VOA新闻杂志--中国的目标是让冬季运动通过奥运会流行起来

China Aims to Make Winter Sports Popular with Olympics

With the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, the ruling Communist Party hopes to popularize winter sports as exercise and to make money. The Games will take place from February 4 to 20.

Many people in Beijing enjoy the winter sport of ice skating. But winter sports are new to most Chinese people. Now, young Chinese are considering winter sports like hockey and skiing.

The government and some companies have built new structures for winter sports in many places. Public schools are adding winter sports. And villages near mountains where skiing is possible are building hotels and services for visitors.

Mark Dreyer wrote the book Sporting Superpower: An Insider's View on China's Quest¹ to Be the Best. Dreyer said the effort to hold the Winter Olympics has pushed the development of winter sports.

"We've also seen a more organic² push from China's middle class, recognizing the value of sports not just for their children, but for themselves," Dreyer said.

COVID in China

The Winter Olympic Games will take place without foreign visitors or normal observers³. China's "zero tolerance⁴" plan is meant to prevent the coronavirus from spreading within the country. Sport competitors, reporters and officials are required to stay within special areas that keep them away from the Chinese public.

About 106 of the 3,695 people who arrived from foreign countries tested positive for the virus. Two are competitors or team officials.

Beijing officials have increased measures to prevent the spread of the virus in recent months. It ordered testing of 2 million people in one Beijing neighborhood after cases were reported there. Some families are not permitted to leave their homes.

Economic possibilities

Foreign sports companies would like to make money in China. However, a ban on most foreigners has been a barrier to business development.

Jeffrey Potter is president of Proskatecorner Pte. Ltd. The company works⁵ in China with the American hockey equipment maker⁶ True. He said the Olympics would have made sports goods more popular if not for the coronavirus.

Not far from Beijing is a winter sports center called Vanke Shijinglong Ski Resort⁷. Liu Yingkai leads marketing⁸ efforts to bring attention to the vacation center.

Liu said visitors to the resort have risen by 15 to 20 percent a year since 2015 when Beijing and neighboring Zhangjiakou were chosen to hold this year's Winter Games. Liu added the numbers were up 40 percent last year, even with the pandemic.

Li Sen is the director of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee's General Planning Department. Li said more than 450 ice rinks and 300 snow resorts⁹ have been built across China since 2015 although some have closed at times during the pandemic.

Skiing and other winter sports have helped villages near resorts.

"For tourists to eat, there must be restaurants around," noted¹⁰ Jiang Xinwei. He works for Analysys International, a research company in Beijing.

Personal reports

Long Xuelian is a visitor at the Vanke Shijinglong Ski Resort. She said she fell in love with skiing her first time although she fell a lot.

"More and more friends of mine know how to ski," Long told The Associated Press.

Zhang Xiaodong grew up in Zhangjiakou, but never learned¹¹ to ski. He is learning¹² the sport as an adult. Zhang said, "I have to learn how to ski so when I bring my kid here next time, I'll know how to teach my kid."

Words in This Story

organic – adj. happening or developing in a slow and natural way

tolerance –n. the ability or willingness to accept something

positive – adj. showing the presence¹³ of a particular germ¹⁴, condition, or substance

rink – n. an often enclosed¹⁵ area that has a special surface of ice or smooth pavement and that is used for skating

ski – v. to move or glide¹⁶ on skis over snow or water

tourist – n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure

kid – n. a young son or daughter

1 quest   

n.寻求，搜索，追求

参考例句：

• Man will suffer many disappointments in his quest for truth.人类在探索真理过程中必然会遭受挫折。
• His quest for perfection is relentless.他不断追求完美。

2 organic   

adj.有机的，有机物的；有组织的

参考例句：

• Organic farming is expanding everywhere.有机农业正在各地迅速发展起来。
• The organic fertilizer shall keep the soil in good heart.这有机肥一定会使土壤保持肥沃。

3 observers   

n.观察者( observer的名词复数 )；遵守者；观测者；目击者

参考例句：

• According to observers, the plane exploded shortly after take-off. 据目击者说，飞机起飞后不久就爆炸了。
• Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

5 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

6 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

7 resort   

n.凭借，手段，常去之地，胜地；vi.求助，诉诸，采取（某种手段等），常去

参考例句：

• He couldn't have passed the exam without resort to cheating.他要不是靠作弊是通不过这次考试的。
• Beidaihe is noted for its summer resort.北戴河以避暑胜地而著称。

8 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

9 resorts   

n.求助，凭借，诉诸( resort的名词复数 )；求助[凭借]的对象；采用的办法；度假胜地v.求助于或诉诸某事物，采取某手段或方法应急或作为对策( resort的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Ferry boats ply regularly between all the resorts on the lake. 渡船定时往返于湖的各旅游景点。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other resorts could benefit from the spillover of tourists. 其他度假胜地可以从游客带来的影响中间受益。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

12 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

13 presence   

n.出席；到场；存在

参考例句：

• Her presence lent an air of respectability to the occasion.她的到场使那种场合增添了崇高的气氛。
• His presence is indicative of his willingness to help.他的出席表示他愿意帮忙。

14 germ   

n.细菌，病菌，微生物；(想法等的)起源

参考例句：

• I have the germ of an idea.我有一个初步的想法。
• This was the germ of a book.这是一本书的源起。

15 enclosed   

adj.被附上的；（用墙等）围住的；封闭的；与外界隔绝的v.（用墙、篱笆等）把…围起来( enclose的过去式和过去分词 )；把…装入信封；附入；（尤指墙、篱笆等 ）围住

参考例句：

• The yard had been enclosed with iron railings. 院子用铁栅栏围了起来。
• Do not use this substance in an enclosed space. 切勿在不透气的地方使用此物质。

16 glide   

n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝

参考例句：

• We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着，眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
• So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞，宛如滑翔。