Curling—the game with the ice, and the rocks, and the sweeping, and the yelling. Each game starts with a handshake and a coin flip to determine who goes first. Then, two teams of four people take turns throwing 44 pounds stones down a sheet of ice. The target? A 12-foot house that looks like a bullseye.
冰壺－－一項有冰、石頭、刷地和大吼大叫的運動。每場比賽從握手和擲硬幣決定先後順序開始。接著，兩個由四人組成的隊伍輪流在一層冰上擲出 44 磅(約 20 公斤)重的石頭。目標是什麼呢？一個直徑 12 英尺、看起來像靶心的圓壘。
Just under 150 feet away, each team throws eight rocks, and the team closest to the center after all the rocks are thrown will score the points. This process is repeated for six to 10 rounds, called ends, until one team is victorious. It's just that simple. Or...is it?
在不到 150 英尺(約 45 公尺)遠的地方，每個隊伍都會丟出八個石壺，在將所有石壺丟出後，石壺距離中心最近的隊伍就會得分。這過程會重複六到十回，稱為「局」，直到某一隊獲勝。就是那麼簡單。或者...真的有這麼簡單嗎？
Each team has a captain called the skip. Like a general on the battlefield, the skip calls the shots that will best ensure victory. Stones are delivered with a predetermined rotation, so they actually curl as they travel down the ice. Of course this is why the sport is called curling.
每一隊都有稱作「主將」的隊長。如同戰場上的將軍，主將下達最能把握勝利的指令。石壺以預定的旋轉角度滾出，所以石壺在冰上滑動時真的會彎曲(curl)。當然，這就是為什麼這項運動叫做 Curling(冰壺)。
Over the course of each end, players can throw guards to block the house, draws to try to score, or takeouts to remove the opponent's stones. The skips then spend the rest of the time yelling like a crazy person. What they're actually doing is emphatically advising their players to brush the ice in front of the stone. Brushing can drastically affect the speed and direction of the shot.
每一局比賽的過程中，球員可以打出「防衛球」封鎖圓壘，還可以打出「投壺」以得分，或是「擊走」打掉對手的石壺。主將接著用剩下的時間像瘋子一樣大吼大叫。他們實際上在做的事情，是大聲通知隊友刷掉石壺前面的冰。刷冰能有效影響擊球的速度和方向。
After each team throws its eight shots, the team closest to the center of the house will score. Or...if they have more than one rock closer than the opposition, they count as well. Once all the ends have been played, whoever has the most points wins. Aside from a few dozen other minor details, that's all there is to it.
每隊擊出八個石壺後，石壺最接近圓壘中心的隊伍就會得分。或者...如果他們不只有一個比對手還接近圓心的石壺，它們也算得分。所有局結束後，得到最多分的隊伍就贏了。除了其他幾十項次要的規則，主要規則只有這些。
Find a curling facility near you and get started.
找一個離你最近的冰壺場地，開始玩冰壺吧!
- 「輪流」- Take Turns
Then, two teams of four people take turns throwing 44 pounds stones down a sheet of ice.
接著，兩個由四人組成的隊伍輪流在一層冰上擲出 44 磅(約 20 公斤)重的石頭。 - 「也、同樣地」- As Well
Or...if they have more than one rock closer than the opposition, they count as well.
或者...如果他們不只有一個比對手還接近圓心的石壺，它們也算得分。
