Four Wheels and a Board滑板——衝浪者的突發奇想



In the 1950s, surfing1 had taken off in America. But there was one problem with waiting for the perfect wave—sometimes it just wouldn't come. On days when the ocean was flat, surfers still longed for the feeling of riding on top of the water. Eventually, a surfer took the wheels off of a pair of roller skates2 and attached four of them to his surfboard. While it wasn't perfect, this was the beginning of what would later be known as skateboarding3.

  By the 1960s, makers were producing skateboards and sold 50 million of them in just three years. Soon, some experts claimed that skateboards were unsafe, which caused sales to slow. In the 1970s, though, with the invention of a kick tail4 and new material for the wheels, skateboarding started becoming popular again. Skate parks were constructed and many new tricks were developed during this time. However, it wasn't until the 1980s and 1990s that skateboarding became a mainstream5 sport. Skaters were doing amazing tricks in big competitions that were attended by thousands of people. Skateboarding is now a sport that captures people's attention worldwide, all thanks to the cleverness of one surfer who got tired of waiting for waves.
Building Your Vocabulary 


1. attach vt. 連接,固定;附上
You must attach a picture to your resume.
你必須要在你的履歷表上附上一張照片。
2. material n. 材料,原料
The material for building the house is wood.
這棟房子的建築材料是木頭。
3. construct vt. 建造,構築
Taipei 101 was constructed starting in 1999.
台北101大樓於1999年開始興建。
4. competition n. 競賽;競爭
There is fierce competition between those two companies.
那兩家公司之間的競爭很激烈。
5. attend vt. 參加,出席
Why didn't David attend the meeting today?
為什麼大衛沒有出席今天的會議?
Phrases for Learning 


1. take off  開始流行∕成功
I have heard that their business has taken off since they changed managers.
我聽說自從換了經理之後,他們的生意便開始興隆起來。
2. long for...  渴望……
The worker longs for a higher salary.
那名員工渴望擁有一份更高的薪水。
3. capture + 所有格 + attention  吸引某人注意
Ann's lovely smile captured Tim's attention.
小安甜美的笑容吸引了提姆的注意。
Extra Words 


1. surf vi. 衝浪
surfer n. 玩衝浪的人
surfboard n. 衝浪板
2. roller skate n. 四輪溜冰鞋
3. skateboarding n. 滑板(運動)
skateboard n. 滑板
4. kick tail n. 滑板兩端揚起的部分
5. mainstream n. 主流(本文中作形容詞用)
Tips In Use 


While it wasn't perfect, this was the beginning of...
(雖然他的成品稱不上完美,但這就是……的雛形。)
以下為您介紹 while 作連接詞用時的三種用法:
1. while 表『雖然』時為副詞連接詞,等於 though 或 although,其引導的副詞子句通常置於句首,其後加逗點,再接主要子句。本句即為此用法。
2. while 表『當……時』時為副詞連接詞,其所引導的副詞子句可置於主要子句之前或之後,通常用來表示持續的動作或狀態。
Your mother called while you were taking a shower.
(你在淋浴的時候你媽曾打電話過來。)
3. while 表『(然)而』時為對等連接詞,引導的主要子句通常置於另一主要子句之後,其前加逗點,即等於 whereas 或 but。
Max is good at cooking, while his wife doesn't cook at all.
(麥斯很會做菜,然而他太太卻從不下廚。)
中文翻譯 


衝浪在1950年代開始盛行於美國。不過在等待著完美的海浪打來之時卻有一個問題 --有時候它就是怎樣也不出現。在海面風平浪靜的日子裡,喜愛衝浪的人們仍渴望著駕馭浪頭的快感。最後終於有一個衝浪者把一雙溜冰鞋的輪子拆下來,再把其 中四個固定在他的衝浪板上。雖然他的成品稱不上完美,但這就是爾後為人們所熟知的滑板運動的雛形。

  到了1960年代,各家廠商紛紛製造了大量的滑板,甚至在三年內就賣出了五千萬個。不久之後,一些專家聲稱滑板不甚安全,結果造成銷售下滑。不過在 1970年代,因為kick tail及輪子新材質的發明,滑板運動又開始流行起來。於是在這段期間內,很多滑板公園就此興建,不少新花招也紛紛出籠。然而一直到1980和1990年 代,滑板運動才成為一項主流運動。滑板選手在參加數千人圍觀的大型比賽中,不斷秀出令人嘆為觀止的各種驚人技巧。如今滑板運動儼然成為一項吸引全球注目的 『潮』運動,這都得歸功於一位衝浪者在厭煩等浪之際時的機智巧思。



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