英语听力—环球英语 721 Sumo Wrestling: Japan’s National Sport

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Adam Navis.
Voice 2
And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Two large men stand facing each other on a raised area. They stand inside a circle four and a half metres across. They show no emotion. A man moves around them. He wears colourful clothing. He will manage their fight. Thousands of people cheer for the two men. Everyone is waiting. Then the men begin. Their bodies smash² together. Arms pull and hit. Legs push and bend. The crowd becomes louder. Suddenly, one man loses his balance. He is thrown to the ground. He has lost the match. The fight lasted only a few seconds. But that is what happens in Sumo.
Voice 2
Today's Spotlight is on Sumo Wrestling. Sumo Wrestling is the national sport of Japan. There are two ways to win a Sumo fight. You can push your opponent³ outside the circle. Or you can make them touch the ground with any part of their body that is not their feet. It sounds simple. But Sumo is rich in tradition, customs, and complex rules.
Voice 1
The Sumo wrestler⁴ is a powerful athlete. However, he does not look like most athletes. In most fighting sports, the fighters are divided by weight. Small people only fight other small people. But Sumo are not divided by weight, so being large helps. Sumo wrestlers weigh around 90 kilograms when they begin to train. Top Sumo weigh between 130 and 180 kilograms. The largest Sumo ever weighed 272 kilograms.
Voice 2
Sumo compete wearing only a mawashi. This traditional clothing is one long piece of cloth. It goes around the fighter's waist and between his legs. A fighter's hair is long. If any hair touches the ground, the fighter will lose the fight. So fighters tie their hair high on their heads. There is a different way to tie the hair for each Sumo skill level.
Voice 1
There are many skill levels in Sumo. This list of skill levels, called the Banzuke, is very important. If a Sumo wins, he moves up the list. If a Sumo loses, he will move down the list. Moving up the Banzuke brings honour. But it also means more money, freedom, and moving closer to becoming a yokozuna
Voice 2
A yokozuna is a great champion. A Sumo must win many fights to become a yokozuna. But he must also demonstrate⁵ grace⁶ and honour as he fights. His behaviour out of the competitions must also bring honour. Once he has become a yokozuna, he will be a yokozuna for life. If he does badly at a competition, he is expected to retire. In all the years of Sumo, only 68 men have become yokozuna.
Voice 1
The Banzuke rankings also have meaning beyond the wrestling circle. Sumo train in a "stable". Each stable has a trainer and group of Sumo that exercise together. Sumo compete by themselves. But these stables are similar to teams. Each stable has high and low ranked Sumo.
Voice 2
The higher ranked Sumo are very famous. They are like sports super-stars anywhere in the world. They have money, popularity⁷, and status. But for those at the bottom of the Banzuke, life is very different.
Voice 1
Sumo at the bottom of the Banzuke must rise early in the morning. They must serve the higher ranked Sumo. They must cook the meals. They must clean. They must do what they are told to do. Sumo the lower rankings are not given any money or permitted to go out at night. These are all reasons for them to work hard and win more fights.
Voice 2
Sumo began 1500 years ago. The first Sumo fights were connected closely⁸ to the Shinto religion. They were part of a celebration that included dancing, theatre, and prayers for a good harvest. As time went on, Sumo became a way to train men for war. It was a measure of strength and power. But in 1603, Japan's areas were united. This brought in a time of wealth and peace. Official Sumo organizations began. They established rules and traditions. Sumo was recognized as the national sport of Japan.
Voice 1
Today, many people see Sumo as only a sport. However, there are still symbols of the Shinto religion found in Sumo. For example, before a Sumo enters the circle to compete, he must throw salt before him. This is believed to purify⁹ the circle. Then the Sumo must lift one foot high in the air and then bring in down against the ground. This is believed to keep evil¹⁰ spirits away. Sumo fighters are not required to be Shinto. But the influence of Shinto still surrounds Sumo.
Voice 2
Sumo is still popular in Japan today. But some people criticize¹¹ the sport. This is for several reasons. First, only a limited number of foreigners may compete. Also, no women are permitted to be Sumo. Another problem is the long term health effects of the Sumo life. When a Sumo retires, he becomes much less active. This can lead to problems such as knee and back pain, high blood pressure, diabetes¹², and heart problems. Most Japanese men live until they are eighty years old. But most Sumo live less than sixty years.
Voice 1
Another serious criticism¹³ of Sumo is corruption¹⁴. That is, the winner of a fight is chosen before the fight begins. Because the rankings are so important, some Sumo are willing to exchange money for losing a fight. This may permit a lower ranked Sumo to move up the banzuke.
Voice 2
And finally, people are concerned about hazing¹⁵. Hazing is when lower ranked Sumo are treated badly by higher ranked Sumo. In two thousand eight, the leader of a stable and three Sumo were arrested over the death of a young Sumo. The leader of the stable had told the men to beat the boy. Even the leader had broken a bottle on the boy's head. This was an extreme case. But in the world of Sumo, training methods are often kept secret.
Voice 1
To people outside of Japan, Sumo may seem like a simple competition between two fighters. But it is a complex sport, full of tradition, language, and ceremony. It also has its problems. But it is an important part of the cultural history and social identity¹⁶ of Japan.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 smash   

v.粉碎，打碎；n.轰动的演出，巨大的成功

参考例句：

• We heard the smash of plates breaking in the kitchen.我们听到厨房里盘子破碎的声音。
• The gifted author wrote one smash after another.这个天才作家创作了一篇又一篇轰动一时的作品。

3 opponent   

n.对手，敌手，反对者；adj.敌对的，反对的

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。
• After a fierce struggle,he got a beat on his opponent.经过殊死的较量，他占了对手的上风。

4 wrestler   

n.摔角选手，扭

参考例句：

• The wrestler tripped up his opponent.那个摔跤运动员把对手绊倒在地。
• The stronger wrestler won the first throw.较壮的那个摔跤手第一跤就赢了。

5 demonstrate   

vt.论证，证明；示范；显示；vi.示威游行

参考例句：

• Let me demonstrate to you how this machine works.我给你演示一下这台机器的运转情况。
• How can I demonstrate to you that my story is true?我怎样才能向你证明我的话是真实的呢？

6 grace   

n.优雅，雅致，魅力，恩惠，慈悲

参考例句：

• She is a beautiful girl with the grace and poise.她是一位仪态优雅的佳丽。
• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。

7 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

8 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

9 purify   

vt.使纯净，提纯，使纯洁

参考例句：

• They open the windows to purify the air of the room.他们打开窗户清涤室内空气。
• You should purify the water before drinking it.喝水前，你应使之净化。

10 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。

11 criticize   

vt.批评；批判，指责；评论，评价

参考例句：

• Whenever you criticize him,he always has an excuse.你批评他，他总有说头儿。
• You are free to criticize my work.你可以随意批评我的工作。

12 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

13 criticism   

n.批评，批判，指责；评论，评论文章

参考例句：

• Some youth today do not allow any criticism at all.现在有些年轻人根本指责不得。
• It is wrong to turn a deaf ear to other's criticism.对别人的批评充耳不闻是错误的。

14 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 hazing   

n.受辱，被欺侮v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的现在分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件）

参考例句：

• With labor, the hazing period ends. 费了好大力气，痛苦的时期终于过了。 来自互联网
• A high-gloss paint surface is one that directly reflects light with minimum hazing or diffusion. 高度光洁的漆表面可以直接反射光源。 来自互联网

16 identity   

n.身份，本体，特征；同一(性)，一致

参考例句：

• He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
• He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。