英语听力精选进阶版 6458

Can you be brainy and brawny¹ at the same time? The sport of chess boxing suggests you can.

The former boxing world heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis, is keen to dismiss the idea that if you're muscular you can't be smart enough to succeed in a cerebral² game like chess – a sport he's enthusiastic about. When Lewis's chess adversaries³ find out he used to box, they're certain they'll defeat him. "And when I beat them, they're upset", he says.

In chess boxing two competitors play alternating rounds of chess and boxing. After trying to bruise⁴ each other around the face and body, they remove a glove and continue the duel⁵, sweating and panting, over the 64 squares of the chessboard. This continues until a winner is declared by knockout, checkmate or a points victory.

This unusual sport, which is taking off in countries as diverse as India and Germany, was created by artists. Dutch performing artist Iepe Rubingh invented it in 2003, drawing inspiration from the comic 'Cold Equator' by Enki Bilal.

The chess grandmaster Jonathan Rowson says that boxing is the sport which most closely resembles chess. "In part it's the purity of the competition," he says. "There is virtually nothing to mediate⁶ the one-to-one combat. Boxing has gloves, but there are no balls, no goalposts or racquets."

Rowson concludes that in chess, defeated players have nothing to blame other than their own lack of mental ability.

And a defeat can be crushing, according to the Russian former chess world champion Garry Kasparov. He described the boardgame as "the most violent sport there is", which aims to "destroy the adversary's ego⁷".

Lennox Lewis doesn't go that far, but the love of chess helped him during his tough upbringing in London. He says it's all about strategy: "When someone calls you a name, you want to punch them out… but chess teaches you to think through the next moves".

So next time you see a muscular boxer⁸, don't dismiss them as a simpleton. They might be able to hurt not only your face, but also your pride.

Quiz 测验

1. Why are Lennox Lewis's chess adversaries surprised when he defeats them?

Because he is a former boxer and they think he might not be intelligent.

2. How do you win a game of chess boxing?

By knockout, checkmate or a points victory.

3. Who said chess is the most violent of sports?

Garry Kasparov.

4. Which expression means 'to be similar to' something else?

To resemble.

5. Which expression means 'breathing heavily'?

Panting.

Glossary 词汇表

brainy 聪明的

brawny 强壮的

world heavyweight champion 世界重量级（拳王）冠军

cerebral 运用智力的

adversary 对手

to box 打拳击

alternating 交替的

to bruise 打伤

duel 决斗

to pant 气喘吁吁

knockout （在拳击比赛中）击倒对手获胜

checkmate （象棋比赛中）将死

to take off 开始流行

grandmaster 大师

to resemble 类似于

to mediate 影响，调解

crushing 毁灭性的，（给人带来）沉重打击的

ego 自尊心

upbringing （从小的）培养，教养，养育

a move 一步棋

simpleton 头脑简单的人，傻瓜

1 brawny   

adj.强壮的

参考例句：

• The blacksmith has a brawny arm.铁匠有强壮的胳膊。
• That same afternoon the marshal appeared with two brawny assistants.当天下午，警长带着两名身强力壮的助手来了。

2 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。

3 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句

4 bruise   

n.青肿，挫伤；伤痕；vt.打青；挫伤

参考例句：

• The bruise was caused by a kick.这伤痕是脚踢的。
• Jack fell down yesterday and got a big bruise on his face.杰克昨天摔了一跤，脸上摔出老大一块淤斑。

5 duel   

n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争

参考例句：

• The two teams are locked in a duel for first place.两个队为争夺第一名打得难解难分。
• Duroy was forced to challenge his disparager to duel.杜洛瓦不得不向诋毁他的人提出决斗。

6 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

7 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

8 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。