A Roaring Game of Skill|技巧取胜的冰壶运动

by Daniel Howard

Curling is a deceptively simple game of skill, ice, and rocks.

　　Most people around the world have never heard of the sport curling. This isn't especially surprising as the sport requires a long, icy surface called the curling sheet. At either end of the sheet is a target called the house. Players slide heavy, polished stones with handles on the top down the ice. Not surprisingly, these stones are called rocks. The closer a rock gets to the center of the house, the more points the team scores. Each team is made up of four people: one player slides the rock, two players use special brooms to smooth the ice and guide the rock, and one player stays near the house to give instructions to the sweepers. Each team gets eight rocks to slide, and they play on the same house. This is a major part of the strategy behind curling, as each team uses their rocks to score points while also blocking the other team's rocks.

　　The game originated in Scotland where it is still called the roaring game, named after the sound the rocks make as they slide down the ice. Despite being a Scottish invention, the game is most popular in Canada, whose players are among the best in the world. There are an estimated 1.5 million players worldwide, and curling has been an Olympic sport since 1998.

　　Among curling players, sportsmanship is very important. There are a variety of traditions that encourage respect among opponents. Teams wish each other luck before a game, congratulate each other on good shots, and no one ever cheers their opponents' mistakes. It is also customary for the winning team to buy a round of drinks for the losing teams afterwards.

 

技巧取胜的冰壶运动

冰壶运动是一种看起来很简单，由技巧、冰和石壶所组成的比赛。

　　全世界大多数人都没有听过冰壶这项运动。这一点并不会特别令人惊讶，因为这项运动需要一个被称为『冰壶赛场』（curling sheet）的长形结冰场地。在赛场的两端是被称为『大本营』（house）的攻击目标。选手要持长柄的刷子由赛场顶端沿着冰面滑动又重又光滑的石头。这些石头被称为『石壶』（rock）并不令人惊讶。石壶愈靠近大本营的中心，该队的得分就愈高。每队是由四个人组成：其中一位选手负责滑动石壶，两位选手拿着特制的『冰刷』（broom）来使冰面平整以及引导石壶的方向，另外一位选手则要待在大本营附近提供指示给上述两位『刷冰员』（sweeper）。两队各要滑动八颗石壶，且共享同一个大本营。这是冰壶运动的策略中很重要的一部份，因为两队除了要用自己的石壶来得分之外，同时还要阻挡对方的石壶。

　　这项比赛源自于苏格兰，当地至今仍把这项运动称为『咆哮比赛』（roaring game），这个名称是根据选手滑动石壶时所发出的声音来命名的。虽然冰壶运动是由苏格兰人所发明，但它却在加拿大最受欢迎，而且该国的冰壶选手是全世界数一数二的。据估计，全世界有一百五十万名冰壶选手，而且这项运动从 1998 年起已成为奥运的比赛项目。

　　对冰壶选手而言，运动员精神是相当重要的。有许多传统会鼓励选手们要尊敬对手。每支队伍在比赛前都会祈求对方好运、对方有好表现时会互相道贺，而且没有人会因对手的失误而喝采。而获胜的队伍在赛后买饮料请落败队伍喝也是一种习以为常的作法。