VOA慢速英语2021--10岁85公斤级的相扑冠军

Among all the young sumo wrestlers in the circle, 10-year-old Kyuta Kumagai stands out.

He weighs 85 kilograms. That means he is two times the size of the other children his age. His big size makes him very good at his sport. When he wrestles³ boys five or six years older, he wins.

He is so good that last year Kyuta was named the under-10 world champion. He defeated competitors from as far away as Britain and Ukraine.

Kyuta is a shy boy of few words. When reporters for the Associated Press asked him why he likes to wrestle¹, his answer was simple: "It is fun to beat people older than me."

His father Taisuke created his training routine. And the training is not easy. The 10-year-old boy trains six days each week and does many different exercises. He lifts weights, moves huge tires, swims, and runs. The goal is to build up flexibility⁴ and quickness, two things needed for sumo wrestling.

Kyuta has been on this routine since about age six. That is when his father first entered him in a sumo competition.

"I didn't teach him anything," Taisuke said, adding that his son could wrestle naturally.

Taisuke himself used to be a sumo wrestler². "There is a talent for sumo, he said, "and he has that talent." After winning that first competition, Taisuke thought his son may have a special talent for sumo.

‘Betting everything on this'

The training costs a lot of money and requires sacrifices from the entire family, including his mother Makiko.

His father says he does not gamble⁵. Instead, he is betting everything on his son.

When it became clear the boy had talent, Taisuke moved the family to the Fukagawa area of Tokyo. This area is famous for sumo wrestlers. It has many sumo clubs. It also has the Nominosukune Shrine⁶. This is where the God of Sumo is said to live. So, there is a lot of local support for sumo culture.

Father and son use a local temple for intense one-on-one training. The training usually ends with the two wrestling up and down the carpet in front of the main temple.

Taisuke pushes Kyuta so hard that the child is often left breathless and crying. But the father believes it is the only way to get the best out of his son.

"I think he is managing to make time for himself and I think he has time to play with his friends," explained Taisuke, adding, "I don't think it is too much pressure."

4,000 daily calories

Besides training, another important part of sumo success is food.

On an average day, Kyuta will eat up to 4,000 calories. This includes over a liter of milk and a lot of protein. Steak is his favorite.

While Kyuta ate a large meal, his father told reporters that his son needs to put on another 20 kilograms by the time he enters middle school in two years. If he does that, the hope is he will be taken in by a famous sumo coaching team. Taisuke said there has already been interest.

Kyuta himself said he wants to reach the level of "yokozuna." That is the highest ranking in the sport. But he admits the workout routine and lifestyle can be extreme and hard.

"Sumo training is something you don't describe with words like ‘enjoy'," Kyuta said. "When it became tough... I have thought about (quitting) sometimes."

For now, the struggle toward the top continues, for both father and son.

Words in This Story

wrestler – n. someone who competes in the sport of wrestling in which competitors try to overpower their opponent

shy – adj. showing nervousness or discomfort⁷ about meeting and talking to people

routine – n. a regular way of doing things in a certain way

flexibility –n. able to bend parts of the body such as arms and legs easily

talent – n. a special ability to do something well

gamble –v. to play a game of chance

bet – v. to do things in the belief that something will happen in the future

temple – n. a building for worship or religious observance

coaching – n. the activity of teaching and training people to do a certain activity such as a sport of some kinds of jobs

1 wrestle   

vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付

参考例句：

• He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
• We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。

2 wrestler   

n.摔角选手，扭

参考例句：

• The wrestler tripped up his opponent.那个摔跤运动员把对手绊倒在地。
• The stronger wrestler won the first throw.较壮的那个摔跤手第一跤就赢了。

3 wrestles   

v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的第三人称单数 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤

参考例句：

• The book also wrestles with the idea of individualism. 书中也与个人英雄主义的观念进行搏斗。 来自互联网
• He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. 和我们搏斗的人锻炼了我们的勇气，磨练了我们的技能。 来自互联网

4 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

5 gamble   

n.冒险；v.赌博，孤注一掷

参考例句：

• Setting up this business was a bit of a gamble.开办这样的公司有点冒险。
• Drive carefully and don't gamble with your life.小心驾驶，别拿你的生命冒险。

6 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

7 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。