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. That's 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.
世界上的很多地方，一年有四季：春、夏、秋、冬。美國，卻只有三季：足球、籃球和棒球季。這并不是完全正確，但也差得不遠了。每個季節，美國人都有樂趣。若你想了解此季為什么，看看大家正在打什么球就好了。對于多數美國人而言，運動并不是只不過旁邊站的小消遣，它是日常非常重要的一環。
Besides the big three sports, Americans play a variety of other sports. In warm weather, people enjoy water sports. Lovers of surfing, sailing and scuba1 ping flock to the ocean. Swimmers and water skiers also revel2 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 bowling3 are year-round activities.
除去這三大運動，美國人還做很多其它的運動。天熱時，他們喜歡水上運動。沖浪、駕帆船和潛水的喜好者群集于海中。游泳和滑水者，也縱情于水中。漁夫在池塘、湖泊和河川里試他們的運勢。冬天，運動員在冰天雪地里也玩得非常高興。從下雪的頭一天起，滑雪者便登上雪坡。結了冰的池塘和溜冰場成了溜冰和冰上曲棍球的場地。不論氣候怎么樣，大家都從事戶內運動。回力球、舉重和保齡球都是全年性的活動。