Ping-pong past
乒乓往事

5、Lose game

5、比赛失利

The score became 0-2 in a short time.

In our games, the first person to score 11 goals in each game wins the game. After 10 ties, he must play to win the game by 2 points, just like in standard table tennis. But we’re three out of five. Would the third grader be swept away? I can’t accept that result, the number of people who have gathered to notice the match was increasing!

In the rest of the match, I became more aggressive, speeding up my returns and hitting them back almost as soon as they dropped, much like volley tennis. The change make the opponent confused, the speed of the game rhythm let him like a fish out of water, I stole the game.

The score is 1:2

However, there was a gap between the two of us that could not be ignored. My younger brother kept steady and made me tired in defense by combining long and short balls with left and right movements. His sliced ball was revived again like a flexible rabbit. He won two games in a row to reach the final.

大比分很快来到0：2

我们的比赛每一场谁先拿到11球谁就赢下那一局，10平后必须打到领先2分才能算赢下这一局，和标准的乒乓球比赛一样。不过我们是5局3胜。初三学长被学弟剃光头？注意到这场比赛而围过来的人越来越多，我不能接受！

在接下来的比赛中，我变得更加有攻击性，不断加快回击球的速度，几乎是在对方球落下的瞬间就把球反打回去，像极了截击网球。这一转变把寸头学弟搞懵了，比赛节奏的加快让他有点不适应，我偷下了这一局。

大比分来到1：2

然而我们两人实力上存在着不可忽视的差距，学弟稳住了阵脚，通过长短球结合左右调动的方式让我疲于防守，削球像灵活的兔子一样再次复活，他连胜两局闯进决赛。

6、Encourage before the game

6、赛前勉励

“As long as you fall behind in the beginning, it is difficult to reverse the situation even if you work hard. As with ping-pong, so with your physics lesson!”

I jerked out of my sleep with those words ringing in my ears, as if someone had videotaped the audio and played it around me. It was just one game, and I can’t believe it when I say it. Enter the final is the younger student and Shuai, they will be in tomorrow afternoon to decide the champion. The respective classes were proud and excited to be represented.

At lunch the next day, I told him to be careful with his slice, his unpredictable bounce, his length, and his mentality. Shuai frowned. “Who am I? Relax, I’m sure to win.”

“只要一开始落后了，后面再努力也很难逆转局势，你看到了吗？乒乓球是这样，你的物理也是这样！”

我猛地从睡梦中惊醒，刚刚那句话不断在耳边回响，就好像是被人录像了，专门提取了音频在我身边播放一样。一场比赛而已，居然给我留下了心理阴影，说出来我自己都不信。进入的决赛是寸头学弟和阿帅，他们将在明天的下午决出冠军。各自的班级都为自己的代表感到自豪和激动。

第二天午饭时，我告诫阿帅，一定要小心他的削球，反弹方向难以捉摸，并且还有长短变化，心态绝对不能崩溃。阿帅眉头一挑，“我是谁？放轻松，我肯定赢。”

7、Chop serve

7、砍式发球

Here we go!

With the help of the referee, the two players drew lots and decided that the younger brother would serve first. A topspin shot went straight into the backhand of Shuai. Shuai, who played with the horizontal style, was more natural in defending the backhand than a straight player and easily handled this scene. Shuai is quick to react, forward half a step, a powerful forehand looping the ball in front of the net oblique to the back corner of the table for a point! “Good shot!” The crowd cheered, I jumped up happily. Maybe it was my warning that made him prepared better, maybe he was confident with his forehand looping, but that slice was blocked!

As the game went on, the score of the first game became 4:4. The young student served, his eyes emit cold lights, thrown ball high, squat down when the ball fall, cut the ping-pong with the racket front side, yellow ball was endowed with vitality, like a water snake swift attack Shuai, service ace!

What was that?

