板球

對于大多英语国家来说，板球不止是“板”和“球”的游戏。它的地位超脱了其国际体育项目的身份，成为一种对生命的诠释。

“Baseball has the great advantage over cricket of being ended sooner”， wrote Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw， and many people who dont understand the sport will know what he means. Most sports are all about physical intensity， a dramatic spectacle unfolding at speed in front of your very eyes. Cricket is not.

Instead， think of it more as a chess game， played on a large green field instead of a small chequered board. And thats why it has become so adored in Britain and many of its Commonwealth countries like Australia， New Zealand and Jamaica.

Cricket has periods of relative inactivity， then brief spurts when skill and luck combine in a fascinating way. The winning team is the one that best responds tactically to the developing situation， which is why the Duke of Dorchester wrote in 1777， “What is life but a game of cricket？”

This philosophical aspect has given the sport a rather noble status. The British adore football for its visceral thrills and dramatic twists； its a high energy game thats great to play or watch. Cricket on the other hand is seen as something of a ‘higher pleasure， a slightly more intellectual activity； it is certainly more nuanced.

For this reason， it is taught in Englands elite public schools， and has an upper class image； some say it is “the sport of kings”. Certainly the act of watching cricket is a very civilised affair； fans enjoy sitting down and chatting with their friends as the game progresses. Beer and wine and sandwiches and fruit are part of the experience， and children are welcome. The matches last at least a day and amazingly， the players stop for lunch and take morning and afternoon tea.

Superficially， cricket is a simple game. You have to score more than the opposition to win， and there are two teams with eleven players in each. The bowler throws a leather covered wooden ball towards the batsman， who holds a slim long willow bat. He stands in front of three wooden stumps， on which sit two small wooden bails which he has to stop being knocked off； if the ball hits these， then he is ‘out and a new batsman begins playing.

The other way the batsman can be ‘out is if he hits the ball into the air and one of the fielders standing around him catches it directly， without the ball hitting the ground. The batting team tries to score as many points or ‘runs as they can， by hitting the ball around the oval field. The fielding team must remove the batsmen in as few runs as possible. Once the batting team is all ‘out， they swap over and become the bowling side. Whoever gets the most runs， wins.

A professional cricket test match can take five days to complete， with up to eight hours a day playing. Sometimes there is no clear winner， and it ends as a draw. The weather also plays a big part—rain can stop the game or the atmospheric conditions may change the behaviour of the ball as it flies through the air or bounces off the grass pitch. Cricket is highly unusual， which is why many fans love it so much！

The sport can be traced back to the sixteenth century， with international matches played since 1844. During that time， certain countries have developed particularly strong rivalries， such as Pakistan and India， and England and Australia—The Ashes， a five match tournament held roughly every four years since 1882， is a great favourite. It is often held at Lords Cricket Ground in St. Johns Wood， London； the spiritual home of English cricket.

Despite sometimes fierce competition， crickets strong code of honour and fair play has become a metaphor for life in countries that play the sport； if someone cheats in any situation， the phrase， “its just not cricket” is used. Once again， it reminds us of the special place it inhabits in British society—like mild weather and lightly seasoned food， life just wouldnt be quite the same without it.

爱尔兰剧作家萧伯纳曾写道：“相比板球，棒球有很大的优势，因为它比赛结束得早。”不懂板球的人，都会对此有同感。大多数运动比赛拼的是身体，速度的较量瞬息万变，使人目不暇接。板球比赛则不然。

打板球更像是下象棋，只不过棋盘挪到了一大片草地上。这就是英国和许多英联邦国家，如澳大利亚、新西兰和牙买加，对打板球情有独钟的缘故。

板球比赛中常会有平静的间歇期，但随之而来的短暂爆发结合了技巧和运气，引人入胜。获胜的球队永远是对比赛发展状况做出最佳战术回应的那个队，正如多切斯特公爵在1777年寫道：“生命难道不是一场板球比赛吗？”

板球被这种哲学视角赋予了高贵的身份。足球相比板球是一种高能量的运动：英国人爱足球的跌宕起伏，更爱看球时的心潮澎湃、捶胸顿足。无论是看或踢，都很有意思。板球则被视为一种“更高层次”快感的体验，它是一种更偏向于智力的活动，其比赛中充满了细致微妙之处。

出于这个原因，英国的精英公学中大多教打板球，这项运动也被普遍视为上层社会的游戏。有人称板球是“国王的运动”。的确，观看板球比赛是一件很文明的事，板球迷们喜欢与朋友们坐在一起，边聊边看，还要不时享用啤酒、葡萄酒、三明治和水果。孩子们也能参与其中。板球比赛至少要赛一整天。在中午，板球手们竟然都要停赛吃午餐；上午和下午的比赛还分别穿插有茶歇。

从表面上看，板球是一个简单的游戏。两队各上场11名队员，最后比分高的队获胜。投球员将皮革覆盖的木球掷向手持细长柳木板的击球员。击球员身后有三个叫“门柱”的小木桩，门柱上边放着两个小横木。击球员要保护横木不掉下来。如果横木被投球员击中，那么造成击球员“出局”，则新击球员上场。

如果击球员打到的球被对方的守备员凌空接到，击球员也会“出局”。击球的一方把球击向椭圆形球场的任意方向，从而得到跑位或得分。而防守一方要尽可能减少击球一方的跑位/得分次数。当击球方全部出局后，两队换位，击球员成为投球员。两队跑位/得分多者获胜。

一场职业的板球测试赛能比上五天，每天的比赛可长达八小时。有时比了五天也得不出分晓，最后以平局告终。天气也是比赛的重要组成部分——下雨能使比赛中止，刮风会改变球在空中及反弹后的运行方式。板球运动的奇葩之处多多，着实让板球迷们热爱着迷！

板球的历史可以追溯到16世纪，国际比赛则始于1844年。从那时起，某些国家就逐渐发展成了球场上的死对头，例如：巴基斯坦和印度，以及英国和澳大利亚。后两者自1882年起，大约每四年举行一届“灰烬杯”对抗赛，每届连赛五场，成为备受瞩目的赛事。“灰烬杯”经常在伦敦圣约翰森林的罗德板球场举行，这里也是英国板球的精神归属处。

尽管板球比赛竞争激烈，但其荣誉感和公平竞赛的传统成了打板球的国家对生活的隐喻：在任何情况下，一旦有欺骗行为发生，短语“这也太不板球了”就会被用到。板球在英国社会中的特殊地位毋庸置疑——就像英国温和的天气和清淡的食物一样，英国生活中没有了它会很不同。