纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 038球赛带(3)（在线收听）

This was not an easy game. The aim was to keep the heavy rubber ball in the air and to land it eventually in the opponents' end of the court, and the ball itself could weigh anywhere from 8 lbs to an immense 30 lbs-almost 15 kg. And you're not allowed to use your hands, head or feet. Players had to use their buttocks, forearms and above all their hips, which is where a padded belt would be most useful. The actual belts used in the game, probably made of leather, wood and woven plants, had to be strong in order to protect the wearer from the heavy rubber ball, but light enough to allow the wearer to move about the court in them.In 1528, the Spanish brought two Aztec players to Europe, and a German artist painted them in mid-game, back-to-back, virtually naked, wearing what looks like specially reinforced briefs, with the ball in flight between their buttocks. The exact rules of the game are unclear, and they may have changed over the centuries as well as varying throughout Central America's different communities. What we do know is that it was played in teams of between two and seven players, and scoring was based on the result of faults, as in tennis today. These faults could be touching the ball with a prohibited part of the body such as the head or the hand, failing to return it, or sending it out of the court.

这种比赛并不轻松。橡胶球很沉，重量通常在三四公斤到十五公斤之间，比赛的目标是让球保持在空中传递，最终落在对方的球场上。球员不能用手、头或脚触球，只能用臀部、前臂和髋部。因此腰带是必备的护具。比赛中真正使用的腰带很可能是由皮革、木头或某些植物编织而成的。它必须很坚固，能帮助球员分担橡胶球的重击，又应该很轻巧，让他们能在球场上行动自如。一五二八年，西班牙人将两个阿兹特克球员带回欧洲。一位德国艺术家画出了比赛场景。两个球员几乎全裸，背对着背， 戴着特殊的护具，球在两人间飞来飞去。我们不太了解比赛的具体规则，在几百年间，规则也许改变过，不同的部落之间也可能会有区别。我们所了解的只是，一支球队由二到七人组成，如现代网球一样，一方失误 则另一方得分。失分的情况包括用手或头等违规部位触球、将球掉在地上或是打出场外。

By the time our belt was made, around two thousand years ago, elaborate stone courts built specially for the game were being used. Many were rectangular in shape and several had long sloping walls, off which the ball could be bounced. Spectators could also sit along the top of these great stone structures and watch the matches unfold. Clay models show supporters cheering on the players and enjoying the game, just as football fans do today.

腰带制作于约两千年前，当时已有许多专为举行这类比赛而修建的场地。大部分场地是长方形的，部分带有能让球弹回的长斜墙。观众可以坐在顶部观看比赛。一些泥雕还表现了为比赛喝彩欢呼的观众，就和如今的足球迷一模一样。