21 Daniel Mendoza

Boxing matches were very popular in England two hundred years ago. In those days, boxers fought with bare fists for prize money.

两百年前，拳击比赛在英国非常盛行。当时，拳击手们不戴手套，为争夺奖金而搏斗。

Because of this, they were known as ‘prizefighters’.

因此，他们被称作“职业拳击手”。

However, boxing was very crude, for there were no rules and a prizefighter could be seriously injured or even killed during a match.

不过,拳击是十分野蛮的,因为当时没有任何比赛规则,职业拳击手有可能在比赛中受重伤，甚至丧命。

One of the most colourful figures in boxing history was Daniel Mendoza, who was born in 1764.

拳击史上最引人注目的人物之一是丹尼尔·门多萨,他生于1764年。

The use of gloves was not introduced until 1860, when the Marquis of Queensberry drew up the first set of rules.

1860年昆斯伯里侯爵第一次为拳击比赛制定了规则,拳击比赛这才用上了手套。

Though he was technically a prizefighter, Mendoza did much to change crude prizefighting into a sport, for he brought science to the game.

虽然门多萨严格来讲不过是个职业拳击手,但在把这种粗野的拳击变成一种体育运动方面,他作出了重大贡献。是他把科学引进了这项运动。