英超各个俱乐部的死忠球迷总是因他们所爱球队的昵称而骄傲万分,但是你真的知晓那些昵称的来头么?你知道灯笼裤、枪手、红魔、太妃糖、快马以及白百合等昵称的起源么?让我们走近英超各队,了解他们昵称背后的有趣故事吧。
> Arsenal � The Gunners
阿森纳:枪手
Like many, Arsenal's nickname goes right back to when the club was originally founded. Way back in 1886, workers at Woolwich Arsenal Armaments Factory decided to start a football club called Dial Square. The club was renamed as Woolwich Arsenal before dropping the prefix in 1913, but their original connection with the armament industry remains and the name "Gunners" is now synonymous with the club.
阿森纳的昵称可以追溯至俱乐部成立之初,这与许多俱乐部并无二致。1886年,伍尔维奇军械制造厂的工人们决定成立一家名为"戴尔广场"的足球俱乐部,不久工人们便将俱乐部更名为"伍尔维奇阿森纳"(编者注:"阿森纳"在英文意为"兵工厂"),1913年,"伍尔维奇"的前缀被去掉,遂变成如今的"阿森纳"。即便如此,阿森纳俱乐部与军工业的原有联系还是得以留存,如今"枪手"已经成为阿森纳的代名词。
> Bolton Wanderers – Trotters 博尔顿漫游者:快马
There are a few explanations for this name. One explanation claims that the term Wanderers implies a side is willing to travel great distances for victory. The term Trotters is simply a variation. Another explanation claims that the Trotters nickname originates because people from Bolton have a reputation for being practical jokers. Pranksters are known locally as Trotters. The most bizarre explanation claims that an old ground was built next to a pig farm and stray balls would end up with the pigs.对于这一昵称有多种解释。一种解释认为"漫游者"意味着球队为了获胜不惜长途跋涉,"快马"只是"漫游者"的另一种说法。另一种解释称,博尔顿居民以爱恶搞而闻名英伦,而搞恶作剧者在当地被称为"快马"。最无厘头的解释则是,由于当地一座老球场的旁边即是一个养猪场,球员射偏的皮球常常会落入猪群之中,故球队得一雅号"猪蹄"。(编者注:"Trotter"在英文中亦有猪蹄之意。)
> Everton – The Toffees 埃弗顿:太妃糖
This famous nickname comes after a local candy shop known as Mother Noblett' sold and advertized the Everton confectionary. The shop is located opposite Prince Rupert's Tower, which forms the majority of the Everton crest.这一闻名遐迩的昵称源自埃弗顿当地一家名为"Mother Noblett"的甜品店,该店主要宣传和售卖埃弗顿特产的薄荷糖,它位于鲁伯特王子塔的对面,而此塔正是埃弗顿队徽的主要组成部分。
> Fulham – Cottagers 富勒姆:佃农
This nickname originates from the famous cottage which is an iconic part of Fulham's Craven Cottage ground.该昵称源自富勒姆主场"克拉文农舍球场"中大名鼎鼎的"农舍",它也是该球场极具特色的重要组成部分。
> Liverpool – The Reds 利物浦:红军
A nickname which doesn't take too much explanation. When Liverpool adopted the city's color of red as the color of their strip, the nickname of the Reds simply followed on.这是一个无需详述的昵称。红色是利物浦市的市色,利物浦足球队的队服也沿袭了这一颜色,而"红军"也理所应当地成为了球队的昵称。
> Newcastle United – Magpies/The Toon 纽卡斯尔:喜鹊
The ToonThe name Magpies originates from the club's iconic black and white striped kit, whereas "The Toon" comes from a local pronunciation of town."喜鹊"源于纽卡那件著名的黑白相间的球衣;而"The Toon"则是纽卡斯尔当地方言中"小镇"的发音。
> Stoke City – Potters 斯托克城:陶瓷工
A fairly straightforward nickname that originates from the large connection with the pottery industry in North Staffordshire.此昵称简洁易懂,源自球队与北斯塔福德郡的密切联系,该地制陶工业十分发达。
> Sunderland – The Black Cats 桑德兰:黑猫
In 1997 when Sunderland moved to the Stadium of Light, the club's supporters were given the opportunity to vote on the club's official nickname. With 11,000 votes the club announced their official nickname as "The Black Cats". The historical link with black cats goes way back to the 1800s with a River Weir artillery base named "Black Cat Battery". This name reportedly developed after a member of the local militia who was manning the station fled after thinking a black cat was a devil incarnate because of the howling wind and full moon at the time.1997年,桑德兰将主场搬至光明球场,球迷也随之被赋予了票选球队官方昵称的权利,最后,"黑猫"以1.1万票胜出。"黑猫"的历史渊源可追溯至19世纪威尔河畔一个名为"黑猫炮兵"的军事基地,该基地名字的由来有这么一段故事:基地一名民兵在月黑风高之际瞧见了一只黑猫,遂把它当作是魔鬼的化身,最后仓皇而逃。
