VOA慢速英语--Invictus Games to Open in Australia

 

Britain’s Prince Harry¹ is in Australia to open the fourth-ever Invictus Games. The international competition is for military members and veterans² wounded in battle.

Prince Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, helped start the event in 2014 after attending a similar competition for wounded veterans in the United States. The prince himself served in the British Armed Forces for 10 years.

The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, is also in Australia. The two are making their first royal tour with great media attention; they announced Monday they are expecting their first child.

“Invictus” means “undefeated” in Latin³. The Games bring together more than 500 competitors from 18 countries, including Afghanistan, France, Iraq, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Earlier Invictus Games were held in England, the United States and Canada.

After arriving in Australia, the prince thanked the Australian government for holding the event. "Australia is, of course, home to some of the world’s best sporting talent but what you are about to see during these Invictus Games will (be) a demonstration⁴ of the power of … sport to change lives,” he said.

Former Australian military officer Garry Robinson was in a Black Hawk⁵ helicopter when it crashed in enemy territory in 2010 in Afghanistan. He suffered a brain and back injury. He also lost part of his left leg.

Now, he is getting ready to compete in his fourth Invictus Games. He will compete in the sports of cycling, archery and swimming.

“I am very honored,” Robinson said. “(Invictus) saved my life.”

Amazon recently announced it would become an official supporter of the 2018 Invictus Games, which are being held in Sydney. It also supported the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada.

Amazon Founder⁶ and CEO Jeff Bezos said the company is committed to employing veterans.

In a statement, Bezos said, “We find that their experience leading people is invaluable⁷ in our fast-paced work environment.”

The Invictus Games run from October 20-27. Many of the events will be held in the same building used for the 2000 Olympics, which were also held in Sydney.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

athlete – n. a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength

talent – n. a special ability that allows someone to do something well

cycling – n. the sport or activity of riding a bicycle

royal tour - n. an official trip made by members of the royal family of a country (royal - adj. of or relating to a king or queen

archery – n. the sport or skill of shooting with a bow and arrow

commit - v. to make a vow⁸ or promise

fast-paced - adj. done in a fast way

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 veterans   

经验丰富的人，老兵( veteran的名词复数 )； 退伍军人

参考例句：

• Some veterans of the two world wars gathered to celebrate their victory. 一些经历了两次世界大战的退伍军人欢聚庆祝胜利。
• Seasoned veterans were picked to storm the difficult enemy position. 有经验的老兵被挑选出来去突袭难攻的敌军阵地。

3 Latin   

adj.拉丁的，拉丁语的，拉丁人的；n.拉丁语

参考例句：

• She learned Latin without a master.她无师自通学会了拉丁语。
• Please use only Latin characters.请仅使用拉丁文字符。

4 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

5 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

6 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

7 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

8 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。