Cricket

The script of this programme 本节目台词

The sound of an English village cricket match

William: I think that is one of the most English sounds that exists: a village cricket match.

Helen: Cricket 板球。一说起板球我就想到英国的乡村。到了夏天，在很多小镇上都能看到人们穿着雪白的运动套装打板球。不过我想这项运动对我们中国朋友们来说还是比较陌生的。

William: Well, that doesn't surprise me. So in this week's On the Town we are going to the very fringes of London to find out all about England's national sport. Hi, I'm William Kremer.

Helen: And I'm Helen. Hi!

William: I spoke to Brendan O'Donovan, who is a keen amateur cricket player at Chesham Cricket Club. You're going to hear three important cricketing terms: Batting.

Brendan O'Donovan bowling

Helen: 击球。

William: Fielding.

Helen: 接球。

William: Runs.

Helen: 得分数，跑垒。

William: So let's listen to Brendan now. See if you can hear how many people are on a cricket team.

Insert

Cricket is a summer sport. It involves two teams of eleven players. And one team is the batting side and one team is the fielding side and one team needs to score more runs than the other side. And you accumulate a run by running between one line and another in the middle of the pitch.

William: Did you hear the answer? Cricket involves two teams of 11 people. One team is the batting side and one team is the fielding side.

Helen: 两个队会交换位置，看谁能够积累更多的跑垒次数 to score runs. 让我们再听听 Brendan. 请留意这个问题的答案：打一场板球赛要多少时间？

Insert

The average club cricketer, playing on a Saturday afternoon in England, will play a game which lasts most of the afternoon, starting at about 1.00, and finishing around 7.30, 8.00 in the evening. So it takes up a whole day, a whole summer's day. The game is split into two halves called innings. After the end of the first innings there's normally a break and we take tea, which is generally made up of sandwiches and cakes and obviously we drink tea. And then we go out and we have the second half of the match.

Helen: Wow, 不得了，那么久！

William: A cricket match typically lasts a whole summer's day, from around 1.00pm until 7.30 or 8.00pm. There are two halves to the game called innings.

Helen: Innings 回合。 在两个回合中间的休息时间，两个队会喝下午茶 take tea，还有三明治和点心吃。But William, how can a game last as long as a whole day?

William: Well, international games can last up to five days, Helen! Brendan admits cricket can seem quite a drawn-out game to outsiders.

Helen: A drawn-out game 持续很久的运动。 So what's its appeal?

William: Its appeal is in the strategic element.

Helen: The strategic element 战略因素。 Let's listen to Brendan.

Insert

The strategic element is far greater in cricket than it is in practically any other sport. Whilst the other team are bowling and fielding there's a lot of thinking about where you have to place your fielders, exactly where you decide to bowl. So, whilst it might seem quite a drawn-out game to people who aren't used to watching cricket, there's always something to talk about because there are lots of decisions being made each ball.

Chesham Cricket Club players

Helen: There's always something to talk about.

William: Well, that's certainly true. And people might be surprised to hear that for such a long game, cricket commentary on the radio is very popular in England. Let's listen to a clip from last Sunday's match between England and Sri Lanka:

Insert

Jonathan Agnew: Lovely sound out there. It's that sound of Lords, sound of summer.

Phil Tufnell: Lovely day as well, nice and hot isn't it, this morning.

Jonathan Agnew: This seagull, I think slightly off-course. He's come in quite low across us. He's a long way from the sea. Off goes Cook. Good ball from Kulase(kara), kind of pushed across him, might have to come down the slope a little bit and beat him.

Phil Tufnell: They found a penguin didn't they? Did you read about that? They found a penguin in New Zealand. Now, that's a long way off course! Isn't it?

Jonathan Agnew: Don't they have penguins in New Zealand?

Phil Tufnell: No, I don't think so. He was from Antarctic.

Helen: Er... William, 这两个解说员他们怎么在聊企鹅和海鸥呢？

William: Well, Helen, a whole day is a long time! So the commentators don't just talk about the sport but they chat with each other in a pleasant way. In fact, the relaxed style of commentary is one of the things that people like about listening to cricket.

Helen: Hmm. 不过我还是不能完全理解。在我们结束之前，先复习一下吧。用板球棒击球英语是什么？

William: Batting.

Helen: 比赛中场休息时，队员们吃的那顿饭叫什么？

William: Tea.

Helen: 持续很久的比赛叫什么？

William: A drawn-out game.

Helen: Well done! 谢谢收听，我们下次再见。Bye!

William: Bye!