【網路中國節·端午】大家來找茬：中國龍舟賽VS康橋牛津賽艇對抗賽
端午節到了，除了吃粽子，你去看“賽龍舟”了嗎？賽龍舟在中國南方和北方鄰水地區十分流行，並隨著中國人的腳步擴展到世界許多地方。英國的華人和留學生就將中國傳統龍舟移到康河，上演“龍舟版”的牛津康橋對抗賽。
The Dragon Boat Festival is around the corner. Besides eating Zongzi, seeing the dragon boat race is also a must-experience tradition. Dragon boat race is very popular in the southern and northern waterfront areas of China, and has spread to many parts of the world with the outbound footsteps of Chinese people. Chinese and overseas students in Britain have taken Chinese traditional dragon boats to the River Cam to stage a race, creating the Chinese version of the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race.
説到這兒，你是不是想起了擁有近200年曆史的在泰晤士河上舉行的牛津康橋賽艇對抗賽？它與中國的龍舟賽又有哪些不同？
Talking about boat races, are you thinking of the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race, which has been held on the River Thames for nearly 200 years? Then how is it different from the dragon boat race in China?
先來看看二者的起源。
Let’s first get to know the origins of the two races.
關於龍舟，有這樣的傳説，戰國時期賢臣屈原投江而死，許多人充滿不捨，就爭先恐後劃龍舟去追趕拯救，又借劃龍舟驅散水中之魚，並扔粽子以免魚吃掉屈原的身體。之後賽龍舟逐漸成為中國傳統節日端午節的風俗之一。
As for dragon boat tradition, legend has it that Qu Yuan, a virtuous official during the Warring States Period (475 B.C.-221 B.C.), died by jumping into the river. Many people, out of admiration for him, raced to row dragon boats to try to catch up with and save Qu as well as dispersing fish in the water so that Qu Yuan’s body won’t be eaten. After that, dragon boat race gradually became one of the folk customs of the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival that falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
而賽艇運動起源於英國17世紀泰晤士河上船工們之間的業餘比賽。1829年，英國牛津大學和康橋大學在泰晤士河上舉行了首次校際賽艇比賽，這被視為現代賽艇運動的起源。當時，一對好朋友——牛津學生查爾斯·沃茲沃斯（Charles Wordsworth）向康橋學生查爾斯·梅裏瓦勒（Charles Merivale）寫下挑戰書，在泰晤士河上進行八人艇挑戰賽。後來每年三、四月之交的一個週末，都會舉行這場矚目的“學霸”賽艇對抗賽。
Rowing originated in England in the 17th century as an amateur race between boatmen on the River Thames. In 1829, the first inter-university boat race was held between Oxford and Cambridge universities on the River Thames, which is regarded as the origin of modern rowing. Charles Wordsworth, an Oxford student, challenged Charles Merivale, a Cambridge student, to race an eight-man boat on the River Thames. Now, the remarkable boat race between the two distinguished universities’ students is held on a weekend at the turn of March and April each year.
從外形來看，賽艇和龍舟都是細長的流線型，但龍舟把船頭船尾裝飾成龍的樣子——這是中華民族的圖騰。材質上，現在的賽艇融入了極強的科技感，甚至用上了航太材料；中國龍舟則強調傳統，大部分選材還是優質木料，當然，競速用的龍舟也用上了玻璃鋼等複合材料。
In terms of shape, both boats are slender and streamlined, but the dragon boat’s bow and stern are decorated in the shape of Chinese dragon, a cultural totem of the Chinese nation. In terms of materials, the current rowing has incorporated much science and technology, even using aerospace materials. Chinese dragon boats put much value in tradition, with most of them still being made of high-quality wood. Dragon boats for speed racing, on the other hand, also use composite materials such as fiber reinforced plastics.
賽龍舟時鼓聲隆隆，號子震天，熱鬧非凡。傳統龍舟上的選手少則數十人、多則近百人。標準22人龍舟上的選手則包括20名槳手、1名鼓手、1名舵手。鼓手如同指揮官，統一劃手划水節奏，也起到鼓舞士氣的作用。
During the dragon boat race, the drums rumbled, and the trumpets were loud and lively. The traditional dragon boat race takes at least dozens of participants and can even involve about 100 people. The standard 22-person dragon boat consists of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a helmsman.Drummers, like commanders, direct the rowing rhythm of rowers while playing a role in boosting morale.
而賽艇則是相對安靜的水上項目。賽艇分單人、雙人、4人和8人，沒有鼓手，但分有舵和無舵。天才物理學家霍金在牛津大學讀書時，就曾是賽艇隊的舵手。
Rowing is a relatively quiet water sport. Rowing is divided into single, double, four-player and eight-player races. Rowing, no matter in a boat with a rudder or not, has no drummer. Stephen William Hawking, a talented physicist, was the helmsman of the rowing team when he was a student at Oxford University.
都是“划船”，龍舟和賽艇劃的方式到底有什麼不一樣？請你自己來找找不同吧？
The two races are all about boating, Come to find the difference by yourself!
賽艇是奧運會最傳統的比賽項目之一。第一屆雅典奧運會，賽艇就被列為正式比賽項目，但因天氣惡劣而取消。1900年第二屆巴黎奧運會，賽艇比賽正式舉行。
Rowing is one of the most traditional events in the Olympic Games. In the first Athens Olympic Games, rowing was listed as an official event, but it was cancelled due to bad weather. In the second Paris Olympic Games in 1900, rowing competition was officially held.
龍舟作為中國傳統體育項目，也因獨特魅力而走向世界。世界龍舟錦標賽已在全球各國舉辦了14屆，2021年在東京奧運會上龍舟首次成為奧運表演項目，向成為奧運正式項目邁出了堅實一步。
Dragon boat race, as a traditional Chinese sport, also makes itself known on the global stage thanks to its unique charm. The World Dragon Boat Championships have been held for 14 times in various countries around the world. In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympic Games, dragon boat race became an Olympic performance event for the first time, taking a solid step towards becoming an official Olympic event.
龍舟和賽艇都講究平衡和節奏，也都體現了團結與進取。英國與中國都是擁有悠久歷史的國家，賽艇和龍舟的演變都來自於生活和文化的傳承。你聽，號子已響起，一起賽龍舟！
Dragon boat race and rowing are both balanced and rhythmical, and both embody unity and enterprise. Britain and China are both countries with a long history. The evolution of rowing and dragon boat race comes from the inheritance of life and culture. Listen, the trumpet is on to invite you to join the dragon boat race!
