英语小短文第 37 课：American's Favorites 美国人的爱好

Americans call football “soccer” because they call American football “football.” 美国人称足球（football）为soccer, 因为football在美国英语中意为“橄榄球”。

Don't let the names of the games fool you, though, they are very different. 他们之间大相径庭，因而不要被名字糊弄。

American football is more like rugby than football. 美式足球与其称之为足球，倒不如称之为橄榄球。

Except for one or two special plays, players use their hands to carry or throw the ball. 除了一两个特殊的球之外，球员们都是用手带球或投球。

Usually only one player throws the ball, he is called the quarterback. 通常只有一个球员传球，这个队员就是四分卫。

The quarterback tries to lead his team's offense down a 100-yard (a little less than 100 meters) field by passing (throwing) the ball or giving it to another player who runs with it. 四分卫试图带领自己队的进攻队员沿着100码长（略短于100米）的球场传球或带球。

If the quarterback's team carries the ball across the 100th yard, then they score a touchdown. 如果四分卫这方成功地带球穿过100码的球场，那边获得触地得分。

The defense tries to keep the offense from scoring touchdowns by grabbing the player with the ball and pulling him to the ground. 防守方则尽力阻止进攻方获得触地得分，他们可以擒抱带球的球员并把他拖到地上。

If the offense cannot move 10 yards forward in four plays, it must give the ball to the other team. 如果在四次发球机会内进攻方都不能带过10码的场地，球将交由另一方控制。