Table Tennis
Table tennis, an indoor ball game similar in principle to lawn tennis, is played on a flat table divided into two equal courts by a net fixed across it width at the middle. The lightweight hollow ball is made of celluloid or a similar plastic and is propelled back and forth across the net by small rackets (bats or paddies) held by the player. The game is popular all over the world. In most countries it is very highly organized a competitive sport, especially in Europe and Asia, particularly in China and Japan.
桌上的网球（乒乓球）
乒乓球，一种类似草地网球，在一张平面桌子上，通过一张在桌子中间固定宽度的网分成两块相等的桌面进行的室内球类运动。这种轻量级的空心球由赛璐珞或相同的塑料制成，由球员手持的小球拍在网间来回地推动。这项运动在全世界都很流行。在大多数国家中它是一种有非常高组织性的竞技运动，尤其在欧洲和亚洲，特别是在中国和日本。
History. Invented in England in the early days of the 20th century, the game was originally called Ping-Pong, which was a trade name. The name table tennis was adopted in 1921—22 when the old Ping-Pong association formed in 1902 was revived. The original association had broken up about 1905, though apparently the game continued to be played in parts of England outside London, and by the 1920s was being played in many countries. Led by representatives of Germany, Hungary, and England, the Federation Internationale de Tennis de Table (International Table Tennis Federation) was founded in 1926, the founder members being England, Sweden, Hungary, India, Denmark, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Wales. By the 1970s more than 90 national associations were members and there were six continental Federations: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Oceania.
历史 桌上的网球发明于二十世纪早期的英格兰，这项运动最初被称为乒乓球，是一种商品名称。在1921年至1922年间，当恢复1902年成立的旧乒乓球协会时，便采用了桌上的网球这个名字。最初的协会大约在1905年解散，尽管，显然这项运动在伦敦以外的英格兰其它地方继续在开展着，而到了二十世纪二十年代，在许多国家都开展了这项运动。由德国，匈牙利和英格兰的代表发起，the Federation Internationale de Tennis de Table（国际乒乓球联合会）于1926年成立，创始成员国是英格兰，瑞典，匈牙利，印度，丹麦，德国，捷克斯洛伐克，奥地利和威尔士。到二十世纪七十年代，超过九十个国家的协会都成为了成员，而且已有了六个大陆联合会：欧洲，亚洲，非洲，北美洲，南美洲以及大洋洲。
The first world championships were held in London in 1927, and from then until 1939 the game was dominated by players from central Europe, the men’s team event being won nine times by Hungary and twice by Czechoslovakia. There was no competition during World War II, but from 1946 to 1953 Czechoslovakia won four times and Hungary twice. These two countries produced some of the greatest players in the game. Victor Barna (five times world singles champion), Laszlo Bellak (twice a finalist), Mike Szabados (once winner and twice finalist) all came from Hungary, as did Ferenc Sido, winner in 1953. From Czechoslovakia came Bohumil Vana, twice world champion and twice a finalist, and Ivan Andreadis, who was a great stylist and four times world doubles champion.
1927年在伦敦举办了第一届世界锦标赛，而从那时一直到1939年，这项运动都是由中欧的球员所统治，男子团体赛由匈牙利夺冠九次，捷克斯洛伐克获胜两次。在第二次世界大战期间没有举办任何赛事，但从1946年到1953年捷克斯洛伐克赢了四次，匈牙利胜过两次。这两个国家在这项运动中产生过一些最伟大的球员。维克多·巴尔纳（五次世界单打冠军），拉斯洛·贝拉克（两次进入决赛的选手），麦克·绍鲍多什（一次获胜者，两次进入决赛）全部都来自匈牙利，费伦茨·西多也是如此，于1953年夺冠。来自捷克斯洛伐克的博胡米尔·瓦娜，两次世界冠军和两次进入决赛，而伊万·安德烈亚迪斯，他是一位出色的造型师，四次世界双打冠军。
Another Central European, recognized as one of the greatest champions of all time, was Richard Bergmann of Austria, who won the world singles title four times (twice as a naturalized English citizen). In the women’s team event, central Europe has also been prominent. Of the 16 championships played between 1934 and 1956, Romania and Czechoslovakia won six times. Great women players have included Maria Mednyanszky (Hungary) who won the ladies’ singles title each year in the first five years, Gizi Farkas (Hungary) who won the title THREE years, and Angelica Rozeanu (Romania) with the record of six world singles titles.
