欧美人文风情第15篇:认识运动先驱彼拉提斯

 A History of Pilates 彼拉提斯的一段历史

Joseph Pilates was a fitness guru and inventor born in 1883 near the northern German city of Dusseldorf. 乔瑟夫·彼拉提斯是1883年于德国北部城市杜塞道夫出生的健身专家和发明家。

His father was a prizewinning gymnast of Greek ancestry¹. 他的父亲是希腊血统的得奖体操运动员。

His mother was a naturopath, who believed in stimulating² the body to heal itself without drugs or surgery. 他的母亲是一名自然疗法师，她深信不用药物或手术就能刺激身体修复自己。

His mother's healing philosophy and father's physical achievements were to greatly influence Pilates' ideas on therapeutic³ exercise. 他母亲的治疗哲学以及父亲在体能的成就，将会深深影响彼拉提斯在运动疗法上的想法。

Pilates was a sickly child, suffering from asthma⁴, rickets⁵, and rheumatic fever. 彼拉提斯是个体弱多病的孩子，饱受气喘、佝偻病、和风湿热之苦。

To make matters worse, the bigger children at school taunted⁶ him by making fun of his name. 让情况更糟糕的是，学校里较魁梧的孩子借由开他名字的玩笑来嘲弄他。

He became determined⁷ to overcome his physical disadvantages, 他下并决心要克服生理上的不利条件，

and dedicated⁸ his life to improving his health and strength. 并将他的人生投入在改善他的健康及力量上。

He focused on breathing techniques to assist with his asthma, 他专注于呼吸技巧以帮助改善他的气喘，

and by exercising outside in his shorts, was able to cure his rickets which is caused by a vitamin D deficiency. 借由穿着短裤在户外运动，他能够治疗因为缺乏维他命 D 所引起的佝偻病。

By the age of 14, he was fit enough to pose for anatomical charts. 在十四岁时，他已经够健壮到能当人体结构图的模特儿。

He loved skiing and being outdoors. He studied bodybuilding, yoga, martial⁹ arts, and gymnastics. 他喜欢滑雪和待在户外。他研读健身、瑜伽、武术、和体操。

You can recognize the influence of these activities in the Pilates technique. 你可以在彼拉提斯的技巧中辨识出这些运动的影响。

For example, the long stretch and up stretch on the Reformer are drawn¹⁰ from "downward-facing dog" and "plank¹¹" in yoga. 举例来说，器械床上的延长伸展和向上伸展是取自于瑜伽中“面朝下的狗式”和“棒式”。

He uses punching and sidekick movement similar to martial arts. 他使用类似武术的出拳和侧踢动作。

And some exercises on the chair are similar to gymnastic ring work. 有些在椅子上的练习类似于体操吊环运动。

The natural movements of animals also inspired him and this can be seen in exercises such as the cat stretch on the Cadillac. 动物的自然动作同样也给他灵感，这可以在练习动作中看到，像是在凯迪拉克床上的猫式伸展。

In 1912, Joseph Pilates moved to England and earned a living as a professional boxer¹², circus performer, and self-defense trainer at Scotland Yard. 在1912年，乔瑟夫·彼拉提斯搬到英国，并以职业拳击手、马戏团演员、和伦敦警察厅的自卫训练师谋生。

During World War I, however, the British authorities interned¹³ him, along with other German citizens, in a British Enemy Citizens' Camp on the Isle¹⁴ of Man. 然而，第一次世界大战期间，英国当局将他和其他德国公民一起拘留在曼岛上的英国敌国国民拘留营。

The health conditions in these camps were poor, 这些拘留营中的健康状态很差，

but Pilates insisted that everyone in his cellblock participate in daily exercise routines, 但彼拉提斯坚持在他狱区里的所有人都要参加每日的运动行程，

which he had devised to help maintain their physical and mental well-being¹⁵. 那是他设计出来帮助维持他们身理及心理健康的运动。

Some of the injured German soldiers were too weak to get out of bed. 有些受伤的德国士兵太过虚弱而无法离床。

Not content to leave his comrades lying idle, 不甘愿于丢下他的伙伴们闲躺着，

Pilates took springs from the beds and attached them to the headboards and footboards of the iron bed frames, 彼拉提斯从床上取出弹簧并将它们接到铁床架的床头板及床尾板上，

turning them into equipment that provided a type of resistance exercise for his bedridden patients. 将它们变成为久病患者提供一种耐力运动的器材。

These mechanized beds were the forerunners¹⁶ of the spring-based exercise machines, 这些机械化的病床是那些以弹簧为基础的运动机械的先驱，

such as the Cadillac and the Reformer, for which the Pilates method is known today. 像是凯迪拉克床和器械床，那些都是彼拉提斯法今日为人所知的器材。

Pilates legend has it that during the great flu epidemic¹⁷ of 1918, not a single soldier under his care died.  彼拉提斯传说这样流传着，在1918年的大流感期间，没有一个在他照护之下的士兵丧命。

