VOA慢速英语2021 南苏丹运动员在日本坚持训练备战奥运

The coronavirus worldwide health crisis¹ forced the postponement² of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics to this year. It remains³ unclear if the Games will take place as planned in July 2021.

全球范围内的新冠病毒危机迫使2020年东京夏季奥运会推迟到了今年。目前尚不清楚本届奥运会是否能按计划于2021年7月举行。

Athletes around the world who hope to qualify⁴ for the Olympics are still trying to stay fit. That includes a group of four runners from the world's youngest country, South Sudan. They are training with one of their coaches in Japan. The runners are working out in Maebashi, a city about 100 kilometers from Tokyo.

世界各地希望有资格参加奥运会的运动员仍在努力保持状态。其中就包括来自世界上最年轻国家南苏丹的4名运动员。他们正在日本跟他们的一位教练一起训练。这些运动员在距离东京约100公里的前桥市进行训练。

Many athletes, who are among the best in the world at their events, were sad when the virus caused the Olympics to be postponed⁵. But the African athletes said they do not mind the delay because they are able to improve.

当新冠病毒导致本届奥运会推迟举办时，许多世界顶尖运动员都感到难过。但是这些非洲运动员表示，他们不在意奥运会推迟，因为他们能够取得进步。

Eighteen-year-old Akoon Akoon is one of those athletes. He competes in the 400-meter race and the hurdles⁶. He said he is just putting all his attention on his training.

18岁的Akoon Akoon是其中一名运动员。他参加400米跑和障碍赛。他说他只是把所有精力都放在训练上。

"I don't want to confuse my mind," he said.

他说：“我不想胡思乱想。”

Both the head of the International Olympic Committee and the Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, recently expressed their desire to hold the Games as planned later this year.

国际奥委会主席和日本首相菅义伟最近都表示希望今年晚些时候按计划举办本届奥运会。

A Japanese newspaper, however, recently asked athletes what they wanted. Most of the athletes who responded – 86 percent – said they wanted the Games delayed again or canceled altogether. In Japan, the government recently declared a "state of emergency" in Tokyo and several other areas.

但是日本一家报社最近采访了运动员的想法。作出回应的大多数（占86%）运动员都表示，他们希望本届奥运会再次推迟或完全取消。日本政府最近宣布东京和其它几个地区进入紧急状态。

Abraham Majok competes in the 1500 meter race. The 21-year-old runner said it will be important for people from South Sudan to see athletes from their country at the Olympics.

亚伯拉罕·马约克参加1500米比赛。这位21岁的运动员表示，南苏丹人民在本届奥运会上看到来自本国的运动员将很重要。

That is because South Sudan is a country that is still healing from a civil war. Images of athletes from South Sudan at the Olympics will help the nation develop a sense of being one group of people.

这是因为南苏丹是一个仍在从内战中恢复的国家。南苏丹运动员参加本届奥运会的画面将有助于该国培养团结的意识。

"The image of the team here is a big sign of unity⁷, because all of us are from different states," said Majok.

马约克表示：“我们队伍在日本的画面是团结的重要标志，因为我们所有人都来自于不同的州。”

"When our people back home watch us all from different states working together...and representing the country at the world level, the people will really be happy."

“当祖国人民回到家，看到来自不同州的我们携手努力，在世界舞台上代表这个国家，人们将会感到非常高兴。”

About 400,000 people died during the war in South Sudan. The warring groups signed a peace treaty in 2018, but many agreements have not yet been put in place.

南苏丹战争内战期间大约有40万人死亡。交战团体于2018年签署了和平条约，但是许多协议尚未落实。

The city of Maebashi is trying to help the South Sudanese runners. Groups have donated about $300,000 to support their training. Other people are spending time helping⁸ the runners with life in Japan.

前桥市正试图帮助这些南苏丹的运动员。相关组织已经捐赠了30万美元支持他们的训练。其他人则花时间帮助这些运动员在日本生活。

The total will be enough to pay for their stay through the completion of the Games — If they happen.

这些资金将足够支付他们一直呆到本届奥运会结束，如果本届奥运会如期举办的话。

And if they don't?

如果本奥运会没能举办呢?

"There's always 2024," said one city official.

一位市府官员表示：“还有2024年。”

The 2024 Games will be in Paris.

2024年奥运会将在巴黎举办。

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。

3 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。

4 qualify   

vt.取得资格，有资格，限定，描述；vi.取得资格，有资格

参考例句：

• I won't qualify until next year.我明年才具备资格。
• You must qualify yourself for the post.你必须使自己具备担任这一工作的资格。

5 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

6 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

7 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。