乒乓球在中國并不僅僅是一項運動，它作為“國球”承擔著13億國人的希望和榮譽。我國乒乓球運動員們在各種世界大賽中為國家爭得了不少榮譽，中國乒壇更是名將輩出。可是你知道嗎，乒乓球在中國流行的時間并不長。現在就讓我們去了解一下它的歷史吧。

Like many other sports, table tennis began as a mild social diversion. Descending　along with lawn tennis and badminton, from the ancient medieval game of tennis. It was popular in England in the second half of the nineteenth century under its present name and various trade names such as Gossima and Whiff-Whaff. After the name Ping-Pong (an imitation of the sound made by the ball striking the table and the vellum bats that were used) was introduced by J. Jaques & Son, the game became a fashionable craze.

The game was popular in Central Europe in 1905-10, and even before this is a modified version had been introduced to Japan, where it later spread to China and Korea. After a period when it had dropped out of favor in Europe，the game was revived in England and Wales in the early twenties. By that time 'Ping-Pong' had been registered as a trademark, so the earlier name of table tennis was re-introduced. National associations were formed and standardization of the rules began, both in Europe and the Far East. Then over the next sixty years, table tennis developed into a major worldwide sport, played by perhaps thirty million competitive players and by uncountable millions who play less seriously. However, the game itself has not changed in essence since its earliest days, though it is faster, more subtle and more demanding than it was even only twenty years ago.

（來源：英語麥當勞　實習生吳昭文 英語點津 Annabel 編輯）