Is it the chop serve of Ding Ning, the main force of the national Women’s table tennis team? Even the referee teacher felt incredible, felt surprised at the younger player. In the next time, as long as it is the boy’s serve, that serve will win the score. Shuai quickly lost the first set. Is that really such a powerful serve? After I watched it several times, I found that the opponent’s ball path was changeable, the drop point could be positive or negative, long or short. What’s worse, his speed and power were amplified, and even there was rotation! I don’t blame Shuai for being defeated. So, before the final, the students didn’t even put up all the strength to play? What a scary guy. What are we gonna do, Shuai?

决赛开始！

两个人在裁判老师的辅助下抽签决定是学弟先发球，一记上旋球直插阿帅反手，使用横板打法的阿帅在防御反手的时候天生比直板选手更加自然，轻松化解了这一招，但是学弟的削球再次出现，又是那样又短又自带旋转！阿帅反应极快，前进半步，一记大力正手弧圈把在网前斜着飞的乒乓球打到了球台后角拿下一分！“好球！”围观者无不喝彩，我开心地跳了起来，稳了，肯定稳了。也许是我的告诫让阿帅准备的更加充分，也许是阿帅就对自己的正手弧圈球充满自信，总之那种削球被封锁了！

随着比赛进行，第一局的比分到了4:4，学弟发球，他目光一冷，将球高高抛起，在球下落的时候顺势下蹲，用球拍正面侧劈乒乓，黄色的小球被赋予生命力，像水蛇一般迅猛地攻击阿帅，直接发球得分！

刚刚那是什么？

难道是国家女子乒乓球一队主力丁宁的下蹲砍式发球？连裁判老师都觉得不可思议，对那位学弟点头称奇。接下来，只要是学弟的发球，那招下蹲砍式发球都稳稳拿下分数。阿帅很快丢掉了第一局，那种发球真的如此难接吗？我连看几次后发现对方球路变化无常，落点可正可反，能长能短，要命的是他的速度，力道都被放大，甚至还带有旋转！这不怪阿帅被死死压制。这么说来，在决赛之前，学弟甚至都没有拿出所有的实力来应战吗？真是个可怕的家伙。该怎么办呢，阿帅？

8、Get stuck in a difficulty

8、陷入绝境

The second game began quickly.

Generally speaking, the squat cut serve used by the younger students is usually used by the horizontal plate players, because the characteristics of the serve are destined to force the straight plate grip method is not as convenient as the horizontal plate, but we rarely play this kind of serve before, most people will eat the serve. The boy use similar movements to cut topspin, backspin, and sometimes no spin. 6:11, Shuai lost the second again. It’s very similar to the dilemma I faced, if not worse. The hope of an upset is almost equal to zero, all the students in Grade Three feel deep despair of such a situation. There is no miracle in this world, is there?

“Give me your racket.” Shuai said to me in the crowd. I handed my table tennis racket to Shuai from my side. “I haven’t lost the final game yet. Don’t be so depressed.” Maybe a change of racket for a change of luck, I encouraged him, “Come on, beat him!”

Even if I am in trouble, I will not give up the fight – that is what Shuai must be thinking at this moment.

第二局比赛很快开始。

一般而言，学弟所用的下蹲砍式发球通常是横板选手使用的，因为发球特点注定发力方面直板握拍法不如横板方便，但是这类发球我们平时遇到的太少了，大部分人都会吃发球被得分。学弟用相似的动作，砍出上旋球，下旋球，有时候是无旋转球。把阿帅打得节节败退，6:11，第二局又输了。和我当时的面对的困境非常相似，甚至可以说更加恶劣。翻盘的希望无限等于0，所有初三的学生都对这样的局面感到深深的绝望。这个世界上根本就难以出现奇迹，对吗？

“把你的球拍给我。”阿帅朝人群中的我说。我从身旁把自己的乒乓球拍交给了阿帅。“我还没输呢，你们这是什么表情？” 也许是换个球拍之后能换个好运气，我鼓励他，“加油，打爆他！”

即使陷入四面楚歌，你等着，我一定绝地里还以颜色 —— 这应该就是阿帅此刻的内心想法。