VOA标准英语2010年-Foreign Olympic Hopefuls Head to USA T

Next month, Vancouver and Whistler, Canada will host athletes from more than 80 nations at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Some of the countries sending athletes might surprise you. Not only will the Jamaican bobsledders be back, but so will skiers from countries like Kenya that rarely, if ever, see snow. They'll also coming from countries like Peru, which have no winter sports tradition. But Jamaican, Kenyan and Peruvian winter Olympic hopefuls have found the perfect snowy training ground in the American West.

Nike moves from sneakers to skis

T. Bonse
Kenya's first and only Winter Olympian, Philip Boit, at the Methow Valley SuperTour race

Nike can take some credit for launching the career of Kenya's first and, so far, only winter Olympian. The Oregon-based sportswear giant has long sponsored world class distance runners from Kenya.

In the mid-1990's, runner Philip Boit responded to an offer to try something a little different. "They wanted to see if these Kenyans who are doing very well in running long distance, how about if we change them a little bit to try this skiing, [since] they have that good endurance¹."

So, at the age of 24, the Kenyan got a ticket to Finland to learn how to cross country ski. "They talked about skiing, I didn't know skiing. I have no idea about winter. I didn't know about snow."

But two years later, Boit was at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He finished dead last. Nike dropped its African ski team experiment the next year. But Boit wasn't ready to settle down on the family farm, and still isn't.

A training ground half-way around the world

T. Bonse
Philip Boit chats with a fan after the race

Earlier this month, Boit arrived in Washington State to try to qualify² for his fourth and, he says, final Olympics. "I'm financing³ myself," he said. "My family, they are also helping⁴. There are so many people trying to help." That includes American fans who have come forward to donate coaching time, a gym membership⁵, new skis and transportation.

Methow Valley resident Danica Kaufman is one of many in north central Washington to open her home to Boit, offering a place to stay while he trains.

"Well, the Methow doesn't have a lot of diversity," she said with a laugh. "Philip is just such a warm personality and such a neat story. He told me just this morning that he had to sell a couple of cows from his farm in order to fund his last part of his trip here. It's just unlike the world we live in."

Kaufman notes Olympic qualifying⁶ standards have gotten tougher. She believes that's partly the result of the slow finishes of long-shot Olympians like Boit.

A different kind of skiing

Courtesy⁷ R. Carcelen
Seattle resident Roberto Carcelen, (number 3), crosses the finish line at the 2009 World Championships in the Czech Republic

Roberto Carcelen grew up in Peru, but now lives and trains in Seattle, Wash. Love brought him to the Pacific Northwest about eight years ago. He married a woman he met on the Internet, who works at Microsoft.

Carcelen recalls how his wife introduced him to cross country skiing in the Washington Cascades⁸. "And I was like, 'Where are the downhill runs? Where's the chairlift?' She explained to me that this is a different kind of skiing."
 
Although Peru has tall mountains, Carcelen said there are no ski resorts in his homeland. The sport of cross country skiing is unknown. But he liked it so much after trying it that, "the next day I went to REI and bought the whole equipment."

In 2006, Carcelen watched on television as athletes from Kenya, Portugal and Brazil skied in the Olympics in Torino, Italy. He thought, 'I could do that,' and eventually started training to become Peru's first winter Olympian.

"I am bringing up winter Olympics to a country that has no tradition on the snow sports," he said. "Also, it's a way to prove that any other master-level athlete can achieve higher standards, even having a full-time⁹ job. You can find the time."

Carcelen has no illusions¹⁰ about finishing near the top at the Olympics. He said he'll be happy if he's one third from the back.

IOC sets limits

The International Olympic Committee restricts low-ranked skiers to certain events. There's no room for amateurs¹¹ in the hair-raising downhill for example. Ghana's first winter Olympian may only compete in the slower slalom or giant slalom. In cross country, the event that features the most raw athletes is the 15-kilometer freestyle race. It's scheduled for Monday, February 15 at Whistler Olympic Park.

Roberto Carcelen will be among the skiers at the starting line and Philip Boit is hoping to join him. 
 

1 endurance   

n.耐久力，忍耐力，耐久的时期，持续的时间

参考例句：

• She reached the end of endurance.她到了忍受的极限。
• The exercise obviously will improve strength and endurance.这种锻炼会明显改善体力增加耐力。

2 qualify   

vt.取得资格，有资格，限定，描述；vi.取得资格，有资格

参考例句：

• I won't qualify until next year.我明年才具备资格。
• You must qualify yourself for the post.你必须使自己具备担任这一工作的资格。

3 financing   

n.筹措资金

参考例句：

• The main source of our outside financing is bank loan. 我们向外筹措资金的主要渠道是银行贷款。
• They live in a symbiosis with governments that they are financing. 他们与他们服务的政府互利共存。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 membership   

n.成员资格，会员全体，从属关系

参考例句：

• I must renew my membership of the sailing club.我必须延续我的航海俱乐部会员的资格。
• He made up his mind to apply for membership in the Party.他决心申请入党。

6 qualifying   

使具有资格的

参考例句：

• players who fail at the pre-qualifying stage 在预选赛中淘汰掉的选手
• A doctoral candidate is required to pass a qualifying examination. 考博士需通过一个资格考试。

7 courtesy   

n.谦恭有礼，礼貌的举止，好意，恩惠

参考例句：

• She called on us merely for the sake of courtesy.她来访只是为了礼貌。
• After a few words of courtesy,they got down to business.双方客气了一番，就开始谈正事。

8 cascades   

倾泻( cascade的名词复数 )； 小瀑布（尤指一连串瀑布中的一支）； 瀑布状物； 倾泻（或涌出）的东西

参考例句：

• The river fell in a series of cascades down towards the lake. 河形成阶梯状瀑布泻入湖中。
• Turning into the sun, he began the long, winding drive through the Cascades. 现在他朝着太阳驶去，开始了穿越喀斯喀特山脉的漫长而曲折的路程。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦

9 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

10 illusions   

错觉( illusion的名词复数 )； 幻想； 错误观念； 假象

参考例句：

• Don't part with your illusions. 不要放弃你的幻想。 来自每日一句
• I have no illusions about his ability. 我对他的能力不抱任何幻想。

11 amateurs   

n.业余爱好者( amateur的名词复数 )；外行，生手

参考例句：

• The tournament is open to both amateurs and professionals. 这次锦标赛业余选手和职业选手均可参加。
• The boss kissed the other performers off as mere amateurs. 老板认为其他的演员只有业余水平而把他们打发掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》