精美英文欣赏:现代奥运会的进步

The original Olympic Games were far from being a meaningless tribute to ancient pagan Gods, Zeus and his many relations. The ancient Greeks can still help us understand what has been happening over these last two weeks, if we shake their genuine insight into human nature free of its mythological¹ language. One thing stands out immediately. The world lost something immensely valuable when the Roman Emperor Theodosius I suppressed the original games in 394 AD. They were seen as promoting a rival belief system to Christianity. If ever there was a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water, this was it. They had been going for a thousand years, and they represented all that was most admirable about the ancient world. They were revived only as recently as 1896. Technically² the modern Games are secular³. Unlike their ancient predecessors⁴, they do not have any religious label, though their founder⁵, Baron⁶ de Coubertin was Jesuit-educated and from a devoutly⁷ Catholic family. He believed there is an aspect to sport at the highest level which could be called spiritual.Athletes are striving to reach and transcend⁸ their own limits. They all know this is not just about being as physically⁹ as fit as possible. The mental approach is crucial. Yet if we look at their motivation, it isn't all about the glorification¹⁰ of the ego¹¹, and it certainly isn't about getting stinking¹² rich as quickly as possible. Financial rewards, if they come, are incidental. Call it "deferment¹³ of gratification" if you like, but often the gratification doesn't come at all, at least in the form of gold medals. For each winner there have to be lots of losers. They do it because sporting excellence¹⁴ is good in itself. And that is what the ancient Greeks have been telling us, these last few weeks. The sight of mind and body struggling against their limitations in pursuit of perfection is immensely moving to watch, both in the Olympic Games and the Paralympics which are still to come. The other thing we hear from the athletes themselves time and again is humility¹⁵ and gratitude¹⁶. They think they are lucky, lucky to have been born with a special talent, lucky to have been spotted¹⁷ and coached, lucky to have been selected to take part in these Games. They are humbled¹⁸ and inspired by the roar of the crowd, able to go further and faster than they have ever done before because they are part of something much bigger than themselves. And for that they are profoundly thankful. What the Greeks knew, and what Baron de Coubertin wanted to bring back, is they are also, in the process, transformed and ennobled. And in honouring the creature thus, are we not also honouring the creator, whatever we call him?

原奥运会从一个毫无意义的赞扬古代异教的神，宙斯和他的许多关系。古希腊人仍然可以帮助我们了解发生了什么事情，这些过去两周，如果我们动摇人性，他们真正了解其神话的语言。一件事立即脱颖而出。世界失去了非常宝贵的东西时，罗马皇帝狄奥多西我压制在公元394年的原始游戏。他们被看作是促进一个对手基督教的信仰体系。如果曾经有过一个扔婴儿连同洗澡水的情况下，这是它。他们已经准备了一千多年，他们代表所有有关古代世界最令人钦佩的。他们最近在1896年恢复。从技术上讲，现代奥运会是世俗的。他们古老的前辈不同，他们不具有任何宗教的标签，虽然他们的创始人顾拜旦是耶稣会的教育，从一个虔诚的天主教家庭。他认为，有一个方面运动的最高水平，可称为精神。运动员都在努力达到并超越自己的极限。他们都知道这是不是只是身体为适应尽可能。心理的方法是至关重要的。然而，如果我们看一下他们的动机，是不是所有的自我颂扬，也肯定是越来越臭丰富尽快。财政奖励，如果他们来了，是偶然。称之为“推迟满足”如果你喜欢，但往往在满足不来，至少在金牌的形式，。对于每位获奖者必须有很多失败者。他们这样做是因为运动卓越本身是好的。这是古希腊人已经告诉我们，这些过去的几个星期。看到挣扎对他们的限制，在追求完美的心态和身体是极大的移动观看，无论是在奥运会和残奥会的还是来了。从运动员本身一次又一次地听到其他的事情，我们是谦卑和感激。他们认为他们已经有一个特殊的人才出生的幸运，幸运，幸运已发现和教练，幸运已选定要在这届奥运会的一部分。他们自卑和人群的轰鸣声，能够走得更远，速度比他们曾经做过的启发，因为他们比自己大很多的东西的一部分。和他们深刻的感谢。希腊人知道，顾拜旦想带回，他们还，在这个过程中，转化，使高尚。从而履行“生物，我们不也尊重创作者，无论我们给他打电话吗？

1 mythological   

adj.神话的

参考例句：

• He is remembered for his historical and mythological works. 他以其带有历史感和神话色彩的作品而著称。
• But even so, the cumulative process had for most Americans a deep, almost mythological significance. 不过即使如此，移民渐增的过程，对于大部分美国人，还是意味深长的，几乎有不可思议的影响。

2 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

3 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

4 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

6 baron   

n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王

参考例句：

• Henry Ford was an automobile baron.亨利·福特是一位汽车业巨头。
• The baron lived in a strong castle.男爵住在一座坚固的城堡中。

7 devoutly   

adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地

参考例句：

• She was a devoutly Catholic. 她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This was not a boast, but a hope, at once bold and devoutly humble. 这不是夸夸其谈，而是一个即大胆而又诚心、谦虚的希望。 来自辞典例句

8 transcend   

vt.超出，超越(理性等)的范围

参考例句：

• We can't transcend the limitations of the ego.我们无法超越自我的局限性。
• Everyone knows that the speed of airplanes transcend that of ships.人人都知道飞机的速度快于轮船的速度。

9 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

10 glorification   

n.赞颂

参考例句：

• Militant devotion to and glorification of one's country; fanatical patriotism. 对国家的军事效忠以及美化；狂热的爱国主义。
• Glorification-A change of place, a new condition with God. 得荣─在神面前新处境，改变了我们的结局。

11 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

12 stinking   

adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透

参考例句：

• I was pushed into a filthy, stinking room. 我被推进一间又脏又臭的屋子里。
• Those lousy, stinking ships. It was them that destroyed us. 是的！就是那些该死的蠢猪似的臭飞船！是它们毁了我们。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

13 deferment   

n.迁延，延期，暂缓

参考例句：

• The bank do not allow further deferment of his payment. 银行不容许他再次推迟付款。 来自互联网
• Students are to refer to the regulations governing course deferment, refund and withdrawal the Student's Handbook. 学生需要参考学生手册上有关推迟入学、退费和退学的相关规定。 来自互联网

14 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

15 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

16 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

17 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

18 humbled   

adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低

参考例句：

• The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
• I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。