[常春藤網路書城]2011常春藤解析英語雜誌03月號-03-02-The Golden Shear-紐西蘭『金剪刀』剪羊毛大賽

2011常春藤解析英語雜誌03月號-03-02        
The Golden Shear　　紐西蘭『金剪刀』剪羊毛大賽
by Marcus Maurice
 
　　Shearers, wool handlers, and wool pressers can be champions at the Golden Shear competition.
　　紐西蘭『金剪刀』剪羊毛大賽幫羊咩咩剃毛的人、羊毛加工者和羊毛熨燙工都可能在金剪刀剪羊毛大賽中奪魁。
　　From March 3 to March 5 this year, fit and well-trained sheep shearers will head to the Wairarapa district of Masterton, New Zealand to test their skills in the Golden Shears Championship. The first of its kind, this event is still  looked upon as the mostprestigious sheep shearing competition in the world. 　　Started in 1958 by a group of farmers, this sheep shearing contest attracted participants from the northern and southern islands of New Zealand. Its popularity was undeniable, so the organizers decided they needed a bigger venue and a catchy name to draw more attention, and thus the Golden Shear was born. In 1961, the first official Golden Shear was held, and so many people came that the police had to be called in for crowd control.
　　今年 3 月 3 日到 3 月 5 日，體魄強健、訓練有素的剪羊毛達人將會前往紐西蘭馬斯特頓的懷拉拉帕區，在金剪刀剪羊毛大賽中一試身手。這項賽事是所有剪羊毛比賽的先驅，至今仍被視為是世界上最富盛名的剪羊毛比賽。 這項剪羊毛比賽是一群農夫於 1958 年所發起，吸引紐西蘭北島和南島的參賽者前來。它受歡迎的程度受到公認，所以組織賽事的人決定需要一個更大的比賽地點，以及一個琅琅上口的名稱來吸引更多的目光，金剪刀剪羊毛大賽於焉誕生。1961 年首屆金剪刀剪羊毛大賽正式舉辦，由於前往的人數太多，還得請警方前來管制人群。　　Like anything popular, competition sprung up, and tons of sheep shearing contests were taking place all over New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s. Companiessponsored shearers, and farmers started training and fitness regimens. This would help them have an advantage over others. In 1980, the World Shearing Championships were held for the first time, and sheep shearing had gone big time.
　　就和任何受歡迎的事物一樣，競爭紛紛出現，在 1970 至 1980 年代期間，許多剪羊毛比賽在紐西蘭各地舉行。剪羊毛達人得到廠商贊助，而農夫開始進行訓練與增強體能的養生課程，好在比賽中佔優勢。1980 年世界盃剪羊毛大賽首度舉行，剪羊毛活動也就蔚為風潮。　　Over the years, the rules to sheep shearing contests have been modified to fit theever-changing times. However, the one thing that has stayed the same is thatprofessional shearers desire to be champions at the most esteemed competition in the world—the Golden Shear.
　　多年來，剪羊毛比賽的規則也因應時代不斷變遷而有所修改。然而，有一點未曾改變的是，剪羊毛專家都渴望在這最受尊崇的金剪刀剪羊毛大賽中奪魁。