In many parts of the world， there are four seasons： spring， summer， fall and winter. In the U.S.， there are only three： football， basketball and baseball. Thats not completely true， but almost. In every season， Americans have a ball. If you want to know what season it is， just look at what people are playing. For many Americans， sports do not just occupy the sidelines. They take center court.

Besides “the big three” sports， Americans play a variety of other sports. In warm weather， people enjoy water sports. Lovers of surfing， sailing and scuba diving flock to the ocean. Swimmers and water skiers also revel in the wet stuff. Fishermen try their luck in ponds， lakes and rivers. In winter sportsmen delight in freezing fun. From the first snowfall， skiers hit the slopes. Frozen ponds and ice rinks become playgrounds for skating and hockey players. People play indoor sports whatever the weather. Racquetball， weightlifting and bowling are year-round activities.

Besides “the big three” sports， Americans play a variety of other sports. In warm weather， people enjoy water sports. Lovers of surfing， sailing and scuba diving flock to the ocean. Swimmers and water skiers also revel in the wet stuff. Fishermen try their luck in ponds， lakes and rivers. In winter sportsmen delight in freezing fun. From the first snowfall， skiers hit the slopes. Frozen ponds and ice rinks become playgrounds for skating and hockey. People play indoor sports whatever the weather. Racquetball， weightlifting and bowling are year-round activities.

For many people in the U.S.， sports are not just for fun. Theyre almost a religion. Thousands of sports fans buy expensive tickets to watch their favorite teams and athletes play in person. Other fans watch the games at home， glued to their TV sets. The most devoted sports buffs never miss a game. Many a wife becomes a “sports widow” during her husbands favorite season. Americas devotion to athletics has created a new class of wealthy people： professional athletes. Sports stars often receive million-dollar salaries. Some even make big money appearing in advertisements for soft drinks， shoes and even toiletries.

Not all Americans worship sports， but athletics are an important part of their culture. Throughout their school life， Americans learn to play many sports. All students take physical education classes in school. Some try out for the school teams， while others join intramural sports leagues. Athletic events at universities attract scores of fans and benefit the whole community. Many people also enjoy non-competitive activities like hiking， biking， horseback riding， camping or hunting. To communicate with American sports nuts， it helps if you can talk sports.

Sports in America represent the international heritage of the people who play. Many sports were imported from other countries. European immigrants brought tennis， golf， bowling and boxing to America. Football and baseball came from other Old World games. Only basketball has a truly American origin. Even today some formerly “foreign” sports like soccer are gaining American fans. In 1994 the U.S. hosted the World Cup for the first time ever.

Not only do Americans import sports， but they export sports fever， as well. Satellites broadcast games to sports fans around the globe. The U.S. professional baseball championship has begun to live up to its name. The names of American superstars have become household words the world over.

Who knows？ Sports seasons may even change world weather patterns.

世界上的許多地方，一年有四季：春、夏、秋、冬。美國卻只有三季：足球季、籃球季和棒球季。這并非完全正確，但也差得不遠了。每一個季節(jié)，美國人都有樂趣。若你想知道是哪一季，看看人們正在打什么球就行了。對于多數(shù)美國人而言，運動并非只是小消遣，它是生活中重要的一部分。

除了這三大運動，美國人還做許多其他的運動。天熱時，他們喜歡水上運動。沖浪、駕帆船和潛水的愛好者群集于海中。游泳和滑水者也縱情于水中。漁夫在池塘、湖泊和河里試試他們的運氣。冬季，運動愛好者在冰天雪地里也玩得很開心。下雪的頭一天，滑雪者便登上雪坡。結(jié)了冰的池塘和溜冰場成了溜冰和冰上曲棍球運動者的場地。不論什么樣的天氣，人們都參與戶內(nèi)運動?；亓η颉⑴e重和保齡球都是全年性的活動。

對許多美國人而言，運動不只是為了好玩，它幾乎成了一種宗教，數(shù)以千計的運動迷會為了能親眼目睹他們喜愛的球隊或運動員比賽而出高價購買門票。其他的球迷則守在家里寸步不離地收看電視轉(zhuǎn)播。那些最熱衷的運動迷，從不錯過任何一場比賽。當先生們最熱衷的運動季到來的時候，他們的太太都變成了“運動寡婦”。美國人對運動的投入形成了一個新的富有階級：職業(yè)運動員。運動明星通常會收到數(shù)百萬美元的薪水。其中有些人為飲料、鞋，甚至個人化妝用品拍廣告而賺了一大筆錢。

并非所有的美國人都崇拜運動，但運動的確是他們文化當中極為重要的一部分。在他們的學校生活當中，美國人學習許多運動，所有的學生都必須在學校修體育課。有些人參加校隊的選拔；有的則加入校內(nèi)的運動聯(lián)盟。大學中舉辦的運動比賽通常吸引眾多的運動迷，并且造福整個社區(qū)。許多人也喜歡參加一些非競爭性的活動，如遠足、騎單車、騎馬、露營或打獵。要和美國運動迷溝通，最好是能暢談運動。

美國的許多運動是從外國引進的。歐洲移民把網(wǎng)球、高爾夫、保齡球和拳擊帶進了美國。足球和棒球則源自其他的歐洲傳統(tǒng)比賽。只有籃球是真正源自美國本土的運動。即使在今日，一些原本是外來的運動，如英式足球，也吸引了許多美國運動迷。在1994年，美國首次舉辦世界杯足球賽。

美國人不只是“進口”運動，他們也“出口”對運動的狂熱。他們?yōu)槿虻倪\動迷進行衛(wèi)星轉(zhuǎn)播；美國職業(yè)棒球錦標賽也已漸趨名符其實；一些美國的超級明星已經(jīng)成為全世界都家喻戶曉的人。

運動季甚至可能會改變?nèi)澜绲臍庀竽Ｊ?。誰知道呢！