VOA标准英语2012--Chinese Remain Proud of Hosting 2008 Beijing Olympics

 

Chinese Remain Proud of Hosting 2008 Beijing Olympics

Chinese people celebrated¹ the 2008 Beijing Olympics as their country’s coming out party. Nearly four years later, that spirit is still alive and well among a steady stream of visitors to the Olympic sites, including Xu Jing, a real estate agent from Guangxi.

“Look at this place. The fact that there are so many people coming to take a look - this was China presenting itself, this was China becoming a big power and showing itself to the rest of the world," she said.

As with all Olympic games, critics point to how host nations spend billions of dollars and afterwards are left with structures that do not pay for their costs.

China is no exception. The two Olympic centerpiece buildings - the national stadium, known as “the Bird’s Nest,” and the national aquatics² center, better known as “the Water Cube” - are two examples.

The Water Cube is now open to the public as a water park. The Bird’s Nest attracts tourists and has hosted a few events, but is usually empty.

Gao, a nurse from Anhui, does not dispute the cost, but nevertheless says she is proud that China could afford it.

“The most important thing has been the economics," she said. "China is developing so fast. We can even host the Olympic games.”

Jiang Xaioyu, of the Beijing Olympic City Development Agency, credits the games for leaving what he calls a “huge” material legacy³.

“You can look at sports venues⁴ like the Bird's Nest or the Water Cube," he said. "There were also improvements in Beijing's public transportation, including the airport and all the highways.”

And Chinese public support for the Olympics is still so strong that some visitors think the Olympic sites are more worthwhile to see than Beijing's traditional number one tourist destination, the Forbidden City.

“If the time is very tight and you have to make a choice, then it is better not to go to the Forbidden City," said Qu, a Gansu businessman. "Just come here and take a look at these venues. They are from a time that is closer to us.”

There's also another legacy from the Olympics. Hong, a businessman from the eastern city of Ningbo, says it produced a greater interest in athletics⁵ all around China.

“Before, there were places, especially smaller cities, where people did not do much sports at all. Now, they do more," he said.

Hong says he has watched the Olympics before, but always on TV. Now, he plans to go to London, to see some of the events in person, since, he adds, he now has enough money. 

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 aquatics   

n.水生植物，水生动物( aquatic的名词复数 )；水上运动

参考例句：

• Pasturage breed aquatics basically has pig, ox, sheep and fowl. 畜牧养殖主要有猪、牛、羊和家禽。 来自互联网
• So in English they are National Stadium and National Aquatics Center. 这两处场馆的正式名字叫做”国家体育场”和”国家游泳中心“。 来自互联网

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 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

5 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。