(中英)现代散文:我对于运动会的感想 Reflections on the Sports Meet

Reflections on the Sports Meet

我对于运动会的感想①

◎ Hu Shih

◎　胡　适

After entering an American University, I watched, for the first time, an intercollegiate football match on the campus. Unlike the football we now play in China, American football is a very tough game. Though admission cost as much as two US dollars per person, yet there was a large attendance of several thousand. At each critical moment, the stadium would be echoing with the spectators' chorus of wild yells for their own athletic heroes. Whenever a player of their side was injured and helped out of the football field, they would also yell by way of saluting and comforting him. At first I just couldn't get used to the rough play and deafening roar, inwardly calling it an inhuman modern version of the bloody fights of men with men or with wild animals in the arena of the Roman amphitheater.

我到美国入大学校后，第一次去看我们大学和别的大学的足球竞争（Football，此系另一种很激烈的足球，与中国现行的不同）。入场券卖每人美金二元②，但看的人竟有几千人之多。每到紧要关头，几千人同声喊着本校的“呼声”（yell）以鼓励场中的武士③。有受伤的球员，扶下场时，大家也喊着“呼声”祝贺他④，安慰他。我第一次观场，看见那野蛮的奋斗，听着那震耳的“呼声”，实在不惯；心里常想：这真是罗马时代的角抵和斗兽的遗风，很不人道的⑤。

Among the yelling crowds were not only young boys and girls, but also many hoary-headed old professors. I was very surprised to see my professor of botany, who happened to sit nearby, also shouting frantically.

但是场中叫喊的人，不但是少年男女，还有许多白发的老教授，——我的植物教习罗里教授就坐在我的附近，——也拼命的喊着助威的“呼声”！我心里更不明白了⑥！

I went to watch football several times. The third time, however, found me rising to my feet in spite of myself to join my fellow students in cheering like mad.

但是我以后还去看过几次，看到第三次，我也不知不觉的站起来⑦，跟着我们的同学们拼命的喊那助威的“呼声”！

Can I have been assimilated into the barbarous modern version of the ancient Roman practice? No. The fact is, I gradually threw away the "old-age mentality" that I'd brought with me from China. I became rejuvenated.

难道我被那野蛮的遗风同化了吗？不是的；我渐渐把我从中国带去的“老人意态”丢开了；我也变少年了！

Now, after spending five years teaching at Peking University, I've been assimilated into the "scholarly dignity" of my students, so that my erstwhile "old-age mentality" has revived by and large.

我在北京大学住了五年，不知不觉的又被中国学生的“斯文样子”⑧同化了，我的“老人意态”又差不多全回来了。

Today I was very happy to hear that Peking University was about to schedule a sports meet. That reminds me of how twelve years ago I joined the football crowds in giving loud yells. I'm looking forward very eagerly to the new opportunity for me to regain some of my youthful spirit. I hope all my students will be present at the playing field to taste the joy of youthfulness and temporarily leave behind their "scholarly dignity" in the classroom or dormitory.

今天忽然听说北京大学要开一个运动会，这个消息使我很高兴。我的记忆力使我回到十二年前跟着大家大呼大喊⑨的时候，我很想再有同样的机会使我弹去一点“老态”⑩。我希望许多同学都来这运动会场上尝尝少年的高兴，——把那斯文的老景暂时丢在讲堂上或寄宿舍里！

《我对于运动会的感想》是胡适（1891—1962）写于1922年4月21日的短文，当时他在北京大学任教。