China's Olympic Games kick off Friday but in Beijing the atmosphere is lukewarm

China's Olympic Games kick off Friday but in Beijing the atmosphere is lukewarm

Transcript¹

Beijing is the host city for the Winter Games and excitement should be building, but residents regard the Olympics with a mixture of trepidation² and curiosity.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The Winter Olympic Games begin on Friday, but in Beijing, the host city, people seem kind of lukewarm about it. NPR's Emily Feng asked why.

EMILY FENG, BYLINE³: Wang Jianzhi (ph) burnishes⁴ a pair of ice skates. He runs a famous blade sharpening shop near Houhai, a frozen lake popular among outdoor skaters. Yet Wang says he has no plans to watch the Olympics at all.

WANG JIANZHI: (Through interpreter) I get busy during the winter season. Where should I get the time to watch Olympic figure skating?

FENG: Sixty-two-year-old David Peng is getting his skates sharpened at Mr. Wang's and jumps in.

DAVID PENG: (Through interpreter) Hosting the Olympics has improved China's winter sports infrastructure⁵. It boosts China's international influence, especially if it can manage the Games well during a pandemic.

FENG: But asked if he'll actually watch any of the Games, he says no.

PENG: (Through interpreter) People of my generation value ability, not their outfits⁶ or fancy equipment. If you can't skate or ski well, you're not worth my time.

FENG: Rickshaw driver Yu Xianguo agrees. He's a sports enthusiast⁷, but he's realistic about China's prospects⁸ this Winter Games.

YU XIANGUO: (Through interpreter) I think we have an 80% chance of winning two, maybe three gold medals. That's better than nothing.

FENG: China is strongest in summer Olympic sports, such as weightlifting and diving. It's struggled to catch up to European countries with a long history of winter and downhill sports. Mr. Yu also says there's a market difference in this year's approach when compared to that of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

YU: (Through interpreter) Back in 2008, the air was thick with excitement. This time around, whether it's because people don't understand winter sports in China or what, the atmosphere has been much more bland⁹, with barely any publicity¹⁰ about the Games.

FENG: Since winning the Winter Games bid seven years ago, China's National Statistics Bureau claims it somehow convinced 346 million people to become winter sports enthusiasts¹¹. Retiree Meng Zhaoying is one of these people. NPR met her on the edge of Houhai Lake, where she's chipped away the thick ice to swim in the freezing water, another popular Beijing pastime thought to prevent cults¹². The city government encouraged her to pick up skiing in 2019.

MENG ZHAOYING: (Through interpreter) Our political leaders supported us, paid for all our trainers, and we get discounted tickets to the ski slopes.

FENG: Now, Miss Meng is part of the Beijing amateur ski team for seniors.

MENG: (Through interpreter) We have about 100 members, but in reality, those who actually know how to ski number only about 20 people.

FENG: One of Miss Meng's fellow septuagenarian swimmers hears us talking about the Olympics and interrupts.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).

FENG: "It's all political theater," he says about the ski team. The Games cost too much and benefit the people too little. I asked if we can tape an interview with him, but he refuses. He says talking about the Games in such a critical way could get him in political hot water.

Emily Feng, NPR News, Beijing.

(SOUNDBITE OF STEV'S "WHILE YOU'RE FADING")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 trepidation   

n.惊恐，惶恐

参考例句：

• The men set off in fear and trepidation.这群人惊慌失措地出发了。
• The threat of an epidemic caused great alarm and trepidation.流行病猖獗因而人心惶惶。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 burnishes   

v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的第三人称单数 )；被擦亮，磨光

参考例句：

• This metal burnishes well. 这种金属容易擦亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The stone burnishes well. 这种石头容易磨光。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

7 enthusiast   

n.热心人，热衷者

参考例句：

• He is an enthusiast about politics.他是个热衷于政治的人。
• He was an enthusiast and loved to evoke enthusiasm in others.他是一个激情昂扬的人，也热中于唤起他人心中的激情。

8 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

9 bland   

adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的

参考例句：

• He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
• This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。

10 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

11 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

12 cults   

n.迷信( cult的名词复数 )；狂热的崇拜；（有极端宗教信仰的）异教团体

参考例句：

• Religious cults and priesthoods are sectarian by nature. 宗教崇拜和僧侣界天然就有派性。 来自辞典例句
• All these religions were flourishing side by side with many less prominent cults. 所有这些宗教和许多次要的教派一起，共同繁荣。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史