世界上只有两个季节：冬季和棒球季

By+Aaron+A.Vessup

The cracking sound of a wooden bat hitting a small white ball was just one fascination， and watching spectators， hearing their voices reveal dreams and desperate yearnings were bonuses.1 In the sport of baseball， players show offensive and defensive skills united in cooperation，2 accuracy， and fate. Viewers in the stands are pulled by distinct dramas.3

First， are the battles between the pitchers from each team against men swinging determined bats.4

Second， when a batter successfully makes contact hitting the ball thrown by the pitcher that may come dangerously close to his body， or dance slowly at him with strange spinning rotations， the defense players must make extremely quick judgments on how to respond to balls suddenly coming in any direction at unpredictable speeds.5

Third， during this entire process， any mistake made by defense players or the single offense batter now becoming a runner extracts judgments by one of three officials called umpires.6

Fourth， baseball fans motivated beyond cheering for their team or favorite individual players， vocally reveal judgments regarding the fairness of the umpires decisions. Thus， while both teams on the playing field strive to exhibit the best in group cooperation and individual skills， and ruling officials try their best to be fair while judging， the watching spectators off the field are very expressive with either their supporting cheers， chants， songs， or jeers and booing.7

These sports gathering include the smelly picnic aromas of barbeque meat， hot-dogs with mustard，8 peanuts， and popcorn. Many fans guzzle large cups of beer， while others bask in the sun glistening with oily tanning lotions.9

“Take me out to the ball game， take me out to the crowds...

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker-jacks10...！”

This traditional song the fans are lustily singing at this game is called “The Show” and is a favorite American pastime.11 Games also involve watching many minor contests that determine the final major outcome. Long before the advent of television， people in homes would sit for hours with their ears glued to radios， listening to playby-play announcers describe events on the baseball field.12 Good sports broadcasters use descriptive language to help color the imaginations of listeners.

Like most boys in our city， I did not like the San Francisco Giants13 simply because their city was not our city. They had pitchers who threw baseballs that gave our batters in Los Angeles trouble. Our batters routinely would strike out14 and never reach the first base. San Francisco also had batters who could hit the ball very hard and far. The San Francisco Giants were indeed a dangerous team to fear. But， I also enjoyed listening to the Dodgers play against the Saint Louis Cardinals from Missouri； the Cincinnati Reds of Ohio； and the Pittsburgh Pirates from Pennsylvania.15 These teams had Hall of Fame pitchers that gave our Dodger batters problems， causing them to throw “fits” and experience cursing spasms.16 These team also had “sluggers” who could render instant damage，17 hitting balls far above viewers sitting in the stands. Such hard hit balls high in the air could look like tiny round pills that finally bounced crazily on the paved streets landing between parked cars. Sometimes a ball would find a resting place in a lucky kids hands， any youngster who had been patiently waiting， listening， and with strained18 neck watching the skyline.endprint

“Go！ Go！ Go！”

The stadium was rocking with chants coming from over 65，000 screaming throats. Baseball fans were standing， jumping up and down， and waving towels and flags， some even pounding others on their sweat soaked backs.19

“Go！ Go！ Go！”

I could feel the hairs on my arms stand， as a creepy chill came over my body. I was also trying to keep my own mouth from opening to shout “Go！” But I was at home standing in the kitchen washing our dinner dishes， and I did not want to yell or make any sound that might prevent hearing the next description of what the players were doing. I kept my hands still in the soapy dishwater， careful to not cause a clink from glass knocking against glass， or rattle silverware as forks， spoons， and stubborn knives slipped from my nervous fingers.20