另一位被认为是历史上最伟大的冠军之一的中欧选手是奥地利的理查德·伯格曼，他获得过四次世界单打冠军（两次是作为归的化英国公民）。在女子团体赛中，中欧也很突出。在1934年至1956年之间赢得的十六个冠军中，罗马尼亚和捷克斯洛伐克获得过六次。伟大的女选手包括玛丽亚·梅德杨斯基 （匈牙利），在第一个五年中她获得了每年的女子单打冠军，吉兹·法卡斯（匈牙利），她获得了三年的冠军头衔，以及拥有六个世界单打冠军的安杰莉卡·罗齐亚努（罗马尼亚）。
During the 1953—54 season Asia emerged as a breeding ground of champions, and the men’s team event was won either by Japan or China in 13 of the following 15 years. Since the late 1950s the women’s event also has been dominated, though to a lesser extent, by Japan and China. Japan has produced many great players, in particular Ichiro Ogimura and Toshiaki Tanaka, both twice world champions, and Chuang Te-tung of China won THREE consecutive championships.
在1953年至1954年赛季期间，亚洲成为冠军的诞生地，在接下来的十五年中的十三年里，男子团体赛要么由日本，要么由中国夺冠。从二十世纪五十年代以来，虽然日本和中国的影响还不大，但女子项目也占据了统治地位。日本产生了许多出色的球员，尤其是获村伊智朗和中田利明，他们都两次获得了世界冠军，以及中国的庄则栋，获得过连续三届冠军。
At world championships, held biennially since 1957, players compete for:
从1957年开始，在每两年一次的世界锦标赛上，选手争夺的是：
The Swaythling cup Men’s team event. The best of nine singles matches.
斯韦思林杯 男子团体赛。九场单打赛中优胜的队伍。
The Corbillon Cup Women’s team event. The best of four singles and one double matches.
考比伦杯 女子团体赛。四场单打和一场双打赛优胜的队伍。
St. Bride’s Vase Men’s individual singles.
圣·布赖德杯 男子个人单打冠军。
G. Geist Prize Women’s individual singes.
盖斯特杯 女子个人单打冠军。
Iran Cup Men’s doubles championships
伊朗杯 男子双打冠军。
W.J. Pope Trophy Women’s doubles championships.
波普杯 女子双打冠军。
Heydusek Prize Mixed doubles championships.
赫杜塞克杯 混合双打冠军。
The game. Table tennis equipment is relatively simple and inexpensive. The table is rectangular 9 ft by 5 ft (2.74 m by 1.52 m), its upper surface a horizontal plane 30 in. (76 cm) above the floor. The net is 6 ft (1.83 m) long and its upper edge along the whole length 6 in. (15.25 cm) above the playing surface. The ball, which is spherical, hollow, and made of white plastic, weighs about .09 oz (2.5 gm) and has a diameter of about 5 1.5 in. (3.81 cm). The racket or bat is of wood, flat and rigid, and may be either plain uncovered wood, or wood covered with a thin layer of ordinary stippled or pimpled rubber, which may be laid over a thin layer of sponge rubber and may have the pimples reversed; whatever combination is used, the colours on both sides must match and the total thickness must not exceed 0.16 in. (4 mm).
比赛 乒乓球器材相对简单和便宜。球桌为长方形，9英尺乘5英尺（2.74米乘1.52米），其上表面为一个30英寸的平面，高于地面（76厘米）。网长为6英尺（1.83米），桌面上的网高为6英寸（15.25厘米）。使用的球为球形，空心，由白色塑料制成，重量大约0.09盎司（2.5克），而直径大约51.5（3.81厘米）。拍子是木制的，平整而坚硬，既可以光板，木板也可以贴上一层薄薄的普通点状或颗粒胶的薄膜层，木板可以贴上一层薄薄的海绵橡胶层，也可反贴颗粒；无论使用什么样的组合，两面的颜色必须匹配，而总厚度不能超过0.16英寸（4毫米）。
A match in table tennis consists of the best of THREE or the best of five games, each game as in handball being won by the player who first reaches 21 point, or who, after 20 points each, win two clear points ahead. A point is scored when the server fails to make a good service, when either player fails to make a good return, or when either player commits a specified infraction; e.g. , touches the playing surface with his free hand while the ball is in play. Service changes hands after every five points until 20-all is reached, when it changes after every subsequent point.
