VOA标准英语2008年-Hong Kong Prepares For Equestrian Olympics

For horse lovers, the main event of the Olympics is the equestrian¹ competition - and that will be held in Hong Kong, not Beijing. In Hong Kong, Claudia Blume has this report on preparations for the biggest sport event ever hosted in the city.

It's happening in Hong Kong, not only in Beijing - the Olympics that is. This television commercial, featuring international movie star Jackie Chan, was produced by Hong Kong's tourism board to promote the equestrian events in the city.

Organizers of the Olympics moved the equestrian competition here because Beijing and other mainland Chinese cities could not guarantee disease-free zones for the horses. Lam Woon Kwon, chief executive of the company that organizes the equestrian Olympics, says Hong Kong, by contrast, meets international veterinary standards.

"Hong Kong of course has an international reputation of being a clean city in terms of quarantine for horses," Lam said. "We haven't had any major horse disease for more than 16 years - so we are a very clean city, so people have confidence in us."

Unlike the rest of China, Hong Kong also has a lot of experience organizing horse races. The city's Jockey Club has been around for more than 100 years. The Club spent $150 million to build new facilities and training venues³ for the Olympics, including an 1800 seat arena⁴ and new stables for over 200 horses.

More than 200 riders and horses are expected to compete in the Olympics, which will be followed by the Paralympics with about 75 participants. All horses will be flown in. Dressage and jumping events will be held in the Jockey Club's Sha Tin race course, close to the border with mainland China. A golf course was converted into a cross-country course.

While athletes do not have to worry about diseases, and pollution is less of a problem here than in Beijing, there are other challenges. The main worry of many participants is Hong Kong's sweltering summer heat and extreme humidity, which can reach up to 80 percent in August. But the organizers are well-prepared. Gerald Kuh, jumping manager for the equestrian Olympics, describes how new state-ot-the-art stables will keep horses cool.

"This will all be air-conditioned. We will set the temperature at 23 degrees Celsius," he said. "And you see this isolation⁵ here is to keep the temperature consistent everywhere so it won't be colder on this end and hotter on that end - it comes out, you know, through the stable."

Both venues also have large so-called misting tents, where huge fans blow icy sprinkles of water on the horses, allowing them to cool down after a race.

Mr. Lam says the venues are also able to cope with strong tropical downpours, which often occur in August.

"We built a top-of-the range drainage system that is extremely important - which means that even after a heavy downpour we can resume the games as soon as we possibly can," Lam explained.

Mr. Lam says that participants in last year's international test races were happy with the facilities. Only the Swiss dressage team pulled out because of concerns about the weather conditions.

Hong Kong authorities say the security threat level for the Olympics in the city is moderate. The Hong Kong police will deploy⁶ about four thousand officers to guard the equestrian competition. Ahead of the Olympics, police in Hong Kong held a large joint⁷ operation with colleagues in Southern China against organized crime in the area. More than 16-hundred people were arrested.

Police officials say they spent two years to draw up a security plan for the event, and recently held discussions with local activists⁸ to work out the logistics of potential demonstrations⁹.

The former British colony, which was returned to China in 1997, enjoys civil liberties not available in other parts of China, including freedom of speech and the right to demonstrate. But ahead of the Olympic torch relay in Hong Kong in May, immigration officials had turned away several pro-Tibet activists, sparking protests from human rights groups. Asked at a press conference whether protesters will be allowed to display Tibetan flags, Hong Kong's police commissioner¹⁰ Tang King-shing gave a carefully-phrased answer.

"About demonstrators using any flags, or banners or equipment or whatever - I think each and every case has to be considered on its own merit and according to the individual circumstances. Our ultimate objective is to ensure peace and safety," Tang said.

At Hong Kong's Olympic venues, flags, banners, leaflets and other materials pushing political and commercial causes will be banned - in accordance with the Olympic charter. Organizers say spectators wearing T-shirts with political slogans will be asked to change their clothes or leave the venue².

Most people in Hong Kong are looking forward to the event, such as this young man.

"Olympics in Hong Kong is very great, is very good! I think for Hong Kong, for everybody, it's good news," said Lam Woon Kwon, chief executive of the company that organizes the equestrian Olympics says Hong Kong. The company has hosted many international events, such as the meeting of the World Trade Organization in 2005, but never a major sports competition. He says it is an honor for Hong Kong to co-host the Beijing Olympics.

"And also the historical meaning is that we are for the first time ever, after the return of the sovereignty to China, we are hand in hand with Beijing and Qingdao showcasing the new face of China," Lam said.

The coastal¹¹ city of Qingdao, where the sailing events will be held, is the second major co-host of the Beijing Olympics.

 

 

 

1 equestrian   

adj.骑马的；n.马术

参考例句：

• They all showed extraordinary equestrian skills.他们的骑术都很高超。
• I want to book two equestrian tickets.我想订两张马术比赛的票。

2 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

3 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

4 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

5 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

6 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

10 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

11 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。