The British are famous for inventions that have changed the world. The steam engine, the telephone, the television, the pneumatic tyre, and the Internet can all be stamped 'Made in Britain'. Yet how many sports can we claim to have invented? Well, in addition to inventing the modern Olympic Games, Britain also gave the world its most popular sports.
Football
So, let's start with the big one. Despite the fact that it was China, and not Britain, who first devised a game where a ball was kicked into a net to score points, the game of football, as we know it today, is a very British phenomenon.
In 1863 the Football Association was established in England, and the rules of the game have remained essentially the same ever since. Their relative simplicity, and need for little equipment ensured that it became very popular. The power of the British Empire meant that it became played in every corner of the world, as sailors and soldiers would teach and then play local teams in every port they visited.
Rugby
The establishment of the FA led to directly to the birth of another great British sport. Some of the players were dismayed by the new rules, which stated that the ball could no longer be carried, and that kicking and grabbing your opponent was not allowed.
These had been part of the game since 1823, when a schoolboy at Rugby School decided that his dribbling skills were not up to much, and picked the ball up and started running towards the opponent's goal. After the FA changed the rules some of the teams thought that football was simply too girly, and in 1871 Rugby Football union was established, and the sport of rugby was born.
Tennis
Summer is not summer in Britain without the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. The most prestigious of the Grand Slam events owes its reputation to the fact the game was invented in Britain in 1859. The traditions of the game of have changed little, still being played on manicured lawns and the players obliged to wear all white, although it has been a depressingly long time since Britain has produced a champion…
Golf
One of the oldest, and let's face it, most bizarre sports from Britain is golf. Originating from Scotland in the 15th century, the game involves whacking a small white ball around a large field and trying to make it land in a series of eighteen tiny holes in the ground. A game only fully understood by middle-aged men, who spend considerable time at the nineteenth hole – the clubhouse bar.
Cricket
Another quintessentially British summer phenomenon is the sound of the crack of leather against willow. Invented in England in the 16th century, this game may be perplexing to foreigners, particularly as a single game can last three days, and offer the spectator little more than the sight of a group of men standing around in the field, and the opportunity of getting steadily drunker in the summer sunshine. It is all very gentlemanly, and at least a sport the British are actually quite good at.
…and the rest
Snooker, boxing, darts, table tennis and even skiing can call Britain home. In fact, without a certain Dr William Penny Brookes, the world would not even have the modern Olympics. Determined to improve the physical and mental condition of the average 19th century Briton, the good doctor proposed a games tournament that would blend together the ancient Greek athletic disciplines, with modern sports like football. And so the Olympics as we know it were born, and in 2012 they are coming home.
中文见下
和中国一样，英国也是一个以发明著称的国家。蒸汽机，电话，电视，充气轮胎，因特网，个个都挂着“英国创造”的标签。在奥运开幕式上，主持人曾不停地提到，英国是许多体育项目的发源地，你知道英国发源的项目有哪些吗？答案是：英国是现代奥运会的创始国，同时也是诸多风靡全球的热门运动的发源地。
足球
我们先从大球说起。也许中国人会争辩说足球起源于中国，但确实是英国人首先将这项运动改革，将足球入网得分作为比赛的规则。而当今，英国和英国人民对足球运动的热爱和贡献也是众所周知。
1863年，国际足协在英国建立，从此足球的比赛规则沿用至今。足球运动的简单易行使这项运动迅速风靡，而英帝国的强盛又帮助它到达世界上各个角落。只要是英国的海员和士兵所到之处，他们就会向当地人教授足球技艺，还会和当地人组成的球队切磋。
橄榄球
足协的建立直接推动了另一项伟大运动的诞生。由于足协规定：足球比赛中，运动员不能用手持球，也不能冲撞或者踢踏对手，一些足球运动员对此不满。因为从1823年起，足球的规则一直是可以持球，也可以撞人。足协建立并确定新规则后，一些球队认为足球太过温柔，于是1871年橄榄球协会应运而生，从此，橄榄球运动走进了体育世界。
网球
没有温布尔登网球赛的英国夏天，可谓不算是夏天。作为世界上最知名的大满贯比赛，温网始创于1859年。今天，温网的传统几乎丝毫未变，运动员必须全身穿白，场地依然是天然草坪。不过，英国已经许多年无缘冠军，多少有些令人沮丧。
高尔夫
高尔夫是一项历史悠久的运动，也是起源于英国的一项比较奇特的运动。15世纪，高尔夫开始出现在苏格兰，这项运动要求在一片宽阔的草地上，用球杆将一个白色的小球打进18个小洞。最初，喜欢高尔夫的一般都是中年男性，他们打球的目的更多是在俱乐部的第19个洞-酒吧里消磨时间。
曲棍球
英国夏天的另一个传统现象是不时传来的皮革打柳条的声音。发源于16世纪的英国，曲棍球运动是外国人眼中比较困难的一个项目，因为比赛要进行三天，观赛的感觉不外乎是看到一群男人站在场地周边，在夏日的阳光下痛饮。曲棍球同样也是一种非常绅士的运动，而且英国在曲棍球上也一直保有优势。
其他
斯诺克，拳击，投镖，乒乓球甚至滑雪都可以视英国为故乡。事实上，如果没有William Penny Brookes 博士，也就没有现代奥运。19世纪，为了提高英国人的体能和健康，Brookes博士倡议举行运动锦标赛，比赛融合了古希腊的运动规则，同时也加入现代体育项目，如足球。这就是现代奥运会的由来，而2012年，奥运会将回到英国-它的故乡。
