运动休闲—乒乓外交史 Ping-pong Diplomacy

 　　One of the first public hints of improved U.S.-China relations came on April 6, 1971, when the American Ping-Pong team, in Japan for the 31st World Table Tennis Championship, received a surprise invitation from their Chinese colleagues for an all-expense paid visit to the People’s Republic. Time magazine called it "The ping heard round the world." On April 10, nine players, four officials, and two spouses¹ stepped across a bridge from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland, ushering² in an era of "Ping-Pong diplomacy³." They were the first group of Americans allowed into China since the Communist takeover in 1949.
　　1971年4月6日，乒乓球曾经作为中美关系友好使者，为两国关系的发展做出了突出的贡献。那时，美国的乒乓球队，在日本参加第31届乒乓球冠军赛事。他们惊奇地接受到来自中国的邀请，费用全由中国承担。正如纽约时代杂志所说，乒乓球的声音回荡全球！4月10日，9名队员，4名官员，两对夫妇登上了香港连接大陆的桥梁，捧出了“乒乓外交”。他们就是从1949年新中国成立以后，第一批踏上中国土地的人们。

　　In various ping-pong games, the most famous is the world championship competition, which was held once a year at the beginning, now, it is held twice a year ever since 1957.
　　在名目繁多的乒乓球比赛中，最负盛名的是世界乒乓球锦标赛，起初每年举行一次，1957年后改为两年举行一次。

　　In 1904, a shanghai shop keeper called Wang Dao WU, brought 10 sets of table tennis tools home, the game was therein introduced to china.
　　1904年，上海一家文具店的老板王道午从日本买回10套乒乓球器材.从此,乒乓球运动传入中国。

1 spouses   

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
• An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

2 ushering   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They were right where the coach-caller was swinging open a coach-door and ushering in two ladies. "他们走到外面时，叫马车的服务员正打开车门，请两位小姐上车。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Immediately the two of them approached others, thanking them, ushering them out one by one. 他们俩马上走到其他人面前，向他们道谢，一个个送走了他们。 来自辞典例句

3 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。