Lacrosse

La Crosse, written by Stanley Hollis. Focus question. How is La Crosse similar to and different from other popular sports?

《长曲棍球》，斯坦利·霍利斯 著。 思考问题。 长曲棍球和其他流行运动有什么相同与不同之处呢？

spectacular game. The teamwork of basketball, the excitement of World Cup soccer, and the speed of ice hockey are all part of the exciting sport of lacrosse. Fans agree that watching or playing lacrosse is an amazing experience, and there are teams popping up everywhere. The sport's growing popularity shows us that the ancient game of lacrosse is still here and will be around for a long time.

一项精彩非凡的运动。 这项激动人心的长曲棍球运动，融合了篮球的团队协作、世界杯足球的激情和冰球的速度。 爱好者们都认为，无论观赛还是亲身参与，长曲棍球都是超棒的体验，如今各地都涌现出了不少长曲棍球队。 这项运动越来越受欢迎，说明这项古老的运动如今依旧充满活力，还会流传很久很久。

Where does lacrosse come from? Lacrosse started in the St. Lawrence River Valley in present -day Canada. It was played by First Nations, native people in the region. Over time, the game spread to tribes to the west and south. Different people called the game different names. The game was very different from modern lacrosse. The sides would rarely have fewer than 100 players and could have as many as 1 ,000. The field, or the area they played in, could cover miles. The way they played, however, was almost the same. Most tribes used curved sticks that were 3 to 4 feet, 0 .9 to 1 .2 meters long, with nets attached to pass, carry, and shoot a ball.

长曲棍球起源于哪里呢？ 长曲棍球最早诞生于如今加拿大境内的圣劳伦斯河谷。 它原本是当地原住民第一民族的传统运动。 随着时间推移，这项运动传到了西部和南部的各个部落。 不同地区的人们对这项运动有不同的称呼。 最早的长曲棍球和现代长曲棍球有很大区别。 参赛一方的选手很少少于100人，最多时能达到1000人。 他们进行比赛的场地范围可以绵延好几英里。 不过，打球的基本方式和现在几乎一模一样。 大多数部落使用长度为3到4英尺（0.9到1.2米）的弯棍，棍顶绑着网兜，用来传球、带球和射门。

Lacrosse was important to First Nations people. They believed the game pleased their creator. In fact, many tribes called it the creator's game. Lacrosse made young men brave and strong. Sometimes, they played to settle arguments or to celebrate friendships. French people who settled in present -day Canada watched First Nations people play lacrosse. Soon, there were both white and First Nations lacrosse clubs in Canada. In 1860, a man named George Beers wrote down the rules of the game. Because the game we play today is based on his rules, Beers is called the father of modern lacrosse.

长曲棍球对第一民族来说十分重要。 他们相信这项运动能取悦创世神。 实际上，很多部落都称它为“创世神的运动”。 长曲棍球能让年轻人变得勇敢又强壮。 有时人们会通过打长曲棍球解决争端，或是庆祝友谊。 定居在如今加拿大地区的法国人，看过第一民族打长曲棍球。 很快，加拿大就出现了同时接纳白人和原住民的长曲棍球俱乐部。 1860年，一位名叫乔治·比尔斯的人整理写下了这项运动的正式规则。 如今我们玩的长曲棍球规则都基于他的制定，因此比尔斯被称为“现代长曲棍球之父”。

Schools in the United States began playing lacrosse in the 1870s. Students mostly played lacrosse in private schools and colleges in the Northeast. People considered it a gentleman's sport that was played for the love of the game. As a result, many athletes who might have been great at lacrosse had no interest in it. They wanted to play sports where they could achieve fame and fortune. Another reason La Crosse wasn't popular in the United States was a lack of sticks, known as crosses. Until the 1970s, La Crosse sticks were handmade only by certain First Nations tribes. When cheaper sticks made of lightweight metal hit the market, La Crosse started to take off.

美国的学校从19世纪70年代开始开展长曲棍球运动。 一开始，长曲棍球主要在美国东北部的私立学校和大学里开展。 当时人们认为它是绅士的运动，要出于热爱才参与。 因此，许多很有天赋的运动员都对它提不起兴趣。 他们更愿意参加能为自己收获名利的运动。 长曲棍球当时在美国不受欢迎，另一个原因是缺少球棍，也就是长曲棍。 直到20世纪70年代，长曲棍球的球棍都只能由特定的原住民部落手工制作。 当更便宜的轻质金属球棍上市后，长曲棍球才开始逐渐流行起来。

Lacrosse for everyone. Today, people all over the world enjoy lacrosse. Teams typically play outdoor lacrosse games in football stadiums. There is also a version of the game called Box Lacrosse that is played indoors. The Federation of International Lacrosse holds men's and women's world championship games every four years. There are two leagues in North America. Major League Lacrosse is for Outdoor Lacrosse, and the National Lacrosse League is for Box Lacrosse. Both men's and women's teams play lacrosse in colleges throughout the United States and Canada.

人人都能玩长曲棍球。 如今，世界各地的人们都喜爱长曲棍球运动。 队伍通常会在足球场进行户外长曲棍球比赛。 还有一种在室内进行的项目，叫做盒式长曲棍球。 国际长曲棍球联合会每四年会举办男子和女子世界锦标赛。 北美一共有两个职业长曲棍球联赛。 长曲棍球大联盟主打户外长曲棍球，国家长曲棍球联盟主打盒式室内长曲棍球。 美国和加拿大的所有大学，都设有男子和女子长曲棍球队。