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New Yorkers bid for elephant polo glory
紐約客爭奪大象馬球榮耀
They are the world's unlikeliest contenders heading to Nepal for the world's unlikeliest sport. Meet the New York Blue, America's elephant polo team.
他們是世界上最不可能去尼泊爾參加這項不被看好的運動的人。讓我們來見識一下紐約布魯隊，一支來自美國的大象馬球隊。
Elephants are hard to come by in New York. Large motor vehicles are not.
在紐約那種充斥大量機動車輛的地方，你很難找到大象的足跡。
So before flying this week to the World Elephant Polo tournament, the New York Blue's seven adventurers practiced swinging at small white balls from the roofs of two SUVs in an empty beachside car park.
所以在本周飛往目的地參加世界象球錦標賽之前，紐約布魯隊的7名勇士在一個空曠的海邊停車場上揮舞著球棍，在吉普車頂上練習擊球。
Conditions were designed to simulate the Nepalese jungle field hosting teams from Asia and Europe.
場地的環境為了模擬尼泊爾的叢林野地而精心設計。
Elephant polo, played in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand by a wealthy few to the rules of horse polo but on a smaller field, is uniquely challenging.
象球是一項特別具有挑戰性的運動，它在尼泊爾，斯里蘭卡和泰國的富人圈中十分盛行。象球采用馬球的規則，只是場地比馬球場小。
So is clinging to the roof of an SUV in a gale with practice mallets fashioned from paint roller handles and plumbing parts.
為了訓練，他們必須站在吉普車頂端猛揮形狀像油漆滾筒的握柄，還有球棍。
But this bunch of 30-something Manhattan media, finance and PR employees appears undaunted.
但這幫來自于曼哈頓媒體業，金融業，和公關部門的而立之年的職員看起來無所畏懼。
They fly first to Kathmandu, then head to southern Nepal's remote Chitwan National Park, where a grass airstrip doubles as a polo pitch and tigers roam the surrounding jungle. Once there, the New York Blue will finally mount real elephants.
他們的第一站是加德滿都，然后前往尼泊爾南部偏遠的奇旺國家公園，在那里球場就是兩條草場飛機跑道，而且附近的叢林里會有老虎出沒。一到了這里，紐約布魯隊就最終騎上真正的大象。
The tournament, started 27 years ago by two Britons, draws a colorful following of playboys, aristocrats and elephant connoisseurs. Teams come from as far away as Scotland, Hong Kong and Thailand.
這項賽事起源于27年前，由兩位英國人首創，它吸引了形形色色的花花公子，貴族和大象專家。參賽隊伍有遠道而來的蘇格蘭，香港和泰國的代表隊。
