Mind Sports 智力运动
 
dialogue 1
 
简: I like chess better than xiangqi. And you?( I like chess better than xiangqi.= I prefer chess to xiangqi.)
 比起中国象棋.我更喜欢国际象棋.你呢?
 
詹姆斯: For my part, xiangqi. Maybe it`s because my girlfriend is Chinese.
 我嘛.更爱中国象棋.大概因为我女朋友是中国人的缘故吧.
 
简: I think chess is more reasonable. You see, each side has eight pawns, a larger number than that of the soldiers in xiangqi. A true battle should be like that. Soldiers should outnumber the commanders.
 我觉得还是国际象棋比较有道理.你看.每方拥有8个士兵.比象棋的兵多吧?真正的战役就应该这样嘛.士兵总得比指挥官多吧?
 
詹姆斯: Quite right. And unlike the soldiers in xiangqi, the pawns in chess can promote once they reach the furthest rank. It is very agreeable to grant merits to people with good performance.
 太对了.不像象棋里的兵.国际象棋的兵只要到达了对方的战线.就可以升级.论功行赏.多好啊!
 
简: Correct! Another contrast is the rules for the general and the king. It seems the general or marshal in xinagqi is much too incompetent. They are required to stay in the palace, waiting to be checked and fleeing for life under the cover of the guards. Loo
 说得好!另外一大区别是将与王的规则.象棋里的将(帅)太没用了.他必须待在“宫”里，等着别人来将他，在贴身卫士的掩护下逃跑。可是看看国际象棋里的王吧，厉害多了，至少他可以向四周任意方向的格子里运动。
 
詹姆斯: Yeah, and though the king in chess doesn`t have bodyguards, he has a queen who is the most powerful piece. I think this demonstrates the relatively higher social status of aristocratic womaen in medieval Europe than in China.
 对!虽然王没有贴身卫士.却有一位战斗力最强的王后.恐怕这就说明.中世纪欧洲贵族妇女比起同时期的中国妇女来.社会地位相对高一些吧.
 
简: There`s antoher distinctive contrast. Bothe board games use a total of 32 pieces, but siangqi is played on a 9-by-9 board, bigger than the 8-by-8 board used in chess.
 嗯.还有一大区别.象棋和国际象棋都是共有32枚棋子.但是象棋的棋盘是9乘9的.比国际象棋的8乘8棋盘要打.
 
詹姆斯: You mean, xiangqi pieces are allowed a larger space in which to move around?
 你是说.象棋棋子的活动空间更大?
 
简: Sure. On a chessboard, fire is much more intensive. It has a smaller board, while those bigger pieces-chariots, horses and bishops-can conver longer distances.
 当然啦.国际象棋的火力密度更大.棋盘小了.那些主要的棋子.像车.马.相的移动范围却大了.
 
dialogue 2
 
J: I've been learning to play Go recently. It's an amazing game!
 最近我在学习下围棋，发现这是项很有意思的游戏。
 
C: Weiqi? It must bc a greatest Chinese invention. I've tried hard to learn it. Its rulcs can't be any simpler, but I've never won a game of Go. Wcll, it's all Greek to mel
 围棋啊？围棋一定是中国人最大的发明．我曾试着学过，规则简单得不能再简单，可是至今我还没有赢过一局．唉，看来，我就是搞不通这个啊。
 
J: At least you have obtained a very basic understanding of the gamc, havcn't you? I think it is perfect for boosting intelligence, cultivating personality and nexible learning. Every intellcctual wishing to gain any insight into Chinese culture should leam to play Go.
 至少你对围棋已经有了一个非常基本的理解了吧？我觉得，围棋非常有益子开发智力、培养人的秉性。任何一个希望深入理解中国文化的知识分子都应该学学围棋。
 
C: I heard it is included in the four major arts of China. is it?
 仓我听说，围棋是中国旧时的“四艺”之_．对吗？
 
J: Sure. It was considcrcd dcsirable that a well-cducated ancient Chinese scholar should be well versed in zither, weiqi, calligraphy and painting. I think wciqi is the most fantastic of them. It embodies ancicnt Cbincsc wisdom and cultural profoundness.
 没错，每·个中国古代文人必须通晓琴、棋、书、画。其中，我觉得围棋最神奇，最能体现中国古人的智慧和文化．
 
C: I know it is quite different from Western chess.
 我明白，它跟西方人的国际象棋很不一样．
 
J: YeS. Playing chess is a very aggressive experience. All the pieces are supposed to capturc their opponents. Wbenever I start a chcss game, I can't heIp but imagine a concrete battle in which all rightcrs stand ready to kill.
 当然了。下象棋让人觉得杀气腾腾一双方棋子之间你死我活地来回厮杀．只要一坐到棋盘面前，我就会想象：又是一次战斗，勇士们各就各位准备杀人。
 
C: But isn't it the same with wciqi?
 难道围棋不是这样的吗？
 
J: Certainly not. The obi∞t of wciqi is to surround a larger area than the opponent. In other words,each side is struggling for a greater living space by mapping out a territory on the board. Hence, chess aims to kill, while wciqi is much concemed with how to survive.
 当然布是了．围棋比的是谁围起的区域更大．也就是说，双方其实是在调兵遣将占领地盘，以取得更大的生存空间．所以我说，象棋杀气太重，而围棋却是关于如何求生存的。