2018-04-02

Weight-watchers: the Boat Race

① Today, for the 164th time for the men and the 73rd for the women, the Oxford and Cambridge university boat clubs will face off on the River Thames, cheered on from its banks by upwards of 250,000 Pimm's-swilling spectators.

② Picking Boat Race winners is hard.

③ Some watch the toss.

④ Calling correctly gives the club president the choice of side.

⑤ The north side is better for the first and third bends; the south for the second.

⑥ However, a Dutch-Danish study found the toss to be a poor indicator.

⑦ Better, it argues, is a heavy crew—an advantage even allowing for the greater drag.

⑧ This year Cambridge's men average 90kg against Oxford's 86kg, while its women are up 73kg to 71kg.

⑨ That would appear to give the Light Blues an edge.

⑩ The bookies agree.

⑪ Then again, weigh-ins can be gamed.

⑫ Accounts exist of rowers smuggling weights onto the scales to intimidate opponents.

⑬ On reflection, it's anyone's race.

▍生词好句

regatta /rɪˈɡatə/: n. 划船比赛

punting: n. 泛舟；撑蒿

face off: 开始比赛；对阵/垒

cheer /tʃɪə/: vt. 加油；鼓劲

cheer squad /ˈtʃɪə skwɒd/: 啦啦队

upwards of: 多于

Pimm's /pɪmz/: n. 英国的一种水果酒

swill /swɪl/: vt. 大口地吃喝

spectator /spɛkˈteɪtə/: n. 观众

inspect /ɪnˈspɛkt/: vt. 检查

expect /ɪkˈspɛkt/: vt. 期待

toss /tɒs/: n. 抛硬币；抛掷

bend /bɛnd/: n. 弯道；弯曲

indicator /ˈɪndɪkeɪtə/: n. 指标

drag /draɡ/: n. 拖拽力（文中可理解为“划桨的动力”）

edge /ɛdʒ/: n. 优势

bookie /ˈbʊki/: n. 博彩公司；赌注经纪人

weigh-in: n. 赛前称体重

game /ɡeɪm/: vt. 博弈

game theory: 博弈理论

account /əˈkaʊnt/: n. 记录

smuggle /ˈsmʌɡ(ə)l/: vt. 走私

weight /weɪt/: n. 砝码；重量

scale /skeɪl/: n. 秤；天平

intimidate /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/: vt. 威慑

opponent /əˈpəʊnənt/: n. 对手