SPEAK UP: The excitement begins: Nagoya Asian Games opens on Saturday (2/2) 名古屋亞運盛大開幕（下）

A: Wow, the 20th Asian Games will open tomorrow in Nagoya, Japan, with over 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions competing in 43 sports.

B: To save costs, instead of building an athletes’ village, Nagoya’s renting a cruise ship and some container houses. The quality and quantity of accommodation have drawn criticism.

A: Are there any new sports in this year’s games?

The massive Costa Serena cruise ship, which serves as a “floating village” for athletes at the Asian Games. 歌詩達郵輪莎倫娜號成為亞運「水上選手村」。

Photo: AFP 照片：法新社

B: There are three new events: mixed martial arts, padel, and teqball.

A: And in baseball, defending gold medalist South Korea and previous silver medalist Taiwan will meet in their first match next Monday. Let’s cheer for the Taiwan team.

A: 第20屆亞運明天在日本名古屋登場，來自45個國家與地區、超過11,000名選手將參與43種運動競賽。

B: 不過名古屋為了省錢而不蓋選手村，以遊輪和貨櫃屋代替，住宿品質、數量引發各方批評。

A: 本屆亞運有什麼新增項目嗎？

B: 有「綜合格鬥」、「板網球」、「台克球」（桌上足球）共三項。

A: 而上屆棒球銀牌台灣，下週一首戰金牌南韓，一起來幫台灣加油吧！

（By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）

For your information

Language Tip 語文小提示

1. mixed martial arts (MMA) 綜合格鬥： A contact sport that allows a wide range of fighting techniques including striking, kicking and grappling 2. padel 板網球： A sport played by two pairs of players using short-handled paddles and a ball similar to a tennis ball on a court divided by a net and enclosed by walls 3. teqball 台克球（桌上足球）： A ball sport that is played on a curved table, combining elements of football and table tennis