一场乒乓球比赛包括三局两胜或五局三胜制，每局以选手先得21分为胜者，或者在都得20分后，谁先赢得两分为胜者。当发球者发球失误，当任何选手击球失误，或犯规时，对方得一分；例如，在打球时用其非执拍手触碰到球桌的表面。在每五分后交换发球，直到20分，此时，每一分换发一次。
The serve is made from behind the end of the table, the server projecting the ball upward from the palm of his free hand and striking it as it descends so that it first touches his own court and then, passing over the net, touches his opponent’s court. In serving no spin may be imparted to the ball by the fingers. Thus was not always so, finger spin, specially in the United States, reached a stage where the experts could produce untakable services and the game became farcical. Finger spin was universally banned in 1937.
发球要从球台的末端开始，发球者用其非执球手的手掌向上抛球，并在球下落时击球，这样球首先接触到他自己的台面，然后越过球网，接触对手的台面。发球时不能用手指使球旋转。情况也并非总是如此，尤其在美国，手指使球旋转的情况曾经很盛行，行家们的发球怪异，难接，因此比赛变成了闹剧。1937年，手指转球的发球被普遍禁止。
Interest to the spectator lies in observing the ability of one player to defeat his opponent by out-manoeuvring him by well-thought-out strategy and by superior fitness, footwork, and stroke repertoire. Increasing the speed of the game, slowing it down, varying the direction of or imparting different spin or pace to the ball, and employing gentle drop-shots over the net when the opponent is out of position are some of the tactics that may be used to support the strategy planned.
观众的兴趣在于观看一位选手通过深思熟虑的策略，出色的身体素质、步法以及高超的击球技能，以智取的方式击败对手的能力。在比赛中加速，减速，变换球的方向或使球产生不同的旋转或速度，而当对手失位时利用过网轻球都是一些可以用于支持策略的战术。
Slow or defensive play at one time reached the stage that, at the 1936 world championships in Prague, an hour was needed to decide a single point. Play is now restricted. If a game is unfinished 15 minutes after it has begun, the rest of that game and the remaining games of the match proceed under the Expedite System. Thereafter if the service and 12 following strokes of the server are returned by the receiver, the server loses the point. The service changes after each point.
1936年在布拉格举办的世界杯上，比赛中缓慢或防守的打法一度达到了要一小时才能决定一分的程度。这种比赛现在已被禁止。如果比赛在开始十五分钟后未能结束，那么比赛的剩余时间以及这对选手的其余比赛都会以轮换发球法进行。从那以后，如果发球方的发球和十二次击球被对方击回，那么就判发球方失去一分。在每一分钟后都会换发球。
Table tennis may be played as a game of singles with one player at each end of the table, or as doubles with two players at each end who may be both men or both women or one of each. Worldwide, the women’s game is comparable in organization to the men’s, and women take part in world championships and all other organized events. Table tennis, as well as being fully organized, is also extremely popular as a recreational game and is played in all types of sports clubs, social clubs, and game rooms, in the home, and even out of doors when conditions allow.
乒乓球可以是单打比赛，以一名选手在球桌的一端，或者在每一边由两名选手的双打，选手可以是两名男选手或两名女选手，或者男女各一名。在世界各地，女子比赛在组织规模方面与男子比赛相当，而女子已参加了世界锦标赛和所有其它有组织的赛事。除了完全有组织的以外，乒乓球也是一项极受欢迎的娱乐运动，它可以在各种类型的体育俱乐部，社交俱乐部和娱乐厅，在家中开展，当条件允许时也可在室外进行。
2021年5月9日译
(译者注：该词条位列《大英百科全书》（Encyclopadia Britannica, Macropadia Knowledge in Depth）1984年版，第17卷，第981页至982页)
