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The Olympic Games Good afternoon, students and teachers. As a member of the International Olympic Committee, I am delighted to have been invited to your school to talk to you about the history and significance of the Olympic Games. I'll share some interesting facts and stories with you, and then we'll have time for questions. Do you know when the ancient Olympic Games began? It was in the year 776 BC. They were held at Olympia in Greece every four years, for almost 12 centuries, until AD 394. Some of the sports from the ancient Olympics are still seen today, such as the long jump, wrestling and running. At the ancient Olympics, by tradition the athletes were all men and they had to compete wearing no clothes. Single women were allowed to take part in their own competition, at a separate festival in honour of Hera, the wife of the Greek god Zeus. Today, both male and female athletes from around the world can take part, no matter what nation they come from. The contemporary Olympics were first held in 1896, in Athens. It was a Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, who brought the Olympics back to life. He dreamt that the Olympics would make it possible for people of all countries to live side by side in peace. Now people all over the world are helping to realize this dream. Among them are many well-known athletes. Did you know that perhaps the most famous boxer of all time first came to public attention during the 1960 Rome Olympics? He won the gold medal for the USA, under his birth name Cassius Clay. Afterwards, this young man went on to win the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship in 1964 and later changed his name to the one we all know, Muhammad Ali. He returned to the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony. Another sports star I would like to mention is Michael Jordan. Everyone knows of his success in the NBA, but do you know that he helped the USA basketball team win the gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics? Jordan also returned to the Olympics after many years, but unlike Muhammad Ali, he was still competing for medals. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Jordan won his second Olympic gold medal as a member of the so-called 'Dream Team'. Chinese athletes have also made important contributions to the Olympic Games. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the People's Republic of China returned to the Olympics after 32 years' absence. I am sure the whole of China must have felt proud when Xu Haifeng won the first gold medal for his country. Deng Yaping, who won four Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996, is perhaps the greatest female table tennis player the world has ever seen. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Liu Xiang excited people all over Asia when he became the first Asian to win the gold medal in the men's 110-metre hurdles. The Chinese led the way at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning 51 gold medals. For the first time in history, the Chinese women's gymnastics team won the gold medal. However, the athlete that some people remember most was Zhang Ning, a former badminton champion. At the age of 33, she was much older than the other players. Yet, she hung on to win the gold medal in the final match. These are some of the Olympic athletes who have brought joy to people across the world with their attempts to push the boundaries of human achievement. We are looking forward to seeing more of them in future Olympic Games. Join me in wishing the Olympic Movement a successful future to match its past glory. Thank you. Now, are there any questions? 奥林匹克运动会 老师们，同学们，下午好。作为国际奥委会的一名成员，我非常高兴应邀前来贵校，跟大家谈谈奥运会的历史和重要性。 我会和你们分享一些有趣的事实和故事，然后会留有提问的时间。 你们知道古代奥运会是何时开始的吗？那是在公元前776年。古代奥运会每4年在古希腊奥林匹亚举行一次，这大概持续了12个世纪，直到公元394年。 古代奥运会的一些运动项目今天仍然可以见到，例如跳远、摔跤和跑步。 在古代奥运会上按照传统，运动员都是男性，他们必须裸体竞技。 单身女性可以参加他们自己的竞技比赛。比赛在一个专门纪念赫拉（希腊神话中众神之神宙斯的妻子）的节日举行。今天无论国籍，来自世界各地的男女运动员都可以参加比赛。 现代奥运会于1896年在雅典第一次举行。让奥运会得以重生的是法国人皮埃尔o德o顾拜旦。他梦想着奥运会可以让各国人民和平相处。 现在，全世界人民都致力于实现这一梦想。他们中有许多是著名的运动员。 有史以来第一次引起公众瞩目的最著名的拳击手可能是在1960年罗马奥运会上，这一情况你们是否知道？他为美国赢得了金牌，当时他还用原名卡修斯o克莱。此后，这个年轻人又赢得了1964年世界重量级拳击锦标赛冠军，后来他改了名，即众所周知的穆罕默德o阿里。他重返1996年的亚特兰大奥运会，在开幕式上点燃了奥运圣火。 另一位我想提到的体育明星是迈克尔o乔丹。每个人都知道他在NBA的成功，但是你们知道他帮助美国篮球队赢得了1984年洛杉矶奥运会的金牌吗？许多年后乔丹也重返奥运会，但与阿里不同，他依然为奖牌角逐赛场。在1992年巴塞罗那奥运会上，乔丹作为“梦之队”成员之一赢得了他的第二枚奥运金牌。 中国运动员也为奥运会做出了重要贡献。在1984年洛杉矶奥运会上，中华人民共和国在缺席奥运32年后又重新返回奥运赛场。我相信当许海峰为祖国赢得第一枚金牌时，整个中国都为之感到自豪。邓亚萍也许是世界上最伟大的女乒乓球运动员，她在1992年和1996年奥运会上共赢得4枚奥运金牌。在2004年雅典奥运会上，当刘翔成为第一个赢得男子110米栏金牌第一位亚洲人的时候，所有的亚洲人都为之激动。 中国在2008年北京奥运会上独领风骚，赢得51枚金牌。中国女子体操队历史上第一次赢得金牌。但是对一些人人来说，印象最深的是前羽毛球世界冠军张宁。她已经33岁，比其他运动员年纪要大很多，但她依然努力，在决赛中获得了金牌。 运动员们不断尝试着挑战人类极限，为全世界人们带来欢乐，上述这些只是其中的一些例子。我们期待在未来看见更多这样的例子。让我们一起祝愿奥林匹克运动有一个成功的未来，彰显往日的荣光。 谢谢！现在有没有人要提问题? 课文注释 ①be delighted to do/to have done : 高兴去做某事/ 高兴做过某事 ②significance n. 意义；重要性 be of significance =be significant ③every four years 每四年 ④by tradition照传统 ⑤take part in参加，参与 ⑥competition n. 竞争；比赛，竞赛 compete vi. 竞争；比赛；对抗 competitive adj. 竞争的；比赛的 ⑦contemporary n. 同时代的人；同时期的东西 adj. 当代的；同时代的；属于同一时期的 ⑧bring…back to life 使复活 ⑨side by side并肩；一起；并排 ⑩in peace和平地；安静，宁静；安祥地 (11)realize one’s dream 实现梦想 (12)come to public attention引起公众关注 (13)go on to do 继续做另一件事 go on doing sth 继续做同一件事 (14)at the opening ceremony在开幕式上; 在开幕典礼上 (15)know of知道，了解…；听说过… (16)compete for为…竞争；为…比赛 (17)made contributions to 为…做贡献 (18)absence n. 没有；缺乏；缺席；不注意 adj. 缺席的；缺少的；心不在焉的；茫然的be absent from vt. 使缺席 absent oneself from (19)excite vt. 激起；刺激…，使…兴奋 excited adj. 兴奋的；激动的 exciting adj. 令人兴奋的/激动的 (20)lead the way 领先；带路 21.hang on坚持下去；不挂断；握住不放 22.with one’s attempt to do 尝试做某事 23.push vt. 推动，增加；对…施加压力，逼迫；按；说服vi. 推进；增加；努力争取 n. 推，决心；大规模攻势；矢志的追求 24.look forward to (doing) sth 盼望/期待做某事 25.match vt. 使比赛；使相配；敌得过，比得上；相配；与…竞争 vi. 比赛；匹配；相配，相称；相比 n. 比赛，竞赛；匹配；对手；火柴 26.glory n. 光荣，荣誉；赞颂 |
