中文名：　丹尼爾·門多薩

英文名： Daniel Mendoza

出生日期：1764年7月5日

逝世日期：1836年9月3日

職業(yè)：拳擊手

家庭狀況：家中7個(gè)孩子中排行老3。1787年與埃絲特結(jié)婚。共有9個(gè)孩子。

丹尼爾.門多薩是拳擊史上最引人注目的人物之一。在把這種粗野的拳擊變成一種體育運(yùn)動(dòng)方面，他作出了重大貢獻(xiàn)。是他把科學(xué)引進(jìn)了這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)，在他之前，拳擊手們只是站立著互相出拳痛擊。門多薩創(chuàng)造了“防守技巧”，利用科學(xué)的方法來抵御攻擊。其中之一就是“跳步”——左右跳動(dòng)方便閃避對方，同時(shí)可以增加出拳時(shí)的力量。他于1789年出版了一本名為《拳擊的藝術(shù)》的著作，主要介紹了現(xiàn)代“科學(xué)式”的拳擊方式，后來也被許多拳擊手學(xué)習(xí)。門多薩在的全盛時(shí)期深受大家歡迎，其中因?yàn)樗�是第一個(gè)贏得重量級(jí)拳擊大賽的中量級(jí)拳擊運(yùn)動(dòng)員。

兩百年前，拳擊比賽在英國非常盛行。當(dāng)時(shí)，拳擊手們不戴手套，為爭奪獎(jiǎng)金而搏斗。因此，他們被稱作“職業(yè)拳擊手”。不過，拳擊是十分野蠻的，因?yàn)楫?dāng)時(shí)沒有任何比賽規(guī)則，職業(yè)拳擊手有可能在比賽中受重傷，甚至喪命。

丹尼爾.門多薩是拳擊史上最引人注目的人物之一，他生于1764年。1860年昆斯伯里侯爵第一次為拳擊比賽制定了規(guī)則，拳擊比賽這才用上了手套。雖然門多薩嚴(yán)格來講不過是個(gè)職業(yè)拳擊手，但在把這種粗野的拳擊變成一種體育運(yùn)動(dòng)方面，他作出了重大貢獻(xiàn)。是他把科學(xué)引進(jìn)了這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)。門多薩在的全盛時(shí)期深受大家歡迎，無論是富人還是窮人都對他崇拜備至。門多薩在14歲時(shí)參加一場拳擊賽后一舉成名。這引起當(dāng)時(shí)英國拳壇名將理查德.漢弗萊斯的注意。他主動(dòng)提出教授門多薩，而年少的門多薩一學(xué)就會(huì)。事實(shí)上，門多薩不久便名聲大振，致使?jié)h弗萊斯與他反目為敵。兩個(gè)人爭吵不休，顯而易見，只有較量一番才能解決問題。于是兩人在斯蒂爾頓設(shè)下賽場，廝打了一個(gè)小時(shí)。公眾把大筆賭注下到了門多薩身上，但他卻輸了。后來，門多薩與漢弗萊斯再次在拳擊場上較量，門多薩又輸了一場。直到1790年他們第3次對壘，門多薩才終于擊敗漢弗萊斯，成了全英拳擊冠軍。同時(shí)，他建立了一所拳擊學(xué)校，辦得很成功，連拜倫勛爵也成了他的學(xué)生。門多薩掙來大筆大筆的錢，一次出場費(fèi)就多可達(dá)100英鎊。盡管收入不少，但他揮霍無度，經(jīng)常債臺(tái)高筑。他在被一個(gè)叫杰克遜紳士的拳擊手擊敗后很快被遺忘。他因無力還債而被捕入獄，最后于1836年在貧困中死去。

boxing match were very popular in England two hundred years ago. In those days, boxers fought with bare fists for prize money. Because of this, they were known as ’prizefighters’. However, boxing was very crude, fore there were no rules and aprizefighter could be seriously injured or even killed.

One of the most colourful figures in boxing history was Daniel Mendoza, who was born in 1764. The use of gloves was not introduced until 1860, when the Marquis of Queensberry drew up the first set of rules. Though he was technically a prizefighter, Mendoza did much to change crude prizefighting into a sport, for he brought science to the game. In his day, Mendoza enjoyed huge popularity. He was adored by both rich and poor alike.

Mendoza rose to fame swiftly after a boxing match when he was only fourteen years old. This attracted the attention of Richard Humphries who was then the most eminent boxer in England. He offered to train Mendoza and his young pupil was quick to learn. In fact, Mendoza soon became so successful that Humphries turned against him. The two men quarrelled bitterly and it was clear that the argument could only be settled by a fight. A match was held at Stilton, where both men fought for an hour. The public bet a great deal of money on Mendoza, but he was defeated. Mendoza met Humphries in the ring on a later occasion and he lost for a second time. It was not until his third match in 1790 that he finally beat Humphries and became Champion of England. Meanwhile, he founded a highly successful Academy and even Lord Byron became one of his pupils. He earned enormous sums of money and was paid as much as $100 for a single appearance. Despite this, he was so extravagant that he was always in debt. After he was defeated by a boxer called Gentleman Jackson, he was quickly forgotten. He was sent to prison for failing to pay his debts and died in poverty in 1836.

（from New Concept English Book 3）