Lesson 21

Boxing matches were very popular in England two hundred years ago.
两百年前，拳击比赛在英格兰非常流行。
In those days, boxers fought with bare fists for prize money.
在那些日子里，拳击手们为了奖金而赤手空拳地搏斗。
Because of this, they were known as 'prizefighters'.
因为这点，他们被称为“职业拳击手”。
However, boxing was very crude, for there were no rules and a prizefighter could be seriously injured or even killed during a match.
然而，拳击曾是非常粗野的，因为当时没有规则，职业拳击手在比赛期间可能会严重受伤甚至被杀。
One of the most colourful figures in boxing history was Daniel Mendoza, who was born in 1764.
拳击史上最富有传奇色彩的人物之一是出生于1764年的丹尼尔·门多萨。
The use of gloves was not introduced until 1860, when the Marquis of Queensberry drew up the first set of rules.
直到1860年昆斯伯里侯爵制定了第一套规则，手套的使用才被引入。
Though he was technically a prizefighter, Mendoza did much to change crude prizefighting
虽然门多萨在技术上是一名职业拳击手，但他为改变粗鲁的拳击运动做了很多工作
into a sport, for he brought science to the game.
（将其）变成了一项运动，因为他将科学带入了这项比赛。
In his day, Mendoza enjoyed tremendous popularity.
在他的那个时代，门多萨享有着极高的人气。
He was adored by rich and poor alike.
他同样受到穷人和富人的爱戴。
Mendoza rose to fame swiftly after a boxing match when he was only fourteen years old.
门多萨在十四岁那年的一场拳击赛后迅速成名。
This attracted the attention of Richard Humphries who was then the most eminent boxer in England.
这引起了当时英格兰最著名的拳击手理查德·汉弗莱斯的注意。
He offered to train Mendoza and his young pupil was quick to learn.
他提议训练门多萨，而他的年轻弟子学得很快。
In fact, Mendoza soon became so successful that Humphries turned against him.
事实上，门多萨很快变得如此成功，以至于汉弗莱斯与他反目。
The two men quarrelled bitterly and it was clear that the argument could only be settled by a fight.
这两个人激烈地争吵了，显而易见，这场争论只能通过决斗来解决。
A match was held at Stilton, where both men fought for an hour.
一场比赛在斯蒂尔顿举行，期间两人对拼了一个小时。
The public bet a great deal of money on Mendoza, but he was defeated.
公众在门多萨身上投注了大量金钱，但他被击败了。
Mendoza met Humphries in the ring on a later occasion and he lost for a second time.
门多萨在后来的一次拳击场较量中遇到了汉弗莱斯，并且第二次输给了他。
It was not until his third match in 1790 that he finally beat Humphries and became Champion of England.
直到1790年的第三场比赛，他才最终击败了汉弗莱斯，成为了英国冠军。
Meanwhile, he founded a highly successful Academy and even Lord Byron became one of his pupils.
与此同时，他创立了一个非常成功的学院，甚至连拜伦勋爵也成为了他的学生之一。
He earned enormous sums of money and was paid as much as £100 for a single appearance.
他赚了巨额的钱，一次露面的报酬高达100英镑。
Despite this, he was so extravagant that he was always in debt.
尽管如此，他是如此奢侈，以至于他总是负债。
After he was defeated by a boxer called Gentleman Jackson, he was quickly forgotten.
在他被一名叫“绅士杰克逊”的拳击手击败后，他很快就被遗忘了。
He was sent to prison for failing to pay his debts and died in poverty in 1836.
他因无力偿还债务被送进监狱，并于1836年在贫困中去世。