学文网In many parts of the world, there are four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. In the U.S., there are only three: football, basketball and baseball. That's not completely true, but almost. In every season, Americans have a ball. If you want to know what season it is, just look at what people are playing. For many Americans, sports do not just occupy the sidelines1. They take center court.
Besides "the big three" sports, Americans play a variety of other sports.In warm weather,people enjoy water sports.Lovers of surfing (冲浪), sailing and scuba diving (戴水肺的潜水) flock2 to the ocean. Swimmers and water skiers also revel (陶醉) in the wet stuff. Fishermen try their luck in ponds, lakes and rivers. In winter sportsmen delight in freezing fun. From the first snowfall, skiers hit3 the slopes. Frozen ponds and ice rinks (溜冰场)become playgrounds for skating and hockey (冰球). People play indoor sports whatever the weather. Racquetball4, weightlifting and bowling (保龄球戏) are year-round activities.
For many people in the U.S., sports are not just for fun. They're almost a religion. Thousands of sports fans buy expensive tickets to watch their favorite teams and athletes play in person5. America's devotion to athletics (体育运动)has created a new class of wealthy people:professional athletes. Sports stars often receive million-dollar salaries. Some even make big money appearing in advertisements for soft drinks, shoesand even toiletries(化妆品).
Not all Americans worship sports, but athletics are an important part of their culture. Throughout their school life, Americans learn to play many sports.Many people also enjoy non- competitive activities like hiking, biking, horse back riding, camping or hunting. To communicate with American sports nuts(狂热的人), it helps if you can talk sports.
Sports in America represent the international heritage of the people who play. Many sportswereimportedfrom other countries.European immigrantsbrought tennis, golf,bowling and boxing to America.Football and baseball came from other Old World6 games.Only basketball has a truly American origin. Even today some formerly "foreign" sports like soccer are gaining American fans.In 1994 the U.S. hosted the World Cup for the first time ever.
Not only do Americans import sports, but they export sports fever, as well. Satellites broadcast games to sports fans around the globe. The World Series, the U.S. professional baseball championship, has begun to live up to its name. The names of American superstars like basketball great Michael Jordan have become household words the world over. Who knows? Sports seasonsmayevenchangeworldweather patterns (模式，样式).
世界上许多地方一年有四季：春、夏、秋、冬。在美国却只有三季：美式橄榄球、篮球和棒球赛季。这并非完全正确，但也差不多了。每一个季节，美国人都有一种球类赛事。你若想知道此为何季，看看人们正在打什么球就行了。对于许多美国人而言，体育运动并非只是站在场边观看，他们还热心参与其中。
除了这“三大”运动，美国人还参与许多其他的运动。天热时，他们喜欢水上运动。冲浪、帆船运动和潜水的爱好者群集于海中。游泳和滑水者，也纵情于水中。垂钓者在池塘、湖泊和河流里试试他们的运气。冬季，运动爱好者在冰天雪地里也玩得很开心。从下头一场雪开始，滑雪者便出现在雪坡上。结冰的池塘和溜冰场成了溜冰和冰上曲棍球的场地。不论气候如何，人们都从事室内运动。墙球、举重和保龄球都是全年性的活动。
对许多的美国人而言，运动不只是为了好玩。它几乎成了一种虔诚恪守的信仰，成千上万的体育迷会为了能亲眼目睹他们喜爱的球队或运动员比赛而出高价购买门票。美国人对于体育运动的热衷造就了一个新的富有阶级：职业运动员。体育明星通常会有上百万美元的薪水。其中有些人甚至为软饮料、鞋，或是化妆用品拍广告而赚了一大笔钱。
并非所有的美国人都热衷运动，但体育运动的确是他们文化当中极为重要的一部分。在他们的学校生活当中，美国人学会了许多体育运动。许多人还喜欢从事一些非竞争性的活动像远足、骑车、骑马、露营或打猎。要和美国运动迷沟通，最好是能畅谈运动。
美国的体育运动体现了世界各国人民的体育遗产。许多体育运动是从外国引进的。欧洲移民把网球、高尔夫球、保龄球和拳击带进了美国。橄榄球和棒球则源自其他欧洲传统比赛。只有篮球是真正源自美国本土。即使在今日，一些原本是外来的运动例如英式足球，也吸引了许多的美国体育迷。在1994年，美国首次承办了世界杯足球赛。
美国人不只是“进口”运动，他们同样也“出口”运动狂热。他们向全球的体育迷传送卫星转播的比赛。美国职业棒球锦标赛的世界系列赛也已渐趋名符其实。一些美国的超级明星，如篮球巨人迈克尔・乔丹已经成了全世界家喻户晓的人物。谁知道呢?运动季节甚至还可能会改变全世界的“气象模式”呢。
注释：
1．sideline n．[~s](供替补队员坐的)场外地区
2．flock vi.群集，聚集
3．hit vt.[口]出现在
4．racquetball n. 短网拍墙球，手球式墙球
5．in person亲自，本人
6．Old World旧世界，东半球(即欧洲、亚洲、非
洲、澳洲，尤指欧洲)