Remarkable¹⁸!Considering the terrible living conditions of the internment¹⁹ camps. 非常惊人!考虑到那拘留营中糟糕的生活环境。

After the war, Joseph returned to Germany and collaborated²⁰ with experts in dance and physical exercise, such as Rudolf Laban. 战后，乔瑟夫回到德国，并与舞蹈及体能运动专家合作，像是Rudolf Laban(舞蹈家)。

In Hamburg, he trained police officers. He was also pressured to train members of the German army, 在德国汉堡，他训练警察。他同样也被迫使去训练德国军队，

but left his native Germany, disappointed with its political and social conditions, and immigrated²¹ to the United States. 但他离开了土生土长的德国，对于其政治和社会条件感到失望，并移民到美国。

En route, he met his future wife, a young nurse named Clara. 在路上，他结识了他未来的妻子，一位名叫 Clara 的年轻护士。

The couple founded a studio in New York City and taught and supervised their students well into the 1960s. 这对情侣在纽约成立一间工作室，并教导且监督他们的学生一直到六零年代。

His method, which he and Clara originally called Contrology, encouraged the mind to control muscles. 他的方法，他和 Clara 原先称作“控制哲学”，刺激心志去控制肌肉。

It focused attention on core postural²² muscles that help keep the body balanced and provide support for the spine²³. 那能集中注意力在帮助维持人体平衡及提供脊椎支撑力的核心姿势肌上。

In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness²⁴ of breath and of alignment²⁵ of the spine, 最特别地，彼拉提斯运动训练对呼吸以及脊椎矫正的认识，

and strengthen the deep torso and abdominal²⁶ muscles. 并强化躯干深处与腹部的肌肉。

Pilates came to believe that modern lifestyle, bad posture²⁷, and inefficient²⁸ breathing lay at the roots of poor health. 彼拉提斯开始相信现代的生活型态、不正确的姿势、以及无效率的呼吸为不良的健康状态扎根。

Joseph Pilates' New York gym put him in close proximity²⁹ to a number of dance studios, 乔瑟夫·彼拉提斯在纽约的运动中心将他带到几间舞蹈工作室的邻近区域，

which led to his discovery by prominent members of the dance community, including George Balanchine and Martha Graham. 这使得他被舞蹈界的知名人物发现，包括 George Balanchine 和 Martha Graham。

The Pilates repertoire³⁰ itself has many references to classical ballet and also the Graham technique. 彼拉提斯的动作本身就有许多古典芭蕾、也有葛莱姆技巧(现代舞技巧)的参考依据。

For example, the ballet stretches on the Cadillac and Ladder Barrel, the round back and straight back in the stomach massage³¹ series on the Reformer. 举例来说，像是凯迪拉克床及梯桶上的芭蕾伸展、还有器械床上胃部按摩系列的拱背及直背。

Many dancers, actors, and famous people in New York depended on Pilates for the strength and grace it developed, 许多舞者、演员、和纽约名人都为了它所带来的力量及魅力而仰赖彼拉提斯，

as well as for its rehabilitative³² effects. 还有为了它那复健的效果。

Joseph Pilates wrote two books, Your Health and Return to Life through Contrology, and was also a prolific³³ inventor. 乔瑟夫·彼拉提斯写过两本书：“你的健康”以及“透过控制哲学重返人生”，他同样也是作品丰富的发明家。

He passed away in 1967 at the age of 83 in New York. He had maintained a fit physique throughout his life, 他在1967年83岁时在纽约逝世。他在他的人生中都保持强健的体魄，

and photographs show that he was in remarkable physical condition in his older years. 也有照片显示他在晚年仍处于绝佳的生理状态。

He is also said to have had a flamboyant³⁴ personality. He smoked cigars, liked to party, 据说他同样也有高调的个性。他抽雪茄、喜欢参加派对、

and wore his exercise briefs wherever he wanted—even on the streets of New York. 无论他想在哪穿都穿着他的运动小内裤－－甚至在纽约大街上。

It's said that he was an intimidating³⁵, though deeply committed, instructor³⁶. Although Joseph and Clara had no children, 据说他是名虽然深深投入、却也很令人敬畏的导师。即使乔瑟夫和 Clara 没有孩子，

his legacy³⁷ and exercise techniques were preserved and developed through the work of his disciples³⁸. 他的遗产及运动技巧都透过他追随者的努力，被保留下来并成长发展。

These disciples who started out as their apprentices³⁹ are now called the Elders. 这些一开始是他见习生的追随者们现在叫做“长老”。

Until exercise science caught up with the Pilates method in the 1980s, it was chiefly dancers and elite⁴⁰ athletes who utilized⁴¹ the Pilates technique. 直到运动科学在八零年代跟上彼拉提斯的方法前，主要是舞者和菁英运动员利用彼拉提斯的技巧。

