into an unabated

string of victories, including seven consecutive stakes wins. His races were followed fanatically

on the radio and newsreel and filled hundreds of column inches in the newspapers. In 1938, when

he beat the seemingly invincible War Admiral in a two horse race, dubbed the „Match of the

Century‟, 40 million Americans listened to the radio broadcast.

In 1947, after seven years of retirement, America‟s greatest horse died. In 2003, his life

story was made into a film by Universal studios.

赛场传奇

舍加尔―“舍加尔”确实是一匹非凡的马。它不断打破着记录，在全世界范围内确立了它的明星地位，尤其是在爱尔兰――它的主人卡里姆・阿迦・汗四世王储寄养和训练它的地方。“舍加尔”经常以领先其它对手10弗隆的成绩结束比赛，使得跑道上的其它马匹看起来就像僵直的石柱。

1983年，一伙武装匪徒闯进了那家饲养“舍加尔”的爱尔兰马场。他们了这匹马并索要大额赎金。当时，“舍加尔”的市值估计达1000万英镑。而这伙匪徒并不知道，就在这次事件发生前不久，阿迦・汗已经将这匹马卖给了一个财团。现在，这伙匪徒并不是在与一个亿万富翁打交道，而是面对着众多的投资人。

公众的抗议之声非常大，以至于警察竟去求助那些开了天眼的人，以期到“舍加尔”。它从未被到，被认为已遭屠戮。在它失踪四年之后，在爱尔兰各地，甚至远在非洲都出现过它的身影。

海洋饼干 ― 在“大萧条”中期，赛马一跃成为美国最受欢迎的运动项目之一。数百万美国人被日复一日的生存抗争弄得精疲力竭，而赛马就成为了他们转移注意力的一种方式。当时，有那么一匹马成为了美国人的希望象征。

“海洋饼干”起初并不走运。它个头不够大，膝盖多节，相貌平常，喜好睡觉和吃喝。因为训练方式的非常规性，这匹马一反其连败之势，以及可能的役马生涯，气势如宏地赢得了一连串胜利，其中就包括连续七次取得大奖赛的胜利。它的比赛在电台和新闻片中受到了狂热的关注，报纸上有数百个专栏都进行了报道。1938年，当它在被称为“世纪之赛”的双马赛中击败了看似无敌的“战将”之时，有4000万美国人收听了电台的广播。

1947年，亦即退役七年之后，这匹美国最伟大的马过世了。2003年，它的传记被环球电影公司拍成了一部电影。

stationary /`steiH(9)n9ri/ adj.固定的

pillar /`pil9/ n.柱子

stud /st7d/ n.马/ adj.多节的

unorthodox /`7n`5F9d4ks/ adj.非正统的

unabated /7n9`beitid/ adj.不减弱的；猛烈如初的

fanatically /f9`n2tik9li/ adv.狂热地；盲信地

newsreel /`n(zr1l/ n.新闻影片

invincible /in`vins9bl/ adj.不能征服的；无敌的