My chosen vocation to become a speech professor years later， is largely due to my fascination with listening to the game of baseball， and also Radio Mystery Theater 21. In my youth we did not have a television at home like most of my friends. But our radio was usually turned on for Soap Operas during the day for my mother to enjoy adult dramas. Evening and weekend sports and mystery stories， were the special treats allowed after we kids completed chores and homework.22 Usually， my father listened to baseball daily transmitted23 on the car radio， or when repairing the family automobile in the cool shade of our garage. He also listened to important games between our Los Angeles Dodgers， the team in the city where we lived， and his New York Yankees24， his hometown. But， he was also drawn to listening to The Los Angeles team when it was playing against the San Francisco Giants. This team was important because Willie Mays was a batter， or baseball “slugger” who usually hit“home runs” by regularly knocking the ball out of the sports stadium for points to win games.25 Willie Mays was a Black man， and his constant winning hits brought him closer and closer to passing the ball hitting record of “The Babe”. Babe Ruth26， a fat White man pictured with cigar in his mouth， had long been a baseball legend in the history of American baseball.

“Go！ Go！ Go！”

The fans were screaming so loudly that the voice of the radio announcer could barely be heard as he described the action. My favorite player， Maury Wills， had hit the ball and safely reached first base. After this he had stolen second base when the opposing pitcher had not been attentive.27 Now， the fans were screaming for him to take another risk. Wills was threatening to steal third base， because he walked away from the safety of second base， took a few extra steps， inching28 toward third base as if he was about to run again. This was exciting. Now the pitcher was alert watching daring Wills from the corner of one eye. The catcher gave secret signals to the pitcher to cue him whether to pitch to the batter in front of him， or trap Wills by quickly throwing the ball to second base which would force him to run.29 Everyone in the stadium was demanding that this runner take another risk. Listeners at home and viewers at the park knew that Wills could indeed steal the next base successfully if his timing and judgments were accurate. Wills had done this many times before， and this is why he was the“King of Base Stealing”. This night， the fans were delirious30 and wild， wanting to see a new stolen base record reached. We all were worried and also excited. We wanted our team to win， but also yearned to see home runs hit by“ball sluggers”， and extra bases stolen by “base thieves”. I will never forget that game because this was the night when Maury Wills finally stood on third-base safely， and he also reached the last base， stealing home plate31. The Los Angeles Dodgers won by one run32 because Wills had scored. This was more exciting than when a pitcher throws three strikes to dismiss a batter from becoming a runner. Perhaps these are reasons it is said about this exciting show，“Baseball is Life”.endprint

1. 咚！木制的球棒击中小白球。这迷人的声音只是棒球运动的魅力之一。环视周围的观众，听着他们带着梦想和极度渴望的呼喊，则有如锦上添花。

2. offensive： 进攻的；defensive： 防守的。

3. stand： 看台；pull： 吸引；drama： 戏剧性场面。

4. pitcher： 投手，在棒球比赛中，防守方负责投球的球员，通常被视为主宰比赛胜负的灵魂人物；men swinging determined bats： 指下文中提到的击球员。

5. batter： 击球员，指棒球比赛中，进攻方上场担任打击任务的球员，击球员手握球棒站在本垒两侧的打击区内，设法将防守方投手所投的球击出；spinning： 旋转的；rotation： 旋转；the defense player： 守方，棒球比赛时分攻守两方。攻方球队的击球员利用球棒将守方投手投掷的球击出，随后沿着三个垒包进行跑垒，成功回到本垒可得一分；守方则利用手套将击球员的球接住或将击出的球掷回，持球踏垒“封杀”攻方跑垒。

6. runner： 跑垒员，或称击跑员，攻方击球员在合法击出界内球且没有被场上防守人员接杀时，该击球员应该立即跑垒；extract： 设法从……中得到；umpire： //（棒球比赛中的）裁判。在国外，不同体育比赛中裁判的名称有所不同。

7. 因此，当攻守双方均在场上全力以赴，展示他们精彩的团队合作和个人技巧时，裁判们也尽力做到公平判决，而场外观众可不会含蓄表达他们的情感，要么欢呼颂唱，以表支持，要么冷嘲热讽，发出嘘声一片。chant： 反复地喊；jeer： 嘲笑；boo： 发嘘声，喝倒彩。

