英語趣味課堂：民族體育運(yùn)動(dòng)-National Sport
Brian: The most popular sport is definitely ice hockey.
Fanny: Ice hockey! So do you play hockey by yourself?
Brian: I don't actually. When I was a kid, I wanted to play ice hockey, and I was always like begging my dad and asking him but he always said 'NO'.
Fanny: Why?
Brian: I think the big reason is that... Well, he told me it was too expensive.
Fanny: Is it?
Brian: It's not cheap. You know, it costs quite a bit to get all the gear but the big reason I think is the practice was always very early in the morning.
Fanny: Oh, I see.
Brian: Like five a.m. is when the practice is, and I think he was too lazy to wake up and take me to the practice.
Fanny: Oh, I see.
Brian: He told me it was too expensive. Deep down I think he was.... he didn't want to drive me.
Fanny: So are there many people playing hockey?
Brian: There are. It's a great sport. It's very popular with many children, and maybe high schools and universities all have hockey teams.
Fanny: Oh, nice. That means you're a lot of rich people in Canada, then.
Brian: Or maybe they spend all of their money on hockey gear. Have you ever played hockey?
Fanny: No, no, not really. It's not that popular in China.
Brian: What kind of sports are more common in China?
Fanny: People always play soccer...
Brian: Ah, soccer.
Fanny: And table tennis. Table tennis is very popular.
Brian: You're country is very strong at table tennis I think.
Fanny: We always get all the medals in the big, you know, big events
Brian: Why is table tennis so popular now do you think?
Fanny: I think the first reason is that everybody can play it because it's very easy to get the, you know, the... to get ready for the sports. It's not expensive.
Brian: No, I guess you just need the ball and the paddle.
Fanny: The paddle. The ball and the paddle. Yes, and a partner.
Brian: Right. Right. So have you played it then?
Fanny: Yeah, I'm quite good at it.
Brian: Oh, really.
Fanny: Because my mother plays very well and so I always played with my mom, so I got better now.
Brian: OK. So she taught you how to play table tennis?
Fanny: Actually she didn't teach me but we always played together.
Brian: Right.
Fanny: Practice makes perfect.
Brian: So they say.
Fanny: Yeah.
