Volleyball can be one of the most exciting team events on show at any Olympic Games. However， with the Chinese women eager to defend their Olympic title on home ground， the sport will receive even greater attention in Beijing. With a bit of luck， there is no reason why the home nation can't do well in this competition， but we will have to wait and see whether the volleyball gold falls back into Chinese hands.

排球比賽在任何一屆奧運會上都是最激動人心的團隊項目之一。中國女排渴望在主場衛(wèi)冕成功，北京奧運會的排球比賽也將受到更大的關注。要是加上點運氣，中國隊完全有理由在本屆比賽中取得佳績，但是奧運會排球比賽的金牌能否再次被收入中國隊的囊中，我們依然要拭目以待。

Indoor volleyball debuted at the Olympics in 1964， and has remained an important part of the program ever since. The competition always promises spectators a top quality display of pace， passion， power and agility. Originally， however， volleyball was created to provide a less strenuous alternative to basketball. William G. Morgan decided， in 1895， that basketball was too exhausting for his out-of-shape business friends. As a result， volleyball was born. Of course， anyone who has played volleyball knows it is often difficult just to keep a rally going， let alone to leap and smash the ball into the ground the way the professionals do!

1964年，室內排球比賽首次出現(xiàn)在奧運會賽場上，從那時起便一直是重要的比賽項目。排球比賽中運動員向觀眾展現(xiàn)他們的節(jié)奏、熱情、力量和敏捷。然而起初排球的發(fā)明是用來代替更為緊張和費力的籃球運動。1895年，韋廉姆#8226;G#8226;摩根發(fā)現(xiàn)打籃球讓他那些身體狀況不佳的商界朋友筋疲力盡，于是便發(fā)明了排球。當然，任何打過排球的人都知道，要想來回擊球而不讓球落地十分困難，更不用說像職業(yè)選手那樣跳起和扣球了！

Morgan called his new game \"Mintonette\"， but when a spectator commented that the ball was continually volleyed over the net， the modern name was born. It is now played by more than 800 million people. The official game involves two teams of six players who hit the ball with their hands or fists， aiming to make it touch the opposite side of the court. Teams can also pass the ball to each other three times before hitting it over the net. Beach volleyball has similar rules， but there are some key differences， notably that it is played on sand courts between teams of two players. In this competition， a maximum of three games are played up to 21 points in a single match. In either category， players require exceptional stamina and agility， something that makes the game extremely enjoyable to watch.

摩根稱這項運動為“Mintonette”，后來一名觀眾提出這項運動中總是把球來回擊過網，于是就產生了“Volleyball”這個排球的現(xiàn)代名稱。今天世界上有超過8億的人打排球。官方比賽規(guī)定場上兩支球隊每隊有6名球員，他們用手和拳擊球，設法把球擊到對方半場，也可以將球傳給其他隊友，在三次傳遞之后將球擊過網。沙灘排球的規(guī)則與之相似，但是也有些十分重要的區(qū)別。顧名思義，沙灘排球是在沙灘上打的，兩支球隊每隊兩名選手。排球比賽采取五局三勝，每局21分制的計分方式。它要求球員有充沛的體力和敏捷的反應，因此比賽有很大的觀賞性。

Beach volleyball is without doubt one of the \"coolest\" sports at the Games. It was added to the Olympics in 1996， after it originally became popular on Californian beaches back in the 1920s. The sport has caused controversy in recent years because of the clothing worn by the players. Most people play in their sunglasses and beach wear， and critics say people watch the game for the beautiful players rather than for the sport itself. Everyone has an opinion on this subject， but certainly the game requires genuine skill and commitment. It is also made more difficult as players deal with the unpredictable nature of the sand， the sun and the wind. Try this yourself on your next holiday and you'll see how difficult a game of beach volleyball can be!

毫無疑問，沙灘排球是最酷的運動之一。1996年起它成為了奧運會比賽項目，然而早在20世紀20年代它就已經風靡加利福尼亞海灘了。近來這項運動引起了一些爭議，爭議的問題就是關于球員們打球時穿的球衣。大多數(shù)選手戴著太陽眼鏡，穿著海灘裝，有批評者指出這讓觀眾們更多地關注穿著性感的運動員而不是比賽本身。任何人對此都會有自己的看法，然而這項運動對選手的技巧和投入有相當?shù)囊蟆Ｔ偌由弦獞獙ι匙?、陽光和風力等無法預測的自然因素，沙灘排球的難度也大大提高。你不妨在下一個休假日親自嘗試一下，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)玩沙灘排球是多么的困難！

Volleyball offers the Chinese spectators a lot to get excited about this year. The Chinese women have real pedigree in indoor volleyball. Since Lang Ping and her team-mates claimed the gold medal back in 1984， 3 other medals have followed， including the gold medal in Athens 2004. The current Chinese team has a good blend of youth and experience. In veteran Feng Kun， China has a wonderful tactician and her work with the coach， Chen Zhonghe， has started to get the best out of China's young stars. The team will face strong opposition from Cuba， Russia and Brazil， but China has the players to deal with this. With Feng's wonderful sets， and the explosives spikes of Zhao Ruirui， China can pose problems to any team. It just depends how the Chinese women handle the pressure on the day.

