Damaqiu（1）

打马球（1）

Damaqiu, called Jiju or Polo on Horse, is a sport to hit a ball with a stick on the horseback.

打马球又称击鞠、打球，是一种骑在马上持棍击球的运动。

In the history of China, polo came to its summit in the Tang dynasty.

唐朝是马球运动的鼎盛时期。

The ball was made of a kind of light and hard wood, which was as big as a fist, empty in the centre and painted outside with vermillion or colors.

当时马球运动所用的球是用质轻而坚韧的木材制成，大小与拳头相似，中间掏空，外面涂色，一般是朱红色或彩绘。

The top of the stick used then was a shape of crescent moon.

击球杆的顶端呈偃月形。

The court was a rectangle, which sometimes had a goal in the middle or two goals on two ends.

球场为长方形，有的是在球场的中间设一门，有时在两边设两个球门。

The goal was made of wooden board，and in the middle was a one-chi-in-diameter hole with a net attached.

门用木板制成，中间是直径一尺大小的洞，且洞后有网。

Two teams would be in the competition, and the one who stoked more would win.

比赛时参赛人员分成两队，以把球击进球门的次数多少计算胜负。

Most of the emperors in the Tang dynasty loved Damaqiu, of whom Tang Xuanzong, Li longji, loved it most.

唐代皇帝大多喜爱马球运动，唐玄宗李隆基最喜欢这一运动。

It is recorded, that in the year of 709AD—the third year of Jinglong during the reign of Tang Zhongzong, the Emperor watched the match between the Imperial team and the Tibetan team.

据历史记载，公元709年，即唐中宗景龙三年，唐中宗观看了皇家马球队与吐蕃马球队的一场比赛，

The Imperial team suffered a series of defeats, which made Tang Zhongzong very angry.

结果皇家马球队连战皆输，唐中宗十分生气。

In order to save the face of Tang Zhongzong, Linzi Prince Li Longji formed a new team including another three imperial descends at once and competed with the Tibetan team of ten players.

为了给中宗挽回面子，时为临淄王的李隆基与另外三位皇族成员组成四人马队与吐蕃的十人马队展开比赛。

Li Longji dashed around in the seemingly empty court, and the four-player team swept the victory.

李隆基左冲右突，如人无人之境，最后唐朝四人队大获全胜，

Even the Tibetan Minister praised his skills greatly.

就连吐蕃大臣也对他的球技赞不绝口。

After Tang Xuanzong came to the throne, he still stuck to playing polo and even forgot to hold court sometimes.

唐玄宗继位后仍坚持打马球，有时甚至误了上朝。

Not only did he play the ball, but advocated developing this sport in the army.

唐玄宗还提倡在军中开展马球运动，

He once issued an imperial edict in 747AD, considering polo as“a plan to dispatch troops” and “terribly necessary”,and ordered to spread it is the army.

认为马球是“用兵之技”，“义不可舍”，

Hence, it became common in the army.

此后，马球运动便在军中普及开来。

During the Tang dynasty, not only was polo popular in the palace and the army, but it was widely accepted by scholars.

唐代时期，马球运动不仅在宫廷和军队中，而且在文人当中也很盛行。