63 American football 橄榄球
Hi everyone, 大家好, 欢迎收看今天的成长汉语. Thanks for joining us on Growing up with Chinese.
Now we’ve got quite a technical show lined up for all of you today, Mike and 小明 are having a very focused lesson in American football. Othewise known as 橄榄球. So, how’s the lesson going? How is 小明 faring*1 under Mike’s tutelage*2? Well, let’s check in with the two of them, and find out.
Mike：小明，你不是一直都想跟我学打橄榄球吗？ 今天放学早，我教教你怎么样？
小明：麦克，这几天我一直在练习跑步，腿都疼了。算了算了，回家吧。
Mike：小明，打橄榄球就是要勤学苦练嘛。像你这样三天打鱼，两天晒网的怎么行？
小明：嗯，说得也是，可是我们没有橄榄球啊？
Mike：放心，我带着呢，就在书包里，走吧。小明：怎么样？ 我跑得够快吧。
Mike：嗯，跑得不错。不过，一个好的橄榄球运动员不但需要跑得快。而且必须有团队精神。
小明：嗯，我明白了，就是要注意互相配合。
Mike：是这样的。你向前跑的时候，你的队友要帮你挡住对方球员，不让他们靠近你，这样你才能有机会进攻。
小明：噢，我明白了。打橄榄球就像打篮球一样。配合默契才是最重要的。
Mike：还有，光注意打配合还不够，你还要有强壮的身体。
小明：哈哈，我现在的身体就很强壮啊。
Mike：我说的是抗冲击能力。因为对方球员抢球的时候，并不是站在那里一动不动，而是会向你猛冲过来。你必须有强壮的身体才能顶住对方的冲击。
小明：打橄榄球对身体的要求这么高。
Mike：还有呢，你得训练自己的反应能力。我来示范一下。我抱球进攻，你来防守。Mike：你看，小明，你的反应要迅速。你来试试。
Mike：小明，你真聪明。不过，如果你的身体能再灵活一点儿，就更好了。
小明：麦克，你别着急，我得慢慢练。
Mike：好，我陪你练。你进攻，我防守。Mike：小明，你进步真快。我都快防不住你了。
小明：过奖、过奖，主要是你这个老师教得好。
Mike：那我可要留几手啊！
小明：哈哈，走着瞧吧，我自学成才！
你向前跑的时候, 你的队友要帮你挡住对方球员, 不让他们靠近你, 这样你才能有机会进攻. When you run forward, your teammate needs to help you block the opposing players and not let them get to close to you. Only then, all you have the chance to attack. Now 向 implies direction remember? So 向前跑 is to run forward. 队友 is how you say teammate. 挡 is to block and if you say 挡住, it implies that you block and see that action through. 对方 means the other side or other party. And 球员 means player or team member. 挡住对方球员. Block the opposing players. Now 靠近 is to get close. 机会 is opportunity. And 进攻 means attack or drive the offence.
小明：怎么样？ 我跑得够快吧。
Mike：嗯，跑得不错。不过，一个好的橄榄球运动员不但需要跑得快。而且必须有团队精神。
小明：嗯，我明白了，就是要注意互相配合。
Mike：是这样的。你向前跑的时候，你的队友要帮你挡住对方球员，不让他们靠近你，这样你才能有机会进攻。
小明：噢，我明白了。打橄榄球就像打篮球一样。配合默契才是最重要的。
我说的是抗冲击能力. I’m talking about the ability to resist a charge. Now 击 is to resist and 冲击 is charge or attack. So 抗冲击能力 is the ability to resist a charge.
因为对方球员抢球的时候, 并不是站在那里一动不动, 而是会向你猛冲过来. Because when the opposing players try to get the ball, they don’t stand still. Instead they charge fiercely. Now 抢 means snatch or grab. So 抢球 is the action of trying to get the ball. 一动不动 is a way of saying no movement at all, there isn’t even a hint of movement. 一动不动. 向你冲过来 is to charge in your direction.
Mike：还有，光注意打配合还不够，你还要有强壮的身体。
小明：哈哈，我现在的身体就很强壮啊。
Mike：我说的是抗冲击能力。因为对方球员抢球的时候，并不是站在那里一动不动，而是会向你猛冲过来。你必须有强壮的身体才能顶住对方的冲击。
你得训练自己的反应能力. You need to work on your reaction ability or your reactions. 训练 is to practice or drill to train. 反应 means reaction or response and 能力 is ability. 反应能力 therefore refers to your reactions or responses and how quickly they might come.
