尼泊尔僧人参加马拉松比赛

Nepalese Monks² Compete in Long-Distance Races

Seven Buddhist³ religious workers from the village of Sindhukot in Nepal are trading in their robes for running shoes. They want to become ultra-marathon runners. They hope that by running in long distance races they can help provide money to rebuild homes destroyed by a deadly earthquake in 2015.

The monks train by running across the hills around their village in the Himalayas. Most of them are in their early twenties. They follow a firm training plan each day. The monks pray in the morning before going into the hills to run up to 40 kilometers each afternoon.

Twenty-one-year-old Man Bahadur Lama is the fastest runner of the group. He said, "We found out that we can get many opportunities through running and hope to do something from our monk¹ team — make a name for our village and bring development here. That is why we are running."

Life is difficult in Sindhukot. The village is about 80 kilometers from Nepal’s capital Kathmandu. But, like many rural communities in Nepal, it feels completely disconnected from the rest of the world. The closest school is a two-hour walk and the only shops are in a nearby village.

Many Buddhist families in Nepal send at least one son to join the local monastery⁴. There, the boys are usually fed, clothed and educated. This provides financial help for their parents.

Lama was sent away when he was only eight years old. But he currently⁵ lives at home because the village monastery was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake.

Fellow monk Mingma Lama said his duties as a monk in the community have prepared him for running long distances.

"Every day we go up and down the hills. We often have to walk far... So running wasn't too hard for us," he said.

These Himalayan monks are not the first to take up running. The so-called "marathon monks" of Mount⁶ Hiei in Japan are known for running 1,000 marathons in 1,000 days. But they are seeking enlightenment, not prize money.

'Even monks can run'

Mingma Gyalbo is a member of the monastery who also organizes races nearby. He told the AFP news service that the monks are talented but need more support to become better. He said they lack technical skills, like knowing the best foods to eat and they need good running shoes.

Trail running and ultra-marathons are gaining popularity⁷ in Nepal. The environment surrounding the Himalayas is well-suited for extreme tests of human endurance⁸.

Nepal now hosts several races each year, including the world's highest marathon that starts at an altitude of 5,364 meters.

A few Nepalese runners have found success internationally. One of them is Mira Rai. She won the 52 kilometer Ben Nevis Ultra in Scotland in 2017. She was also named the National Geographic⁹ Adventurer of the Year in 2017.

The Sindhukot monks' first race was a 30 kilometer trail run in a nearby village in 2016. But they have yet to win any medals.

Man Bahadur Lama finished tenth in their first major marathon earlier this month. He missed out on winning the top prize of 100,000 rupees, or $964. That amount is more than the average yearly income in Nepal.

Shekhar Pandey was the race organizer. He said, "I was quite amazed when I first learned that these monks were running. They are very self-motivated and hardworking, they are training by themselves. They are very young and if they train well, they have good potential."

One of the monks, Chuldim Sampo, said the group is excited. He added, "We want to show people that even monks are capable of running."

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in this Story

endurance – n. the ability to do something difficult for a long time

enlightenment – n. a final spiritual state marked by the absence of desire or suffering

marathon – n. a running race that is about 42 kilometers long

monastery – n. a place where monks live and work together

monks – n. members of a religious community of men who usually promise to remain poor, unmarried, and separated from the rest of society

talented – adj. having a special ability to do something well; having talent

potential – n. an ability that someone has that can be developed to help that person become successful

1 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

2 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

4 monastery   

n.修道院，僧院，寺院

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。

5 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

6 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

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 endurance   

n.耐久力，忍耐力，耐久的时期，持续的时间

参考例句：

• She reached the end of endurance.她到了忍受的极限。
• The exercise obviously will improve strength and endurance.这种锻炼会明显改善体力增加耐力。

9 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法