VOA标准英语2010年-Bad Weather Forces Ticket Cancellation

Snowboard cross athlete Pierre Vaultier of France walks next to hay bales covered partially¹ with snow at Cypress² Mountain, 15 Feb. 2010

Thousands of fans who thought they would get to witness a Winter Olympics event got bad news because of the bad weather at Cypress Mountain, one of the Olympic venues⁴ for the Vancouver Games.  

You could say Cypress Mountain has been a thorn in the side of Olympic organizers.  About a 45-minute drive north of Vancouver, it has been hit with unseasonably warm temperatures that have brought rain and destroyed much of the existing snow.

The haybale 'potholes⁵' at Cypress Mountain show why spectator standing⁶ room tickets were cancelled, 15 Feb. 2010

Even before the games began, snow had to be trucked in to make the snowboarding and freestyle skiing venue³ ready for their competitions.  In many places, hay bales were used as a base to dump the snow on.

But with continued bad weather and ruined snow, workers were finding that their feet were going through gaps in the snow.  Those potholes were making areas unsafe, so Sunday night organizers canceled 8,000 standing room general admission tickets for Monday's and Tuesday's Snowboard Cross events.  If you did not have a ticketed bleacher seat, you were out of luck, and out of perhaps your only chance for an Olympic experience.

Organizing committee spokesperson Renee Smith-Valade said the weather is not something they can control.

"We are tremendously saddened to have to cancel the tickets of folks who probably went through the lottery⁷ system to get those tickets," she said. "They were excited to go up to snowboard today and we weren't able to deliver that.  That's the last thing you want to do as a organizing committee is to cancel tickets and we didn't take the decision lightly."

Smith-Valade added that the staff has literally⁸ willed Cypress Mountain into competition shape.

Spectators can get refunds⁹ for their canceled tickets or they might even be able to exchange them for tickets to other events, according to Vancouver organizing committee chief John Furlong.

Furlong used the word "bizarre" to describe the weather on Cypress Mountain for this time of year, and added that safety comes first.

"Our view is we're going to get the events off, but we felt that we were not prepared to create a situation that, in fact, could begin to encroach on the field of play," he said.  "That was our decision.  We regretted it very much, because we know that for many people that was their moment to be at the games."

Spectator and ticket holder¹⁰ John Walkinshaw and family after men's snowboard cross event at Cypress Mountain, 15 Feb. 2010

Vancouver resident Mike Walkinshaw had Cypress Mountain bleacher tickets for his family of four for Monday's snowboard cross event.  He told VOA Sports that while he feels sorry for those who had to miss it, it likely made his experience with his wife and two small children more satisfying.

"To be honest with you, it's probably been a lot better because I don't know what this site would have been like with 6- or 8,000 more people.  It probably would not have been as enjoyable today."

Wilkinshaw added that he has only general admission standing room tickets for Wednesday's snowboard halfpipe event at Cypress Mountain, so he knows it's possible those tickets could be canceled. 

As for the men's snowboard cross event at Cypress Mountain on Monday, American Seth Westcott successfully defended the gold medal he won in Turin four years ago.

At age 33, Westcott became the oldest Olympic medalist in snowboard.  He had only the 17th-fastest qualifying time, but he emerged from the four rounds of group racing¹¹ to take the title, edging Canadian Mike Robertson at the finish.  Crossing the line third for the bronze medal was Tony Ramoin of France. 

The women's Snowboard Cross is set for Tuesday.
 

1 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

2 cypress   

n.柏树

参考例句：

• The towering pine and cypress trees defy frost and snow.松柏参天傲霜雪。
• The pine and the cypress remain green all the year round.苍松翠柏，常绿不凋。

3 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

4 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

5 potholes   

n.壶穴( pothole的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Potholes are also home to tiny desert animals. 洞穴也是弱小动物的家。 来自互联网
• If you're going to enjoy the good times, you've certainly got to deal with some potholes. 如果要享受甜美的胜利果实，当然要应付这些战绩不佳的指责压力。 来自互联网

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

8 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

9 refunds   

n.归还，偿还额，退款( refund的名词复数 )v.归还，退还( refund的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Tomorrow he would return them to the store and claim refunds. 明天他要把它们退还给商店并要求退款。 来自辞典例句
• The new method means that taxpayers get refunds much faster. 这种新办法意味着纳税人可以较快地领到退还款。 来自辞典例句

10 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

11 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。