OK 小明’s last word deserves some attention. He said 我自学成才. 自学 is to study by yourself or learn something on your own. And 成 is to become. 才 in this context, means a person of talent. So 自学成才 is like saying to learn on your own and become an expert.
Mike：还有呢，你得训练自己的反应能力。我来示范一下。我抱球进攻，你来防守。
Mike：你看，小明，你的反应要迅速。你来试试。
Mike：小明，你真聪明。不过，如果你的身体能再灵活一点儿，就更好了。
小明：麦克，你别着急，我得慢慢练。
Mike：好，我陪你练。你进攻，我防守。Mike：小明，你进步真快。我都快防不住你了。
小明：过奖、过奖，主要是你这个老师教得好。
Mike：那我可要留几手啊！
小明：哈哈，走着瞧吧，我自学成才！
All right everyone it’s vocabulary time and we’ll also be taking a look at today’s pinyin highlight.
So first off let’s take a look at our specific vocabulary words of the day.
- 练习 practice, exercise. liàn xí
- 配合 cooperate. pèi hé
- 示范 set an example. demonstrate. shì fàn
- 猛 fierce, violent, energetic. měng
- 灵活 flexible. líng huó
All right for today’s pinyin highlight let’s take a look at 灵活. Now 灵 is pretty straightforward, it’s l-i-n-g ling. And it’s second tone so our tone marker goes above the i, the only vowel, líng. Now 活, 活’s a little bit tricky to pronounce huo huo it’s the uo sound líng huo. And it’s uh second tone as well, so we place our uh tone marker above the final vowel o, líng huó.
Spotlight
We’ve covered shopping in China in quite a few of our past episodes. But there’s still some pointers*3 that could be useful for you all to know, especially if this is your first visit to China. And the pointers revolve around size.
Now, as far as clothing goes, the standard size in China is smaller than what I’ve seen in America and European stores. Now in the States you might wear a small, but in China, that could be a medium or even a large.
Now I know someone who is one meter ninety-three and built quite strongly. Now in America he buys a large or sometimes an extra large. In China, he has to look for a XXL or an XXXL. And they do have them. In any case it’s always a good idea to try things on before you buy them, just make sure the size you have is what you’re used to in your home country.
Now I have another question. Can any of you guess what I can’t buy in China because they don’t make my size. Well, um that might not be a fair question because you can’t see them very well, but my feet are big and shoes.
I wear a size forty-two in China that’s a ten women’s in the US. So they’re big but they’re still within what is considered a normal size range where I come from. forty-two in China is quite a common men’s shoe size and it’s virtually impossible to find in women’s unless you have your shoes custom made.
Primer
All right it’s time to go over today’s language points and the good news is that they’re all relatively straightforward. So lets start by taking a look at 必须.
必须 functions as an adverb in Chinese and means must or have to. Now we saw it used today in this way. 一个好的橄榄球运动员不但需要跑得快, 而且必须有团队精神. A good football player not only needs to be able to run fast, but also must have team spirit.
- 明天的运动会大家都必须8点到运动场，明白了吗？／明白了！
- 游泳之前必须先活动活动身体，来，我们开始……
光. In today’s context, 光 is used as an adverb to mean only or solely. 光注意打配合不够, 你还要有强壮的身体. Focusing only on cooperation isn’t enough. You also need to have a big strong body. Now I could say 别光说不做, which means don’t you speak and take no action.
- 你们俩别光吃肉，也要吃点蔬菜。／你先吃。
- 要想学好英语，光背是不够的，最重要的是经常说。／嗯，我知道了。
And finally we’ve got a pattern to go over. 如果…就. If … then. Now Mike said to 小明, 如果你的身体能再灵活一点就更好了. If your body was just a little more flexible, that would be even better. Now simpler example would be 如果你去, 我就去. If you go, then I’ll go.
- 如果周末天气不错，我们就去爬山吧。／可以啊，好主意！
好了, that brings us to the end of today’s show. Now don’t forget that if there’s anything we cover too quickly or didn’t have enough time to go over, you can always visit our website to review at your own pace. You can watch today’s episode or past episodes as well, and you can download content in order to help you in your Chinese studies.
好, 谢谢大家收看我们今天的成长汉语. Thank you again for joining us today. 好, 加油 everyone, I’ll see you next time. 再见.
