2007年VOA标准英语-A Shadow of Suspicion Hangs Over Tour de France

By Brian Padden
Washington
03 July 2007
 

France in the summer is one of the world's top tourist destinations.  Many visitors come specifically to watch the Tour de France, which begins on July 7th.  It is the most prestigious¹, professional cycling event in the world and the world's biggest free sporting event.  Thousands of spectators line city streets, rural roads and mountain passes for the 23-day race of more than 3,500 kilometers.  While fan interest remains² high, the sport has been tarnished³ by a number of scandals involving athletes using performance-enhancing drugs to gain a competitive edge.  VOA's Brian Padden reports on the organizer’s efforts to keep the Tour de France clean and fair.

Thousands of people are expected to watch the best cyclists in the world compete in the Tour de France.  The race begins in London this year, runs through the beautiful French countryside, across the rugged⁴ Alps and Pyrenees and finishes along the Champs-Élysées in Paris.  Yet with the start of the 2007 Tour de France just days away, there is still no clear declared winner from the 2006 race. 

American Floyd Landis won a dramatic come-from-behind victory last year, then was accused of testing positive for performance enhancement drugs by the International Cycling Union.  "I am not in any doping process."

Floyd Landis

Landis maintains his innocence⁵ and is fighting the decision in court.  A sporting event without a clear winner is a sport in trouble.  Tour organizers are concerned that the growing number of cyclists accused of using steroids will lead to public disenchantment with the race. 

The UCI, or International Cycling Union, oversees⁶ the competition. UCI President Pat McQuaid says his organization is committed to cleaning up the Tour de France. "From the UCI's point of view we operate a zero tolerance⁷ policy.  The UCI will not tolerate any individual or an organization to cause damages to our sport through unethical practices."

Pat McQuaid

The UCI tests every rider in the Tour for banned substances prior to the race. Various cyclists are tested after every stage. And after the race the winner and top finishers are again tested.

Etienne Bonamy is editor of the French sports newspaper L'Equipe. He says these strict policies are needed to ensure the integrity and popularity of the race.

"Cycling is one of the sports where great progress is being made to combat doping.  In order for people to remain passionate⁸ about the sport and to believe that this kind of human feat⁹ is possible, in a sport that is extremely hard on the body, they have to continue to believe."

Bonamy also says the rules concerning what drugs an athlete can take are complex and sometimes confusing.  He says, to win the Tour de France today, a cyclist will need a good manager, a good trainer and a good lawyer.  

1 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

4 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

5 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

6 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

7 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

8 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

9 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。