VOA慢速英语2021--东京奥运会选手赢得社交媒体金牌

Tokyo Olympians Win Social Media Gold

This year's Olympic Games in Tokyo are different from all others that came before.

First, the Games were delayed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, just before the start of the Olympics, it was announced that fans would not be permitted in most event areas.

Olympic competitions are being shown on television, of course. But the biggest interest for the Games seems to be happening online.

Many people are watching events on their computers or mobile¹ devices². More than 100 million people visited Olympic websites or used apps through the first week of the Games.

The broadcaster that shows the Olympics in the United States is NBC. It reports that people had watched more than 2.5 billion minutes of the Games on the internet or mobile devices. That number is 77 percent higher than during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games.

While some athletes at the Tokyo Games shot to popularity³ by winning medals, others became stars on social media. Many competitors using services like TikTok and Instagram have greatly expanded their fan base.

One example is Margie Didal, a skateboarder from the Philippines. She finished seventh in her event. But she has 1.5 million followers⁴ on TikTok. Some of her short videos have been seen by millions. Two videos from Tokyo got more than 15 million views. One of them shows her dancing with Rayssa Leal of Brazil, who won a silver medal. Leal herself has 6 million followers on Instagram.

Another athlete who did not shine in competition but got wide attention on social media is Ilona Maher of the U.S. women's rugby team. Maher is big and strong – weighing about 90 kilograms and standing⁵ about 1.8 meters tall. She uses the hashtag "beastbeautybrains" with her social media posts. She says she wants to let larger girls know "you can be so many things, a beast on the rugby field, a beauty whenever, and have as much brains as the smartest person out there."

One athlete who is getting popular is not even an Olympian yet. Silvia Solymosyova is a synchronized⁶ swimmer from Slovakia. She has published videos on TikTok in English in an effort to get attention in the U.S. So far she has gained over 1 million followers, mostly with videos showing her dancing underwater.

Jagger Eaton is a young American skateboarder. He has been competing since he was a boy. He is now 20. Eaton, who won a bronze medal in Tokyo, said he is "stoked" that so many people are now interested in skateboarding. He has about 500,000 followers between Instagram and TikTok.

Another American athlete, Erik Shoji, is getting attention for his videos that show off the food and atmosphere inside the Olympic village in Tokyo. Shoji is a volleyball player from Hawaii. He said the goal of his videos was to show his own experiences in the athlete's village and to help fans to learn more about the U.S. men's volleyball team.

In one video, Shoji documented an attempt to try out some Japanese food. Among the items were an egg roll, a shrimp⁷ dumpling, fried⁸ chicken and a "meat bun." In one opinion after his on-camera taste test, Shoji commented: "Pretty good, but needs some sauce."

Words in This Story

app –n. a computer program that performs a special function, usually found on mobile phones

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

medal –n. a piece of metal with designs and words on it given to honor⁹ a special event, a person or a victory in a competition

beast –n. a wild animal that is large, dangerous, or unusual; used to describe a strong or powerful person

synchronized swimming –n. a sport in which swimmers move together in patterns to music

stoked –adj. very pleased or excited

dumpling –n. a piece of food that is wrapped in dough¹⁰ and cooked

sauce –n. a thick liquid that is eaten with or on food to add flavor to it

1 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

2 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

3 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

4 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 synchronized   

同步的

参考例句：

• Do not use the synchronized keyword in Managed Objects. 不要在管理对象上使用synchronized关键字。 来自互联网
• The timing of the gun was precisely synchronized with the turning of the plane's propeller. 风门的调速与飞机螺旋桨的转动精确同步。 来自辞典例句

7 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

8 fried   

adj.油煎的；油炒的

参考例句：

• I ate everything fried.所有油炸的我都吃。
• I prefer fried peanuts.我选择炸花生。

9 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

10 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。