你小時候有沒有玩過溜溜球？這種歷史悠久的游戲如今已是風靡全世界。各種各樣的溜溜球協(xié)會也在世界各地成立，推動著這種游戲的流傳，也不斷開發(fā)出新的玩法。在玩樂之余，讓我們來了解一下溜溜球的歷史吧。
Some inventions begin as one thing, and wind up as
another.
In ancient Greece, the toy was made of wood, metal, and terra cotta with the
two halves of the yo-yo decorated with pictures of gods. As a rite of passage
into adulthood, Greek children often gave up their toys and placed them on an
altar to pay homage to their gods. Around 1800, the yo-yo made its way to Europe
from the Orient. In Britain it was called the "bandalore," " quiz," or the
"Prince of Wales' toy." The French used the names "incroyable" and
"l'emigrette."
In the Philippines around 1500, the Yo-Yo was a weapon. It consisted of a
four pound stone attached to a rope about 20 feet long. Tribesmen used it in two
ways. When hunting, they stood off to one side, held one end of the rope and
threw the rock towards the legs of an animal. The rope became tangled around the
animals legs, and with a tug, the hunter brought the animal down. Against
enemies, the stones would be dropped on their heads. The tribesmen would quickly
recover the stones, ready for a second blow if necessary.
The modern story of the yo-yo starts with a young gentleman from the
Philippines named Pedro Flores. In the 1920s, he moved to the USA, and worked as
a bellhop at a Santa Monica hotel.
Carving and playing with wooden yo-yos was a traditional pastime in the
Philippines, but Pedro found that his lunch break yo-yo playing drew a crowd at
the hotel. He started a company to make the toys, calling it the Flores Yo-Yo
Company. This was the first appearance of the name "yo-yo," which means
"come-come" in the native Filipino language of Tagalog.
Donald F. Duncan, an entrepreneur who had already introduced the Eskimo Pie,
Good Humor Ice Cream, was co-patent holder of a four-wheel hydraulic automobile brake, and would later
popularize the parking meter, first encountered the yo-yo during a business trip
to California. A year later, in 1929, he returned and bought the company from
Flores, acquiring not only a unique toy, but also the magic name "yo-yo." About
this time, Duncan introduced the looped slip-string, which allows the yo-yo to
sleep - a necessity for advanced tricks.
Throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, Duncan promoted yo-yos with innovative
programs of demonstrations and contests. All of the classic tricks were
developed during this period, as legendary players toured the country teaching
kids and carving thousands of yo-yos with pictures of palm trees and birds.
During the 1950s, Duncan introduced the first plastic yo-yos and the Butterfly?
shaped yo-yo, which is much easier to land on the string for complex tricks.
Duncan also began marketing spin tops during this period.
The biggest yo-yo boom in history (until 1995) hit in 1962, following
Duncan's innovative use of TV advertising. Financial losses at the end of the
boom and a costly lawsuit to protect the yo-yo trademark from competitors forced
the Duncan family out of business in the late 60s. Flambeau Products, who made
Duncan's plastic models, bought the company and still owns it today.
The genuine Duncan yo-yo is a classic toy that has endured for 70 years. With
more than 600 million sold, it is probably the most popular toy in history, and
was recently inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
bellhop: （賓館中專門幫客人提行李的）行李員
hydraulic: 液壓的
（來源：coolquiz.com 英語點津 Annabel 編輯）
