Pingpong Today
当下中国的乒乓球运动
As the national sport of China, pingpong is played by almost everyone in the country. Tables for the game, often made of concrete, are found throughout parks, in communities and public schools.
作为中国的国球，乒乓球是这个国家中几乎每一个人都接触过的运动。无论是在公园、社区还是学校里，乒乓球台都随处可见。
Although many young people today in China are gravitating toward basketball, soccer, or tennis, if they can afford it, pingpong remains a fixture in Chinese society.
尽管当下中国的许多年轻人在有条件的情况下更倾向于篮球、足球或网球，但乒乓球始终都是中国社会中的一项主流体育运动。
"Chinese today have much more choice of what sports they can afford to play, but people still prefer pingpang," said Deng Yaping, one of the most celebrated Chinese players, who retired in 1997 at age 24 with four Olympic gold medals.
"Although it is a little sport, table tennis is very easy to play and does not require much space. The equipment is not expensive as well."
“当下的中国人对于他们从事什么样的体育运动有了比过去多得多的选择。”曾获得过四块奥运金牌的前中国乒乓国手邓亚萍说道。“虽然乒乓球属于小球，但这项运动很容易上手，并且不需要占很大的空间。乒乓球装备也不是很贵。”
Pingpong Diplomacy
乒乓外交
From a historical perspective, the sport played an important role in China's international relations.
从历史的角度来看，乒乓球在中国过去的对外关系中扮演了重要的角色。
In April 1971, the US table tennis team was invited to visit China. It was the first American sports delegation to visit China in years, launching the round of so-called pingpong diplomacy credited with warming relations during the Nixon administration.
1971年4月，美国乒乓球代表团应邀访华。这是多年来美国体育代表团首次对中国进行友好访问，自此开启了中美两国的“乒乓外交”。中美两国乒乓球队的友好往来重新打开了中美交往的大门，推动了中美两国关系在尼克松政府时期的正常化进程。
Pingpong was "an apt metaphor for the relations between Washington and Beijing" noted a Time reporter, as each nation signaled, in turn, its openness to change.
正如美国《时代周刊》所言，对于中美两国关系而言，乒乓球实际上是一个“恰当而巧妙的象征”，因为双方彼此都已释放出了意欲重塑两国关系的信号。
（作者厉振羽，系国际主流媒体双语体育专栏作家、中国日报网特约专栏作家）
来源：人民网
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