英语杂谈：38 Take me out to the ball--Part 1

For sports fans, August means different things.
For those who follow American football, August is traditionally when players begin training.
For tennis lovers, the United States Open begins on August twenty-eighth in New York City.
For basketball fans -- well, they have a little time. The National Basketball Association just released its full list of games for the coming season. Opening night is October thirty-first.
Fans of stock car racing¹ just had one of the major events of the NASCAR season, the Allstate Four-Hundred at the Brickyard.
So what have we left out? Oh yes, the boys -- and girls -- of summer. Little League baseball. Their World Series is August twenty-seventh in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
As for the major leagues, their World Series is not until October. So we still have time to bring you some music and poetry of America's traditional pastime². Here are Shirley Griffith and Ray Freeman.

Baseball expert Warner Fusselle writes that there are probably more than one thousand songs about baseball. The most popular is "Take Me Out to the Ball Game. " It was written in nineteen-oh-eight by Jack³ Norworth. He wrote it after seeing a sign about baseball in an underground train in New York City.
His friend, Albert Von Tilzer, put the words to music. Mister Norworth reportedly had never seen a Major League Baseball game. He did not see one until thirty-three years after he wrote the song.

People still sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during baseball games. Near the end of the game, people become tired of sitting on the hard seats. So, during a special time in the game, everyone stands up and stretches their arms and legs. This tradition is called "the seventh inning stretch. "
Everyone sings a song together. Most often, it is "Take Me Out to the Ball Game. " Here, it is sung by the National Pastime Orchestra⁴ and singers.

Baseball expert Richard Miller⁵ writes that many songs about other subjects -- such as love --use words and expressions from baseball. For example, in a song written in nineteen twelve, a woman tells her boyfriend that she will not like him unless he is a good baseball player. The song is called "If You Can't Make a Hit in a Ball Game, You Can't Make a Hit with Me. "

In nineteen forty-three, George Moriarty wrote a song designed to support American forces fighting in World War Two. Mister Moriarty was a former baseball player and manager for the Detroit Tigers team. His song is called "You're Gonna Win That Ball Game, Uncle Sam. "
It is performed here by the National Pastime Orchestra and singers.

 

1 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

2 pastime   

n.消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Playing chess is his favourite pastime.下棋是他最喜爱的消遣。
• Baseball is the national pastime.棒球是全民性的休闲运动。

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

5 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。