8. aroma： 气味；mustard： 芥末。

9. guzzle： 狂饮，豪饮；bask： 晒太阳；glisten：（因有水或有油而）发光；tanning lotion：防晒霜。

10. Cracker-jack： 玉米花混合花生裹上糖衣后具有浓厚焦糖风味的一种零食，类似爆米花，为美国百事食品公司旗下的产品。

11. lustily： 精力充沛地，精神饱满地；pastime：娱乐，消遣。

12. advent： 到来，出现；play-by-play announcer：现场解说员，实况播报员。

13. San Francisco Giants： 旧金山巨人队，是隶属于国家联盟西区的职棒球队，自创建以来共赢得23次国家联盟冠军及晋级20次世界大赛，是一支实力强大的球队。

14. strike out： （棒球术语）三击不中出局。

15. 此处提到的棒球队依次是：洛杉矶道奇队（本段中Los Angeles和Dodgers均指该球队）、圣路易红雀队、辛辛那提红人队和匹兹堡海盗队，均是隶属于国家联盟的职棒球队。

16. Hall of Fame： 指美国国家棒球名人堂，位于美国纽约州的棒球博物馆。棒球球员必须至少有十年以上职棒大联盟资历，须获得全美棒球记者协会会员75%的同意票，才能够入选名人堂；throw a fit： 大发脾气；spasm： //（情感）突发，发作。

17. slugger： 指长打率（slugging percentage）高的棒球球員，长打率用来判断一名球员的长打能力，数值越高表示打击破坏力越高，杀伤力越强；render： 致使，使成为。

18. strained：（因过分用力而）劳损的，扭伤的。

19. pound： 重敲，咚咚地打；soaked： 湿透的，浸透的。

20. 我的手一动不动地放在满是泡沫的洗碗水中，小心翼翼不让玻璃容器相碰发出丁当声，还要防止叉勺和难洗的刀子从我紧张的指尖滑落而哗啦作响。rattle： 使发出连续短促的尖利声。

21. Radio Mystery Theater： 即CBS Radio Mystery Theater，是美国哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）于1974至1982年间播出的广播剧。

22. treat： 特别待遇，款待；chore： 家庭杂务。

23. transmit： 播送，传播。

24. New York Yankees： 纽约洋基队，是美国联盟八个创史队之一，也是赢得世界大赛最多的棒球队。

25. Willie Mays： 威利·梅斯（1931— ），前美国职棒大联盟的著名球手，他被选入棒球名人堂，还被誉为棒球史上最优秀的球员之一；home run： 本垒打，又称全垒打，指击球员将对方来球击出后（通常击出外野护栏），击球员依次跑过一、二、三垒并安全回到本垒的进攻方法。

26. Babe Ruth： 贝比·鲁斯（1895—1948），美国棒球史上最著名的球员之一，曾效力于红袜队、洋基队，被球迷昵称为“棒球之神”。他在本垒打方面有天赋，创下了不少纪录，是首批入选棒球名人堂的五人之一。

27. steal second base： 盗二垒。盗垒是指跑垒员在投手投球前离开原垒包成功占领对方垒包的动作。成功的盗垒不仅需要速度，还需要跑垒员对场上形势作出正确判断。盗二垒即是原来在一垒的跑垒员在投手投球时不管投球的结果，趁投手投球之际全力跑向二垒。但是如果球先于盗垒者传到原来在二垒的球员手上，则盗垒失败；attentive： 专心的，留意的。

28. inch： v. 缓慢地移动。

29. 捕手偷偷向投手发出信号，提示投手是应该将球投给（他身前的）击球员，还是给威尔斯设套，将球快速投向二垒，逼迫他跑垒。catcher：捕手，棒球比赛中负责接住投手投球及接捕本垒附近的击球。由于捕手位于本垒后，可以看到整个球场的情况，又有“场上的教练”之称。

30. delirious： // 极度兴奋的。

31. home plate： 本垒。

32. run：（板球或棒球中的）得分。endprint