Now, Pilates has made it to the mainstream⁴², 现在，彼拉提斯已成为主流，

with its health benefits and mental discipline widely recognized as being of great benefit to the health and well-being of all types of people, 其对健康的益处以及其心志训练，被广泛认为对所有类型的人们的健康及幸福有极大益处，

no matter their shape, size, gender⁴³ or age. 不论他们的身形、大小、性别或是年龄。

Today, Joseph Pilates teachings are carried on by the Pilates Elders, their progeny⁴⁴, and by a large group of contemporary teachers all over the world. 今天，乔瑟夫·彼拉提斯的教学由彼拉提斯长老们、他们的后代、以及世界各地一大群现代的老师们接着传承下去。

 

1 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

2 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

3 therapeutic   

adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的

参考例句：

• Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。
• When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。

4 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

5 rickets   

n.软骨病，佝偻病，驼背

参考例句：

• A diet deficient in vitamin D may cause the disease rickets.缺少维生素D的饮食可能导致软骨病。
• It also appears to do more than just protect against rickets.除了防止软骨病，它还有更多的功能。

6 taunted   

嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落

参考例句：

• The other kids continually taunted him about his size. 其他孩子不断地耻笑他的个头儿。
• Some of the girls taunted her about her weight. 有些女孩子笑她胖。

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

9 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

11 plank   

n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目

参考例句：

• The plank was set against the wall.木板靠着墙壁。
• They intend to win the next election on the plank of developing trade.他们想以发展贸易的纲领来赢得下次选举。

12 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

13 interned   

v.拘留，关押( intern的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was interned but,as he was in no way implicated in war crimes,was released. 他曾被拘留过，但因未曾涉嫌战争罪行而被释放了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These soldiers were interned in a neutral country until the war was over. 这些士兵被拘留在一个中立国，直到战争结束。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

15 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

16 forerunners   

n.先驱( forerunner的名词复数 )；开路人；先兆；前兆

参考例句：

• Country music was undoubtedly one of the forerunners of rock and roll. 乡村音乐无疑是摇滚乐的先导之一。
• Heavy clouds are the forerunners of a storm. 阴云密布是暴风雨的前兆。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

18 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

19 internment   

n.拘留

参考例句：

• Certainly the recent attacks against the internment camps are evidence enough. 很明显，最近营地遭受到的攻击就是一个足好的证明。 来自互联网
• The chapters on the internment are Both readaBle and well researched. 这些关于拘留的章节不仅具可读性而且研究得很透彻。 来自互联网

20 collaborated   

合作( collaborate的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• We have collaborated on many projects over the years. 这些年来我们合作搞了许多项目。
• We have collaborated closely with the university on this project. 我们与大学在这个专案上紧密合作。

21 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

22 postural   

adj. 姿势的，体位的

参考例句：

• Chest percussion and vibration are used with postural drainage to help dislodge secretions. 在做体位引流时要敲击和振动胸部帮助分泌物松动排出。
• And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。

23 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

24 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

25 alignment   

n.队列；结盟，联合

参考例句：

• The church should have no political alignment.教会不应与政治结盟。
• Britain formed a close alignment with Egypt in the last century.英国在上个世纪与埃及结成了紧密的联盟。

26 abdominal   

adj.腹（部）的，下腹的；n.腹肌

参考例句：

• The abdominal aorta is normally smaller than the thoracic aorta.腹主动脉一般比胸主动脉小。
• Abdominal tissues sometimes adhere after an operation.手术之后腹部有时会出现粘连。

27 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

28 inefficient   

adj.效率低的，无效的

参考例句：

• The inefficient operation cost the firm a lot of money.低效率的运作使该公司损失了许多钱。
• Their communication systems are inefficient in the extreme.他们的通讯系统效率非常差。

29 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

30 repertoire   

n.(准备好演出的)节目，保留剧目；(计算机的)指令表，指令系统， <美>(某个人的)全部技能；清单，指令表

参考例句：

• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。
• He has added considerably to his piano repertoire.他的钢琴演奏曲目大大增加了。

31 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

32 rehabilitative   

使复原的，复职的

参考例句：

• Objective To desacribe self concept and sub concept of rehabilitative schizophrenic patients. 目的探讨恢复期精神分裂症病人的自我概念。
• Objective To desacribe self concept and concept of rehabilitative schizophrenic patients. 目的探讨大学生自我概念与心理健康之间的关系。

33 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

34 flamboyant   

adj.火焰般的，华丽的，炫耀的

参考例句：

• His clothes were rather flamboyant for such a serious occasion.他的衣着在这种严肃场合太浮夸了。
• The King's flamboyant lifestyle is well known.国王的奢华生活方式是人尽皆知的。

35 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

36 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

37 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。

38 disciples   

n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一

参考例句：

• Judas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. 犹大是耶稣十二门徒之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "The names of the first two disciples were --" “最初的两个门徒的名字是——” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

39 apprentices   

学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were mere apprentices to piracy. 他们干海盗仅仅是嫩角儿。
• He has two good apprentices working with him. 他身边有两个好徒弟。

40 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

41 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

42 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

43 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

44 progeny   

n.后代，子孙；结果

参考例句：

• His numerous progeny are scattered all over the country.他为数众多的后代散布在全国各地。
• He was surrounded by his numerous progeny.众多的子孙簇拥着他。