Fast-track to 1905, a black cat was pictured sitting on a football next to the club's chairman at the time. Three years later, a black cat appeared in the club's team photo. The fans believed that the animal brought them good luck and in 1937 Sunderland fan Billy Morris took a black cat to Wembley in his pocket, Sunderland won their first FA Cup trophy that year. The connection grew even further in the 1960s when a black cat lived at Sunderland's Roker Park ground and was cared for by the club.时光快进至1905年,有球迷拍到一只黑猫坐在桑德兰俱乐部主席旁边的一只足球上。3年后,人们在球队的合影中又发现了一只黑猫的身影,球迷们开始认为黑猫会给俱乐部带来好运。1937年,一个名叫比利·莫里斯的桑德兰死忠在口袋里装了只黑猫前往温布利看球,并由此目睹了桑德兰赢得球队历史上的第一座足总杯奖杯。到上世纪60年代,球队和黑猫之间的联系日渐密切,俱乐部甚至在前主场洛克公园球场饲养了一只黑猫,并派专人照顾。
> West Brom – Baggies 西布罗姆维奇:灯笼裤
One of the most debated nicknames around is West Brom's. The popular belief is that the name originated from the baggie shorts that the players wore in the early 1900s. But club historian Toby Matthews claims: "In its early days The Hawthorns had only 2 entrances, one behind each goal. On match days the gatekeepers would gather up the takings at each end and be escorted by policemen along the sides of the pitch to the center line where there was an office under the stand.关于这一昵称的来源,各方一直争论不休。最主流的一种说法是"灯笼裤"源于球队在上世纪早期身着的灯笼裤,但俱乐部队史专家托比·马修斯则有不同看法,他说:"早期的山楂树球场(西布罗姆维奇主场)只有两个入口,分别位于两个球门的后方。在比赛日,球场检票员会在两个入口整理好当日的门票收入,然后在警察的护送下从球场两端往中线走,随后把钱存至位于球场中部看台下方的办公室中。
"The gate money, mostly in pennies, amounted to a considerable sum and was carried in large cloth bags. It wasn't long before some wag in the crowd started shouting 'Here come the bag men!' at their appearance in front of the main stand, and this developed into a chant of 'Here come the Baggies,' giving the team its nickname."这些门票钱大都面值很小,所以数量巨大,需用很大的编织袋才能装起来。久而久之,一到此时,看台上就有不安分的球迷大喊'扛袋子的来了!',这句话最终演变成由球迷齐声合唱的'Baggies来了!',而'Baggies'也就成了西布罗姆维奇的昵称。"
> Tottenham Hotspur – Spurs/Lilywhites 托特拉姆热刺:热刺/白百合
Spurs is obviously a shortened version of Hotspur which comes from the clubs connection with Shakespeare character Harry Hotspur. Lilywhites simply comes from the color of Tottenham's home shirt."Spurs"是热刺(Hotspur)的简称,源于莎士比亚笔下的人物Harry Hotspur;而"白百合"则源于球队主场队服的颜色。
> Wigan Athletic – Latics 维冈竞技
LaticsWigan are not on their own with this nickname with League 1 side Oldham Athletic also claiming it. Latics is simply a corruption of the word "Athletic".维冈并非是唯一一支昵称为"Latics"的球队,英甲球队奥德汉姆竞技队同样自称"Latics"。"Latics"仅仅是"Athletic"(竞技)的缩写而已。
> Wolverhampton Wanderers – Wolves 沃尔夫汉普顿流浪者:狼队
Probably the most unimaginative nickname out of the bunch, but the most commonly used. Most football fans will know the Midlands club as Wolves, and there is no prize for guessing why!"狼队"或许是这里面最没有想象力的昵称,虽然它的使用范围是最广的。大部分球迷都把这只来自英格兰中部的球队称作"狼队",至于原因是什么,不用猜大家都知道了。
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