排球比賽讓中國觀眾在這一年更加興奮。中國女排歷來成績優(yōu)異。自從1984年郎平和她的隊友贏回奧運金牌之后，中國女排又三次獲得奧運會冠軍，最近的一次就是在2004年的雅典奧運會上奪冠。現(xiàn)在的中國女排既充滿朝氣又富有經驗。他們有著出色的戰(zhàn)術核心老將馮坤，并在教練陳忠和的帶領下，讓中國隊其他年輕選手發(fā)揮出最佳水平。古巴、俄羅斯和巴西女排將對中國隊發(fā)起強力的挑戰(zhàn)，但中國女排也有很大的優(yōu)勢。馮坤的精妙做球和趙蕊蕊的大力扣殺將給其它球隊造成壓力。中國女排的表現(xiàn)只取決于她們能否應對比賽時的壓力。

The men's indoor volleyball team certainly has a harder task ahead of them. Having never won a medal in the men's competition， the Chinese team will be hoping that home advantage carries them through against teams that have beaten them in the past. Recently ranked 21st in the world， captain Sui Shengsheng， the athletic Shen Qiong and libero Ren Qi， will all have to perform if China is to make it through the early rounds. Unfortunately for the Chinese men， Brazil， Russia and U.S.A will be fielding strong teams. It is likely that one of the foreign teams will take home the gold， but as with many events at these Olympics， you may will see China causing an upset.

中國男排無疑要面臨更艱巨的任務。他們從未獲得過奧運會的獎牌，但他們希望借助主場之利擊敗他們曾經輸給過的隊伍。中國男排目前世界排名第21位。中國隊如果想有所突破，那么隊長隋盛勝、隊員沈瓊和自由人任琪必須發(fā)揮出色。不幸的是，巴西、俄羅斯和美國隊都十分強大。奧運會的金牌很可能被外國的球隊摘走，但是正如在奧運會其它項目上的情況一樣，你也有可能看到中國隊在比賽中成為黑馬。

In beach volleyball， Brazil and the U.S. have dominated for the last 20 years， and these countries are no doubt the favorites again. However， the venue for this competition is particularly special; it will be played in the scenic Chaoyang Park， Beijing， on sand brought over from Hainan Island. It would be a dream for China to pick up their first beach volleyball medal in such a scenic setting， and there are a number of Chinese hopefuls wanting to claim their place in the history books. In the men's competition， China will look to young stars Li Jian and Zhou Shun to cause an upset. The more established Wu Penggen and Xu Linyin， ranked No. 5 in the world， will also be eyeing the podium. Of course， it will be difficult to beat Brazilian pair Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos， but you can be sure the Chinese boys will put up a strong fight.China's women also once again look good for a medal. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings are strong favorites in the competition， but it will be exciting to see what China's women can do. With Jia Tian and Jie Wang， China has the third best pairing in the world， and alongside Chen Xue and Zhang Xi， there is a very real chance of success.

巴西和美國在最近20年來統(tǒng)治了沙灘排球項目，他們無疑也是本屆奧運會上的奪標熱門。本次比賽的場地十分特別，是在風景美麗的北京朝陽公園，沙灘的沙子是從海南島運來的。中國隊夢想在如此美麗的比賽環(huán)境中獲得他們首枚奧運獎牌，從而在奧運歷史上獲得一席之地。在男子沙排比賽中，中國寄希望新星李健和周順爆出冷門，而表現(xiàn)更為穩(wěn)定的世界排名第五的吳鵬根和徐林胤組合也渴望能登上奧運會的領獎臺。當然要想擊敗巴西組合艾曼紐#8226;雷戈和里卡多#8226;桑托斯非常困難，但可以相信中國隊的小伙子們做好了打硬仗的準備。中國女隊也再一次把目標鎖定在奪取獎牌上。米絲蒂#8226;梅#8226;特倫諾和凱莉#8226;沃爾什#8226;珍尼斯是該項目上的大熱門，但我們依然對中國女隊的表現(xiàn)充滿興趣。中國有田佳和王潔這對世界第三的組合，加上薛晨和張希，她們很有可能獲得成功。

There are， of course， many events to look forward to at the Beijing games， but the volleyball tournament is looking to be a real treat. As the teams prepare for the most important matches of their lives， we can be confident the Chinese stars will give us something to cheer about.

當然，北京奧運會上有許多項目值得期待，而排球比賽就是一道大餐。中國隊的選手們正在為他們一生中最重要的比賽而準備，我們相信他們將會給我們帶來驚喜。

True and False:

判斷對錯：

1. Volleyball was invented before basketball.

排球在籃球之前發(fā)明。

2. Morgan decided on the name \"volleyball\".

摩根把排球命名為“volleyball”。

3. Indoor volleyball involves 6 players on each team who can pass the ball to each other no more than three times.

室內排球每隊有六名選手，他們最多可以相互傳球三次再把球擊過網。

4. The deciding game in Indoor Volleyball is played to 15 points.

室內排球比賽決定勝負的一局為15分制。

5. China won their first gold at the Athens Olympics.

中國女排在雅典奧運會上第一次獲得金牌。

6. Feng Kun is admired for her tactical knowledge.

馮坤因其戰(zhàn)術素養(yǎng)出色而被稱道。

7. China's libero is Shen Qiong.

中國男排的自由人是沈瓊。

8. The volleyball tournament will be played in Hainan.

奧運會排球比賽將在海南舉行。