特别广播英语第 375 课：The Colorful History of Billiards 台球的沿革-2

Before hitting America, billiards already had a spotty history thanks to the likes of hustlers such as Englishman Jack Carr. 在台球风潮袭卷美洲之前，它已经有了一段发展不平衡的历史，这点，活跃分子诸如英格兰人杰克卡尔等功不可没。

Carr, the first person to put chalk on his cue tip, made a fortune peddling his magic "twisting chalk" around France in the 1820s. 卡尔是首位将白垩用于磨削球杆尖端的人，19世纪20年代他还因在法国各地兜售他神奇的“白垩”发了财。

The "magic" was actually in Carr's wrist; he was the first player to apply spin to a billiards ball, and the term "English" is still used to denote this move. 事实上真正“神奇”的，是卡尔的手腕：他首创旋转球打法，当时称呼此动作的术语（“侧旋”(English)）也沿用迄今。

In America, billiards had a questionable reputation because of its association with gambling. 在美国，台球因和赌博相联系，名声仍受到质疑。

The 20-year rivalry of American pool masters Michael Phelan and Dudley Kavanagh in the late 19th century, however, attracted attention and respect as tournaments became standing-room-only tuxedo affairs. 19世纪末，当台球公开赛成了盛装庆事，只能买到站票的时候，美国台球双雄迈克费兰和杜德利卡文纳长达20年之久的 霸，吸引了众人的目光，赢得了尊敬。

Ironically, the two also started a tradition of conflicting associations governing the game, which now makes all titles suspect, and the Olympics an impossible dream. 具讽刺意味的是，他们 两人也开创了有冲突的台球协会间争相控制这种运动的传统，它使得所有的名次难以确定，列入奥运正式比赛项目仍只是一场梦。

Fortunately, legitimacy and success are not invariably linked. 好在，合法与成功并没有必然联系。

When The Hustler, a 1961 movie starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason, glamorized the shady underworld of pool sharks, business boomed. 1961年由保罗·纽曼和贾奇·葛利森主演的电影《江湖浪子》，表现了身处阴暗 下层社会台球高手们的魅力，台球生意兴隆起来。

Coin-operated pool tables were born just in time to meet the rising demand. 投币式的台球桌也应运而生。

Initially found only in bars and bowling alleys, the new, smaller tables have taken center stage at packed pool halls from Boston to Beijing. 这些新型小球起初只在酒吧、保龄球馆中能找到；现在，从波士顿到北京，在挤满了人的台球场所里，它俨然成为了主流。