12-8 体育与技术（在线收听）

Sports and Technology

The Athens Olympic Games have showcased technology that makes athletes go faster. Olympic contenders¹ have been testing experimental versions of high-tech suits and shoes, especially in high speed events like sprinting² and freestyle swimming.

The “long-john” swimsuits have become popular since Australian medalist Ian Thorpe made a big splash with his full-body Adidas JetConcept suit during the Sydney Olympics in 2000. These suits aren't magic bullets, but they can increase performance through lower drag coefficients³.”

Speedo's suit was designed by aerospace engineer Barry Bixler using computational⁴  fluid dynamics (CFD) software to simulate⁵ and test the suit's reduction of drag. CFD also has been used in other sports like the javelin⁶.

In devising the new suits, companies must be careful to adhere to the rules of the Fédération Internationale de Natation, the world governing body for water sports, which state that no swimmer shall be permitted to use or wear any device -- such as webbed gloves or flippers -- that may aid in speed, buoyancy⁷, or endurance during a competition.

Another innovation for this Olympics: sprint suits for runners. In July, Adidas introduced its “Formotion.” The company had studied top sprinters to see how they move, and then it designed the suit to complement those movements.

Adidas's designers mapped the human body by computer to pinpoint where specific technologies were needed for support, ventilation⁸, freedom of movement, and muscle control. They placed large Lycra bands across the lower back to stabilize the orientation of the hips to keep them square to the sprinting lane. They added power bands along the arms and shoulders to enhance forward arm swing and minimize nonlinear⁹ motion. And they put them across the back end of the athlete down to the hamstrings¹⁰ to help store and release energy. The Formotion also includes mesh¹¹ inserts in the underarm to reduce the weight of the suit and ventilate that critical heat zone.

Before long, consumers will see derivatives of high? tech athletic wear in sporting goods stores. Most items produced for the Olympics basically are a giveaway¹². The recognition of the item helps in sales of consumer versions later.

注释：

1. contender [kEn5tendE(r)] n.（尤指冠军等的）争夺者，竞争

2. sprint [sprint] vi.（尤指短距离）冲刺，用全速奔跑

3. drag coefficient [空] 阻力系数

4. computational [7kCmpju:5teiFEnEl] a. 计算的，计算机的

5. simulate [5simjuleit] vt. 模拟

6. javelin [5dVAvlin] n. （田径运动中用的）标枪，掷标枪项目

7. buoyancy [5bRiEnsi] n. 浮力

8. ventilation [7venti5leiFEn] n. 通风，空气流通

9. nonlinear [5nCn5liniE(r)] a. 非线性的

10. hamstring [5hAmstriN] n. [解] 绳肌

11. mesh [meF] n. 网孔，网眼织物

12. giveaway [5^ivE7wei] n. （用以招揽顾客的）赠品（或廉价品）

体育与技术

雅典奥运会成为了技术产品的展示台。这些技术使运动员的速度更快。奥林匹克运动员一直在试验高技术的运动服和运动鞋，尤其是在诸如短跑和自由泳等要求高速度的比赛中。

　　自从澳大利亚奖牌得主伊恩•索普在2000年悉尼奥运会上穿着一身从颈到踝的阿迪达斯“喷气概念” 泳装引起轰动以后，“长约翰”泳装便开始风靡起来。这些泳装并不是什么万应灵药，但是它们却可以通过降低阻力提高成绩。

　　“斯比度”泳装是由航空与航天工程师巴里•比克斯勒设计的。他采用计算机流体动力学软件模拟并测试泳装减少阻力的功能。计算机流体动力学同时也应用于其他体育项目，如标枪。

　　在设计新泳装时，研发公司必须避免违背水上运动的管理机构国际泳联的规则。根据国际泳联的规定，任何游泳选手不得在比赛中使用或穿着任何有助于提高速度、浮力或者耐力的装置，如带蹼的手套或者脚蹼。

　　本届奥运会上的另一项革新是为短跑运动员设计的运动服。7月，阿迪达斯推出了一款叫做“福摩星”的短跑服。公司对世界顶尖短跑运动员进行了研究，观察他们身体各部分肌肉在跑步中是如何动作的，然后设计出短跑服以辅助这些动作。

　　阿迪达斯的设计人员利用计算机绘制人体的每一部分，确定哪里需要采取特别技术用于增强支撑、透气、运动自如性以及肌肉控制。他们在运动服的下背部加上宽大的莱卡衬垫，以固定臀部的方向，并使其垂直于起跑线。他们在运动员胳膊和肩膀处增加强力带，加强了前臂的摆动，最大限度地减少胳膊的非线性运动。他们还在运动员腰部直到腿窝处加上强力带，以帮助运动员存储和释放能量。“福摩星”短跑服还在运动员腋下设计了网孔衬垫，以减轻运动服的重量，并有利于身体这一高温区的散热。

在不久的将来，消费者将在体育用品商店见到这些高技术体育服装的商业化版本。为奥运会生产的大多数产品都是免费赠品。对这些产品的认可有助于今后商业产品的销售。