英語趣味課堂：足球和棒球-Soccer vs. Baseball

Todd: So, Steven, I thought we would have a friendly debate. What do you think is the best sport in the world?

Steve: The best sport in the world is unquestionably what is know in America as soccer, what is know in my country as football.

Todd: Yeah, well, we'll call it football. I think football's good. I think football's good. It's a good sport, but I'm sorry, it's just not as good as baseball.

Steve: Really, I'm quite surprised to hear you say that because you did mention, I believe the question was "the best sport in the world" (Yes) whereas baseball isn't as nearly as widely appreciated worldwide as football is.

Todd: Ah, that's true. That's true. I will give you that, but a lot of countries do play baseball, it's popular in Asia (they do indeed, yeah) and Central America, and in North America, and it's a young sport. You just got to give it time. We need more time to come around.

Steve: Yeah, I don't have anything in particular against kids playing baseball. I think getting kids out playing any sport is very healthy and it very good thing to happen, but I got to say, I mean for young kids, particularly in developing countries where they perhaps need a lot more equipment to play baseball, I think soccer is much more accessible than baseball. They only need a ball, a field, a street even before they can get started.

Todd: Well, that's kind of true, but I mean in baseball you just need a stick and a rock.

Steve: Yeah you could do like that, yeah.

Todd: But I mean, one thing that I think how baseball is better than football is that in baseball it's more democratic in that everybody has to bat. You can't have a prima donna star. I mean you can have stars, but everyone's gotta swing the bat, and you know, in soccer if you're a fullback, if I'm using that correctly, you play back by the goal, you know, you're kind of just lagging back there. You're not gonna score or anything.

Steve: Yeah, that's very, very true and I think you're very right in saying that baseball is indeed a democratic sport, but I think soccer gives each individual player to play to his own strengths, his own physical capabilities, for example you have people who are naturally strong presence who are more suited to, well, playing defense, whereas your speedier players, and your slightly more cunning players lends itself to being a striker, so it really allows people to specialize and the crowd really get behind that. The crowd really appreciate a good strong defender and a nifty striker who gets in there and poaches a lot of goals for his team.

Todd: Well, that's true. Those are some good points, but in baseball you have to utilize more skills. I mean, you have to be skilled at catching the ball (Yes), throwing the ball (Yes), hitting the ball (Yeah), running the bases (yeah), you know, football you just got to run and kick (Yeah).

Steve: But I mean, to be honest with you, baseball, that's not really doing anything that cricket never did, for example. All those skills were employed in a sport that was invented way, way much longer ago than baseball ever was.

Todd: That is true. You got me on that one, so anyway. well, I like football, but I just, I have to stick with baseball.

Steve: That's fine. I think we can agree to disagree.