英语音频杂志：冬奥会

 　　The Olympic Motto is 'Citius, Altius, Fortius', (or faster, higher, stronger), and when you hear the words "The Olympics", you may see mental pictures of tanned men and women athletes in brightly coloured sportswear, trying hard to live up to the motto, while keeping to the Olympic ideals of friendship, unity¹, fair play and peace.

　　The Winter Olympics, on the other hand, might bring to mind very different images. Perhaps scenes of outlandish figures dressed in alien costumes, using strange and complicated pieces of equipment to take them at terrifying speeds down frozen landscapes, or street-wise kids surfing their way down man-made waves.

　　The Winter Olympics have been held since 1924. They feature the usual mixture of ice and snow events, with an opening ceremony featuring popular groups and artists.

　　Here is a quick guide to some of the more colourful sports on offer at the games.

　　

　　Snowboarding

　　Snowboarding was first introduced at the last (1998) Winter Olympics. Snowboarders compete in two events: the half-pipe and the parallel giant slalom. In the half-pipe, competitors use a semi-cylindrical pipe cut into the snow to jump into the air and do tricks, while the giant slalom is a race between two boarders at a time. Snowboarding is associated with a certain lifestyle which doesn't always sit easily with the Olympic ideal - being a member of a team in such an individualistic sport can be problematic for boarders, and even wearing a uniform can be a touchy² subject. ''We had the most hideous³ outfits⁴: pegged⁵ jeans that go above your belly⁶ button, cheesy cowboy hat, burgundy old-lady pumps,'' remembers Sharon Dunn, a bronze medallist in Nagano.

　　

　　Ski Jumping

　　In the ski jumping event, competitors launch themselves from a 90 or 120 metre hill, and are judged on the length and style of their jump. In the last (1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, two Japanese ski jumpers, Masahiko Harada and Takanobu Okabe, won the gold and silver medals after both of them jumped 137 metres, the longest ski jumps ever seen at the games. Ski jumping can look more like a test of bravery than a sport, and in 1988 Eddie the Eagle Edwards won the affection and admiration⁷ of millions when he competed for Britain, despite having jumped only a handful of times before the event. 'Eddie the Eagle' gave me my favourite moment from the Winter Olympics. Showing more guts⁸ then any of his critics Eddie went flying down that massive slide and floated out into the unknown. Although nowhere near as professional as the experts that day, 'Eddie the Eagle' showed what raw courage is made of.

　　Mal Walker, Australia

　　

　　Curling

　　The Nagano Olympics saw the debut⁹ of curling. The game is played on an ice rink, where two teams of four players slide 'stones' across the ice, trying to get as close as they can to the center of a target (the 'tee'). Team mates can sweep the ice in front of the stones to help their progress over the ice. Curling does however have its critics - "Since when did sweeping¹⁰ the floor become an international sport?" asks one person who was not impressed.

　　Andrew Stevenson from New Zealand

　　

　　The Skeleton

　　Perhaps the most unusually named event, which hasn't been seen at the Winter Games for over 50 years, is the skeleton, a race very similar to the luge. In the skeleton and the luge, competitors slide down a track made of ice at speeds of around 140 km/h, with nothing between them and the ice except a sled with two metal runners. The participants race head first on their stomachs in the skeleton, while in the luge they travel down the track on their backs, with their feet in front of them.

　　

　　Figure skating

　　Figure skating is a traditional favourite at the Winter Olympics. There are four events, the mens' singles, the womens' singles, the pairs and the ice dancing competition. Fans of the event still remember the 1988 Winter Games, where British figure skaters Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean (Britain) were given maximum points in the ice dancing event, for their artistic¹¹ interpretation¹² of Ravel's Bolero.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 touchy   

adj.易怒的；棘手的

参考例句：

• Be careful what you say because he's touchy.你说话小心，因为他容易生气。
• He's a little touchy about his weight.他对自己的体重感到有点儿苦恼。

3 hideous   

adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的

参考例句：

• The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
• They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

4 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

5 pegged   

v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• They pegged their tent down. 他们钉好了账篷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She pegged down the stairs. 她急忙下楼。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

7 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

8 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

10 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

11 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

12 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。